Although temperatures have turned much milder during the last couple of weeks, the issue of snow removal in Tyrone has not escaped the attention of borough officials. Citizens should be aware the borough intends to handle any remaining snow events this winter differently than earlier in the season with some changes already instituted.
Tyrone Borough Code enforcement officer Thomas Lang presented borough council Monday night with information regarding an ordinance on snow removal from sidewalks in the municipality and the application of the ordinance to fine those in violation.
Lang cited Ordinance 1075 concerning snow and ice removal from sidewalks in his monthly written report. He noted a large number of residents had complained about the lack of snow removal from sidewalks last month. Tyrone, along with other municipalities, had been hit with a number of large snowfalls this winter and the borough had decided not enforced the ordinance until the second week of February.
The borough did place several advertisements in The Daily Herald on Feb. 7, 11, 14 and 18 according to Lang’s report. Part of the ad reminded residents of the requirement to clear snow from sidewalks within 24 hours of the cessation of any snowfall or citations would be issued.
On February 9, the borough began issuing citations regarding the ordinance and continued to do so for more than a week and a half from that date.
“We issued a total of 51 citations to both private residences and businesses,” said Lang. “The fine is $25 dollars and we can issue the fine daily if the situation has not been corrected.”
With the warmer temperatures any remaining snow on the sidewalks has had the opportunity to melt naturally during the last couple of weeks. Temperatures are expected to remain relatively mild over the next couple of days. Any precipitation will be in the form of rain today and Friday with colder temperatures expected by the weekend. There is a chance of snow in the forecast for Monday night.
In another snow related issue, Borough Manager Nathan George had previously advised council in early February, the borough would be working diligently to enforce an odd/even parking policy in the event Tyrone declares a snow emergency. The policy was also significantly advertised in editions of The Daily Herald last month. Since then there was a community-driven effort to remove snow which piled up on the downtown streets and Borough highway crews also cleaned up many of the problem streets and alleys after a priority list was created by George and other officials.
It is expected both the sidewalk policy and the parking policy would go into effect in the event of a snowfall of at least three inches or more according to information released by the borough at prior meetings and in its advertisements.
George cited the large snowfalls earlier this winter combined with residents cleaning snow off sidewalks and cars and putting it on the street as reasons the borough did not implement the policy sooner.
The purpose of the odd/even policy for parking is to allow plows to go down one side of the street without being blocked by a parked vehicle. The vehicles can also being stuck as the plows maneuver around them and with the pushing of snow around from sidewalks and other parked cars.
