“We’ve been really fortunate because our snow season has not been bad,” said Oxford Village councilwoman Kate Logan on Jan. 14 (before it snowed over the weekend), “but I guarantee you if we were looking at three feet of snow out there tonight, we would have angry people in here because we have yet to release any kind of resource list to our residents.”
Last March, the village revised its snow removal ordinance. The new ordinance requires landowners or occupants in the village to remove “naturally falling” snow or ice from sidewalks adjacent to their properties “by 7 p.m. the following day” after it ceases to fall or accumulate, regardless of whether that happens during the day or at night.
The previous ordinance required snow and ice removal “within 12 hours” after if it ceased to fall or accumulate “during daylight hours.” If it stopped “during the nighttime,” it had to be removed “by 7 p.m. the following day.”
Each property is “eligible to receive one warning per snow season,” which is defined as the period between Oct. 1 and March 31. Civil fines for those who violate the new ordinance are $25 for a first offense, $50 for a second offense and $75 for additional offenses “in any snow season.”
This is the first winter the new ordinance has been implemented.
The council changed the ordinance in response to citizen complaints regarding 60 tickets issued in November 2018, after the previous version of the ordinance was adopted in August 2018.
When the latest version of the ordinance was adopted last March, village officials discussed compiling and publicizing a list of volunteer community resources, such as churches, clubs or youth groups that residents could contact if they are unable to clear their sidewalks due to age, health or financial issues. It did not happen.
Logan would like to provide more than just a list of third parties. “I just don’t think we can rely on that kind of system,” she said. She suggested maybe council could use some Community Development Block Grant (CDGB) funds to run a program, but that idea didn’t fly. By nights end, the item was added to the agenda for a strategic planning meeting “regarding the Residential Rental Registration and Inspection Ordinance, including discussion of future CDBG public service projects, at 7 p.m., Jan. 27 in the village’s community room.