Reposted with Permission Wednesday, October 29, 2025
By Amanda Fiedler | Councilwoman, District 5
Snow. We don’t see it often, and when we do, it can come in many types and amounts, from the heavy snow to the light fluffy stuff, and variations in between. When snow is mixed with sleet, or sleet comes down in absence of snow, it makes matters worse.
The Anne Arundel County code has long considered residents responsible for the cleanup of sidewalks that are adjacent to residential property and in the county right-of-way. Current law stipulates that residents have to clear sidewalks of snow and ice within six hours of the end of a snow event or risk a $10 fine from the police department.
While there have been complaints to county agencies over the years about uncleared sidewalks, penalties and fees have not been issued, at least that was the statement from the county executive’s office during the October 6 deliberation on Bill 76-25. The bill, as introduced, moves the enforcement of snow and ice removal from sidewalks out of the police department and into the Department of Inspections and Permits (I & P).
I support that move. I think our police officers have more pressing matters to contend with than sidewalk clearance after a winter weather event. Bill 76-25 increases the clearing time from six hours after a weather event to 24 hours after a weather event. I think this is more reasonable but also assumes that you are home and physically capable of clearing whatever snow/ice combination is awaiting you outside.
Understanding that this would be complaint-driven code enforcement, the bill sets out an enforcement schedule, whereby upon a complaint, (I & P). will inspect the property during daytime hours, and if a violation is found, will post a reminder notice about snow and ice removal on the property, and will reinspect the property 24 hours later.
If there is still a violation upon the second visit, (I & P) will post a violation. If 24 hours later, the property is still in violation of removing ice and snow from the sidewalk, the original bill set out that the county has the authority to clear the sidewalk using a company contracted with the county, and will hold the property owner responsible for the cost of the clearing, through a bill to the property owner and then a property tax lien on the property, if necessary. The original proposed increased fines grew quickly, reaching over $1,000 in just a few short days.
The impetus for this legislation, according to representatives for the county executive, was the number of complaints after last year’s back-to-back storms, though none of the complaints were from our district. As you may recall, these were back-to-back snow events with nearly 14 consecutive days of temperatures below freezing, little daytime sunshine and lots of wind.
I was on the phone and corresponding with county contacts nearly around the clock about the road-clearing issues our district faced. County employees were on the ground in snow treatment and removal vehicles, working around the clock. But the wind was strong, blowing away road salt almost as fast as it was going down, and the roadway temperatures were far below the recommended temperature minimums for the road salt to work.
It was not an easy storm to clear, and if you were out there shoveling your sidewalk, you know there were layers of ice mixed with heavy wet snow. What the county learned from that weather event was that our existing plow contractor retainer fee was not competitive, leaving the county with a limited number of contractors to support county staff.
In the Fiscal Year 2026 budget, I was happy to support the increased retainer fee that will aim to improve the county’s resources for roadway snow removal in the future. But, had we had those resources last winter, there would still have been many challenges due to the dynamics of that event, and those challenges faced homeowners trying to clear their sidewalks too.
The bill only had one exemption based on age – property owners 70 years or older. But the original bill did not exempt someone with a disability, a physical condition, or a medical condition. I took issue with that during the council’s October 6 hearing. The answer from the county was that it would be too hard to manage additional exemptions beyond age.
I shared this legislation in my biweekly newsletter, and it was covered in the local press. The response was immediate, large and overwhelmingly opposed. I agreed. While I had one failed amendment attempt during the October 6 hearing, I and other councilmembers introduced additional amendments at the October 20 hearing.
At that hearing, several amendments passed. One gives the county the discretion to waive or decrease the fine for any reason, including for someone who is disabled or has a medical condition. Another amendment caps the fines at $50 for a sidewalk abutting a residential property and $125 for a sidewalk abutting any other type of property (commercial, industrial etc.).
In a county of our size, with the fact that the number of complaints is relatively low, I think that most residents and business owners are good neighbors to one another and clear sidewalks in a timely fashion. We should consider the accessibility and safety of kids getting to school, pedestrians, and those living with disabilities who depend on sidewalks.
But no two storms are alike, and the county has never enforced the tools it has to inform and incentivize residents to clear sidewalks that abut their property. I believe government should give the good citizens of our county the benefit of the doubt, that not every uncleared sidewalk has a negligent, uncaring property owner, but rather they just may not know that the county requires private property owners to be responsible for clearing the walkways that abut their home, or there is a legitimate reason it is not an easy task to complete in the timeframe given.
Bill 76-25 is eligible for a vote or additional amendments at our November 3 meeting. Please share your thoughts with me on this, any other legislation, or constituent needs at amanda.fiedler@aacounty.org. It is an honor to serve you and your family.