Sidewalk Clearing Ordinance

City Ordinance Sec. 21-23 Ice and snow to be removed by abutting owner. 

Every owner or occupant of land adjoining any street or part of a street adjacent to whose land there is a paved sidewalk, and sidewalks with wheelchair ramps, shall clear such sidewalk and sidewalks with wheelchair ramps, of snow within twelve (12) hours after a storm which ends between the hours of 3:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. and within nine (9) hours after a storm which ends between 9:00 p.m. and 3:00 a.m.; and whenever ice shall form on such sidewalk, and sidewalk wheelchair ramps, shall either remove the same within such time, or cover it with salt and sand, so that it shall be safe for travel.

Sec. 21-25. - Enforcement of sections 21-23 and 21-24; fines and penalties.

 (a) It shall be the duty of the chief of police or their designee to see that all provisions of sections 21-23 and 21-24 are duly enforced. He/she shall report the names of all delinquents, together with the particular sections of walks, sidewalks and wheelchair ramps which remain uncleared, to the director of public works or their designee, who shall cause such walks, sidewalks and wheelchair ramps to be cleared, and the cost thereof charged to and liened against the abutting property owner. 

(b) Any person violating the terms of this section shall be fined seventy-five dollars ($75.00) for each offense except whenever a sidewalk also has a sidewalk ramp, and both are uncleared or unsanded, the abutting property owner shall be fined only for one (1) offense. When snow is being removed or sanding of ice is required, such sidewalk shall be cleared to a width of at least four (4) feet in width and wheelchair ramps shall be cleared and sanded for its entire width, and in no event less than thirty-six (36) inches in width. 

(c) The fines and penalties collected as a result of violations of section 21-23 and 21-24 are required to provide for the proper regulation, inspection and supervision of sidewalks and sidewalk wheelchair ramps.