Youngstown, OH Property Maintenance: Snow & Sidewalk Clearing (2026)

In the City of Youngstown, Ohio, § 521.06 of the Codified Ordinances places a general, citywide duty on every owner or occupant of a lot abutting a sidewalk to keep that stretch clear of dirt, filth, rubbish, ashes, snow or any other obstruction, and specifically requires clearing snow from the sidewalk 'immediately after the fall of any snow.' A stricter, time-bound rule applies inside the defined Central Business District, the area bounded by West and East Wood Street, Watt Street, East Commerce Street, South Avenue, the Mahoning River, Spring Common Avenue, West Front Street, and Belmont Avenue: within that zone, owners and occupants must clear snow and ice from City sidewalks by 9:00 a.m. on the day after any snowfall.

The cleared path must be at least 42 inches wide, or the full sidewalk width if the sidewalk itself is narrower than 42 inches, and clearing must run the full length of the sidewalk, including corners and curb ramps, not just a path in front of the main entrance. If an owner misses the 9:00 a.m. deadline, the City may step in and remove the snow and ice itself, billing $150.00 per occurrence for sidewalks up to 100 linear feet and $250.00 per occurrence for 100 linear feet or more.

Those charges are added to the property owner's water bill the following billing cycle; an owner without a water account instead has the cost certified to the Mahoning County Auditor and placed on the property's tax duplicate as a lien. An owner who disputes the charge may request a hearing under the Water Department's Rules and Regulations. Money collected under this section funds operations in the Buildings and Grounds Department, and the whole scheme was added by Ordinance 15-88, passed June 17, 2015.