Gouverneur Local Law 2

From http://www.villageofgouverneur.org/

NOTICE: TO ALL VILLAGE RESIDENTS

Local Law requires that all sidewalks in the Village must be cleared of snow. The Local Law reads as follows:

If it snows and the snow stops before 5:00 PM the sidewalk must be cleared that night.

If it snows after 5:00 pm the sidewalk must be cleared by 8:30 am the next morning.

Please sand your sidewalks should they be covered with ice. Sand barrels are provided by the Village and placed through out the Village.

If the residents do not comply with the Local Law, the Village will cause to have the sidewalks cleared at the property owner's expense and billed. The current rate that is charged for snow removal in the Village is forty cents (.40) per square foot + 17.00 administrative fees.



Ok, so some of you may have figured out by now that I got dinged. I am not upset at all that I got dinged although I do have my snow removal contracted out at $20 an hour. I am a big believer in keeping the sidewalks clear especially for those who are less mobile. Since the house is only 100 yards or so from the hospital there is at least one person in a motorized scooter who would go by on a daily basis.

What I have an issue is with the law itself and how it was written. If you look closely it potentially leaves anyone open to a complaint and subsequently to the exhorborant charges the village imposes.....like low hanging fruit for the picking, someone is making a killing here.

How long could it possibly take to clear 160' of sidewalk??? 15 min? 30 min? an hour? At .40 per ft and then add the "administration fee" on top of that and you wind up anywhere from $81/hr to $324/hr. to clear this 160 feet of sidewalk. I agree that forcing the village to clear your sidewalk should involve some sort of punitive action but let's call it that.

My invoice from the Village only states that a complaint was made and that I was in violation of Local Law 2. I have no other information than that. Theoretically it may not have been enough to clear myself had I been at the house.

Ok, so we have what seems to be a little billing on the lofty side. I have talked to my contractor and he will keep a more viligent eye on the sidewalk.

So that brings me to these two lines within the law:

If it snows and the snow stops before 5:00 PM the sidewalk must be cleared that night.
If it snows after 5:00 pm the sidewalk must be cleared by 8:30 am the next morning.

If you are employed outside of the village and/or work shiftwork you are not afforded enough time to clear your walk....especially if it snows during the night while you are working and you are required to have your sidewalk cleared so early. Most other municiplalities give you 24 hrs AFTER the last measurable snowfall. That would really put everyone on equal footing.