Struggle to de-ice

Walking on snow- and ice-covered sidewalks takes either a certain element of balance, coordination and skill or the right equipment.

Fargoan Bob Stein lives and works downtown and can often be seen walking wherever he needs to go despite slippery sidewalks.

Stein is what you might call a die-hard walker.

But, he says, it helps to have the right equipment. In addition to wearing warm clothes, Stein often walks around with trekking poles.

"I get pretty strange looks when I'm walking with them," Stein said.

While trekking over treacherous terrain might be fun for some, for others, it's nothing but a nuisance.

Cherrie Stillabower moved to Moorhead from California four years ago and says it was not easy learning to walk on ice and snow. She says she fell three times during her first winter in Moorhead and she has fallen once this year.

"I try to take slow, small steps so if I do fall, it's not so bad," Stillabower said.

She used that technique Wednesday as she scooted across the Moorhead Center Mall's snow-covered parking lot with two children in tow.

Fargo Street Department Operations Director Dennis Walaker says the area needs a few days of warmer temperatures to really deal with the problem. He says it has been too cold for ice melt salt to work and he says removing the snow, which provides some traction, will only expose the slick ice underneath.

"People have to realize we had a half-inch of rain," Walaker said.

Fargo High Rise resident Bruce Brovold has been a spokesman, of sorts, for sidewalk safety over the past couple of years. He petitioned the Fargo City Commission, on a number of occasions, to be more stringent in forcing businesses to clear their sidewalks and to be more consistent in keeping city sidewalks clear. But he says he does not feel his efforts are making a big difference.

"From what I've seen in the last couple of days, no. They drastically need to get some type of sand or salt on the sidewalks," Brovold said.

The city has 10 miles of public sidewalks to clear and has designated the south side of Main Avenue as a priority, especially near the High Rise, Ground Transportation center, Broadway and Senior Citizens Center. The rest of the sidewalks in town are the responsibility of businesses and homeowners.

"The sidewalks get to be an enormous thing, so we rely on the public to take care of their sidewalks," said Walaker.

If a private sidewalk is not cleared and the city receives a complaint about it, an inspector will check it out and give the business or homeowner 24 hours to clear it. If it's not cleared in that time, the city hires a contractor to clear the sidewalk and charges the business or homeowner for the work.

Starting in January, Fargo will have someone dedicated to sidewalk inspections who will handle complaints, take a digital photo of the questionable area and issue reports.

West Fargo city ordinance requires property owners to clear their sidewalks within 24 hours of a snowfall. Like Fargo, West Fargo usually finds out a property owner is not complying with the ordinance when someone calls to complain. The city handles public sidewalks and bike paths.

Moorhead requires its sidewalks to be cleared of snow and ice each day by 9 p.m. Violators in Moorhead are also dealt with on a complaint basis.

Loretta Szweduik in the Moorhead Neighborhood Services Department says she's sent out six notices in the past two days.

Once someone complains about the condition of a sidewalk, the city will send a letter informing the violator of the city's ordinance. An inspector will then go by the property to make sure the sidewalk has been cleared. If nothing has been done, the city will have the snow removed and assess the cost to the homeowner.

Readers can reach Forum reporter Tracy Frank at (701) 241-5526