INDIANAPOLIS — We hear it each time it snows, a warning from the City of Indianapolis to shovel your sidewalks or you could be facing a $50 dollar ticket. But now more than 48 hours since the snowflakes stopped falling from the weekend's storm, there are many sidewalks that still haven't been cleared.
Call 6 Investigates went digging into the city's ordinance that requires occupants of a home or a business to clear the sidewalks around the property, but found out the city has never actually written a ticket for people not clearing them.
"I see a lot of people walking in those areas that maybe don't have cars," Indianapolis resident Brandon Skates said. "They could easily slip and fall and hurt themselves."
According to the ordinance, snow must be cleared off the sidewalk by 7 p.m., if the snow has stopped falling. If the snow stops falling after 7 p.m., the ordinance requires the snow to be cleared by 9 a.m. the following day.
In case snow or ice has accumulated or fallen on any sidewalk or is continuing to fall after 7:00 p.m., it shall be removed, if practical to do so, or a sufficient path be cleared by the occupant or owner before 9:00 a.m. of the following day. If any snow or ice has fallen or accumulated on any sidewalk after 9:00 a.m., it shall be removed or a path cleared by the occupant or owner by 7:00 p.m. of such day, if the snow has ceased to fall by that time.
But why hasn't the city issued any tickets?
We went to Indianapolis' Department of Business of Neighborhood Services, who oversees the city's code inspectors, to ask why no tickets have ever been issued.
"For us, it is more of an opportunity to educate the public as to why it is important," Business and Neighborhood Services' Dimitri Kyser said.
Kyser said they often send inspectors out to give a "warning" to the home or business and they usually comply.
But, during our interview with the city, we noticed the sidewalks for the building across from the where the city's code inspectors work didn't have it's sidewalks shoveled. That building, in the 1300 block of Madison Avenue, is also owned by the city-county government.
The city tells Call 6 they plan to get the sidewalks shoveled at that building.
To report unshoveled sidewalks, contact the Mayor's Action Center at RequestIndy.
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