Pre-plan for winter

In the hot, muggy weather of summer, not too many people think about snow.

Hopefully, some borough council members in Summit Hill - and maybe in a few other towns - will give it some thought.

Last February, two snowstorms struck within a short period of time. The second storm dumped over two feet of the white granules, creating some major travel problems.

Summit Hill officials, like officials in some other towns, resorted to emergency measures to get the streets open. They paid their employees, as well as private contractors, to remove the snow.

It was revealed at a council meeting after the storm that some streets were cleared and others weren't. Obviously it was impossible to clean every street. Some members of council complained that the snow removal wasn't done systematically.

"We had the problem with borough workers picking and choosing what streets they're going to do," councilman John O'Gurek said at the time. "In the future, this is unacceptable."

We're now into the dog days months of summer and no plan has been laid out regarding how snow removal will occur next time we face such a weather emergency.

Another problem with the last storm is that some cars were towed. It wasn't the towing that infuriated residents as much as what the fee was for getting their vehicles released.

One company which towed cars to a private garage charged $165 for the towing and impoundment.

In Summit Hill, as well as other towns, it might be a good idea to get - in advance - a list of fees from various towing services for towing and storage. Such towing fees don't only apply during a snowstorm. An accident, break-down, or parking illegally unintentionally could get your car towed.

The public should be protected from scalping during such extreme situations.

Problems associated with last winter's storms should be addressed now, not next January or February after another snow emergency occurs, and not only in Summit Hill, but by all local communities.

By Ron Gower

rgower@tnonline.com