At its Feb. 23 meeting, the Hyattsville City Council proposed allocating $3,000 to buy shovels and fund a volunteer snow removal program to assist elderly and disabled residents.

City code requires property owners and tenants to clear sidewalks within 24 hours after a snowstorm ends or face a warning, which could lead to a $500 citation.

“If the warning is not heeded in a timely manner, a citation will be issued,” the Hyattsville Code Compliance Team states. “It is possible that the volunteers can be assigned to support property owners who reach out for assistance after the warning has been received.”

City Councilmember Gopi Dhokai (Ward 3) used the response to the January snowstorm as evidence that a formal volunteer system could help residents.

“There were a lot of neighbors that came out during the last storm and wanted to support each other,” she said during the Feb. 23 meeting. “If we had the ability to partner neighbors ahead of the storm, neighbors could have helped each other when the snow was falling softer.”

City Communications Manager Cindy Zork said the city will begin seeking volunteers for the shoveling program this October. She said that staff will match volunteers with older or disabled residents requesting shoveling assistance. Staff will also track volunteer hours and record which residents receive services.

Under the previous “HVL Heroes” program, the city’s Volunteer Services Department provided snow shovels, gloves and rakes to residents who wanted to help neighbors, according to Zork. Residents handled their own outreach and assistance without a formal matching system. The proposed program would shift that responsibility to staff and create a more structured process.

During the council meeting, Dhokai recommended that the city purchase a snowblower, raising questions about potential liabilities if residents are injured (see HyattsvilleLife.com for related snowblower story). Zork said the proposal remains in its development stage and staff continue to assess the risks. Leaders have not yet decided whether volunteers may use personal snowblowers or how they would oversee safety.

During the Feb. 23 meeting, City Administrator Tracey Douglas said that she thinks it is important to assist and support elderly and disabled residents.

“Having those one or two snowblowers on hand for loan would be very helpful,” she said. “We just know there is some work that we’ll need to do in the background.”

The city plans to require volunteers and residents to sign waivers drafted with input from the city attorney. These waivers would release the city from responsibility for injuries or risks related to snow removal, as well as address potential property damage or personal injury claims.

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Alex Burke is an undergraduate journalism student at the University of Maryland.