Dubuque, IA Property Maintenance: Snow & Sidewalk Clearing (2026)

Section 10-1-3(A) bars anyone, without the city manager's express permission, from moving snow, ice or slush from private property onto a public street, alley or sidewalk, from shifting it between parts of a public street or alley in a way that blocks safe vehicle or pedestrian travel, or from piling it back onto a street or alley that's already been plowed and cleared for traffic. Subsection B separately bars dumping snow, ice or slush from a private premises, public street, alley or sidewalk onto someone else's private property without that owner's consent.

Subsection C makes the abutting sidewalk owner's duty explicit: the owner must promptly remove or arrange removal of accumulated snow, ice or slush from the sidewalk fronting their property; the code doesn't set a fixed hour deadline, just 'promptly.' If accumulations are left for what the city manager judges more than a reasonable length of time, and the city manager decides removal is necessary for public safety, the city can send crews to clear the sidewalk itself. The city then tallies the actual cost, including supervision, inspection and accounting time, certifies it to the city clerk, who passes it to the county treasurer, and the bill is collected exactly like a general property tax, meaning it can become a real property lien if unpaid.