Greenwood, IN Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Sidewalk Repair (2026)

Section 6-340 of Greenwood's General Ordinances puts responsibility for a clear public sidewalk on whoever controls the adjoining private property. The occupant of the property is primarily responsible; where a property has no occupant, the duty shifts to the owner. That responsible person must keep the sidewalk free of debris, snow, ice and any other foreign matter, and the code sets a hard deadline for snow: it must be cleared within 12 hours after it stops falling, rather than left to melt on its own schedule.

Where snow or ice can't be readily removed and leaves a slippery surface, the ordinance requires sand to be spread on it as an interim safety measure. The duty applies specifically to the public sidewalk adjoining the property, distinguishing it from the separate obstruction rules in § 6-339 that address blocked streets and sidewalks generally. Commercial properties face an additional companion duty under § 6-341: no person engaged in a commercial enterprise may allow snow or other obstructions from their sidewalks, parking lots or driveways to be deposited into a street or thoroughfare, and a violation of that section is fined under the General Penalties in § 1-13 and can also carry an assessment for the City's cost of removing the snow or obstruction from the street.