by Jonathan Weaver
North Buffalo Township residents who park on the public roads overnight could wake up to fines on their windshield.
In a new resolution passed by Supervisors David Wolfe and Clark Whiteman last night, drivers who park along the streets or alleys between
North Buffalo Township residents who park on township roads or streets this winter will now incur warnings, fines or even impounding if the vehicles are in the way of township plow trucks.
November 1 and April 1 will incur warnings, fines or even impounding.
“This is starting to get dangerous in certain areas because people are parking on the roads, and we don’t want to be hitting anybody so what we have to do is go back around and try to plow the other way. The plow’s are wider than the trucks,” Wolfe said. “It’s starting to become a nuisance – which is also costing us extra time and money.”
Effective immediately, the first instance will result in a warning, but if the same vehicle is found subsequent times during that six-month period, motorists will incur fines beginning at $25.
“Everything after ($35) is going to go to $100 (fines), with the right of the township to ask the court to impose impounding the vehicle,” Wolfe said. “We have to do this for public safety because there are times now when the fire department goes out. They can maneuver better when the roads are dry, but in the winter, it becomes a little dicey.
“I hate to impose things on people, but I think this is the only way – we’re at that point now.”
On mornings requiring snow removal, street crew employees have started plowing roads about three hours before sunrise to avoid with school buses and other traffic.
“We have a few habitual people that like to park on the street, and it’s an inconvenience for everybody involved,” Whiteman concluded. “It’s been going on for a while – some of these people have been warned before.”
The township’s other resolution passed last night fines residents $35 if checks were issued to the township or tax collector with insufficient funds and an additional $5 charge if a second copy of a tax bill is requested.
In other news, supervisors put several vehicles out for bid – including a Ford bucket truck, white GMC tandem, and sweeper. The vehicles are proposed to be listed in print and online.
There was a trio of executive sessions during the month regarding several items – including equipment, possible bids and road projects.