A proposed law that would require property owners to clear ice and snow from sidewalks in front of their homes or businesses has been dropped by the Township Committee.

The ordinance, if approved, could have saved about $100,000 in tax dollars, officials estimated. But the Township Committee unanimously agreed on Tuesday that the proposal as presented was "unworkable,"  as described by Committeeman John Carpenter.

Township officials had received feedback from about eight or nine residents regarding the suggested ordinance since it was first discussed on Sept. 14 by the Township Committee, and all but one opposed the idea, Mayor Scott Spitzer said.

Another three speakers opposed the snow removal law during Tuesday's meeting. Eric Nahm said he had been troubled by the potential for a 90-day jail sentence or the imposition of property liens included in a rough draft of the law presented on Tuesday.

"That's not the kind of town we are," he told the Township Committee. The proposed municipal law, as is standard, also included a potential for fines of up to $500.

Resident Todd Edelstein said he approved the committee's decision to indefinitely table the ordinance. But he added he would like to see the township public works department stop its current practice of clearing 25 miles of sidewalks after storms.

Township figures presented on Sept. 14 indicated the law could have saved the township an estimated $100,000 a year by requiring residents to shovel sidewalks now cleared by municipal contractors.

The township has had a longstanding tradition of clearing walkways considered to be along routes for students walking to the township's six school buildings, Township Administrator Bruce McArthur explained earlier this month.

However, each year, the township has given in to requests to add another mile or two of sidewalks to that list, Spitzer said.

On Tuesday, the Township Committee asked its professionals to review how many miles of sidewalks actually are being used by students, especially when the weather is bad.

"How many, and what percentage of our schoolchildren walk to school after a snow storm, excluding when school has been closed?" Spitzer asked during his comments to oppose the proposed new law.

Spitzer said he does not know when the township will receive that report. For now, the township will continue its current practice.

Carpenter had earlier pointed out some of the shortcomings of the proposed ordinance as presenting difficulties in enforcement. The clause that would have required property owners to clear snow from sidewalks or driveways in the public right-of-way within 18 hours after a storm ended would not have been adequate from a public safety standpoint, he said.

Carpenter, who had initially supported the idea, said he had deemed the proposed law to be unworkable after a closer look, and hearing from residents.

Spitzer, who was absent from the Sept. 14 meeting, said he had never supported the proposed ordinance, which also had not been supported by Township Committeewoman Carolyn Gaziano.

"This proposed ordinance has too many unsatisfactory answers to too many questions," Spitzer said.

He said thousands of homes, many with long stretches of property frontage, would have been affected by the requirement. "How many of our senior citizens have no ability to perform this very physical task?" Spitzer asked.

Resident John Crane said he endorsed the committee's decision to table the ordinance, particularly on behalf of his elderly mother, an Oak Street resident.

Crane presented the Township Committee with figures indicating the cost of snow removal for individual property owners would be far higher than if contracted through the municipality.