(A) All snow, ice, dirt, and rubbish remaining on a public sidewalk more than 48 hours after its deposit thereon is a public nuisance. The owner and the occupant of any property adjacent to a public sidewalk shall use diligence to keep such walk safe for pedestrians. No such owner or occupant shall allow snow, ice, dirt, or rubbish to remain on the walk longer than 48 hours after its deposit thereon.
(B) If the Public Works Director finds that any snow, ice, dirt or rubbish has remained on a public sidewalk more than 48 hours after its deposit thereon, he or she shall cause notice to be served upon the recorded owner of the property by personal service, or upon the occupant if the owner does not reside within the city or cannot be found therein, ordering the owner or occupant to have the snow, ice, dirt or rubbish removed and made safe within 24 hours and stating that if the owner or occupant fails to do so, the Public Works Director will do so on behalf of the city, that the expense thereof must be paid by the owner, and that if unpaid it will be a special assessment against the property concerned.
(C) If the snow, ice, dirt or rubbish is not removed within 24 hours after service of the notice, the Public Works Director shall cause the snow, ice, dirt, or rubbish to be removed. The Public Works Director shall keep a record of the total costs of the removal attributable to each lot or parcel of property and report such information to the City Clerk.
(D) On or before September 1st of each year, the City Clerk shall list the total unpaid charges for each type of current service against each separate lot or parcel to which they are attributable under this chapter. After notice and hearing as provided in M.S. § 429.061, the City Council may then spread the charges against the property benefitted as a special assessment under M.S. § 429.101 and other pertinent statutes for certification to the County Auditor collection along with current taxes the following year or in annual installments, not exceeding ten years, as the City Council may determine in each case.
(Ord. 100, passed 1-13-10)