WASHINGTON, Pa. — City leaders in Washington have extended a state of emergency following the recent snowstorm, even as conditions across downtown begin to improve.
City council unanimously voted to extend the declaration made by Mayor JoJo Burgess after the storm. The extension allows the city to pay public works crews overtime and send code enforcement officers door to door so that property owners clear their sidewalks.
“Code enforcement is now gonna start knocking on doors. ‘Hey, look, you had enough time. It should be done. Let’s get your stuff cleaned up.’ Because we’ve got people walking in the streets, which they shouldn’t be,” Burgess said.
The vote comes after weeks of heavy snow removal across the city.
Just two weeks ago, large piles of snow covered streets and sidewalks in parts of downtown. The city hired three companies to haul the snow away, transporting it to Washington Park.
Mayor Burgess praised public works crews for their efforts.
“Our road crew, our guys out there that do all that work, worked exceptionally well to get all this stuff cleared off,” he said.
Now, with temperatures expected to rise, the city is preparing for possible flooding as the snow melts. Sandbags have been placed near large snow piles in Washington Park as a precaution.
“I know there’s a lot of people that may have houses that may sit on different slopes. I just would urge them to pay attention to that ‘cause we’re paying attention to it here in the city,” Burgess said.
City officials say residents should monitor conditions around their homes as the thaw begins.
The state of emergency extension extends to Sunday.
Crews plan to start working on potholes on Monday.
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