ORDINANCE NO. 658

An Ordinance Entitled: "An Ordinance Amending the 2003 Revised Ordinances For the City of Groton As It Pertains To Snow Removal on Sidewalks."

Be It Ordained By The City of Groton that the following paragraphs be amended in Section 9-3 to read as follows:

9-3-1 Duty of Owner or Occupant. It shall be the duty of the owner, occupant, or person in possession or in charge of any lot, parcel, or plot of ground of business property located within a commercial zoning district, fronting or abutting upon any public sidewalk, to keep such sidewalk free and clear from snow and ice at all times. When it is impossible to take snow and ice from such walk because it is frozen to the sidewalk, the owner, occupant, or person in possession or in charge of such lot shall sprinkle or spread such suitable material upon the same to prevent the walk from becoming slippery and dangerous to travel, and in removing snow from said sidewalk it shall be unlawful for any person to shovel or blade the snow so removed into the street after the street has been cleared of snow by the city snow removal equipment.

9-3-2 Duty of City Foreman. It shall be the duty of the city foreman to notify all owners or persons in possession of property in the commercial zoning district abutting on sidewalks in the City of Groton to keep such sidewalk free from snow and ice, and remove the same immediately after every snow event. The city foreman shall give such notice with one (1) publication in the official newspaper of the city at the beginning of each snow season, which notice shall state that each owner or person in possession of property in the commercial zoning district is required to keep the sidewalks on which their property or premises abut, free and clear from snow and ice. It is no defense of failure to comply with this ordinance to claim the owner did not see such notification in the official newspaper.

9-3-3 Refusal to Remove Snow and Ice. If the owner or person in possession of the commercial zoning district property fails or refuses to remove the snow and ice after every snow event from such sidewalks, the city foreman may have the snow and ice removed and charge the costs thereof against the abutting property each time the snow and ice is removed.

And Be It Further Ordained that a portion of 9-3-1 be moved and added under 9-5-7 to read as follows:

9-5-7 Power Cords Crossing Sidewalks. All power cords crossing sidewalks (residential or commercial) must be kept a minimum of eight (8) feet above the ground.

Passed First Reading - 9/21/09
Passed Second Reading -10/5/09
Published - 10/17/09
Effective Date - 11/7/09

Attest: ______________________________
Roy L. Olson, Mayor
__________________________________
Anita Lowary, Finance Officer