(no subject)

[mogwaikisses.livejournal.com]

Ok, snow confuses me. I have read the tagged posts -- someone complained that someone else didn't shovel / ice the sidewalk in front of their house, and they hurt themselves.

Who is responsible for that task? I rent in an 8-unit apartment building. Am I supposed to do that, since I'm on the first floor? Is there one designated resident to do that? Does the landlord bear the responsibility?

If I AM supposed to do it, where do I get salt? And what do you do, just sprinkle it all around?

I noticed a big blue barrel at the corner with sand in it. Can I use that, or is that a private barrel? It is right on the sidewalk on the street corner.

Also, what if there is a snow emergency declared, and it is street sweeping day on the odd side of the street? Does that mean you just can't park anywhere? I hear it is going to snow like mad Friday, and Friday is stupid street sweeping day.

I know I sound like a complete idiot, but seriously, there's no snow in Texas! At least, not like this...

Comments

[cos]

The owner of the property is ultimately responsible. If you live in a condo, the condo association is.

Often people make arrangements such that whoever is best able to do it does it. Landlords who live elsewhere sometimes ask tenants to shovel; others hire people to shovel snow (but those, I suspect, come with higher rent).

[ifotismeni]

any responsibilities for snow cleaning should be in your lease. i would imagine that your landlord takes care of it considering there are 8 of you, but check your lease.

the sand in the blue barrels is for public use. salt you have to buy (grocery stores have them).

[ron_newman]

"Public use" meaning that it's for the city to use, or that it's for anyone at all to use?

[ifotismeni]

i was always told that it's for anyone at all to use, and used it as such. someone correct me if this is totally wrong...

[thetathx1138.livejournal.com]

Considering I see them at intersections, and there's no locks on them or anything, they're probably for anybody to use, de facto.

[koshmom.livejournal.com]

It's my understanding (and I don't know where I heard this) that the sand in the blue barrels is to help with road traction if there's an issue. Take a look at the placement of the blue barrels. I've noticed all are at the top/middle of a hill. This way, if it snows or ices up, people can "help out" by using the ready sand to make that portion of the street safer.

If everyone on the street used the blue barrel sand for their personal sidewalk/driveway purposes, the city couldn't have a chance to replace the sand quickly enough between storms, AND the sand wouldn't be there if the road had slick places.

Buy your own roadsalt. It's cheaper in hardware stores than in supermarkets. If you have critters (i.e. dogs) you will want to either use special "Ice Melt" stuff bought in a pet store, or be careful to wash your dog's feet (use something like a baby wipe) after outings. That stuff is terribly caustic to dogs' paws and if they lick it they can get very ill.

[rmd.livejournal.com]

they seem to be ideally placed for "oh crap, i'm stuck on the hill on central st", for instance.

[elizethesleaze.livejournal.com]

hahaha BEEN THERE

From 311 email

[slippaz.livejournal.com]

"The “blue barrels” contain a sand-salt mix that is made available to motorists for use on roadways when needed to help with traction in icy conditions – especially on hills. As a practical matter, some residents use the mixture on their sidewalks after shoveling, but they’re not supposed to use the mix on private property for their walkways and steps. (The salt, by the way, is corrosive to brickwork and concrete, which should discourage people from using the mixture on private property.)"

[ron_newman]

I'm pretty sure that a declared snow emergency 'trumps' street cleaning.

[haptotrope.livejournal.com]

It still means that you have to not park there. Though Street Sweeping = Street shoveling.. and it needs to happen. (though man, I disagree with how they deal with road clearing around here - so inefficient!)

The 8 unit building should be taken care of by the building - probably someone hired... I live in a 2 unit house, and we take care of it Though our landlord buys us the salt.

[ron_newman]

What I mean is, if the snow emergency rule says you have to park on the odd side, and the street cleaning rule says you have to park on the even side, the snow emergency rule 'wins' (provided an emergency is actually declared).

[sapphira-altair.livejournal.com]

Ah, you beat me to it! :)

[sapphira-altair.livejournal.com]

It still means that you have to not park there.

What? That makes no sense. If a snow emergency is declared, you have to follow snow emergency procedures (ron_newman is correct here), which might be the exact opposite of street sweeping procedures. For instance, I had to gamble where to park last night; one side of the street was due for street sweeping today, but the other side is where we have to park in a snow emergency, so I had to be prepared to move at the last minute.

[haptotrope.livejournal.com]

To be on the safe-side: I would not park on any side of any street marked for snow emergency. (which is not every road... just the main ones) Just park on the side streets in accordance with street cleaning.

If still in doubt somerville 311. Then you have a phone call with the city to back up up if you get a ticket.

[ron_newman]

There are streets "marked for snow emergency" ? I don't think I've ever seen one. Mostly, snow emergency means you can park on the odd side only.

[haptotrope.livejournal.com]

Highland Ave, for example. Or was, last time I looked/noticed/cared/.

Anyway, that's all I know - mileage may vary. I ride my bike -- after 3000 in parking tickets and towing fees, I walked into Autozone and gave my car away. (srsly)

[koloratur.livejournal.com]

No, it's not. It's parking on odd-side only.

[emcicle.livejournal.com]

i know Cameron Ave, at least on the cambridge side, is a snow emergency route... in a declared snow emergency, we are not to park on either side... i don't know if that extends up the Somerville side.

[trtls.livejournal.com]

On the Somerville side, you can park on the odd side.

[janet-carter.livejournal.com]

Parking on all streets in Somerville is restricted to odd-side only during snow emergencies (this is different from Cambridge, where only certain streets have restrictions.)

[sapphira-altair.livejournal.com]

I prefer to just wait until I know which one it's going to be (if either - today there was no snow emergency OR street cleaning, after all that) and move my car accordingly. Either way it's not a big deal.

[thetathx1138.livejournal.com]

You can get road salt from any hardware store. Tags probably has it by the ten-pound bag. Even if it's your landlord's job, it's handy to have a bag around, especially if you have a back porch or need to clear the walk before the landlord's guy gets around to it.

[exsplusohs.livejournal.com]

Yes, this is the polite thing to do, I think. I am always really grateful when people at least salt the walk in front of their house, even if they don't shovel. Every little bit helps!

[solarpanda.livejournal.com]

Snow is typically the responsibility of the landlord, though once I was able to negotiate a small discount in rent for shoveling snow for him. You can pick up salt at any home improvement store.

I'm not sure, but don't they typically suspend street cleaning once the first snow emergency hits? Maybe if street cleaning ended at the end of November like it used to we wouldn't have these questions (grumble grumble)

[ukelele.livejournal.com]

We've had bad snow in November before.

[intuition-ist.livejournal.com]

in my 20+ years of living in the boston area, the only times the landlord was ever responsible for property maintenance was when it was a large (4+ unit) building. these smaller 2- and 3-family houses in somerville, it's mostly up to the tenants by default, since the landlords are out in the 'burbs, or in another state.

in all cases, check the rental agreement, then double-check with your landlord if you're not sure.

[adrian-turtle.livejournal.com]

The landlord is still legally responsible, even if the tenants are the ones who actually do the shoveling. When I lived in a 3-unit building, the people on the second floor had an arrangement with the absentee landlady, that they would clear the sidewalks in exchange for a slight discount on rent. If they didn't do it, the city would fine the property owner (who might then go after the tenants.)

[fappyheet.livejournal.com]

Cambridge canceled "third Wednesday" street cleaning today, given the slushy conditions. Here's the relevant part of the city site:

"During extremely heavy rains or other inclement weather the DPW may be forced to cancel Street Cleaning. To avoid the tagging and towing of your vehicle please call the Cambridge Public Works Department at (617) 349-4800 for cancellation confirmation."

Check the Somerville city site if that's your area. Parking can indeed be a pain the ass during snow emergencies, but they typically drop street cleaning so people can, in fact, still park somewhere.

As other people said, check your lease for the snow clearing conditions. Get all sidewalks and mail delivery access free of snow and ice if that's your responsibility, or the city can ticket the residence. (They might give you a few days to clear, of course, or they might not.)

[koshmom.livejournal.com]

You also appear to be from a warmer state, and this is your first New England winter. Here's how to clear snow:

1. light covering. Use a broom.
2. wet slosh that a broom won't work on: snow shovel
3. Anything deeper that a broom won't work on: snow shovel.
4. (Some) ice. If you're lucky, you can use the edge of the shovel to crack the ice, then scoop under the ice to get rid of it.
5. Really Nasty Ice: scrape as much as possible with the shovel. Sprinkle sand/"ice melt" salt on the ice. (Use either a plastic cup/scoop of some kind to grab some, and pour it via "shakes" to sprinkle around). You don't need to use a lot. One 6-8 ounce cup per 3foot x 3foot area is more than enough. I use even less most times.

Ice Melt stuff works by lowering the freezing point of the water it touches. I don't know the science, but basically if the temperature is as much as 10-20 degrees below freezing, the Ice Melt will work to some extent. Sometimes it just "melts" the ice into water and the whole area just has liquid puddles in freezing temperatures. Other times (colder weather) you will see little holes where the Ice Melt sank into the ice. If this is the case, you'll have to come back later (half hour or more) and try to shift aside the broken up ice to truely clear the ice away.

This stuff is horrid on plants too, so don't shovel Ice Melt'd ice/slush onto your prize rose garden!

[douxquemiel.livejournal.com]

Very nice suggestions; my boyfriend has been a fan of sleeve-brushing fluffy snow off our car for years now.

Just FYI, sand only works to give you traction on the ice; it won't melt or break down the ice if you're just shoveling it. BUT, it's good for AFTER you've shoveled, if there's still a layer of ice (as that happens, often, during New England winters). And even if you've shoveled a path clean, I wouldn't suggest just putting down ice-melt-- it being New England, there will be more precipitation, and more freezing weather. Sand is the best thing for slippery steps and front pathways.

[roosto.livejournal.com]

Another handy tool for clearing the walk is an ice scraper (http://www.neeps.com/seasonal-tools-scrapers.html). It's pretty much essential if there is anything more than a thin sheet of ice. As koshmom states when there is some ice you can use the edge of the snow shovel to break it up. When the ice is 1/4" or more you'll need the ice scraper to break up the ice. Using your garden variety snow shovel on ice like this will not only be very ineffective, but will probably ruin the shovel.

Don't worry, I moved here from Berkeley, CA and I've gotten used to the various complications that snow brings. I would say the number one invaluable item for snow days are good water proof boots. They can be on the pricey side, but having warm dry feet when stomping around in the slushy remnants of a large snow fall will make them worth every penny.

[adrian-turtle.livejournal.com]

These are very good suggestions. Here are a few more:

2a. Clearing wet snow is really hard work. It's a solid workout for people in good shape, and it can be dangerously stressful for people who are not in shape. Take breaks. Catch your breath. Go inside and drink water and hot cider.

5a. Really nasty ice is dangerous to walk on. Be particularly careful of stairs and bridges, as they tend to ice sooner than other surfaces. When you put your foot down on a surface covered in light snow, there may be ice underneath.
5b. Don't walk with your hands in your pockets. Yes, breaking your fall with your hand risks a hand injury, but landing directly on your face or elbow is worse. Get good gloves.
5c. Many hardware stores sell Yaktrax, which work kind of like snowtires for your shoes, helping with traction on ice. I recommend them highly.

[archangelus.livejournal.com]

From the Somerville City website: http://www.somervillema.gov/Section.cfm?org=admin&page=134

RESIDENTS’ RESPONSIBILITIES FOR SIDEWALKS

*
Residents must shovel, salt or sand their sidewalks when it snows.
*
Residents have six hours between sunrise and sunset after the snow stops to shovel sidewalks.
*
Residents are not allowed to shovel snow into the street.
*
Not complying with these provisions could result in a $25.00 fine


So while it would make sense that the owner is responsible, the city says the residents are. I have no idea who the city would fine the $25 (unless it's "all of you"). Just saying, don't rely on the landlord.

[etana.livejournal.com]

Depends on what they define as "resident" in this instance. Since the property taxes on a tenant-occupied building would be paid by the landlord, the landlord would likely receive the fine. Thus it ends up being the landlord's responsibility. Though I *know* this argument went 'round and 'round including lookings-up of section codes, etc.
I don't think it was resolved last year. So it rears its' ugly head again....like a vicious circle...

[koshmom.livejournal.com]

I don't know what the big fuss is. If you don't want to slip, shovel. If you don't like hurting others (if they slip), then shovel. If you can't shovel, talk to others in your building. Talk to your landlord.

Seems like the polite thing to do. For the most part, it's easy to clear most of the snow that falls around here. Especially if you do it as soon as it falls. Especially if you do it before hundreds of people have stomped it into ice.

It's a sad state of society when there have to be laws to force people to do the polite thing. "I'm a tenant, I refuse to shovel" is such a wimpy crybaby excuse. "I have a bad back" doesn't get you out of the easy-to-broom snowfalls.

[tfarrell.livejournal.com]

The fuss is that the owner of the building is legally required to take care of shoveling.

It's a sad state of society when landlords can't be bothered to take care of their responsibilities, and decent tenants who expect their landlords to provide the services required by law get shit about it when they complain.

[thetathx1138.livejournal.com]

This has been gone over, at length, in depth, to exhausting degree:

http://community.livejournal.com/davis_square/1068597.html

[hiddenbear.livejournal.com]

I remember the $25.00 fine from last year. Somerville 311 was under the impression that the fine increased with each successive fine for a given property. However, after they looked into it more, it turns out that it does not increase.

This makes it economically preferable for landlords to simply pay the fine than hire a snow removal company.

I plan on contacting my alderman about this, and I hope that others do as well. I'm upset with myself for letting the ball drop on this after finding out about it last year.

[tamalinn.livejournal.com]

in larger buildings, the landlord (or management company) usually hires someone or makes their maintenance people do it. in smaller buildings, the tenants usually take turns. i think responsibility ultimately falls to the landlord, but it's just easier and makes more sense to do it yourself or with your fellow tenants, rather than call your landlord and then wait for them to do it.

[curiositykt.livejournal.com]

Just as a heads up, anyone in Medford, we are on the even side of the road this winter.

[elizethesleaze.livejournal.com]

check if theres dates on the street sweeping signs... most ive seen are only for april 1- december 1.

[solarpanda.livejournal.com]

In Somerville, it's April 1 to December 31 (http://faqs.somervillema.intelligovsoftware.com/streetsweeping.aspx)

They have nice stickers (HA!) on the signs to indicate this change...

[hiddenbear.livejournal.com]

Somerville also tends to open up public lots for resident parking during snow emergencies. Check with 311 to find the closest lot that you can use. Also, be aware that you have to move your car fairly quickly after the snow emergency is canceled, which could be at an inconvenient time.