Swampscott officials eye changes to town’s sidewalk shoveling ordinance

SWAMPSCOTT – Some elected officials would like to put some teeth in the bylaw that governs the clearing of sidewalks, such as after a snowstorm.Selectman Jill Sullivan said the current bylaw is very vague and almost unenforceable.”No person shall obstruct a public street or sidewalk by placing or causing to be placed therein any article, including snow, or anything whatsoever and suffer the same to remain in such position,” she read from the existing bylaw.”It’s not clear enough,” she said. “There is no time frame for snow removal and no penalty. So it’s unenforceable.”Sullivan said she has received calls from residents, who complained about sidewalks not being shoveled.”This morning I walked about two-and-a-half miles with my dog,” she said. “Most of the sidewalks were not shoveled and I had to walk in the road. This is a real safety issue. We have a lot of students who walk to school.”Department of Public Works Director Gino Cresta said he believes homeowners should be responsible for clearing the sidewalks in front of their homes and thinks it should be done within 24 hours of the end of the snowstorm.”Driving around town today, I saw mothers walking in the street with kids because sidewalks weren’t cleared,” he said. “I think we should come up with an ordinance that specifies some type of time frame to show how long after a storm residents have to clear their sidewalks.”Cresta said not everyone is physically capable of shoveling their own sidewalks or can afford to hire someone, so some concessions would have to be made for disabled and seniors.Sullivan agreed there are many seniors in town and it could be difficult for them to get their sidewalks cleared.”We need to find a way to balance the needs of the residents with the need for safety,” she said.Selectman Marc Paster agreed a plan should be put it in place but he shared Sullivan’s concern about senior citizens, who are unable to shovel. “For safety reasons the sidewalks must be cleared,” he said. “It would be beneficial to everyone if we could work out a partnership between the residents and DPW.”Sullivan said the issue would be discussed at a Board of Selectmen meeting in February and it is something she would also ask the town bylaw committee to take a look at.”I’d like to see something come before Town Meeting,” she said. “I know there was something on the Town Meeting warrant a few years ago and it was defeated. But this is something we need to address because it is a safety issue.”