Montpelier council to ask citizens to aid in winter clean-up
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By Sarah Hinckley Times Argus Staff - Published: November 20, 2008
MONTPELIER – Residents may be asked to help out this winter when it comes to keeping sidewalks clear.
Public Works Director Todd Law presented the city's winter maintenance plan during the regular meeting Wednesday. After explaining priority areas in the city and methods by which city employees clean the streets and sidewalks, councilor Sarah Jarvis asked what responsibility residents have in snow removal.
"I see the sidewalk plows do their jobs, and then they have to deal with these piles," she said after asking whether the city had an ordinance for sidewalk responsibility.
Mayor Mary Hooper suggested sending a notice out with the next water and sewer bills.
"Why don't we try asking folks to do their share?" she offered.
Councilors voted 4-2 in favor of an application submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency for $200,000 to clean up the Carr Lot. Located on Taylor Street, the Carr Lot has tested positive for polychlorinated byphenyl – or PCB – a contaminant. In order to receive the grant money, the property, which is owned by Allan Carr, must be owned by the city.
The city has until June 1 to purchase the property, according to the application. A clean-up plan, which must outline the future use of the property, is necessary to determine what the cost will be to make the property safe.
Councilors heard from Police Chief Anthony Facos, Vermont Compost Company owner Karl Hammer and his neighbor Steve LaRosa during the meeting. Hammer is in litigation with the city over ordinance violations focusing on his barking dogs and loose chickens.
Facos has suggested a fence securing Hammer's property. "It's not a matter of continuous barking or neglect," said Dan Richardson, Hammer's attorney. "This is a matter of dogs that are trained and bred to do what they're doing … I can say none of the chickens that have escaped have lived to tell the others of their tale."
Hooper suggested possible changes to the ordinances could be taken up at a future meeting.
The next city council meeting date has yet to be determined. All council meetings are open to the public, recorded and televised on local access television.
Contact Sarah Hinckley at sarah.hinckley@timesargus.com.
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