With the recent snow and ice storm, we thought it would be a good idea to share a friendly reminder that we all need to keep our sidewalks clear. 

If you have a sidewalk in front of your property, it’s your responsibility to remove snow and ice so it doesn’t pose a hazard for people using the sidewalk.   This rule applies to removing other things from the sidewalk too, like leaves and branches, as well as maintaining the planting strip.

It keeps the sidewalk safe, it looks better and it’s certainly the neighborly thing to do.  

Plus it’s the law. 

Some might think that it’s the City’s responsibility to keep the sidewalks clear since sidewalks are part of the public right-of-way, like streets.   But this isn’t the case. 

Let’s get just a bit wonky for a moment… When a property is developed, part of the property is dedicated as public right-of-way for streets, sidewalks, planting strips, utilities and other things which benefit everyone in the community.  However, the responsibility to maintain the sidewalk area stays with the property owner. 

It’s also the responsibility of property owners to repair their sidewalks when they are damaged.  

More info on these rules is available for residents and business owners.  Also check out yesterday’s blog post about overgrown vegetation and sidewalks.

So, now you’re in the know in case of more snow!  Thanks for doing your part, neighbor.