Here we go again. If you have to get around on foot in Plattsburgh, watch your step. Some of the sidewalks aren’t shoveled and you will have to walk in the street, taking chances with the traffic.
Or you could walk on those sections where everyone has trudged through, packing down the snow into an uneven surface. A packed pathway becomes treacherous after some warm weather or rain turns its top layer into an icy glaze. And the problem is compounded when another storm rolls in, piling on another showy strata.
The photos below were taken more than 24 hours later after a snowstorm. Back in 2001 the mayor at that time said that property owners had to shovel sidewalks adjacent to their properties with 24 hours or the city’s public work crews would do it. If the city had to clean up the snow, the non-shovelers would be billed for the work.
Yes, Plattsburgh is facing a budget crisis. But by billing the scofflaws who don’t act as good neighbors, more revenue can be generated.
And isn’t it cheaper to fix the problem before there’s a lawsuit? All it will take is someone being injured by slipping on the packed snow. Or maybe a car will hit him because the sidewalk was impassable and he had to walk in the street.
Today I was carefully walking on Clinton Street and someone fell behind me, hitting the sidewalk due to an uneven slippery spot. Fortunately he wasn’t hurt. But if he was injured and decided to sue, I would have been more than happy to testify at the trial.
3 comments:
Has any owner ever been billed for shoveling or was that just tough talk from Dan? Did the CC actually pass this as a city ordinance? Just curious because I didn't live here during the winter of 2001.
Pax:
I think it was just tough talk from Dan, just like his plan to make sure that untrimmed hedges didn't obstruct the sidewalks. But from the way he sounded in the Press Republican article, it sounded as if all the details had been worked out, right down to the regulation on the books and the crews ready to "scour" the city for unshoveled sidewalks.
Besides this blog, I also have a website. Over there you'll find articles about the snowy sidewalks and other problems. My dot com has a messy structure, so here's a link to one of the rants I wrote. The home page for my dot com can be found at www.writog.com .
Best,
Luke
Please note:
"He sounded...it sounded..."
Obviously my last comment was proofread by the Department of Redundancy Department.
Luke
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