(a) Purpose and scope. The purpose of this Article is to require, according to the terms hereof, responsible parties to remove snow and ice from sidewalks immediately adjacent to structures owned or occupied by them and to require such removal within a specified period of time.
(b) Definitions. The following definitions shall apply herein:
Period of time means a twenty-four-hour period from the point in time that snow, as defined herein, commences to fall or that point in time when an accumulation of snow creates a hazardous condition, whichever comes sooner.
Responsible party means that person, partnership, corporation or other legal entity against which action may be taken for violation of this Article. Responsible party may be, but not by way of limitation, the owner, lessor, lessee, sub-lessee or occupant of any structure. Responsible party shall also mean that person owning, leasing, occupying or otherwise claiming a legal interest in and to a particular lot, building or parcel within the City, and which lot, building or parcel has a sidewalk adjacent to, in on any side and on any street within the community.
Sidewalk means any structure of any material, which had been placed upon the ground or otherwise installed adjacent to any street within the boundaries of the City, which is utilized as a sidewalk, for the purpose of permitting the safe passage of persons on foot about the community, adjacent to said street.
Snow means any form of precipitation in the frozen form, be it snow, sleet, hail, freezing rain or a build-up and accumulation of any of the foregoing, causing a hazardous condition to persons attempting to use the sidewalk.
(c) Penalty.
(1) It shall be unlawful for any person, firm, corporation or responsible party to permit the accumulation of snow on any sidewalk within the City, for a period of time in excess of that set forth herein.
(2) Any person violating any provision of this Section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and will be punished in accordance with the provisions of Section 1-4-20 of this Code.
(d) Declaration of nuisance. The Board of Trustees hereby declares that the accumulation of snow on any sidewalk within the City constitutes a public nuisance and may, therefore, in addition to the penalty provision set forth above, cause such accumulation to be removed from any offending sidewalk. The cost of such removal shall be billed to the owner of such property or the responsible party and shall be treated as a portion of that person's utility indebtedness; and for nonpayment, such public utilities may be terminated until payment is made in full.
(Ord. 203 §§1—4, 1976; Ord. 347 §1, 2008)