Snow-Covered Sidewalks: Have Naperville Residents Kept Sidewalks Clear This Winter?

Do you think Naperville residents have done a good job so far this winter of clearing snow off their sidewalks?

Under Naperville's municipal code, clearing sidewalks of snow is the responsibility of residents and/or property owners. Not keeping sidewalks clear is a city code violation.

Keeping sidewalks clear is meant for the safety of pedestrians and children walking to school. 

"This will help to avoid creating dangerously slippery conditions for both motorists and pedestrians," according to the city of Naperville municipal code. "State law protects property owners from any added liability if they shovel their sidewalks." 

The issue of keeping sidewalks clear of snow has been a matter of discussion in the northern suburb of Libertyville. 

Public Works Director John Heinz said he wants a better way to handle the complaints he gets about residents who aren’t clearing their walks, according to an article in TribLocal. In Barrington, where he used to work, Heinz said the village would hire someone to clear unshoveled sidewalks and then send a bill to the resident.

Trustee Donna Johnson said she’d prefer to send a reminder letter to delinquent shovelers and work on the honor system, or perhaps enlist volunteers like the Boy Scouts to help, according to the article.

You can read the full TribLocal article here.

With a fresh coat of snow on the ground Wednesday morning, tell us in the comments section, do you think Naperville residents have done a good job of keeping sidewalks clear this winter? Has snow piled up on sidewalks in parts of your neighborhood? Do you think more needs to be done in Naperville to keep sidewalks clear of snow?