While snow is sometimes the perfect thing to get you in the holiday mood, it can also be a pain. Especially when it isn’t cleared in time.
Lake Orion Police Chief Jerry Narsh wants to make sure residents and business owners in the village are aware of the new snow ordinance that went into effect last winter.
‘There’s teeth to this ordinance,? he said. ‘I’d rather bark than bite. So I’m barking.?
The ordinance, approved by the village council in February of 2007, states that any snow that falls between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. needs to be removed immediately.
Any overnight accumulations should be taken care of by 9 a.m. the next morning–within reason, Narsh said.
The penalty if you slack on clearing ice and snow is a municipal civil infraction, a ticket which costs somewhere around $80 on the first offense, and then doubles every next ticket.
Downtown businesses have a vested interested in getting the snow out of the way, Narsh said.
‘If you have a business in these economic times, you want to make it as appealing as possible,? he said. ‘Ice and snow aren’t curb-friendly.?
‘In residential areas, the general rule of thumb is to get your sidewalk cleared 24 hours after accumulation,? Narsh said. He wants homeowners to be aware that the sidewalk adjacent to their property is their responsibility.
‘It’s the only way to keep pedestrian traffic safe in the snowy season,? he said.
Ordinance officers have already been around to local businesses to give them a warning. After that, Narsh said he plans to strictly enforce the ordinance.
‘We will be out en masse,? he said.