SWAMPSCOTT — The town’s new Snow Safety Plan is going to fine residents who don’t shovel out their sidewalks, unless they are approved for a hardship waiver.
The Snow and Ice Bylaw was approved at a town meeting in May, and requires that all property owners clear out the snow and ice adjacent to their property in order to ensure safe travel for pedestrians. At a Board of Selectmen meeting on Wednesday night, the four members in attendance unanimously voted in favor of hardship waivers for the disabled, elderly, and others with special needs or circumstances.
“We are a small town with constrained resources, but we still need to be mindful of the residents who need help,” said Town Administrator Sean Fitzgerald.
The waivers have a hard deadline of Dec. 1 and will be reviewed by Gino Cresta Jr., the town’s Department of Public Works (DPW) director. He said there will be a waiver fee of $25 per person and if a resident is denied one, an appeal can be made after 14 days. He expects to have a decent number of waiver applications, given this is the first year of the new bylaw.
“All the waiver fees will go into the general fund and can hopefully be used for something the town needs,” said Cresta.
Residents can obtain an application for a Hardship Waiver at town hall, the police department, the senior center, or online at www.town.swampscott.ma.us.
“Our goal is just to get the sidewalks cleared, so I’m hoping we don’t get too many waiver applications,” said Peter Spellios, the board’s chair.
Cresta, Fitzgerald, and the Board of Selectmen are working closely with the police department in ensuring that residents who don’t play their part in snow and ice removal will be issued a citation. Cresta said even residents who will be away on vacation will need to coordinate removal for their properties beforehand.
“Snow-covered sidewalks are a serious hazard to pedestrians and illegally parked cars during snow create safety problems for residents and the DPW,” said Swampscott Police Chief Ron Madigan in a press release. “With the town leading the way, it’s time for all of us to pull together and improve our response to dangerous snow conditions. That begins today and will continue from this day forward.”
If you are wondering who will be clearing the sidewalks of those approved for the waivers, so is the town. Cresta said the new bylaw is going to have growing pains and he hopes to get volunteers or use funds from the budget to pay the town’s youth to clear the sidewalks for residents unable to do it on their own.
“If someone gets injured or if something happens that changes a person’s situation, the town is open to having residents come in for mitigating circumstances,” said Fitzgerald.
The Snow and Ice Bylaw was implemented after town resident Cheryl Barker started a citizens’ petition that was brought forth to the town during the initial meeting in May. Burke said she found out the town had no bylaws regarding snow or ice removal after she witnessed a woman slip and fall on ice after one of the storms.
For further questions about the bylaw or the waiver, contact Assistant Town Administrator Ana Lanzilli at 781-596-8889.
