Minneapolis mulls city-led sidewalk shoveling, but it'll cost taxpayers

MINNEAPOLIS -- Clearing your driveway has been tough this winter with all the snow and ice. 

In Minneapolis, the city requires you to clear your sidewalks too. If you don't, you could get a ticket and ultimately the city could charge you for doing it themselves.

Now, there's a proposal for the city to shovel your walk instead, but it'll cost taxpayers a pretty penny.

The city Public Works Committee with no debate approved analyzing a plan to have the city provide plowing services by 2027.

 Jason Gjevre in South Minneapolis told us that some sidewalks like his - a northfacing corner lot with a hill - are harder to clear.

"If it starts melting it just runs all the way down the hill down to the corner," he said. "It's a complete ice rink." 

It's a problem every winter but this winter is worse. WCCO Meteorologist Mike Augustyniak says Minneapolis has already gotten four more inches of snow than the average winter, and there's still two months left where it could snow hard.

For Cheyanne Dillenberger the thawing and freezing are taking its toll. Her husband slipped and fell while walking their dogs, and shattered his elbow and had to put a metal plate in.

The city has 2,000 miles of sidewalks. A 2018 estimate of a city-wide program could mean a 6% property tax hike. 

The city of St. Paul also requires residents to shovel their sidewalks.