Winter Storm Preparations

Second Storm Expected Overnight;
Amended Recycling and Trash Collection Schedule
Following Initial Storm

 
A second winter storm is expected this week to occur overnight beginning around 10 PM Thursday, January 6 and continuing through around 5 AM Friday, January 7.  The storm is forecast to be a light powdery snow (unlike the wet heavy snowfall earlier this week) and as much as 2-5 inches of accumulation is currently forecast. 
 
Public Works personnel will pre-treat roads beginning around 9:00 p.m. this evening and crews will clear roadways during the storm.  For the safety of our residents and Public Works crews, please avoid walking in the street and keep your distance from Village snowplows when they are operating. As the snow picks up in intensity, visibility will be reduced thereby making it difficult to see and making roadways snow covered and slippery.
 
We urge residents to avoid unnecessary travel during the storm and to expect icy conditions on walkways, sidewalks, and roads through the next couple days.  Residents are also reminded to clear the abutting public sidewalks of ice/snow within 48 hours of the cessation of falling snow. It is not only the law, it’s the courteous and neighborly thing to do.
 
As always, the Village Communications Center and Police Department will remain staffed through the storm (301-654-7300).
 
UPDATE RE: Trash and Recycling Collection
On Monday, our contractor advised that crews were unable to complete Monday’s trash collection due to the snowstorm and the trash collection schedule would slide by one day for the remainder of the week.  The contractor was forced to also slide recycling collection by one day.
 
UPDATED COLLECTION SCHEDULE FOR THIS WEEK:
 
WEST of Connecticut Avenue: Recycling today (Thursday); Trash Saturday
EAST of Connecticut Avenue: Trash and Recycling tomorrow (Friday)
 
 
Additionally, crews have been hampered by accumulated snow and limited access to receptacles. Please be sure your driveway is clear. If the crew cannot access the receptacles they will wait until the next regularly scheduled collection day. Thank you for your patience and cooperation.

Winter Storm Reminders

 
Parked Vehicles
Residents are asked to move vehicles off Village roadways to provide ample space for our salt spreader trucks and to allow for the full width of the roadway to be treated. If you do not have a driveway that can accommodate your vehicles, please attempt to park as close as possible to the curb adjacent to your property. In past storms, the Village Public Works Department has observed numerous vehicles that were parked a distance from the curb, which impedes the crew’s ability to clear streets and can result in vehicle damage.
 
In the Event of a Power Outage
If power is interrupted, the Village will maintain contact with PEPCO to ensure power is restored as promptly as possible; however, power restoration may be hampered as weather conditions dictate. If you lose power, please contact PEPCO directly at (877) 737-2662, through PEPCO’s app (available where you download apps or at pepco.com/mobileapp), or by text alert (see below) and alert the Village Communications Center at (301) 654-7300. Residents should not assume that PEPCO knows you do not have power—every household that loses power should contact both PEPCO and the Village, which also allows us to monitor the scope of the outage.
 
NEVER touch or drive over downed utility lines. All downed utility lines are to be treated as if they are live.
 
To register and send an outage text alert to PEPCO: Text “ADD OUTAGE” to “48710” from a phone linked to your account to register for text alerts.  Once registered, during an outage simply text “Out” to “48710” to report your outage (text messaging rates apply).
 
The Village Hall is available for Village residents as a warming center and to charge electrical devices (face masks required).
 
Sidewalk Clearing
Residents are responsible for clearing all ice and accumulated snow from the sidewalk(s) in front of or abutting their property within the first forty-eight (48) hours after the cessation of falling precipitation. Residents who occupy corner lots are responsible for the sidewalk in front of and on the side of their property.  Please reference the Village’s Teen List featured in the printed version of the Crier for local teens available to perform sidewalk shoveling.
 
Residents abutting Connecticut Avenue and Brookville Road are not required to clear the sections of sidewalk abutting these roadways.
 
As always, if you must travel in during the storm, please exercise extreme caution.