NORWALK, Conn. – Hundreds of Norwalk homeowners have been advised to shovel snow from their sidewalks, according to Department of Public Works Director Hal Alvord, but snow is everywhere and the people forced into the street include children walking to school.
This became a topic this week on the closed Facebook group,Norwalk Parents for Education, which had 856 members on Friday. “Just another day walking to school, and wondering if city cares enough despite all my complaining…..” a mom wrote Tuesday, posting the photo at right. Many frustrated comments followed, including pleas for the police to issue tickets to people who do not get their cars off the street in a snow emergency.
In response, NoN did some digging that did not involve snow – Alvord said Norwalk’s part time ordinance enforcement officer is spending all of his time addressing snowy sidewalks; Norwalk Police Chief Thomas Kulhawik said there has only been one snow emergency this winter and Mayor Harry Rilling said that he had kept the promise he made at a BoE meeting and had looked into the issue.
“This has been a difficult and challenging winter due to the many snowstorms occurring in rapid succession,” Rilling said in an email. “We respond to complaints reporting dangerous conditions and take appropriate actions. We will be working with the school system to develop a more effective approach.”
The parents listed specific problems:
- “Strawberry Hill is a mess – most of the high schoolers and middle schoolers have to walk on the road – an accident waiting to happen”
- “Strawberry Hill and William Street are a mess. Some homeowners try to comply but others haven’t lifted one finger.”
- “Spring Hill and Girard kids were standing in the street on the corner also … this is the 3rd time this year they have had to bc no one shoveled their sidewalk”
- “Kids from Brookside, McMahon and Roton walk in the road.
- “How about the enormous heap of snow at corner of Butternut and West Rocks – I’m waiting to see/hear about someone getting slammed! Can’t see anything without pulling almost all the way into W Rocks.”
“The issue is enforcement,” one Mom wrote. “I sent pictures to the police department of vehicles that have been encased in snow on Stuart Avenue, which is a snow emergency route. They told me that DPW hadn’t told them about it, so they didn’t ticket the cars. Well I told them about it, and they are still there with no tickets”
“I had contact with someone regarding cars on snow routes etc. several days ago,” Kulhawik said in an email. “Don’t know if it is this person or not, but I think it was Stuart Ave that was discussed. Cars can be ticketed or towed only during a declared snow emergency. There has been no emergency declared in the recent snow events. I believe the last one was the predicted blizzard. Therefore there is no violation at this time.’
Kulhawik continued, “If the cars were parked during a declared snow emergency they could have been ticketed or towed if DPW requested the vehicles removed. I do not believe any vehicles have been towed but I would need to verify that. If they were not ticketed at that time for whatever reason we would not be able to issue tickets at this time. I explained the ordinance and situation to the resident who contacted me and advised them that should a snow emergency be declared in the future they are welcome to call the PD and request an officer respond to ticket any violators.”
Alvord said that Ordinance Enforcement Officer Ed Schwartz has spent all of his 20 hours a week talking to property owners about snowy sidewalks. No tickets have been issued because that would be counterproductive, he said – the goal is to get people to clear their sidewalks and it’s working, he said. If tickets were issued the city would collect money and the sidewalks would still be covered with snow, he said.
He declined to say where Schwartz had been, saying that would embarrass people. But it’s “hundreds” of properties. Schwartz is working his way through the list and has 130 homes yet to visit, he said.
Parents should call customer service and give specific addresses, he said. The number is (203) 854-3200.
The other issue is city-owned sidewalks. Alvord said the overburdened DPW might have better luck with an expensive piece of machinery that the finance department does not recommend for funding.
The trackless multiuse machine would cost $145,000, according to Alvord’s request for the 2015-16 capital budget. Currently, DPW uses a Bobcat, which must be loaded onto and off a trailer to be carted around the city. The trackless machine can travel on the roads itself, which would save a lot of time, Alvord said.
The city’s sidewalks are cleared by the same workers who plow snow, he said. The streets come first and then the workers need to sleep. So the sidewalks can wait three days, he said.
A program to have volunteers shovel sidewalks for residents has started under the Rilling administration.
“I have been fortunate with volunteers willing to assist seniors on fixed income who are unable to clear their sidewalks,” Norwalk Neighborhood Coordinator David Shockley said in an email. “My main source of volunteers has been the AIC (Alternatives in the Community) Program, which is able to give me a couple days per week of community service work. I would estimate that the volunteer work force has cleared 15 to 20 sidewalks for us this winter. Some have been the same seniors with the additional snow. Unfortunately I do not have enough volunteers to do all the requests which come in to the city. We go on an as needed basis, with priority to those with medical conditions, etc.”
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