Pittsfield Council of Aging Questions 24-Hour Sidewalk Ordinance
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Council on Aging says the city's requirement to swiftly clear sidewalks is a strain on senior residents.
The ordinance calls for snow and ice to be removed from sidewalks within 24 hours of a storm. After an initial warning, property owners who fail to do this are progressively fined up to a $100.
Council members argued this week that the sidewalk ordinance is too vague because it does not consider factors including vacations, accessibility, and the repeated snow covering caused by plows. Plus, they say, the city's older residents may not have the capacity to shovel walks.
COA Director James Clark shared a story about an elderly women who was trying remove the heavy, wet snow from a January storm from sidewalk and was distraught after the plows came by and filled the clean walk with more snow.
"She went out there to try and do it and couldn't get it done. And out of the grace of God, some kid came along and for 20 bucks, did it," he said. "And then not more than an hour later, the plow came by and dumped more on the sidewalk than he had removed. We looked at it and she was in tears because it was her last 20 bucks and she didn't know what to do."
Clark said the sidewalk ordinance is discriminatory and that eight of the current 11 City Council members do not have sidewalks on their property so the ordinance does not affect them.
"But they're telling people they have to do it in a certain amount of time," he said. "And the only reason that's an issue to me is because I had multiple calls this year, where people went out and did their sidewalk or paid somebody to do it. And then the plows came by again and dumped the snow right back on their sidewalk."
The sidewalk ordinance is enforced by the Health Department. Since the beginning of the year, nearly 60 $25 tickets have been issued, all but on in January.
A petition by Councilor at Large Earl Persip III asked the Health Department to look into improving snow removal and hold residents and businesses more responsible, describing icy or snowed in sidewalks as a safety hazard for seniors and children.
In response, Health Inspector Andy Cambi provided a program draft that would focus on commercial establishments, sidewalks within 1.5 miles of schools, gathering places, and along residential streets in response to complaints through the Pittsmart app.
Inspections would be performed within 24 hours after at least 2 inches of snow; warnings would be posted first (though a question on how this would be done) and followed up to ensure compliance. Cambi also laid out the process and resources needed.
The policy was referred to Ordinance & Rules.
"[Ward 3 Councilor] Kevin Sherman brought up a good point, especially if anybody had any plans this year to go anywhere," said Clark, referring to how people can't really plan around weather forecasts and may not be in the city after a storm. "They shouldn't be getting a ticket because they were out of town for the weekend and come back into that not only to shovel it, but then you have a ticket."
Chair Theresa Bianchi said the city needed to invest in alternative ways to keep sidewalks clear to relieve the strain on residents.
"It's not just our constituency and our community — the amount of schoolchildren that have to walk up to Crosby, to Highland (Capeless), to Taconic and some standing out in the dark waiting for the bus and the sidewalks are not clear," Bianchi said. "I'm sure you see this with other elementary schools. It is absolutely unacceptable.
"And if the city has to invest in those neat little, small snow plows or brushes, they go on sidewalks and take the $30, $40, $50 million that we have, to say nothing of the budget surplus over the past two years, and get it done."
In other business, the council noted March 22 is the 50th anniversary of the Meals on Wheels program, part of the Older Americans Act Nutrition Program, which provides meals to seniors who are unable to leave their home.
"We want to extend out gratitude to Elder Services of Berkshire County and the terrific staff at the Lanesborough Kitchen site for their outstanding work over the past 50 years," the council posted on its Facebook page.
• There is a staffing shortage for many senior programs making it difficult to provide resources to seniors such as bus services, at-home nurses, and at-home care.
"I think the home-care agencies are still really struggling to staff because we regularly have patients who have the means to pay for home health care and can't get anyone especially if they live out in the hilltowns, young people are more, more rural," council member Kara M. Graziola said. "It's just brutal for them to get anybody. So I think it's getting a little better. But they still have a long way to go in order to be able to fulfill the needs of people asking for help."
• Clark said seniors should leave their homes once in a while because it is good for them to be in a change in scenery. He noted the importance of a bus service that can bring them to the Ralph Froio Senior Center.
• The Senior Center has scheduled a bus to MGM Springfield; seniors will be able to gamble and eat at the Red Rose for $49.
Tags: sidewalks,
