An unidentified man shovels snow on English Plaza in Red Bank earlier this month. (Click to enlarge)
Repeatedly frustrated by an inability to clear snow-clogged streets, Red Bank officials are expected Wednesday night to mull an outright ban on overnight parking when it snows.
Also on the agenda for the borough council’s bimonthly meeting: a measure requiring shovelers to clear a path at least 42 inches wide, and banning them from throwing or plowing the snow out into the street.
The proposed parking ban would broaden existing law, which prohibits overnight parking on specific streets. The new one would apply to every street in town during a snow emergency, defined as a snowfall that covers the street.
Borough officials say cars left parked overnight inhibit curb-to-curb plowing.
Proposed changes to the shoveling law would add “slush” to the current law requiring removal and salting of snow and ice.
It says (strikethroughs indicate deletions from current law, and bold text indicates additions):
Any owner or owners, occupant or occupants, tenant or tenants, building
superintendent, rental agent or person in charge of premises abutting or bordering
upon any public street, in the Borough, shall remove all snow, slush and ice from
the abutting sidewalks of such streets, or in the case of ice which may be so frozen
as to make removal impracticable, shall cause the same to be thoroughly covered
with sand or ashes salt , within 24 hours of daylight after the same shall fall or be
formed thereon. Removal of any snow, slush or ice should be conducted along the
full paved width of the sidewalk and in a manner that ensures the orderly flow and
safety of pedestrian traffic upon such sidewalk. Removal of any slush, snow or ice
shall be conducted in a manner that clears the full paved sidewalk or a minimum of
forty two inches wide, including removal of snow, slush and ice from all curb cuts,
intersections, crosswalks, handicapped ramps and sidewalk locations.
Here are the proposed snow ordinances, which are up for introduction, not a final vote: RB 2014-5 and RB 2014-6
Here’s the draft agenda: RB Council 022614
