After receiving numerous complaints from residents about snow and ice coated sidewalks in front of commercial and residential properties throughout New York City, Councilman Greenfield is proposing changes to the city’s laws to better protect pedestrians. Currently, property owners receive a fine starting at $100 if they fail to clear their sidewalk within four hours after a storm ends. However, even when this fine is issued, the sidewalk often goes unshoveled and remains dangerous to pedestrians, especially children and senior citizens. Under Councilman Greenfield’s proposal, the city would use its municipal workers to clear the sidewalk and would then bill the delinquent property owner $250 or more for the work, depending on the size of the property. This would ensure that the hazard is remediated at no additional expense to the city while still holding the property owner accountable for breaking the law.
“We all have a responsibility to our neighbors to make sure that the sidewalks in front of our homes and stores are cleared and passable four hours after the snow stops falling. Unfortunately, many people don’t care and ignore the law. Simply issuing a fine to the property owner really doesn’t solve the problem, as many of these tickets are ignored. That’s why I am proposing to amend the existing law so that the city can perform the work itself, which would actually result in ice-free sidewalks and additional revenue,” said Councilman Greenfield.
In many cases, the neglected sidewalks are in front of properties such as abandoned or stalled construction sites, vacant houses or empty storefronts. With these summonses often going ignored and unpaid, allowing the dangerous condition to persist, Councilman Greenfield is proposing to overhaul the existing law so that it better meets the ultimate goal of getting the sidewalk cleared on behalf of pedestrians.
Under his proposed law, owners of commercial and residential properties who fail to clear their sidewalk would be charged a fee starting at $250 and rising depending on the size of the property for the city to perform the work. The city would use the revenue to fund the hiring of additional temporary snow laborers used to clear public areas such as street corners and curbs, which would create more jobs while leading to safer, clearer sidewalks for the public. The city already has a database of temporary snow laborers it calls on during major snow events, with pay starting at $12 an hour and rising to $18 an hour after working 40 hours in a week. Councilman Greenfield envisions an expansion of this program through the hiring of additional workers to clear sidewalks as part of his new legislation.
“It’s vital that all residents can get around safely, especially in a community like ours with so many families and seniors. This winter has made it clear that the current law does not provide enough motivation for many property owners to do the right thing. My law would increase the fine against those who flout this important responsibility, while also achieving the goal of making sure that every inch of sidewalk in New York City is safe and passable,” said Councilman Greenfield.
Councilman Greenfield is proposing this law after receiving numerous complaints from residents about snow and ice covered sidewalks throughout Boro Park, Midwood and Bensonhurst and after personally seeing several elderly constituents slip and fall. Last week, he worked with Senator Simcha Felder to remind all property owners of their responsibility to keep the sidewalk clear and warned of an impending Department of Sanitation crackdown against those who fail to do so.
(YWN Desk – NYC)
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12 Responses
Smart move and long overdue. Many cities already have a system in place where they bill the homeowner for the actual cost of hiring a contractor to clear the snow and ice plus a fine. Its no excuse to argue that the homeowner is old, sick, away on vacation, the snow fell on eruv shabbos, etc. None of those excuses will help if another elderly or infirm neighbor slips on the ice in front of your home. With home owership comes the responsibility to make arrangements with a private cotractor or neighborhood teenager or whatever, to clear the snow within 24 hours if for whatever reason you don’t want to do it yourself.
OK David, now you got me going!!! What about the sanitation cowboys who so carelessly plow the snow right back onto the sidewalk?? Are we supposed to stand there all day long cleaning YOUR garbage??? My property gets shoveled during and AFTER the storm – just to have the plow trucks come by at a high rate of speed and with one pass, fling all the snow right back onto the sidewalk.
And you want to do what?? Why don’t you address the rogue חיות behind the wheel of these menace machines??
Don’t penalize the hard working tax payers. There’s only so much that we can do to satisfy this city and we don’t plan on being your clean up crew!!
Would Mr. Greenfield’s proposal give a pass for not shoveling on shabbos or any other Jewish or secular holiday?
if they currently ignore and don’t pay the fines, how does charging them for shoveling help. can’t they ignore those charges also?
I’M WITH YOU ON THIS ONE!! THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS WHAT BORO PARK LOOKS LIKE! Go take a look in the local emergency room. Take a poll from the Hatzolah dispatcher. THERE IS NO EXCUSE not to put salt on the sidewalk. Someone told me they cant because its going to crack their sidewalk! How about if someone falls on your ice and cracks their skull??
Chas Veshalom! I love the idea of the city doing it but charging you. We will need exemptions for Shabbos and Yom Tov though.
The city should shovel all sidewalks at taxpayer expense just like they shovel all streets (well, to some extent). The property owner shouldn’t have to foot the bill to keep a public sidewalk clean. Should he also have to pay to keep the street clean?
http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/coffeeroom/topic/list-the-houses-who-dont-shovel-here
To Rebbe Yid #6 , I take it you would not have a problem tacking on to your tax bill the cost of shoveling at union rates.
A walk through Borough Park probably inspired this proposal. In BP many homeowners wait for the temperature to rise and for the sun to melt the snow. Complete and total trust in Hashem to remove what He caused to fall.
Quite a sight to watch all the women with strollers trying to navigate the corners with mountains of snow and the icy sidewalks.
If the City uses day laborers to clear sidewalks they will need additional supervisory sanitation workers to watch them.
What would happen if the city would shovel someones sidewalk, and the homeowner was just going to. How long would the snow have to be unshoveled for, for the city to shovel it.There are going to be many people saying that they were about to shovel and I’m not paying any thing for something I was about to do. If the snow fell Erev Shabbos and the city shovels on Shabbos,no one is going to pay for that. I can see that this idea was not thought out yet. Why is it that Brooklyn Jews think that they can do what they please.Double parking and honking like animals just to name two. Such a Chilul Hashem.
This proposal is another way to rob the people!!!
It’s a public side walk let those good for nothing, day light traffic cop robbers shovel the side walks
We live in society. Shovel your sidewalks.