Centennial expands sidewalk snow‑removal duties to most non‑single‑family properties, raises fines
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Summary
City Council adopted an amendment to the municipal code to require snow removal on sidewalks for all property types except single‑family residential and to increase fines; council asked staff to produce cost estimates for lowering the 4‑inch trigger discussed in public testimony.
City Council on Jan. 21 adopted Ordinance 2025‑O‑02 to amend Article 9 of Chapter 11 of the Centennial Municipal Code, broadening the city’s snow‑removal requirement to cover parcels that are not single‑family residential and removing the previous arterial/collector roadway designation from the rule.
Mike Nelson, the city’s Public Works program director, told council the revised ordinance removes zoning and street‑classification limits so the requirement applies to all parcels other than single‑family residential. The change also raises penalties for noncompliance: the proposal increases the first offense penalty (previously $50) and sets escalating fines ($200 first offense, $300 second, $400 third) to better reflect the cost of clearance.
Under the code language discussed by staff and council, the city’s sidewalk clearing response is triggered for events that reach an average of 4 inches of snow in the service area; staff said this matches operational deployment thresholds the city uses for some sidewalk clearing and that the 4‑inch metric reflects how the city schedules plowing and sidewalk work. Councilmembers and some members of the public asked staff to analyze the fiscal and operational cost of lowering or removing that 4‑inch threshold.
Public comment included several residents who urged immediate or lower‑threshold snow removal. Dee Torres, who said she has negotiated snow‑removal contracts for commercial properties, urged council to eliminate the 4‑inch trigger and require removal any time sidewalks are unsafe. Patrick Larzick and other residents said they are concerned about people walking in streets where sidewalks are not cleared.
Council discussion focused on enforcement mechanics, identifying responsible parties, communications and the city’s operational strategy. Staff said enforcement is handled by code enforcement and that the parcel owner is the responsible party for compliance; staff also described plans to make plow‑deployment status and public messaging available on the city website so HOAs and property managers can coordinate post‑plow cleanup.
Council approved the ordinance on final reading by an 8‑0 vote. Council asked staff to provide an estimate of the additional cost to the city if the council wanted to lower or remove the 4‑inch standard before the next budget cycle.
Why this matters: The change extends the requirement for cleared sidewalks to most commercial, institutional and multi‑family properties, with the explicit policy aim of improving pedestrian connectivity to bus stops, stations and other facilities. The decision shifts more responsibility to non‑single‑family property owners and raises fines intended to improve compliance.
