Documents › Board of Trustees Work Session, 2026-06-24

memo 1 page

A memo dated June 19, 2026, reviewing the Village's winter parking and sidewalk regulations after last winter's storms. It proposes amending the rule banning street parking once two inches or more of snow has accumulated, in place since 1993, to allow parking in business districts from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on one side of the street, with nighttime parking still prohibited so DPW crews can clear roads; in a major storm the Village Manager could bar parking under a state of emergency. It also says responsibility for shoveling certain sidewalks adjacent to private property will be returned to the owners, and recommends amending Section 197-15(1) to clarify the exempted section of Old Post Road South and add two sections of Farrington Road to the exemption list.

To: From: Date: June 19, 2026 Re: Winter Parking & Sidewalk Regulations After the blockbuster storms this past winter, I have taken time to discuss the feedback we received on our existing parking and sidewalk regulations with Chief of Police John Nikitopoulos and DPW Superintendent Frank Balbi. As you may know, the Village’s prohibition on street parking once two inches or more of snow has accumulated has existed in the Village since 1993. Prior to that time, street parking was completely prohibited from November 20 to April 1 each year between 3 and 6 a.m. (similar to how some of our neighboring communities continue to regulate winter parking). Two inches of snow is the set amount as that is when snow plowing operations commence; snowfalls of lesser amounts are generally handled by the use of salt. This regulation exists for a couple of reasons. Streets without vehicles parked on them allow Dept. of Public Works crews to clear curb-to-curb in an efficient manner, reducing the amount of time needed to clear the streets once a storm event has ended. Additionally, having vehicles parked off the street allows clear passage for our emergency vehicles and other essential workers. In an effort to balance these valid reasons for regulating parking during snow events with the desire to allow businesses to operate in smaller snow events, I am proposing that the Village Board amend the existing law to allow parking in our business districts from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on one side of the street. During the nighttime period, on-street parking would continue to be prohibited to ensure DPW crews can clear all roadways efficiently. Should a major storm impact our area, like the two blizzards our area experienced this past winter, the Village Manager would be able to prohibit parking on street during this time under a state of emergency declaration (when it is likely that most businesses would be closed anyway). As the Village has continued to build out our sidewalk network, the list of areas that DPW is responsible for shoveling has continued to grow. It has become difficult for our in-house crews to clear our sidewalks within the time window prescribed under the Village Code. I have met with Superintendent Balbi and other key members of the DPW staff to review the full list of locations that DPW presently clears. A number of these areas are adjacent to private property, the owners of which are legally responsible for clearing their sidewalks under the Village Code. I plan to inform these property owners that the responsibility for these sidewalks is being returned to them. Additionally, I am recommending that Section 197-15(1) of the Village Code be modified to clarify the section of sidewalk along Old Post Road South that is exempted from the shoveling requirements and add two sections of Farrington Road to the list of exempted property due to the inability of property owners to easily access these sidewalks. Mayor Brian Pugh Trustees Stacey Nachtaler Nora Moriarty Nicholson Len Simon Maria F. Slippen Village Manager Bryan T. Healy Village Treasurer Genette Toone Village Clerk Pauline DiSanto Village Engineer Vincent Salanitro, P.E.