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BROOKLINE, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — Next month, Brookline will consider a proposal to crack down on snow-shoveling layabouts. An article up for consideration at next month's Town Meeting would cut the hours needed to shovel out the sidewalks in front of their property to just six daytime hours.
Right now, residents have up to 30 hours after a snow or icefall to clear off the accumulation.
The submitters of the proposal said the town gets an average of about 450 snow removal complaints a year through its online complaint system. They also argued that the longer period of time currently allowed by the town lets the snow get crushed into ice by people walking along the sidewalk, which sticks around a lot longer.
The proposal also would raise fines for not shoveling from $100 to $200 for first offenders, and increasing fines after that — the proposal says this would net the town some small change, a few thousand dollars in total.
Ashley, a resident who lives by Brookline High School, said the problem is especially bad for her disabled friends, who can't get through badly-shoveled areas of sidewalk.
WBZ's Jim MacKay (@JimMacKayOnAir) has more:
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