By Staff
NILES - Numerous public sidewalks throughout the City have not been cleared yet since last weekend's heavy snowfall.
The Code Enforcement Office of the Niles Fire Department and the Department of Public Works are requesting owners of property who have public sidewalks abutting them to please clean the walks as soon as possible.
The Niles city sidewalk ordinance requires sidewalks be kept clear and in good repair at all times.
Snow that drifts or falls onto a sidewalk overnight shall be cleared by noon and snow that falls or drifts during the day shall be cleared by noon the following day, per the ordinance. Numerous complaints have been received from citizens concerned about young children being forced to walk in the street on their way to or from school.
Unplowed walks force not just children, but also senior citizens, postal delivery personnel, paper carriers, and others to walk in the street, making for a potentially hazardous condition.
The City of Niles has one sidewalk snow removal vehicle that handles city properties and main school pedestrian routes, but due to the age of the equipment, no other snow clearing work is done in other areas of the city.
Citizen complaints are also being received regarding snow removal contractors that are leaving huge piles of snow on public sidewalks and boulevard areas. This is also a violation of the sidewalk ordinance.
Property owners utilizing contracted firms should be aware of this and make arrangements to have the snow removed from the sidewalk/boulevard area immediately.
The covering/blocking of fire hydrants is also a major concern. The time that it takes for firefighters to search through drifts to find a hydrant could drastically impact their ability to extinguish a fire.  
Both city departments urge citizens with snow removal equipment to assist neighbors with the clearing of snow from the sidewalks, especially those neighbors that may be handicapped or senior citizens.