With warmer weather ending most any chance of more snow-related issues until next winter, Tyrone Borough has turned its attention to concerns involving abandoned vehicles in the municipality.
In February, the borough advertised several times its decision to enforce its snow and ice removal ordinance which required business owners and residents to remove snow and ice from their sidewalks within 24 hours after the end of a new snowfall.
Tyrone Borough Code Enforcement officer Tom Lang and borough manager Nathan George are now turning their attention to another code enforcement issue.
The borough has decided to start strictly enforcing its abandoned and junked vehicle ordinance. The ordinance prohibits the parking or storage of any unlicensed and/or uninspected vehicle on any borough street or on any private property. The borough recently bought display advertising in The Daily Herald to announce its decision it would start enforcing ordinance number 1040 starting on June 1, 2004. The ad is due to appear several times in the newspaper prior to that date.
“We have a large number of these types of vehicles mostly on private property and on the streets,” said Lang. “The borough manager has decided it is time we step up enforcement. We want to give residents a heads-up about the fact we are going to start stricter enforcement of an ordinance which has been on the books since 1993. We want to give people some time.”
Lang also noted 99 percent of the vehicles which were not moved during the winter snow removal period where not in violation of the abandoned vehicle ordinance but more likely were left where they were for another reason. “We were not strictly enforcing the odd/even parking restrictions which we plan to do in the future,” explained Lang.
The borough can put the restrictions in place during snow emergencies and for street cleaning.
Lang did say the borough will take action regarding an abandoned vehicle even prior to stricter enforcement if it receives a complaint about it. He also said the ordinance does not apply to vehicles which are kept in a garage on private property.
This past winter, dozens of people were cited for violating the snow removal ordinance and some even decided to opt for a hearing before the district magistrate rather than simply paying the fine associated with the violation. Lang indicated two people were found guilty in March of the violations.
“Hearings for two additional people were tabled until Magistrate Fred Miller was able to go to the locations,” explained Lang. “We recently received word both were found not guilty. Out of eight hearings, two people were found guilty and six were found not guilty (of snow removal violations). More than half the people paid their fines and some have not responded yet. There is one more hearing scheduled for May.”
