The City Ordinance, as stated below, allows the City to have snow removed 24 hours after snowfall if a property owner has not complied with the ordinance. If you have any questions, please contact the City’s Department of Building Safety at 507-359-8245.

CHAPTER 6

STREETS AND

SIDEWALKS

Section 6.01. Ice and snow on public sidewalks.

Subd. 1. Ice and snow a nuisance. All snow and ice remaining upon public sidewalks is hereby declared to constitute a public nuisance and shall be removed by the owner or tenant of the abutting private property within 12 hours after such snow or ice has ceased to be deposited. This requirement likewise applies to every owner or tenant of property whose boundary is 20 feet or less from any street if the parcel or strip that separates the property from the street is owned by the City. In addition to other remedies provided by this section, violation of this subdivision shall be a petty misdemeanor.

Subd. 2. City to remove snow and ice. The City may cause to be removed from all public sidewalks, beginning 24 hours after snow or ice has ceased to fall, all snow and ice which may be discovered thereon, and it shall keep a record of the cost of such removal and the private property adjacent to which such accumulations were found and removed.

Subd. 3. Cost of removal to be assessed. The cost of such removal of snow or ice shall be levied as a special assessment against the lots or parcels of ground abutting on walks which were cleared, in accordance with the requirements and procedures prescribed by the City Charter or Minnesota Statutes, chapter 429.

Subd. 4. Civil suit for cost of removal. The City Manager shall, in the alternative, upon direction of the City Council, bring suit in a court of competent jurisdiction to recover from the persons owning land adjacent to which sidewalks were cleared, as provided in subdivision 2 hereof, the cost of such clearing and the cost and disbursements of a civil action therefor.

Subd. 5. City Manager to report sidewalks cleared. The City Manager shall from time to time present to the City Council a report on snow and ice removed by the City pursuant to this section, and shall request the City Council to determine by resolution the manner of collection to be used as provided in subdivision 3 or 4 of this section.

Subd. 6. Placing snow or ice in public street or on other City property. No person, partnership, corporation, or other entity shall deposit or cause to be deposited any snow or ice against a fire hydrant, or on any sidewalk, roadway, right-of-way, alley or other property of the City without the express permission of the City. In addition to such criminal penalties as may be imposed for violation of this subdivision, the City may proceed in the manner described in subdivisions 3 and 4 of this section to recover the cost of removal for such illegally placed snow and ice. Violation of this subdivision shall be a petty misdemeanor.