Now that winter is here, please remember that shoveling your sidewalk after a snowfall is a good way to be a good neighbor. Mentelle is a pedestrian-friendly neighborhood, and keeping sidewalks clear of snow and ice helps keep it that way.
Also, please be mindful of elderly or disabled neighbors unable to shovel their sidewalks. If you are able to do it for them, please do. If not, reach out to another neighbor who is able. If you are unable to find someone, Jake Gibbs, our 3rd District council member, asks that you contact his office and he will try to find a community volunteer to help. You can reach him at: jgibbs@lexingtonky.gov.
This year Lexington has a new, tougher snow-shoveling ordinance. It requires property owners to clear their sidewalks 24 hours after the officially declared end of snowfalls of four inches or more. (However, no property owner will be cited if their street has not been plowed. Most of the time, Mentelle Neighborhood’s streets are not plowed.)
The new ordinance is complaint-driven. The city Code Enforcement staff will not look for people to cite. They will respond to citizen complaints reported to LexCall, 311. If someone complains about your property, Code Enforcement will follow up. If the snow is greater than four inches and the street has been plowed, they will leave a warning. They will return after 24 hours. If the sidewalk has not been cleared a citation will be issued. The initial fine is $100. (That’s the same fine for all nuisance violations, such as not mowing grass.) This essentially gives homeowners 48 hours to clear their sidewalks after a four-inch snowfall before being cited. To help people adjust to the new ordinance, Code Enforcement will give only warnings — no citations — during the first big snow.
There are no exemptions from this ordinance. “Snow birds” must make arrangements to have their sidewalk cleared in their absence.