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Council approves new sidewalk snow-and-ice rules, shifts enforcement to Inspections & Permits
Summary
The Anne Arundel County Council on Dec. 1 passed Bill 76-25 (4–3), extending private property snow/ice removal timeframes, moving enforcement from police to the Department of Inspections & Permits and converting the offense to a civil citation with warning provisions.
The Anne Arundel County Council voted 4–3 on Dec. 1 to adopt Bill 76-25, an ordinance revising county code on sidewalk snow and ice removal.
Under current law, property owners abutting county sidewalks must remove snow and ice within six hours of a snow event or by 11 a.m. the following morning for overnight accumulations. The amendment approved by the council extends that period to 24 hours and, for light accumulations (under 3 inches), allows an additional 24 hours; for greater accumulations the amended text allows up to 48 hours. The bill moves enforcement authority from the police department to the Department of Inspections & Permits and changes enforcement from a criminal misdemeanor to a civil citation regime that includes a warning step triggered by a complaint.
During the public hearing, small-business advocates and retailers raised concerns that owners might be unable to reach premises during extreme weather and that the proposed fines could be punitive. Neighborhood residents and other speakers urged either defeat or more robust neighbor‑first approaches rather than formal enforcement. Councilmember Fiedler said she supports moving enforcement away from police and questioned whether Inspections & Permits — which staff said would assign three licensing inspectors to handle complaints — has sufficient capacity; Holly Velez of Inspections & Permits told the council inspectors would incorporate complaints into field duties and prioritize work accordingly.
Supporters argued the change relieves police of sidewalk enforcement so officers can focus on public-safety priorities. Opponents warned the county may be imposing fines without having enforced the longstanding $10 penalty effectively in prior winters.
The roll call on final passage recorded four votes in the affirmative and three in the negative. The ordinance will take effect per its codified effective date and the county will monitor enforcement workloads and compliance outcomes.
