City employees didn’t record addresses or give citations during the survey, but they did note when homeowners didn’t shovel snow off the sidewalks in front of their homes.

According to a city ordinance, homeowners and businesses are responsible for removing snow from sidewalks adjacent to their property within 24 hours after snowfall has stopped.  Not doing  so could result in a $50 citation.

During the survey of the 12 residential districts across the city, Districts 1 and 2, located in the east end, had significantly higher non-compliance rates, compared to the other districts. 

In District 1— the neighborhood located in the Warren Ave.-Tireman area west of Schafer Rd.— 136 properties were recorded for not shoveling their snow. 

In District 2— the area between Tireman and Warren Ave., east of Schafer Rd.— the survey recorded that 566 property owners had not shoveled the snow on their sidewalks.

These figures were significantly larger than in other areas of the city. For example, in District 11, located at the Golfview-Cherry Hill area, the survey recorded that only four property owners hadn’t shoveled their snow. 

The six districts in the west end areas all received a compliance rate between 97 percent and 100 percent. Properties marked down for non-compliance ranged between just 4 and 58 in these districts.

City Council President Susan Dabaja told The Arab American News that residents need to be educated about the city’s snow removal policy in the future, in order to provide safe pathways for both school children and the postal service. 

Dabaja plans to relay the message to bilingual homeowners through The Arab American News, so that they are in compliant in the future. The city will give citations to repeat offenders. 

“We need to make sure that our sidewalks are cleared for our children walking in the early morning,” Dabaja said. “Not everyone has a ride to school. The postal service needs the snow shoveled to deliver mail. They are free to make that decision to not deliver mail if the snow is not shoveled. These are things that we have to make sure are done.”

This winter season, the residential services department also went door-to-door to remind homeowners that they had an obligation to shovel snow off of their property.

According to the Department of Public Information and Residential Services, several businesses also failed to shovel snow off of their sidewalks. At the beginning of the winter season, the city distributed more than 1,300 letters to business owners explaining the snow removal policy. Businesses that did not comply were issued warnings. 

“Our goal is never to give tickets,” said Mary Laundroche, the director of the Department of Public Information. “Sidewalks need to remain safe for people to travel on them. Hopefully, that wouldn’t involve needing to give tickets once businesses and residents understand that they have an obligation to remove the snow.” 

 Laundroche noted that in the 105 cases of businesses received a warning, only 11 were repeat offenders and received a citation afterwards.

“We did go out and talk to people when we saw that snow was not being shoveled,” she added. “But after we spoke with them, the majority did comply and shovel their snow. Through more education, people are definitely willing to comply.”

Laundroche did note that the city is closing the winter season with fewer compliance issues involving residential and business properties than in previous years. 

This year, the city only issued one snow emergency, compared to multiple ones last year. During a snow emergency, residents are required to move their vehicle off of neighborhood streets in order for the public works department to navigate their plow trucks.

The city launched a pilot program that allocated parking space for residents during a snow emergency. According Laundroche, that program will return next year as well.