LEWISTON – City rules – not to mention city snowblowers – are no match for the dense ice clogging sidewalks this winter.

City councilors will ponder how to keep sidewalks passable during long winters. They were faced with tough ordinance changes Tuesday that would have levied $200 fines against people who don’t keep their walkways clear.

Councilors took no action, saying they want more time to discuss the issue.

“We have a number of items to flesh out before we can bring anything up in an ordinance form,” Councilor Denis Theriault said.

Lucille Caron, 64, of 68 Howe St., begged councilors to do something. Plows regularly push snow in front of her entrance, making it difficult to get in or out of her home. She’s appealed to the city and to her landlord to clear her walks, but ends up doing it herself.

“I’m going on 65, and I shouldn’t be shoveling,” she said.

It’s a problem all over the city, she said.

“I have a neighbor who got hit by a car because he had to walk in the street, and I don’t think that’s right,” she said. “I was told that there is a law on the books where this has to be enforced, and it hasn’t been.”

City Administrator Jim Bennett said city workers try to keep about 20 miles of sidewalks clear.

“If you look at it now, it’s solid ice in a lot of places and our snowblowers don’t do a thing to that,” he said. “We’re behind the eight-ball now, and I don’t know how we’ll be able to get out.”

Overall, Lewiston has about 77 miles of sidewalks, and the city expects homeowners to keep most of them clear.

The rules require tenants or occupants of buildings to keep the footpaths in front of their buildings clear and forbids them from dumping snow on the public right of way. The ordinance does not include fines.

And the rules are not enforceable, Code Enforcement Director Gil Arsenault said.

Rule changes presented by city staffers Tuesday would give police, public works and code enforcement officials the authority to enforce them and would include a minimum $200 fine for dangerous situations.

The changes also would make building owners responsible for clearing walkways.

Councilor Theriault said he didn’t think fines were the way to go.

“If it’s this tough for the city, imagine how difficult it is for private individuals,” he said. “Maybe we don’t want to have any rules requiring people to plow their sidewalks, just the entrance and the exit. Some of the sidewalks in the city are just too small to clear effectively.”

Councilors agreed to discuss the entire range of sidewalk issues, including city and private shoveling requirements, at a future workshop meeting.