The village then went a step further and issued tickets to some of those judged to be in continued violation of the code, invoking a seldom-used section in the code which says that, "Violations...shall be punishable by a fine of not more than $250 dollars or by imprisonment for not more than 15 days." The code also states that each day sidewalks remain blocked is considered a new violation.

According to LaMarche, the move stems from growing frustration by village officials over the sidewalks and the village sidewalk plow services. She said that some residents complain about the use of sidewalk plows in their area, others complain that the plows do not come frequently enough, and others try to make appointments for when they'd like plows to come to their house.

"We're taking this seriously," explained LaMarche. "This code has been on the books since 1973, but failure to follow through [on enforcement] has brought it to the point where people think it's a village service."

"We've spent $516 a day [since the Superbowl Sunday storm] just trying to open up the sidewalks," LaMarche added that snow and ice piles left from driveway plows and unshoveled walks make things even harder. "It's put our equipment down and it's cost us a lot of overtime."

Pine Street resident Marylynn Acee began a discussion about the snowy sidewalks at Monday night's village board meeting, telling trustees about areas where the snow is too deep to walk though and sharing concerns about the danger to children.

LaMarche, board members and town personnel explained both the efforts of sidewalk plow crews and the recent tickets, but said that village plows can't always get through the ice, and that responsibility lies with home and business owners.

Mayor David J. DiPietro said that the village's first priority is to make sure that the roads are clear, and said that village crews were on double plowing shifts for several days after the storm.

"On our street there are several people who received notices, and they all shovel daily," said Trustee Craig Locke, a Buffalo Road resident. Locke blamed street plows for dumping ice and snow onto sidewalks that are near the road.

DiPietro said that it is important for residents who cannot shovel their own snow to know that there are services available through the East Aurora Boys & Girls Club.

In other business, board members voted to approve a four percent water rate increase which has been debated at several meetings since a public hearing on the issue on Dec. 18. The measure was approved with Trustee Peter Mercurio dissenting.

After some discussion, the board passed a series of votes which rezoned an area on Riley Street from a provisional special residential (RGN) zone to a manufacturing/industrial (MI) zone. The land, on the former site of a concrete plant, was changed from a MI to RGN zone in the late 1990s, but there was a question of whether the zoning should revert since a condominium unit on the site burned before it could be occupied. Village Attorney Robert Pierce said that the intent had been for the land to revert to MI if it was not being used, but the laws did not allow for such a reversion to take place automatically.

Opponents of a skating and recreation center that has been discussed for the site have hinted that the move would be a first step towards building the center there. Pierce and some members of the Town Board have replied that MI zoning does not allow for such a facility. Mayor David DiPietro and Trustees Keith Bender, Ernest Scheer and Patrick McDonnell voted in favor of rezoning, with Trustees Libby Weberg, Craig Locke and Peter Mercurio opposed.

This is cache, read story here