When it comes to snow removal, township officials will try to be “as practical as we can be,” according to the township’s business administrator Robert Hary.
The high accumulation of snow through multiple storms this winter generated concern last month among council members, who noticed that some residents had failed to clear snow and ice from the sidewalks in front of their homes within 24 hours, as mandated by township ordinance.
Council members said they worried that pedestrians, especially students walking to school, were facing dangerous conditions and at times were forced to walk in the street because the snow had not been removed from sidewalks.
However, Councilman Charles Morgan pointed out during the council’s meeting on February 7 that in some cases it was not the residents’ fault for leaving the snow on the sidewalks.
“Our Public Works folks are piling snow on sidewalks on the corners of intersections, making it impossible for the homeowners to clear the sidewalks,” he said. “We need something in the ordinance in that case to protect them.”
During the council’s meeting on February 14, Hary told the council that both he and Township Attorney Michael Herbert feel the problem is not with the ordinance, as officials originally suggested.
“We definitely have the power to enforce this ordinance,” said Hary. The ordinance specifies fines for residents who fail to clean their sidewalks, which are up to $2,000. “Realistically, how do you do that?”
Hary said police have been going to homes where people are not compliant and issuing citations and warnings. He acknowledged, though, that in some cases, cleanup can be difficult “when the township pushes feet and feet of snow into the right-of-ways,” or the intersections of roads and some sidewalks.
In the days following major snowstorms, Hary said the administration is going to send Public Works employees to those areas and try to assist in the clean-up.
In the areas where police officers have given notices to residents who just did not shovel their sidewalks, “they’ve had very good compliance,” said Hary.
Councilwoman Diane Ciccone suggested the township run public service announcements on the township’s cable channel to spread public awareness about what is mandated in the ordinance.
During the February 7 meeting, Ciccone also mentioned that Routes 571 and Clarksville Road — both county roads — were not plowed as well as the other roads done by township employees. She suggested having the township’s employees plow those roads, with the county reimbursing the township for the work.
Also during the February 7 meeting, Morgan criticized the administration, saying he had asked for the number of citations issued but did not get a response. “The silence is deafening,” he said.
Councilman George Borek said, however, that “140 tickets have been issued to homeowners not clearing their sidewalks.”
One township resident has complained that the township does not follow its own rules. Courtney Drive resident Kathy Brennan lives across the street from Municipal Drive and the township’s library. For the first few days after the most recent snowstorm, the sidewalk between the post office and the library was poorly shoveled and not entirely clear in all areas, she told the News. It was still snowy up to 72 hours after the storm, she said.
“I go through this every snow storm,” she said. “It’s shoveled, but it’s not cleared to the bottom of the sidewalk. The last sidewalk, it took them over 72 hours to clear it. Every snowstorm, I call up and tell them it’s not shoveled.”
Brennan said she E-mailed the township, council members, and the county “two snow storms ago” regarding the lack of snow removal by both entities. “The county responded and the following snow storm they promptly cleared its sidewalk,” she said. “However, the township did not.”
Brennan said the township should follow the same 24-hour rule that residents do. “The road crew guys are great, but they can only do what they’re told to.”
The mayor said the snow piles at the corner of the streets were a result of the typical ways of plowing to ensure the streets were safe. However, Public Works employees have been sent out to remove the snow piles from some areas of the sidewalks in those cases, and that they have been working for days after each storm to continue clearing snow.
“On the first day or two, you want to make sure you clear the roads,” he said. “It’s not going to be perfect, but compared to many other towns, we are in good shape.”
Specifically with regard to Brennan’s complaints, he said that he responded immediately to get crews on the case. “Even today, we still have certain machines going out to improve different areas in West Windsor,” he said on February 9.
“You always have room for improvement,” Hsueh added. “I already directed the Public Works to coordinate with county and try to resolve some of the issues.”
Snow Budget. Hary also reported during the February 14 meeting that there is $384,000 remaining in the “snow trust,” an emergency fund set aside for costs associated with snow removal. The fund is used when the township spends more than its yearly snow budget.
The township has already used up its snow budget for 2011, which allotted $60,000 for salaries and wages associated with cleanup and $180,000 for other expenses, including salt purchases.
“We’ve exhausted our budget, so the trust is going to save us again,” said Hary.
