Stanley P. Brozana Jr., 72 – Served 37 Years as Orwigsburg Police Chief
Cressona is enforcing a rule that doesn’t seem to be enforced in every Schuylkill County community, even though it should be: Requiring sidewalks be cleared of snow following a storm.
After the storm that dumped about 7 inches of snow on most of Schuylkill County in January, approximately 40 property owners were cited for not clearing a path on their sidewalk 24 hours after the snow stopped.
The fine in Cressona for not clearing a sidewalk of snow is $25.
Cressona’s Code Enforcement Officer, Mike Pontician, said he’s worried that some of the people he may have cited and others who did manage to clear their sidewalk may not be physically able to actually complete the task safely.
Pontician told Borough Council members on Monday that there are a growing number of people in Cressona who are elderly and may not be physically able to clear snow from their property.
He told council members that he’s not always aware of who lives in a home that he may have to cite for not clearing snow.
To prevent them from getting citations, Pontician proposed reaching out to local school districts like Schuylkill Haven Area and Blue Mountain to get some help for those who have trouble removing snow.
He said residents who can’t clear their snow would reach out and the borough or schools would connect them with students who may need community service hours who could lend a hand after a snowstorm.
Pontician said one elderly resident contacted him and said she had a heart condition that made it difficult for her to clear snow after a storm.
“Maybe we can have an outlet for our (residents),” he said.
Council President Linda Walinsky seemed strongly in favor of the idea. She said that people in their 80s and older shouldn’t be out trying to clear snow and ice, risking falls and other serious injuries.
“I think it’s a great idea, even if we can start to make a list of people that we know can’t do it,” she said.
The borough may also reach out to churches in the area to see if they may be able to lend a hand in helping residents who aren’t able or shouldn’t be clearing snow.
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