Ben Pifher/MDN A northwest Minot residential sidewalk hasn’t been cleared since the last snow event.

Around Minot, removing snow from sidewalks becomes a team effort between the City and the citizens.

As city workers clear the 29.5 miles of sidewalk they are responsible for, per the city snow removal plan, they track their efforts on a map.

According to Bryan Banfill, operations director for Minot Public Works, once the teams are done with their sidewalks, they refocus their efforts toward roadways and making them safe for traffic.

The public has many more miles of sidewalks they are responsible for, and in a Nov. 8, 2024, story in The Minot Daily News, Banfill said the city can’t remove all the snow without the public’s assistance, and each should be familiar with the role they play. “We want to make sure that the community understands their role in snow removal as well, because we can’t remove the snow without their assistance,” he said.

City code requires those whose properties or dwellings abut a street to keep the sidewalk there “reasonably clear of snow and ice,” and it requires the same of the city for the sidewalks at its properties.

The code also states snow removal is required 24 hours after snow has “fallen or accumulated.” The rule doesn’t specify specifically when to start removing snow, according to Banfill, and is being clarified and will be brought to the City Council at the next meeting.

People aren’t allowed to move snow onto city property, and are to keep snow they move from becoming a hazard, the code explains, and also mentions that snow is to be cleared from around fire hydrants and other places it can become a problem.

As Banfill said in November, “please try to prevent or try not to pile snow around hydrants and traffic signals.”

If snow has become a hazard, and it’s impacting the ability of pedestrians to travel safely, or causing traffic impediments, Banfill offers the MyMinot app, where citizens can report hazards.