Who do you contact when neighbors don't shovel?

Dear Answer Man: After a weekend of snow last week (Feb. 14-16), I needed to talk a quick walk on Monday in my neighborhood. Unfortunately, the sidewalks in front of several of my neighbors' homes were not cleared of snow, and — feeling unsafe — I decided to walk in the plowed street instead. Well, someone saw me walking in the street and called the police to come and help me. When the officer arrived, he told me I was walking on the wrong side of the road. (I was walking facing traffic, which is what I'd always been taught.) To make matters worse, when I tried calling the city on Monday to get someone out to talk to my lazy neighbors, the city was closed (Presidents' Day), so no one could help. All this leads to two questions: Which side of the road do you walk on? And what are my neighbors' responsibilities for shoveling the sidewalks in front of their homes? — Sallying Forth in the Snow.

Dear Sally,

Some days, it can feel like getting out of bed was a mistake. I'm guessing that was last Monday for you. Still, out you went and troubles you did encounter.

Let's start with the walking in the street issue first.

Amanda Grayson, spokeswoman for Rochester Police Department, said she can't speak to what was or wasn't said when the officer approached you on your walk, but you are definitely correct.

Minnesota Statute 169.21, subd. 5 states: "Walk on left side of roadway. Pedestrians when walking or moving in a wheelchair along a roadway shall, when practicable, walk or move on the left side of the roadway or its shoulder giving way to oncoming traffic. Where sidewalks are provided and are accessible and usable it shall be unlawful for any pedestrian to walk or move in a wheelchair along and upon an adjacent roadway."

If you are always on your left side of the road, that means you are facing oncoming traffic. That is the safest way to walk in or near the roadway when there are no sidewalks.

Again, if the officer told you otherwise, he'd have been wrong. Hopefully, this was all just a misunderstanding. That said, this Answer Man could serve as a reminder during roll call meetings at RPD. But I bet most officers already know this.

Now to the shoveling.

According to city ordinance 9-6-2 , "All snow, ice, dirt and rubbish remaining on a public sidewalk or pedestrian ramp more than 24 hours after its deposit thereon is a public nuisance. The owner and the occupant of any property adjacent to a public sidewalk or pedestrian ramp shall use due diligence to keep such walk safe for pedestrians."

The city ordinance goes on to state that snow must be removed within 24 hours of a snowfall. That means the end of the snowfall. So, say it starts snowing at noon on Feb. 14 and stops snowing at 2 p.m. You'd have until 2 p.m. the following day to get the snow off the sidewalks.

According to the National Weather Service in LaCrosse, it snowed 2.3 inches on Valentine's Day. There was a trace of snow the next day, and that Sunday saw another 0.2 inches. While the Friday and Saturday snow could easily have been continuous — the NWS doesn't have the start and stop times of the snowfall — Sunday's snow definitely should have been shoveled by Monday.

Now some might think, "Oh, 0.2 inches. That's not a lot." It is if it creates an ice patch. Or if it's combined with the other 2.3 inches plus the trace, and none of it was shoveled by the time you, Sally, took your walk.

So, what happens when neglectful neighbors don't clear of the sidewalks or pedestrian ramps in front of their homes? Well, in a residential neighborhood, that can bring fines that range from $40 (first offense), $60 or $120 (third offense or beyond). In a commercial zone, the fines range from $60 to $100 to $200.

But as you mentioned, no one was home at the city on Monday. Well, normally you can report unshoveled sidewalks by calling 507-328-2400. If no one answers, you can file a complaint online via the Public Works Sidewalk Snow Removal website.

Now, what do people do if they are unable to shovel their walks? Well, back when Answer Man was Answer Boy, he'd go door-to-door after a snowfall asking if people wanted their driveways and sidewalks cleared — for a price. Alas, times have changed, perhaps for the better.

Individuals ages 60 and older, or people with disabilities in need of assistance clearing snow can contact Family Service Rochester (507-287-2010) to arrange, in advance, sidewalk snow removal. There is a sliding scale fee for this service. And folks who might want to volunteer to clear snow can register with FSR to help. Go to the FSR Volunteer website and volunteer to be a snow angel.

All this said, Sally, I hope your winter trek ended safely. And here's hoping your neighbors find their shovels before the next snowfall.

Slip or slide your questions to Answer Man at answerman@postbulletin.com .