Slippery sidewalks against law
The City of Logan does not enforce its ordinance requiring residents to clear snow and ice from sidewalks in front of their homes, according to Lt. James Geier of Logan City Police.
Utah law allows individual cities to determine requirements for clearing snow and ice from sidewalks. Although part of the Logan ordinance specifically requires sidewalks to be cleared on parts of Main and Center Streets, Sylvia Tibbitts, a legal assistant in the city attorney’s office, said other parts of the ordinance can apply to snow and ice for residential areas.
“There are two kind of catch-alls,” Tibbitts said. “All owners are required to keep sidewalks in condition for travel and also in repair. Those can be construed for snow or ice.”
Detective John Lisonbee, Logan ordinance enforcement officer, said the ordinance is not specific on snow or ice, and the city attorney’s office will not prosecute if it doesn’t not want to, even if he issues a citation.
“The attorney’s office has been planning on rewriting but haven’t done it yet,” Lisonbee said.
Geier said in his 21 years of working with Logan Police he is not aware of a complaint made to the city regarding sidewalks not being cleared of snow or ice. For a citation to be issued, Geier said the city would have to receive a complaint from someone.
“We would go ask for compliance and go from there,” Geier said.
If the homeowner does not comply with the request, a citation can be issued.
“The regular penalty is a Class B misdemeanor, which is up to $1,000 fine or six months in jail,” Tibbitts said.
Lisonbee said he has seen the post office not deliver mail to a person’s door if snow is not cleared. He said he had a neighbor who would not clear their snow and had to go to the post office to pick up their mail.