By Carol McCracken  (Post # 1,244)

The public is invited to a public hearing on Tuesday, October 30, 2012, at the City Hall, Room 209 to discuss proposed rules and regulations on snow removal rules.  The meeting starts at 5:30 pm.

Last month the Portland City Council directed the Department of Public Services to create new rules for certain exceptions for sidewalk snow clearing.  In drafting the rules, the department took into account pedestrian safety, priority snow removal sidewalk areas and whether or not one side of the street is plowed by the city.

The new rules provide the City Manager the discretion to extend the deadlines for clearing snow and ice if snow accumulation exceeds six inches from a single story.  Additionally, a single family residential properties abutting a major arterial with at least three lanes of traffic can request a waiver from the Director of Public Services and the director will determine if the accumulation of snow on the sidewalk is unreasonable for the resident to remove and be able to grant such a waiver. Following the public hearing, the finalized rules will be sent to the City Council as a communication and go into effect fifteen days later.

These changes are in response to residents of outer Congress Street, who over the last several years, have been looking to the city for relief from snow removal laws where it is deemed to be an  unreasonable burden for residents in the area.

Please visit the city’s website for specifics of the proposed rules and regulations.