City Council increases fines for failing to clear snow from sidewalks

With the winter months just around the corner, shoveling snow off sidewalks was an issue at Wednesday night's Bloomington City Council meeting. \nOrdinance 04-35, which modifies the duties, fines and citation and collection procedures related to snow-shoveling, passed a second reading 9-0 with two amendments.\nThe ordinance resulted from a mayoral initiative last spring to encourage property owners to remove ice and snow from sidewalks. \nThe council asked Susie Johnson, Bloomington Housing and Neighborhood Development director, to look into the matter and form a "snowbusters group." The Snowbusters' suggestions required changes to the local code. The revised code mandates that a resident must shovel a 36-inch-wide path 24 hours after snowfall, it establishes a flat $50 fine to replace the current $25 fine, which escalates for repeat offenders and it allows various departments, including HAND, to cite violations.\nCouncilman Dave Rollo, along with Mayor Mark Kruzan, initially proposed the changes. They were concerned with the effectiveness of the fee, since not a single citation has been issued to a resident for not removing snow in 11 years.\nOther members and residents of the community were concerned about the effect of the fee on elderly residents who live on fixed incomes and are not able to remove snow. Councilman Mike Diekhoff was also sympathetic to property owners who have disabilities.\n"Appeals are an exception to the rule because we don't always know people's situations," said Councilman Chris Gaal.\nThe second amendment to the code, as offered by Councilman Chris Sturbaum, would allow a resident to appeal the violation. This appeal process will be printed on the ticket violations. However, Kruzan voiced concerns with the number of appeals that will be coming into the city.\nBut many members, including Councilman Jason Banach, said the option for an appeal is imperative.\n"I would not have supported this ordinance without the amendment for appeal," he said.\nAs amended by Diekhoff, the ordinance would reduce the width downtown property owners are required to clear to 54 inches. This is intended to allow more room to walk in heavily traveled pedestrian areas of the city while still allowing room for the shoveled snow.\nAlthough the ordinance fines property owners when snow is not removed from sidewalks, it does not limit landlords from stating in a tenant's lease that they must reimburse the fee.\nCouncilman Tim Mayer said he thinks property owners should be responsible for snow removal even when they are out of town. He said he believes they should find the means to have their sidewalks shoveled. Mayer recalled shoveling snow for his 90-year-old neighbor.\n"We need to count on neighbors to be good neighbors," said Johnson. \nSturbaum said he hopes residents will be responsible enough to avoid violating the ordinance.\n"Let's just keep our sidewalks clean," he said. "I hope we don't have to issue a single (fine)."\n-- Contact staff writer Jill Brooks at jimbrook@indiana.edu.