Shoveled sidewalks required in Bend; fines possible

The City of Bend Code Enforcement Department plans to monitor sidewalks more closely after snowfall. If residents fail to remove the snow from their walkway after a storm, it can result in a $100 fine from the city.

“This year we wanted to focus on safe routes to our schools and safe for our kids,” city Code Enforcement Manager James Goff said Tuesday.

Goff and another employee walked a neighborhood near Juniper Elementary on Tuesday to survey the sidewalks. When NewsChannel 21 was present, no houses were issued an official warning or citation.

“We’d like to see a bit more, but people who have come out and out forth the effort, then we won’t go ahead and issue a citation,” Goff said. “We’d rather recognize them for their effort by leaving them some kind of positive reinforcement, so hopefully next time we get a snowstorm, they can go out and do the same again.”

If a property does not have an existing sidewalk, it is not required to shovel a path after a snowfall to be in compliance with city code. Homeowners have 24 hours to clear the sidewalk after a storm and businesses have just six hours.

For more information, visit the City of Bend’s website.