CLEVELAND — As more snow blankets Northeast Ohio, many residents are struggling to keep up with snow removal around their homes, specifically sidewalks.
Cities like Garfield Heights are reminding residents again to clear their sidewalks, yet with so much snow, it's been difficult. Mayor Matt Burke says incoming calls of concern are non-stop.
“Most of the calls that we've got are concerns of basically just safety concerns,” Burke explained. "We don't want anybody on that main road walking when they can walk on the sidewalks.”
The mayor credits neighbors helping neighbors as part of the solution, but a new free app called "Greenpal" could help even more. The app started only offering lawn care and landscaping service and has now added snow removal services. It works just like Uber or Lyft. Once the app is downloaded, you enter the address of where the service is needed. Then, vetted businesses and vendors bid on the job.
“The homeowner could see the vendor's ratings, reviews and price and then decide who they want to work with,” said Gene Caballero, Co-Founder of Greenpal. “They have to be 18 years of age. They have to have a valid driver's license. They have to have a valid bank account. They have to have a valid Social Security number. So those are just kind of the small ways that we can make sure that these guys are who they say they are.”
You can also order and pay for services for family members or friends.
When the job is done, the vendor uploads pictures of the completed work, which requires your approval. Your credit card will not be charged until that happens.
“There's no service fees or convenience fees or anything like that," said Caballero.
