Wanna hear a good one?
Cambridge property owners are required by law to remove snow from all sidewalks next to their home or business within 12 hours after snow stops falling in the daytime and before 1 p.m. when the snow has fallen overnight.(A Message from the Public Information Office)
So, let's see, it's almost two days since the snow stopped falling. So, I guess all Cantabridgians can now safely venture forth on the mean streets of Cambridge. What is that you say? The sidewalks are fit neither for man nor beast! But how can that be? The Cambridge Public Information Office assures us that, legally, that can't be so
But, alas, it is. Why? Why are Cambridge residents forced year after year to risk life and limb on sidewalks worse than ice rinks.?
Beats me. Ask the Mayor; your favorite City Clowncillor; maybe even Cambridge's all powerful éminence grise, the City Manager. Oh, and lots of luck in getting a straight answer.
During the nineties, I spent some time in Albany, NY, an impoverished, bleak excuse for a city. But poor old Albany did one thing right. With about the same population as Cambridge, but with a tiny fraction of its resources, Albany kept the sidewalks reasonably clear of snow. It worked like this: if a property owner refused to clear his sidewalks within 24 hours after the snow ended, City Hall would, upon complaint, send out a crew of workers to do the job and then bill the owner. Period, end of snow. And it really worked, I was forced to resort to it once on a especially refractory store owner.
So why not something similar in Cambridge. Heaven knows Cambridge has in reserve a small army of shnivel servants, 9 out of 10(no, let's be fair, no more than 7 out of 10) of whom sit around doing next to nothing day after day after day. Let them go forth, bravely, where no city worker has ventured before, shovel in hand, to, for once, earn their keep. And at their head, snow blowers at the ready, our intrepid do nothing City Clowncillors.
1 comments:
Actually, by state law, the City of Cambridge ir "responsible" for clearing snow from the public ways. The City of Cambridge has exercized the "local option" and passed to property owners the "responsibility" of clearing snow from sidewalks and curb ramps that abut their property.
The City is still responsible for many other sidewalks, including those that abut the property of folks who qualify for the City's Snow Exemption Program.
The City of Cambridge simply does not live up to their responsibility, and they fail to clear snow from their own areas of responsibilities as well as fail to enforce the local option, allowing most, but not all, property owners to get away with not shoveling snow nor treating ice.
I filed a complaint with MCAD against the City, 2 years ago now, but that organization still has not "heard" this complaint.
The City defends its poor compliance by making statements such as "we are improving." However, no one can tell what year my snow photos were taken in, as they do not reveal any progress whatsover!
I do like your post.
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