A Montgomery County Council member is looking for people who shoveled out neighbors’ sidewalks during a very snowy winter.
Councilmember Nancy Floreen has brought back her Golden Shovel Awards, also known as SAFE (Sidewalks Are For Everyone), and is looking for county residents as nominees.
“This winter season of extensive snowfalls gave Montgomery County residents great need for snow removal. For some, shoveling sidewalks was either an unmanageable challenge or posed a possible danger to their health,” read a press release. “Fortunately, throughout the County, there were residents who cleared their own sidewalks — and also helped neighbors in need.”
Floreen started the program in 2003. It’s been on hiatus since 2010, when the region was hit by three high-volume snow storms. Nominees must be Montgomery County residents and recommended by another person. Nominations are due March 31.
Those recognized will be honored at a County Council session in April.
“Our seniors, school children, people with disabilities and those who walk to work or use mass transit depend on snow-free sidewalks,” Floreen said. “This goes beyond convenience — it is a matter of public safety. I certainly hope that residents will nominate individuals for a Golden Shovel who put the Golden Rule to work.”
Sidewalk snow removal — especially in more urban areas and along major roads — was a big issue this winter, when mid-February’s snowfall of roughly 12 inches meant massive snow piles from road plows and hard-to-remove ice underneath.
Councilmember Hans Riemer proposed a Sidewalk Snow Removal Plan that would make the Montgomery County Department of Transportation responsible for removing snow on certain sidewalks along major pedestrian routes, in urban districts and at bus stops.
Council President Craig Rice later downplayed that idea, saying the county’s requirement for property owners to clear their walks within 24 hours of a snow event is sufficient.
If you have someone in mind for the Golden Shovel Award, fill out this nomination form by describing in detail why your candidate should receive it. Nominations can be emailed to Floreen’s office at councilmember[dot]floreen[at]montgomerycountymd[dog]gov with the subject line “Golden Shovel,” or mailed to the Council Office Building at 100 Maryland Avenue, Rockville, MD 20850.
We think Bethesda resident Richard Hoye certainly deserves a nomination. Hoye, a bike advocate who has argued for snow removal on the Capital Crescent Trail and sidewalks, took matters into his own hands with a mini-skid steer worth upwards of $25,000.
The machinery allowed Hoye to plow a path on the Old Georgetown Road sidewalk from downtown Bethesda north to the Suburban Hospital/NIH area, a roughly half-mile distance.
