(A) Repair of sidewalks.
(1) The owner of any property within the city abutting a public sidewalk shall keep the sidewalk in repair and safe for pedestrians. Repairs shall be made in accordance with this chapter.
(2) In addition to the procedure allowing a petition for improvements by abutting owners, it shall be the duty of the Street Commissioner to make such inspections as are necessary to determine that public sidewalks within the city are kept in repair and safe for pedestrians. If he or she finds that any sidewalk abutting on private property is unsafe and in need of repairs, he or she shall cause a notice to be served, by registered mail or by personal service, upon the record owner of the property, or the occupant, if the owner does not reside within the city or cannot be found therein, ordering such owner to have the sidewalk repaired and made safe within 60 days and stating that if the owner fails to do so, the Street Commissioner will do so on behalf of the city, that the expense thereof must be paid by the owner in a single installment and that if unpaid it will be made a special assessment against the property concerned.
(3) If the sidewalk is not repaired within 60 days after receipt of the notice, the Street Commissioner shall repair the sidewalk and make it safe for pedestrians or order the work done by contract in accordance with law. The Street Commissioner shall keep a record of the total cost of the repair attributable to each lot or parcel of property and report such information to the City Administrator-Clerk-Treasurer.
(B) Personal liability. The owner of property on which sidewalk repair has been performed shall be personally liable for the cost of such repair. As soon as the service has been completed and the cost determined, the City Administrator-Clerk-Treasurer shall prepare a bill and mail it to the owner and thereupon the amount shall be immediately due and payable at the office of the City Administrator-Clerk- Treasurer.
(C) Assessment. On or before September 1 of each year, the City Administrator-Clerk-Treasurer shall list the total unpaid charges for sidewalk repair against each separate lot or parcel to which they are attributable under this section. The Council may then spread the charges against the property as a special assessment under M.S. § 429.101, as it may be amended from time to time, and other pertinent statutes for certification to the County Auditor for collection the following year along with current taxes.
(Ord. 147, passed 10-10-73)
(D) General specifications. The general specifications for sidewalk construction are listed as follows:
(1) Width. The sidewalk shall be a minimum of four feet wide, and where circumstances warrant, the Council may require widths greater than this amount.
(2) Location. The City shall establish the line for the sidewalk location which will normally place the sidewalk in the street with the outside edge (edge furthermost from the street) one foot from the property line.
(3) Thickness. The concrete sidewalk shall be a minimum of four inches thick where used by pedestrians only and not less than six inches where crossed by vehicles.
(4) Surface. The sidewalk shall be constructed to provide a transverse slope of ¼-inch per foot of sidewalk width downward towards the street unless otherwise directed by the Council or their delegated representative.
(5) Joints. The walk shall be divided into uniform, square panels when possible. The panels shall be outlined by contraction joints or expansion joints. The joints shall be vertical and straight and be parallel with or at right angles to the centerline of the sidewalk. All joints and edges of the sidewalk shall be rounded with a ¼-inch radius edging tool.
(a) Contraction joints approximately 1
/8-inch wide, not less than 1/2-inch in depth, nor more than
one-third the depth of the concrete, shall be made four feet apart.
(b) A ½-inch preformed expansion joint shall be placed full depth in all sidewalks at least every 50 feet. Preformed expansion joint material shall also be placed between the sidewalk and all abutting curbs, buildings and other masonry and concrete work. The expansion material shall be placed so as to be flush with the surface of the sidewalk.
(Ord. 149, passed 7-10-74)