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Snow Removal Questions

1. Why is my street always plowed last and what are the Town's priorities?

    The Town's priorities are as follows:

  • Public Safety facilities.
  • Major arterial roads
  • Elementary School
  • Other arterial routes (Winchester Road, etc.)
  • Subdivision collector streets - generally the streets that cul-de-sac streets feed into.
  • Cul-de-sacs (dead end streets).
  • Municipal Buildings
  • Sidewalks in front of Muncipal Buildings

2. Why is it that I see snowplows and sander trucks going past my house that are not plowing or sanding?

These trucks are driving to their routes. If they begin sanding before reaching their route, they will not have enough to complete the route and early plowing would delay them.

3. Why does the snowplow driver fill up my driveway?

Snowplow drivers do not intentionally fill driveways. When plowing a road, they aim to add the excess snow to existing snowbanks, however, gaps such as an open driveway, will inevitably be filled with new snow during this process. Waiting to shovel until the end of the snowstorm will help minimize the need for repeated shoveling.

4. Who is responsible for clearing sidewalks in Town?

The tenant, occupant or owner of any building is responsible for the clearing of the sidewalks in front of their property by 10:00 A.M. on any day except Sundays and holidays following a snowstorm.  A state law places the liability for any incident on the sidewalk due to a failure of the owner/occupant/tenant to clear snow and ice on the owner, occupant, and/or tenant.

Snow/Ice Removal on Sidewalks By-Law voted at Special Town Meeting on 6/25/97 Article 19 Snow and ice shall be removed from sidewalks within the boundaries of the Town of Northfield on the streets named as follows – Main Street, Holton Street, Parker Avenue, Highland Avenue, and Mt. Hermon Station Road, from W. Northfield Road north to the Vermont line – by the owner of land abutting upon said named streets within forty-eight (48) hours following the cessation of a snow/ice storm, by mechanical or other means. 

5. Who is responsible if my mailbox is damaged?

If the Town snow plow damaged your mailbox, the Town will take care of it. But if your mailbox was damaged by snow or ice coming off the plow, then the owner is responsible for it. If, in the determination of the Highway Supervisor the Town is responsible, then the limit of liability is restricted to a standard $20 mailbox and a wooden post.  In most cases, mailboxes that are damaged by the plow are positioned within the road layout, which means it is on Town property. Specifically, the Town is NOT responsible for damaged lawns, fences, steps, shrubs, trees, sprinklerheads, or mailboxes etc., that are within the road layout.