Traverse City residents say the city does not do a good job of clearing sidewalks of snow. But city officials want residents to know they are responsible for clearing snow from sidewalks – not the city.
The city is planning an outreach campaign to educate the public about the snow-clearing laws and to write tickets to property owners who don't comply.
Confusion over who is responsible for snow-clearing on sidewalks came up at a “snow summit” open house last month. Most people who responded to a survey at the summit said the city does a good job of clearing city streets in a timely manner. The main complaint was that the city does not do enough to clear sidewalks and trails.
The existing law says sidewalk snow removal is the responsibility of property owners. The city plans to create public service announcements to that effect – and place door-hangers in high-priority neighborhoods near schools and medical facilities.
The city could also hand out citations of up to 250-dollars for those who fail to clear their sidewalks repeatedly.