Nov. 19--Let us give thanks, while we still can, for this outstanding Midwestern autumn. Throughout October and well into November, we were doubly blessed -- with warm, sunny weather (especially on weekends) and a widely shared Web link to a National Wildlife Federation plea that we stop raking leaves.
The enviros say it's better for the planet if leaves are allowed to decay where they fall. We suspect they're thinking of landscapes with greater lawn-to-sidewalk ratios than in Chicago, but never mind. The rake stayed in the garage. Right next to the, um, snow shovel.
Now for the bad news.
The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm watch to kick off the weekend. Snow is expected to arrive late Friday, with up to 6 inches north and west of the city by Saturday afternoon.
We've been Googling madly for an excuse not to break out the shovel, but the National Wildlife Federation did not come to our rescue this time. What turned up instead were many reminders that the City Council just signed off on Mayor Rahm Emanuel's plan to impose stiffer fines on people who don't clear their sidewalks.
You probably know someone like that. You might have even called 311 to report them, after you were forced to walk around their snow piles and into the street on your way to the CTA station. But the old rules were pretty ambiguous, and rarely enforced. Last year, only 226 tickets were issued. Fines ranged from $25 to $100.
Property owners now have until 10 a.m. to clear an overnight snow accumulation; snow that piles up between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. must be cleared by 10 p.m. Fines can range from $50 to $500 per day.
The new rules were proposed at the same time the mayor was rolling out his 2016 budget, with its record-breaking property tax hike. Some aldermen fretted that their constituents would regard the increased penalties as one more revenue grab, with the snow police showing up at 10:01 a.m. and p.m. to ticket homeowners who haven't salted their sidewalks yet.
City officials assured them the idea is to target repeat offenders, especially owners of commercial properties with long stretches of icy pavement that create hazards for pedestrians. Ninety percent of last year's tickets were issued to businesses or apartment buildings.
The new rules also increase fines for people who shovel snow from their property into the street or other public way. Do not block building entrances or bus stops. Do not pile your snow on the Divvy racks.
We're not the first to suggest that the ordinance ought to include a provision requiring the city to plow residential streets in a timely and democratic fashion. Under that plan, homeowners would be entitled to a tax rebate if the snowplows made a third pass down Ald. Ed Burke's street before they'd been down every other block at least once. But no such luck.
Winter's on its way, Chicago, so get your shovels ready. And be grateful the city decided to keep its nose out of "Dibs."
