LEWISTON – Residents shouldn’t face fines if they don’t clear snow off their sidewalks, councilors agreed Tuesday.

Councilors voted to to ease a city ordinance requiring property owners or residents to clear the walks in front of their property. But they made it unlawful for people to push snow from their property into city-maintained sidewalks and streets once they’ve been plowed, levying a $200 fine in some cases.

“We don’t have a problem with people shoveling their snow,” Councilor Denis Theriault said. “The problem we have is where can they put it. I don’t know, but I do know I want a gentle solution. I don’t want to be too hard on people with their snow removal.”

The ordinance passed on first reading by a 6-1 vote, with Councilor Larry Poulin voting against it. Councilors will vote on it a final time at their next meeting.

“We’re lucky because we don’t have to face hurricanes or things like that,” Theriault said. “We just have to push some snow someplace where it will melt next spring.”

The city plows 92 sidewalks, most of them downtown. It can take crews using three sidewalk plows days to complete the list.

“But we don’t plow most of the sidewalks in the city,” City Administrator Jim Bennett said. “If we don’t maintain it, it’s kind of unfair to expect residents to do it.”

The change worried Councilor Betty Dube, who asked what would become of people forced to walk in the street by heavy snows. Bennett said other city ordinances will still require residents to shovel snow away from their entrances.

“That’s a life safety issue, and it’s handled by other parts of the city code,” Bennett said. “They need to provide access, but once they do, if they have to climb over some snow to get to their mail box, that’s not something we can require them to fix.”

Councilor Tom Peters objected to part of the new ordinance that requires people to clear snow off city-maintained sidewalks, fearing it was too vague. Bennett assured him that the city doesn’t plan to go after people unless they consistently block sidewalks city plows have tried to clear.

“We’re not trying to be unfriendly government here,” Bennett said. “We don’t fine people now who don’t clear their sidewalks and we don’t intend to start with this new ordinance.”