Theres no business like snow business

There is finally enough snow on the ground to pay attention to. It has to be removed from sidewalks, driveways and parking lots, but beware - don't dump it on public right of ways.

Glasgow adopted a new snow removal ordinance last March to supplement the existing ordinance, which just stated that sidewalks should be cleared by 9 a.m. and throughout the day as needed. That is still the law, but there is now more to it.

You can't dump snow, ice or slush from private property onto any street, alley, sidewalk or fire hydrant. The ordinance, in fact, was passed because of complaints against a business that pushed snow from its parking lot into the street.

A lot of people have four-wheelers with snow blades now, Police Chief Bruce Barstad said, and some of them aren't observing the ordinance. People without four-wheel drive get stuck on city streets when they encounter man-made drifts.

Robert Kompel, the city's director of public works, dubbed the ordinance the "Good Neighbor Snow Policy." People who have respect for their neighbors will not shovel their problems across the property line. He said city employees as well as police officers may notify violators that they must remove the offending snow piles.

The ordinance has teeth if people try to ignore it. According to City Attorney Dave Gorton, both the property owner and the person who wrongly moves the snow can be liable, civilly and/or criminally. Violation of the ordinance is a misdemeanor. After 24 hours, the snow removal may be done by the city and charged to the owner and/or the person who moved the snow.

The costs are stated in the ordinance: a minimum of $25 for up to one-half hour of work plus the actual time for the work beyond the one-half hour, at the rate of $50 per hour. There is also an administrative fee of $35. That's a $60 minimum fee.

The same rule is in effect for anyone failing to clear a sidewalk after being notified. Owners are required to sand, de-ice or chip frozen sidewalks if they become dangerous, unsafe or difficult to walk on.

Citizens sometimes protest that they have nowhere to put the snow that they are required to move. The former police chief, Lynn Erickson, used to recommend that people toss snow from their sidewalks onto their lawn, where it would do some good when it melted. As for parking lots, the conscientious contract snow removers create big piles in the corners of the lots they service and try to make the best of it.