Town debates best way to plow streets

(4/5) On the first anniversary of their last change to the town snow plowing policy, the Emmitsburg Town Commissioners are considering reversing the policy change made last year.

Town Director of Public Works Jim Click asked the commissioners at their Mar. 19 meeting to reinstate the snow emergency plan for the entire town. This would mean that when a snow emergency was declared, cars would have to be moved off all town streets. Cars not removed could be towed or fined. This had been the way the town handled snow removal before 2006. Last year, the commissioners voted to remove snow emergency signs from secondary streets and have the snow plows plow down the center of the street.

Click said that having cars on the road when trying to plow made the work time consuming and stressful for the town crew. Having all roads empty of cars would allow easy and quick plowing of streets from curb to curb.

“We wouldn’t have to go back several times wasting time and effort,” Click said.

Commission President Chris Staiger asked, “Where the heck do all the cars go?”

Commission Bill O’Neil suggested that perhaps arrangements could be made to use the Antique Mall parking lot in such a situation.

O’Neil and Staiger agreed that the problem was residents weren’t complaining about the current policy and they had complained about a town-wide use of the snow emergency plan.

“We see the people and the people aren’t upset with it (the current policy),” O’Neil said.

The commission asked O’Neil to take the issue back to the Streets Committee to seek its recommendation.