It won’t get much better with more snow and ice coming into the area on Thursday.
If you’ve walked around Troy recently, you might have noticed the ice that’s taken over some sidewalks.
“I think it’s ridiculous. I think it’s dangerous,” Equasia Watson said.
Watson lives in downtown Troy. On Tuesday, she slipped on the ice while walking her dogs on the sidewalk on Congress Street.
“I don’t want to fall in the middle of everybody passing me while I’m on the ground. They need to step up and take care of the city.”
NewsChannel 13 has received some messages from viewers about the icy sidewalks.
Who’s responsible for cleaning this?
According to the city code, homeowners and businesses are responsible for cleaning sidewalks directly in front of their property.
The city takes care of the other areas.
However, it doesn’t always get done in a timely manner.
“I walk this street every day. It’s tough to get basically anywhere. It takes a lot of effort to just even think about trying to cross the sidewalk,” Hailey Fetting said, a resident of Troy.
A Troy city hall spokesman told NewsChannel 13 in a statement:
“Property owners are responsible for keeping their sidewalks clear and accessible during winter months when we experience snow and ice. Our Quality-of-Life Task Force, Litter Patrol, and Code Enforcement are routinely checking our neighborhood streets and sidewalks to make sure they are compliant with our code. If there are instances where properties are not in compliance, our code enforcement department will issue a warning, and if it is not taken care of after 24 hours, the property owner will receive a fine. I want to make clear; that our goal is compliance with keeping sidewalks safe and accessible for everyone – not to fine people. Upon initial inspection from the city, if the conditions of the property/sidewalks are severe, the city reserves the right to dispose of snow, ice, and litter and then subsequently invoice the property owner for services provided. We recognize this winter has been harsh in terms of continuous small accumulation of snow and ice – that is why we always work with property owners in these instances to help them maintain compliance properties/sidewalks.”
Fines for property owners start at $50.
