Duluth, MN Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Obstruction Rules (2026)

Sec. 45-4 is the general anti-obstruction rule for Duluth's public rights-of-way, separate from the permit-driven excavation and scaffold rules in Article II of the same chapter. It bars anyone from obstructing or causing to be obstructed a sidewalk, street, highway, alley or other public ground with any object or material whatsoever, and separately bars dumping dust, sweepings, shavings, ashes or other refuse onto those same surfaces. Because the prohibition opens with 'except as provided in this Chapter,' it yields to the chapter's other, more specific permit provisions, such as the flower-box and awning permits in Sec.

3, and the excavation and scaffold permits in Sec. 45-15. Outside those carve-outs, Sec. 1 gives the city council a separate, narrower path: it may authorize by resolution the placement of objects or materials on a public sidewalk or boulevard when it finds the placement will not substantially interfere with pedestrian traffic and is beneficial to the public welfare. Before passing such a resolution, unless it concerns essential public services, the council must refer the request to the planning commission for review, considering input from the director of public service.

Any person or organization the council authorizes under Sec. 1 must also file a certificate of insurance with the city clerk meeting the liability limits set by Minnesota Laws Chapter 466, naming the city as an additional insured and requiring ten days' notice before the policy can be canceled. The rule dates to a 1950 ordinance, with the council-resolution exception added in 1971 and amended as recently as 2002.