Stow -- While city officials agree snow that is plowed into the roadway can be a hazard especially when it melts and freezes again, City Council now has two choices regarding legislation to help correct the problem.
A proposed ordinance drawn up by Law Director Brian Reali would be handled by the city's zoning department instead of the police. It was introduced at Council's March 21 Roads and Safety Committee meeting.
"I don't think it's a police issue, and I don't think we need the police out chasing down snow complaints," said Reali, who drew up the ordinance at the request of Council.
A competing proposed ordinance submitted by the city's service department would be handled by the police.
The items remained in Council committee, and Council did not vote on either ordinance at its March 24 meeting.
City officials considered similar legislation last year, but it remained in committee and never reached Council for a vote.
Both current proposed ordinances prohibit snow being shoveled, plowed or blown into the streets.
For both, a warning would be issued first, then minor misdemeanor fines would be handed out.
A minor misdemeanor fine is a maximum of $150.
Reali said he wants to "avoid the problems of snow freezing to ice in the street."
Stow Service Director Dano Koehler agreed, saying, "If someone piles snow into the right of way, it causes a problem."
Koehler said when residents receive warnings about snow being blown into the street, they usually respond.
"This is a tool for folks who willfully want to dump snow into the right of way," Koehler said at the March 21 meeting. "Unfortunately, we lack a city code that directly addresses snow.
"There would have to be some visible evidence or an eyewitness to verify who is in violation of the code," Koehler said.
"Most of the time, it is obvious," he said. "If it is a contractor who has committed the violation, we would first question the resident who was receiving the service in order to get the information we need to issue a warning."
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