Monday, January 26, 2015

City of Salem Issues Blizzard Update

From: Robert K McCarthy
Councillor Ward One

Subject: City of Salem Issues Blizzard Update
City of Salem Issues Blizzard Update
Details on parking ban effective 4pm, school and City closures, trash collection delay, and more

Salem, Massachusetts – The City of Salem has declared an official snow emergency effective at 4:00 p.m. on Monday, January 26, 2015. This snow emergency will remain in effect until further notice.

Parking Ban in Effect

During a snow emergency an on-street parking ban is in effect and all vehicles must be removed from all City streets and sidewalks or they will be ticketed and towed. A complete list of snow emergency parking locations is available here: http://bit.ly/1C3RK6Z. For vehicles parked in the South Harbor Garage or the Museum Place Garage, the $5/24 hour snow emergency rate commences at 4:00 p.m. Regular rates apply until then. Visit www.salem.com or call 978-744-0171 x166 for an update on the end of snow emergency, as all vehicles must be removed from snow emergency lots – especially school lots – when the emergency is lifted or they will be ticketed and towed. The City does not issue a CodeRED notification regarding the conclusion of a snow emergency, however a city-wide News & Announcements email notification will be sent; sign up for News & Announcements at http://www.salem.com/subscriber.

Trash/Recycling Delay

Curbside trash and recycling collection will be postponed one day this week, starting with Tuesday’s collection. Tuesday collection will take place Wednesday, Wednesday on Thursday, etc. There will be no curbside collection on Tuesday morning. Curbside compost collection will take place as scheduled on Wednesday. Recycling can be dropped off at North Shore Recycled Fibers, 53 Jefferson Avenue, between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. Mondays through Fridays or between 7 a.m. and 11 a.m. on Saturdays. Any changes to curbside collection scheduling will be posted at www.salem.com.

School Cancellation

The Salem Public Schools will be cancelled for a snow day on Tuesday. Details about further cancellations or delays will be announced as they are determined.

City Offices and Programs

City Hall, City Hall Annex, Council on Aging, and the Salem Public Library will be closed on Tuesday. Salem Police and Fire Departments and the Department of Public Services will remain open for storm response. City Council committee meetings scheduled for tonight and Tuesday evening this week have been cancelled and will be rescheduled at a later time. The Licensing Board meeting scheduled for tonight and the Beautification Committee meeting scheduled for Tuesday evening have both been cancelled. Public programs at the Council on Aging scheduled for Tuesday have been cancelled. The School Committee subcommittee meeting and joint meeting with the Salem Community Charter School, scheduled for this evening, have been cancelled and will be rescheduled.

Sidewalks

City ordinances require property owners to remove snow and ice from their sidewalks within six hours after the snow ends or when the snow emergency lights are turned off, whichever is later. If that time is at night, the snow must be cleared by noon the following day. Failure to do so can result in fines. The City clears sidewalks and walkways that front public property, but only after roadways are sufficiently clear to allow for emergency vehicles to pass; with the current forecast conditions, it is likely that clearing of sidewalks fronting public property will not be possible until Friday.

Driveways

The Department of Public Services and contracted plow operators makes every reasonable effort to minimize the amount of snow that may be plowed across a private driveway entrance, however it is often unavoidable. Clearing driveway openings is the responsibility of the property owner. In order to plow public streets curb to curb, snow will be plowed across driveway openings. Be aware that plowing, shoveling, or throwing snow into a public street is prohibited by ordinance.

Catch Basins and Fire Hydrants

If there is a catch basin, drain, or fire hydrant located near you, please help the City stop street flooding and keep Salem safe by shoveling these out and keep them clear.

Blizzard Resources

Salem Snow Emergency Central: http://www.salem.com/Pages/snow/index 

Salem CodeRED Alert Sign-Up: http://bit.ly/1JKwORM 

Subscribe to Salem News & Announcements: http://www.salem.com/subscriber 

Salem Snow Emergency Parking Map: http://bit.ly/1C3RK6Z 

Salem Snow Emergency Brochure: http://salem.com/Pages/SalemMA_DPW/2015snow.pdf 



MEMA Storm Preparedness: http://www.mass.gov/eopss/agencies/mema/ 

Salem Police Non-Emergency Line: 978-744-1212

Salem Department of Public Services: 978-744-3302 for emergency issues only.

Salem Announcements & Information Line: 978-745-INFO (4636)

Reminder: Emergency services will see an increase in calls during bad weather. Do not call 9-1-1 unless there is an emergency. Please direct any non-emergency calls to the Salem police non-emergency line at 978-744-1212. 

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