NYC Council Bill Would Reduce Fines, Help Seniors And Disabled With Snow Removal
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The city should cut senior citizens and New Yorkers with disabilities a break if they don't shovel their sidewalks after a snowstorm, some lawmakers argued Thursday.
Public Advocate Letitia James and a handful of City Council members held a news conference on the City Hall steps calling for passage of a bill that would slash fines for such people and establish a program to assist them with snow removal.
"It would reduce their fines by half and would provide them with volunteers and/or connect them with some sort of not-for-profit that provides these (snow removal) services for free," James told 1010 WINS.
Council members Vincent Gentile, D-Brooklyn; Vanessa Gibson, D-Bronx; and Debi Rose, D-Staten Island, as well as representatives from the Jewish Association Serving the Aging and the Center for Independence of the Disabled were also backing the measure at City Hall.
"The law that we are proposing would basically enforce the law, but it protects the safety of all New Yorkers, especially those with mobility impairments," James said.
Currently, property owners are required to remove snow from in front of their homes or businesses within a certain time frame that varies according to when the snowfall ends.
The fines for violators range from $100 to $150 for a first offense to $250 to $350 for a third offense.
