The county government has issued 15 citations for failure to clear snow and ice after last month’s storm and responded to hundreds of complaints.
Nearly 630 complaints about violations were recorded by county officials in the days and weeks after the winter storm, county spokesman Ryan Hudson told ARLnow.
As of Feb. 13, “the county’s six available inspectors, while also completing their regular day-to-day responsibilities, have responded to 461 of 628 complaints,” Hudson said. Because of the severity of the Jan. 24-25 storm, County Manager Mark Schwartz delayed enforcement of the ordinance until Feb. 3.
The snow-removal ordinance has five major tenets:
- Unless an implementation delay is authorized by the county manager, snow and ice must be removed 24 hours after the snow stops falling when accumulations are less than 6 inches, or within 36 hours when more than that amount falls
- Snow and ice must be removed from the entire width of the sidewalk up to 3 feet wide in order to accommodate wheelchairs, strollers, and adults with children in hand
- Noncompliance can result in civil (not criminal) penalties of $50 for sidewalks less than 200 linear feet in length, $100 for sidewalks longer than 200 feet
- The county government can remove snow or ice on sidewalks around private property when the owner fails to comply within the designated time period, and charge the cost to the owner
- Those who deposit snow and ice from private property onto public property, including streets and sidewalks, face a criminal misdemeanor charge that could result in a fine of up to $250
Residents are exempt from meeting the ordinance’s requirements if they are physically incapable of complying, but the county government does not keep a master list of exempted individuals. Instead, staff attempts to use the contacts made prior to issuing citations to determine who might be exempt.
The county government is responsible for clearing sidewalks bordering property that it owns.
Arlington’s snow-removal ordinance was enacted in 2010 on a 4-1 County Board vote. Five years later, an online survey taken by the county government found more than 70% of respondents supported it. Neighboring Alexandria and Falls Church have similar ordinances, but Fairfax County does not.
