Northwest Iowa — We appear to have entered the winter season. And that means snow removal in our area. Some towns in the area have ordinances about snow and ice removal from sidewalks that should be followed.
In Sheldon, snow and ice buildup must be removed from sidewalks within 12 hours of the end of the weather occurrence. City Manager Sean Hutchison says you’re not just doing it for yourself, but for your neighbors, as well.
In Hull, city officials say that homeowners are supposed to remove snow and ice “within a reasonable amount of time.” They say they have sent letters to those who don’t remove snow and ice, and a time limit for compliance after the letter is sent is normally mentioned in the letter. They do note that if the city has to do it, that costs can be assessed to the homeowner.
In Rock Rapids, each property owner is to have all ice and snow removed from his or her sidewalk within 24 hours after a snowfall. They also mention that snow from sidewalks and driveways is not to be disposed of in streets, gutters, alleys, or other public rights of way.
In Rock Valley, their ordinance says only that it must be done “promptly.” City officials say they usually take that to mean 24 hours.
Sioux Center’s city ordinance also uses the word, “promptly” when referring to the removal of ice and snow, but “10 hours” is also in the ordinance. City staff tell us, however, that it’s seldom a problem and that the “10 hours” rule is not enforced with a heavy hand, but it is in the code. The ordinance also says that if ice and snow is not removed, the city may do it and assess the cost to the homeowner.
