Council Bluffs, IA Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Obstruction Rules (2026)

Council Bluffs Municipal Code § 10.02.100 targets snow that is artificially moved onto the public way rather than snow that falls there on its own. It is unlawful for any person to remove to, place upon, or otherwise deposit upon a public roadway any snow that did not naturally fall on that portion of the public way, a rule aimed at contractors, plow operators and residents who push driveway or parking-lot snow into the street. Placement of snow within the right-of-way is confined to the area adjacent to the depositor's own property, and that snow may not cover or obstruct the sidewalk, meaning a resident or business clearing a driveway cannot bury the adjoining walk in the process.

The roadway itself may never be used as a work zone or corridor to push or relocate snow cleared from private property, a provision the public works department applies against plow contractors who use the street to stage or transport snow rather than hauling it away. This section sits in the same right-of-way maintenance chapter as the abutting owner's duty to keep the sidewalk itself clear of snow and ice within twenty-four hours (CBMC § 10.02.090), so a property owner or contractor can violate § 10.02.100 by dumping snow even while otherwise complying with the clearing deadline. The chapter's general penalty at CBMC 10.02.030 applies to this section along with every other duty in Chapter 10.02.