Homeowners face $100 tickets for snowy sidewalks, city parks still not clear

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Kansas City, Mo., homeowners could now pay a fine of up to $100 for having snowy sidewalks. The ordinance kicked in at 8 a.m. Monday, as many of the sidewalks in city parks are still blanketed.

Glenn Bartley lives a few blocks away from Englewood Park in the Northland. A sidewalk in the park along Englewood Road is currently impassible. Bartley opposes the ordinance, especially when he sees the city failing to follow it.

"They should be up there taking care of that instead of imposing fines on the public," Bartley said.

41 Action News saw several park sidewalks in similar condition.

As of Monday afternoon, the sidewalks at Briarcliff Greenway are barely visible. At Anita Gorman Park, a walking path is scooped, but the sidewalk along Vivion Road is not.

Gillham Park is somewhat dug out, but there's still work to do.

"All last week when we would have been working on cleaning these sidewalks, we were dealing with a second snowstorm instead," Kansas City Parks Superintendent Forest Decker said.

City crews have been working 16-hour days since the snowfall, Decker said. But he thinks Kansas City's 40 miles of park sidewalks will finally be clear by the end of Tuesday.

Residents can report a snowy sidewalk in their neighborhood by calling the 3-1-1 hotline. An operator told 41 Action News they have been swamped with callers since the ordinance kicked in.