Residents press Lebanon leaders over street sweeping during early December snow events

Several Lebanon residents raised concerns at the Dec. 1 council meeting about street sweeping and snow removal, saying sweepers operated while snow remained on streets and that some smaller streets (for example, East Beach Street) are effectively never swept.

Cornell Wilson asked why sweeping occurred with lingering snow and whether residents received sufficient notice to move cars. Mayor Sherry Alcopello said the early-December snow was unusual and the city had to balance debris pickup and snow response; she said the city posted notices on social media and used police loudspeakers to notify residents before enforcement. The mayor acknowledged the sweepers do a less thorough job when snow is present but said they still remove debris.

Resident Richard Evans said that despite snow the sweeper on Lima Street “picked all those garbage up” and thanked crews for that work. Another resident, who lives on East Beach Street, said large vehicles have trouble entering narrow streets and asked why public works does not clear those streets without repeated resident calls. Mayor Alcopello said the city will review GPS data for sweeper coverage and check whether width or vehicle-access issues explain gaps.

Council and staff thanked public-works crews and mutual-aid volunteer departments for recent fire response and for support on events such as carriage rides. Mayor Alcopello said inspectors are currently short-handed but the city prioritizes routes to schools and high-traffic areas for safety.

The mayor and staff committed to reviewing sweeper GPS logs and returning with clarifications on routes and enforcement practices if requested.