Snow fell again Tuesday in Columbus, and more scattered snow showers are forecast Thursday.
Like most Ohio cities, Columbus requires property owners to clear their adjacent sidewalks of snow and ice each day. If it’s impossible to remove all the snow and ice, the owner is required to use sand or another substance to make the sidewalk safer. According to Columbus city code, if a property owner doesn’t address their sidewalk, they could face a minor misdemeanor punishable by up to a fine of $150.
But the city doesn’t enforce the rule.
Columbus doesn’t issue any citations for homeowners or business owners not clearing sidewalks, said Columbus Department of Public Service spokesperson Debbie Briner. If a 311 complaint is made, Briner said right-of-way investigators respond and they may leave notices of violations.
In this January 2022 file photo, Darrell Jackson, of Columbus’ West Side, shoveled the front walkway to his mother’s home in the city’s South Linden neighborhood.
The notice almost always resolves the issue, Briner said. She said the city encourages able residents to shovel their sidewalks so everyone can safely walk in their neighborhood.
“We are responsible for our own sidewalks, so just remember that,” Columbus City Council member Lourdes Barroso de Padilla said at Monday’s council meeting. “Be a good neighbor if you have folks in your neighborhood who you can help out, who might have mobility issues, or older residents or neighbors that just might need help.”
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Any obstructions on sidewalks can keep older adults and people with disabilities from leaving their homes and getting where they need to go, said Christine Happel, assistant director of the Age-Friendly Innovation Center at the Ohio State University College of Social Work. But clearing sidewalks can help everyone, she added.
It can also be challenging for older adults or people with disabilities to clear their own sidewalks. Happel said the Central Ohio Network of Villages is a resource to connect people with local “snow angels,” volunteers to shovel for them.
Kerstin Sjoberg, executive director of Disability Rights Ohio, said rather than expend resources on enforcement, cities should educate people about the importance of keeping sidewalks clear.
If someone with a disability is struggling to get out of their home because their city hasn’t cleared snow in public places where it should, Sjoberg encouraged them to call Disability Rights Ohio at 800-282-9181.
jlaird@dispatch.com
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus requires homeowners to clear sidewalks of snow and ice