Following an incident in which a resident fell on the slippery walk outside the Hub, First Selectman Henry Tirrell is reviewing policies for treating snowy and icy sidewalks in the village.
Tirrell said he has spoken with the Public Works Department about treating the sidewalks after storms and that the department pre-treated walks in anticipation of Thursday’s wintery mix.
The town has a sand/salt machine that it uses to clear the sidewalks from the Catholic Church through to the businesses on Station Place, and down to the asphalt walkway leading to Meadowbrook. It also clears Maple Avenue but does not plow around the Green and or the library’s walk, which are slate and could be damaged by the plow.
Tirrell said a section of walkway along Route 44 from the southern corner of the Station Place entrance up to the intersection of routes 272 and 44 will be closed for the winter. “A wall has bulged there which makes regular travel difficult and snow clearing practically impossible,” he explained.
He said sidewalk improvements will be on the selectmen’s radar next summer.
“I will work on creating a one-page informative sheet to let people know how the town crew handles regular snow occurrences,” Tirrell said, adding that he encourages people to let his office know if there are icy spots.
“Unfortunately, cold, sunny days can lead to melt that then freezes as the sun goes down,” he said. “If anyone ever becomes aware of poor conditions, they can let us know and we will get it taken care of ASAP.”
He noted that there are wooden boxes filled with sand under the Town Crier sign near the Hub and near the package store. “Two more will be put out shortly so in a pinch nearby business owners can put down some sand on icy spots,” he said.
Last year the selectmen took an ordinance that would have required property owners to clear their sidewalks after snowfalls, but nobody would even make a motion to discuss it. Former first selectman Matt Riiska proposed the ordinance after the town was sued when a pedestrian slipped and fell on a slippery walk.