Winter’s moving in and the holiday season is moving out.
Bradford City officials shared information on what residents need to know when disposing of their live Christmas trees and keeping their sidewalks clear.
City residents can dispose of their Christmas trees at the DPW barn, said Chip Comilla, director of public works. People should bring them to the first stall when they come through the gate, which is the same location where they drop off yard waste.
“The city does not pick up trees,” Comilla noted.
Typically, some of the discarded Christmas trees are tied together, taken to Willow Bay and dropped into the Allegheny Reservoir to be used as fish habitats.
Officials talked about clearing sidewalks, too.
Comilla explained that, according to city ordinance, “You’re not allowed to shovel your snow into the roadway. My best suggestion would be, if you have a parking space, shovel (the snow) back into your yard.”
He noted that it’s better when there is less snow pushing up onto the sidewalk, too.
Snow shoveled into the street is dangerous, both for pedestrians and motorists, Comilla explained. Also, if someone shovels snow into the street right after the streets are plowed and salted, it means the snow will be in the streets for a while before the road crew returns to that street.
“It could cause a hazardous condition,” he said.
Comilla noted that all the city’s plow drivers are courteous when they see people out shoveling and will slow to a crawl for everyone’s safety.
Kevin Huff, the city’s director of property maintenance, provided further information on clearing walkways.
People have 24 hours following a snowfall of more than two inches to clear a path on sidewalks abutting their property. The ordinance goes by snowfall as measured at the Central Fire Station on Chestnut Street.
According to the ordinance, in some cases it is up to the property owner to see that snow and ice are removed, and in other cases it’s up to the tenant.
The owner is responsible when the property is occupied by the owner, when the property is vacant/unoccupied, or when it is a multiple-unit property. The tenant is responsible when it is a single-unit property occupied only by the tenant.
People may not dispose of snow or ice into a street, alley or gutter.
“They can call our department if there’s a concern,” said Huff.
