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Residents press Palmyra council over snow-plow clearing and safety
Summary
Residents told the Palmyra Borough Council that recent plowing left narrow travel lanes and high snowbanks, raising safety concerns for drivers, school drop-offs and buses; council and staff said ordinance limits and PennDOT rules constrain how close crews can plow to sidewalks and committed to follow up.
Several Palmyra residents complained to the borough council about recent snow-clearing practices that they say are creating traffic hazards and endangering pedestrians.
At the Feb. meeting, resident David Hine of 651 South Harrison told council that plows left a 13-foot-wide driving lane near his home and that narrow lanes force drivers into hand-shoveled parking spots and into oncoming traffic. "13 feet is how far away the snow plow plowed the snow," Hine said, arguing the condition had persisted for years and "someone's gonna get hurt." Kevin Fuhrman of 734 East Cypress said that some streets in neighboring towns are plowed to the curb and described Palmyra's current clearing as inconsistent.
The council's solicitor, Roger, explained a limit on the borough's authority: adjacent property owners are responsible for clearing sidewalks at crossings and near fire hydrants, and case law prevents the borough from broadly pushing snow onto sidewalks that lack a buffer. "If we wanted to do a citation for someone who is refusing to do that, there really isn't any language in the ordinance to do that at this time," he said, and recommended an ordinance amendment could be added in a future update.
Council members and staff discussed operational constraints: PennDOT-maintained streets follow state practices and the borough cannot lawfully push snow onto sidewalks without a continuous buffer. Councilors said the current plow crew is new and pledged to remind crews of desired practices before the next storm. One councilor suggested hiring seasonal part‑time staff solely for plowing; another urged reviewing staffing levels for maintenance more broadly.
Residents pressed two safety points repeatedly: (1) plows are leaving excessively narrow driving lanes that impede school drop-offs and bus passage, and (2) extended work shifts for road crews could raise fatigue and safety risks. Hine told the council crews had been "up for 50 hours" and warned this could make them a public danger; council members responded that crews were permitted rest at the shop and that the municipality is not governed by federal commercial hours-of-service rules.
The meeting record shows no formal ordinance change or vote on snow policy at this meeting. Councilors said staff would re-engage with the plow supervisor and consider whether an ordinance amendment or staffing changes are necessary. The borough also indicated it will post approved reports and minutes on its website after council action.
The council did not set a formal timeline for any ordinance revision; the matter remains under discussion and may reappear on a future agenda.
