Trustee calls for more enforcement of ‘miserable’ conditions
By Dave Fidlin
Correspondent
After winter’s first big one-two wallop of the season, renewed calls for prompt, robust snow cleanup were made at a recent Union Grove Village Board meeting.
Trustee Peter Hansen sounded off on the state of the village’s sidewalks during Public Works Director Rick Piette’s regular report at a Village Board meeting Jan. 4.
“It just seems like these sidewalks in the village are really pretty miserable right now,” Hansen said. “I did happen to ask one of our postal workers that walks the village. He was pretty unhappy with how the village was looking and how the property owners are handling the sidewalks.”
In addition to snow-covered sidewalks, Hansen from his personal observations made another assessment in the days after the second of the two major snowstorms: “The corners are terrible on almost every corner,” he said.
As he shared his frustrations, Hansen said he is calling on Piette and other members of the public works staff to step up enforcement of municipal sidewalks after major snowfall occurs.
“I think we should be a little more proactive and get after people for sidewalk cleanup,” Hansen said.
Piette said enforcement was limited in the thick of the dual storms because of the holidays and sparse staffing within the DPW. But as last week progressed and routine staffing resumed, Piette said the department was ramping up its enforcement efforts.
From his own observations, Piette said he has witnessed about a dozen property owners across the village who routinely neglect snow cleanup.
“There are some habitual offenders,” Piette said. “It’s the same group of people that don’t do it every year.”
When notices are posted on property owners’ doors, Piette said the results of compliance have been mixed.
“Some will respond when we post it. Others won’t respond; they just don’t do it,” he said. “Not only do we then fine them, but we’ll bill them.”
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