Business Owners and Residents Could Be Fined For Not Shoveling Sidewalks in Brainerd

In Brainerd, heaps of snow pile on top of sidewalks in front of businesses along Washington Street and Highway 210, making it difficult for pedestrians. City officials have worked with these businesses to enforce the ordinance that requires property owners to clear their sidewalks.

“Highway 210 and 371 are state highways and so when MnDOT comes by and plows multiple times a day, they seem to get iced over more often, and businesses along those highways get into trouble keeping the ice off the sidewalks. More recently with the amount of snow that we’ve gotten, and the heavier snow with the rain mixed in, it’s been very difficult for businesses along the highway to keep the snow off the sidewalks,” said City Engineer Paul Sandy.

“We receive a lot of complaints about people that use the sidewalks on a regular basis trying to go to their jobs or trying to access the businesses, and so the council discussed that in-depth at the meeting, and came to the decision that if you have a business on 210 that we will be enforcing our city’s ordinance to make sure that the sidewalks are cleared and ice free after 48 hours of a snow day,” said Sandy.

“The city ordinance is having the snow removed and having the sidewalks ice free within 48 hours after an event, and that’s city-wide. It’s not just for businesses, it’s for people who have sidewalks at their residence, or residential neighborhoods or hospitals, and it’s pretty typical for most cities so they expect that residents that live adjacent to those sidewalks or businesses keep them clear,” said Sandy.

The snow removal code covers all of Brainerd, and property owners can request additional time if needed.