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St. Mary's County commissioner urges clearer snow-removal notice and enforcement for sidewalks
Summary
An unnamed St. Mary's County commissioner urged the county to improve public notice and enforcement of a 2015 sidewalk-clearing ordinance after recent prolonged snowfall, highlighting liability and capacity issues for residents and businesses.
An unnamed St. Mary's County commissioner urged the county on Monday to strengthen public notice and enforcement of the county's 2015 sidewalk-clearing ordinance after recent prolonged snowfall.
The commissioner told the board that the ordinance, adopted after earlier storms, requires property owners to clear sidewalks but leaves many residents — particularly the elderly — unable to comply. “We said, well, we're gonna try and have this, hands off kind of, you know, hard enforcement of it. We'll give you 72 hours,” the commissioner said, summarizing how the county has handled compliance.
The speaker described logistical constraints that limit county removal efforts, saying the county's former director of public works, George Erickson, told commissioners they could not use snowblowers that would deposit snow onto private yards because of liability and landscaping concerns. That constraint, the commissioner said, forced the county to pick up snow and haul it away, a costly alternative; trying to blow snow back into the roadway also defeated the ordinance's intent.
The commissioner recommended the county public information office develop a clear notice program that would remind property owners of the ordinance timeline — first, second and third days after a storm — and warn of fines for noncompliance. He also said commercial properties along Maryland Route 235 (Great Mills Road) must have the capacity to clear sidewalks, whether by hiring contractors or other means.
The comment combined examples from the speaker's family and local business corridors: the speaker said a son in Bel Air, Harford County, bought a snowblower rather than face the inconvenience of clearing a corner lot, and contrasted that with elderly constituents who cannot reasonably be expected to clear sidewalks themselves.
No formal motion or vote on enforcement changes was recorded during the public comment period. The commissioner framed the points as a request that the board or county administrator consider improved public notice and practical options for enforcement and assistance; he did not present a formal proposal for board action.
If commissioners choose to pursue changes, issues the speaker highlighted for further study include liability limits on county equipment use, the cost of hauling snow versus clearing in place, exemptions or assistance for elderly residents, and enforcement timelines and fines.
