Unlike cities and villages, townships in Michigan are not responsible for removing snow and ice from roads in their area. The following government bodies and businesses perform all snow and ice removal in Meridian Township, in addition to other road maintenance:
Who to Contact:
The ICRD fills potholes and plows all public roads except for the two state roads in the Township (Grand River Avenue and Saginaw Street):
What About Sidewalks?
If you own property in Meridian Township, you are responsible for keeping your neighbors and community members safe by clearing sidewalks of ice and snow.
We refer to “sidewalks” as sidewalks that run parallel to roads and are not visible in the Pathway Master Plan. If the walkway in question is shown in blue on the Pathway Master Plan, we refer to it as a “pathway,” and property owners are not required to remove snow and ice. The Township is responsible for plowing the 90-mile pathway system after snowfall that results in 2 inches or more of accumulation.
While the Township does not require property owners to salt or remove ice from the pathway system, we do encourage property owners to do so when ice is present on the pathway along their property frontage. For reasons discussed in the Our Snow and Ice Removal Process section below, the Township is not able to salt or otherwise remove ice across the 86-mile pathway system.
Section 58-33 of our Code of Ordinances outlines the requirements for snow and ice removal by property owners. According to this ordinance:
- Property owners must keep the sidewalk(s) along their property clear of snow and ice within 24 hours of the end of a snowfall.
- Property owners must not pile snow in a manner that prevents local drivers and pedestrians from being able to see one another, as this can impair traffic and lead to unsafe travel conditions.
- If more than two inches of snow, or any amount of unsafe ice (as determined by the Township), remains on a public sidewalk more than 24 hours after a snowfall, we may notify the property’s owners or occupants of code requirements and will expect removal within 24 hours. If the snow or ice has not been removed, Meridian Township can enter the sidewalk or property to remove the snow and ice. All expenses would be billed to and paid by the property owner.
For the exact terms, visit our Code of Ordinances website: https://ecode360.com/28777674.
Snow and Ice Removal Fees:
As stated above, when snow and ice are not removed as required by the Code of Ordinances, we will remove the snow or ice and bill the property owner or occupant for the cost of the removal services. After 30 days, our Treasurer’s Office will add unpaid fees to the property’s tax roll.
Our Snow and Ice Removal Procedure:
After snowstorms that result in 2 inches or more of accumulation, the Township plows the 90-mile pathway system. We do not salt our 90-mile pathway system, regardless of conditions. Salting the pathway system is not feasible, due to a few considerations:
- Preservation of the environmental spaces around the pathway system, including land preserves, wetlands, and wooded areas.
- The salt would cause damage to turf grass and other plantings that property owners have grown adjacent to the Township’s pathway system.
- The length and square mileage of the pathway system compared to the amount of salt required. Our equipment cannot hold enough salt to be able to salt the system in a reasonable amount of time after every winter weather event.
- Limitations of resources and staff.
