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After major storm, Greenburgh officials debate sidewalk policy, staffing and costs
Summary
Town officials discussed whether to require homeowner snow‑clearing, a staff estimate that clearing 2,200 ft of Taxter Road sidewalk would cost about $400 per pass, and options to authorize overtime or hire temporary crews. The board directed staff to gather photos and cost estimates before further action.
Town officials in Greenburgh used a Feb. 24 work session to press staff for cost estimates and options after a heavy snowstorm highlighted gaps in sidewalk clearing and snow‑pile management.
Deputy public‑works staff provided a preliminary estimate for Taxter Road: clearing roughly 2,200 linear feet would cost about $400 per clearing, with crews likely needing to return two or three times after a six‑inch storm because snow pushed back by plows reaccumulates on sidewalks. "We estimated that the 2,200 linear feet that we would be installing at Taxter would cost approximately $400 for each time we did it," the department representative said.
Board members weighed three choices: (1) authorize the sidewalk construction and keep homeowner clearing requirements in place, (2) build sidewalks but allow the board to grant temporary exemptions or post 'sidewalk closed' notices during storms, or (3) authorize overtime or temporary hires to speed up removal of large mounds.
Several members urged authorizing the commissioner of public works to use contingency or overtime to remove the largest mounds that block driveways and impede emergency access if needed, while others warned that funding is limited and asked staff to supply photos and itemized cost estimates before committing funds. One member noted that federal or state disaster declarations can enable reimbursement of some clean‑up costs if thresholds are met.
Officials also described operational adjustments during the storm: staff personally called Meals on Wheels recipients to check on them, the town uses two pre‑positioned "meals‑ready‑to‑eat" packages per recipient per year for emergencies, and volunteers dubbed "snow angels" helped many seniors with clearing.
Next steps: the board asked staff for photographic evidence of the largest mounds, itemized cost estimates for targeted removal, and to return with recommendations about whether to authorize overtime or temporary hires. The RFP for the Taxter Road sidewalk will proceed to allow the construction procurement step to move forward independently of the snow‑clearing policy debate.
Quote: "If we want to get it done in a timely fashion, I don't think most people would be happy with waiting until Thursday to get Taxter Road sidewalk in there," the DPW representative said.
