BY JEFF CHUDZINSKINorth Country This Week

MASSENA -- The North Country has been hit harder than normal by snowfall this season, leading to conflicts regarding snow removal in the village of Massena.

In response, village trustees are asking residents to "be good neighbors" and work out the disputes in a cooperative manner.

Trustee Ken McGowan brought the topic to light during the Feb. 11 board meeting, noting the village was "getting tied into a land dispute with snow."

"That’s truly not our game. I think that there’s a snow issue. I think the homeowners really have to take that upon themselves. You can’t call the Code Office because your neighbor is dumping snow on your yard, or property line issues. It’s not a village issue,” McGowan commented.

Mayor Greg Paquin reiterated that such disputes fall outside the scope of the village board and come down to neighbors to resolve.  

He said the hope is that "everyone is a good neighbor," but admitted it may not always be the case.

He said he himself has the potential for such a situation with a shared driveway, however he clears the snow for both sides so he can blow the snow where needed.

The issue extends beyond calls to the village board, however, with Department of Public Works Superintendent Marty Miller saying his office has also received calls over such disputes.

In some cases, callers are complaining about the height of snow banks and asking for them to be cut back.

Miller said it's a big task for crews to operate with limited spaces and areas to move snow within the village after so many snow storms this season.

“We began to get a lot of calls this week. We were doing the best we can. It’s one of those years where we have a lot of snow right now and we’re going to get a bunch more Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday,” Miller said.

St. Lawrence County is slated to see at least 12" of snow in most areas, with other areas expected to see nearly two feet between Feb. 13-16.

Miller said when snow accumulates at such a rapid rate it puts the department on the back foot as they attempt to clear roads, sidewalks and public parking areas.

He said DPW crews will continue to work through the main streets of the village and "peck away" at other streets, as time allows.

Miller said crews have not prioritized any specific street over another but rather work on the ones with the highest banks first.

But matters are being made worse with a salt shortage, which could lead to DPW cutting back on its use for the rest of the year.

Miller said the village had just ordered its last allotment, 300 tons from American Rock Salt, with no future purchases in sight.

He said the village is in "dire straits" due to the shortage of salt.

We’ll never get through the year I don’t think with what we have," Miller said.

Salting the roads was not the only concern raised at the meeting, with Paquin and trustees asking Miller about the department's normal plowing activities for sidewalks.

Miller said the village typically clears a designated route that includes Main Street and routes that lead to school.

Despite that, a number of residents have voiced frustrations with the current sidewalk clearing policies and "slippery sidewalks."

But Village Administrator Monique Chatland and Miller both agreed that municipalities have typically avoided or been told to avoid any sidewalk clearing for fear of liability.

McGowan said there was a simple solution to the concerns, suggesting that property owners assist by clearing the sidewalk in front of their properties.

He said he "does his darndest" to keep his clean, noting that Postal Service, UPS and FedEx employees would benefit from the additional efforts, along with neighbors and other village residents.

When all was said and done, Miller said crews would continue to remove snow as possible but urged residents to bear with DPW crews as they went to work on those tasks.

"Hopefully we turn the corner with the weather (soon)," Mayor Greg Paquin said.