SOUTHWICK – With early forecasts calling for snow next week, the Board of Selectmen are trying to be proactive when it comes to removing snow from the town’s new sidewalks.
The board met with Department of Public Works Director Jeffrey Neece this week to talk about options. Normally, under town bylaws, it is the property owner’s job to remove snow from sidewalks. The problem is that the new sidewalks, which run from Tannery Road to Town Hall, have no tree belt separating them from the road. The problem then becomes what to do with the snow, which will be plowed onto the sidewalks from the state highway.
“There will be safety issues,” said Selectman Russell Fox. “You’re asking people to remove snow banks, and I’ve had a couple of people ask me about removing snow when there are holes in the sidewalks.”
Because the project is not quite complete, there are some stretches of sidewalks with holes. Neece said Verizon has been removing poles, but the work is slow. He said he was told many local workers are assisting victims of Hurricane Sandy and work here is not the priority.
“They have made some progress in getting rid of poles,” said Neece.
Neece presented the board with options to purchase or lease equipment from Tri County Supply that would help clear sidewalks.
“The equipment is self-propelled and would need an operator,” he said, adding hat it includes various attachments capable of clearing snowdrifts.
The purchase price is $80,000-$90,000, while leasing would cost $1,400 per month for the winter season. Neece added there is a lease with an option to buy program.
“I think if we anticipate bad weather for the next years, we should buy, but if we get a winter like last year, we should lease,” said Neece.
Neece said the snow would still need to be trucked out of the area, particularly where there are parking lots next to the sidewalk and there is nowhere to put the snow.
A local company has said it would remove snow from the sidewalks from Tannery Road to Town Hall with costs ranging from $800 for up to six-inches, to $1,500 for six-12 inches of snow, and $2,000 for more than 12-inches of snow. That cost would be for each incident of plowing.
Chairman Arthur Pinell said he would like to see other price comparisons for machine purchase and lease before making any decisions.
“This is all preliminary,” he said, “but to be confident with assessing this I’d like to see if other machine supply places are comparable.”
Selectwoman Tracy Cesan said she agreed the town should consider plowing the sidewalks for safety purposes, but said they should consider a charge to the property owners, which would help defray equipment costs over time, and make it fair for the property owners in town who must clear their own sidewalks.
Town bylaws state that property owners are responsible for clearing abutting sidewalks within 24 hours of a snowfall.
In Westfield, a city ordinance requires that each “tenant, occupant or owner” remove snow or ice from sidewalks abutting their property or shall sprinkle sand or another suitable substance to ensure that it is not slippery. Violators of the ordinance are assessed a$25 fine.
