The Hyattsville City Council discussed the possibility of investing in snow blowers for each ward to assist community members in snow cleanup on Feb. 23; however, some councilmembers feared the risk of injury.

“There were a lot of neighbors that came out during the last storm and wanted to support each other, but the snow got really icy really quickly, and I think if we had had the ability to partner neighbors ahead of the storm, neighbors could have helped each other,” City Councilmember Gopi Dhokai (Ward 3) said. 

“I think it just took the wings out of everybody in Hyattsville for how cold and icy it got,” Dhokai said.

Community Services & Programs Director Sandra Shephard raised the concern of liability if something goes wrong with the snow blowers. 

“We want to make sure that there [are] waivers from both the volunteers and also the recipients who are getting the service. So, then the city would not be liable … if they get hurt,” Shepard said. 

Mayor Robert Croslin said he is also concerned about the potential dangers. 

Croslin said was concerned about the snow blowers because of the potential danger they pose. He said that the workers should be trained to avoid accidentally injuring themselves with the blades. 

According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, there are around 4,700 to 5,700 injuries per year from snow blowers. Users most commonly injure hands, wrists and fingers when trying to clear debris from the machines with their hands. 

City Administrator Tracey Douglas noted that a volunteer shoveling program is already established, but she agreed it is a good idea to add to it.

“I do think it’s very important, as we see more of our community aging, that we have a way to try to assist and support,” Douglas said. “So we’re fine with continuing that program and making it more robust.” 

Councilmember Edouard Haba (Ward 4) said he supports it and suggested expanding it as well.

“I have volunteered in the past. I still do … I think we can expand this by buying one blower per ward,” Haba said.

“You can’t easily move around [in the event of a snow storm], so it would be easier to have it within the ward to be able to dispatch quickly to that ward,” Haba added. 

“I like the idea of having one per ward, but I personally don’t know where we would store it in Ward 3, and I’m assuming that other wards might have similar challenges,” Dhokai said. 

Councilmember Danny Schaible (Ward 2) also expressed interest in the idea.

“I like this; even more than I like it, I love it,” he said. “I would like to see us find a way to make this work.” 

Schaible did add, however, that there is still the looming risk of injury.

“I do think there’s probably some risk with that in that … this would be a piece of equipment that folks might not be familiar with.”

The average price of a snow blower is $650, according to Dhokai, and she proposed a budget of around $3,000.

Councilmember Kelson Nisbett (Ward 5) finished the discussion on an enthusiastic note. 

“[I] love the concept, love the idea. I would even add a blowtorch towards it,” he said.

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The council did not vote on purchasing snow blowers, and will [continue to discuss/vote at a future meeting?] … .

Liad Mussafi is a third-year student at the University of Maryland studying journalism and business.