FREEHOLD — The borough’s snow removal ordinance has been streamlined and made clearer. Municipal officials adopted an amended snow removal ordinance at the Dec. 19 Borough Council meeting.
Council President George Schnurr said the ordinance was streamlined as part of an effort to clear up some ambiguity in the law.
Schnurr said the amended ordinance, which proposed changes in the times when snow removal must be completed on sidewalks in front of business and residential properties, is “just one step in a council effort to review and re-evaluate the borough’s snow removal operations from top to bottom.”
The changes to the ordinance include regulations under “Responsibility of Owner.” The amended ordinance states, “For all nonresidential properties, a pathway at least 6 feet wide shall be cleaned of accumulated snow and ice within 12 hours after the cessation of the snowfall and/or ice formation.”
It adds, “For all residential properties, a pathway of at least 4 feet wide shall be cleaned of accumulated snow and ice within 24 hours after the cessation of the snowfall and /or ice formation.”
According to the ordinance, “Owners of properties at the intersection of two streets or whose property intersects with a public street, sidewalk or driveway, shall also extend the required cleared pathway to the cleared portion of the street, sidewalk or driveway.”
Any individual or entity failing to comply with the requirements will be subject to a summons.
The amended ordinance states that when a property owner fails to comply with the ordinance within the required time and the property is not occupied by the owner, or the owner is not available to receive the summons, the structure will be posted with a notice that the owner is in noncompliance and if the required work is not completed within 24 hours, the work will be done by Freehold Borough at the expense of the owner.
A first violation of the ordinance will be punishable by a minimum fine of $25, not to exceed $100. Each subsequent violation committed between Nov. 1 and April 30 of the subsequent year will be punishable by a minimum fine of $50 not to exceed $500.