Snowy sidewalks leave E.L. residents with fines

After being hit with several inches of snow while students were on vacation, the city of East Lansing issued six tickets and 37 warnings for failure to shovel sidewalks during winter break.

The city requires that residents shovel the portion of the sidewalk on his or her property within 24 hours of the end of a snowstorm or risk being issued an $85 ticket.

Issuing students a warning before a violation is standard practice for the city, said Juli Liebler, East Lansing deputy police chief.

“You get a warning, and if you don’t clean it within 24 hours, you get a ticket,” Liebler said. “We don’t want people to have to walk through the street.”

East Lansing Parking and Code Enforcement, or PACE, regularly issues six to 10 tickets after a snowstorm, Liebler said.

Warnings typically are issued when neighbors complain about sidewalks that are not safe for walking or when PACE officers notice snow hasn’t been removed, Liebler said.

Matt Hagan, an agent for Hagan Realty, which rents more than 100 properties in East Lansing, said his business sends students a letter before winter break telling them they are responsible for removing any snow that falls on their sidewalks.

If students are unable to remove the snow, Hagan will remove it for up to $10.

Hagan said employees drive past the properties his company owns after a snowstorm to find out which areas need shoveling.

While his company’s fee may bother some tenants, it’s less than what they could wind up paying if they are issued a ticket.

“I think it’s in their best interest to have us do it,” he said. “Yes, it’s $10, but it’s saving them a bigger fine.”

Ashley Clabuesch, a telecommunication, information studies and media senior, said she wasn’t issued any tickets during break because she pays a friend to shovel snow outside of her Charles Street residence.

By paying a friend to do her shoveling throughout the year, Clabuesch said she and her housemates save time that could be used for studying or other activities.

“It’s really convenient for us because nobody wants to get out and shovel when there’s a foot of snow,” Clabuesch said.

Published on Sunday, January 27, 2008