South St. Paul has changed its policy on sidewalk repairs, and will now pay the full cost of repairing or replacing any damaged sidewalks.
The new ordinance adopted last week is a shift from the city's previous practice of paying half the cost, with residents picking up the balance. But that policy was relatively new, too; before 2022, residents paid 100% of the cost.
City Engineer Nick Guilliams said there are several reasons for the change, including that South St. Paul has many small boulevards and the roots of city-owned trees frequently damage sidewalk panels. He said walkable sidewalks benefit the community as a whole more than they do the individual homeowner — and the new system avoids the current, cumbersome assessment process for sidewalks.
Property owners must still remove ice, snow, dirt and rubbish from sidewalks within 24 hours after the matter appears or the snow has stopped falling.
