Reminder of Property Owner's Responsibility for Snow and Ice Removal on Sidewalks

The Borough of Park Ridge Ordinance 86-1 mandates that it is the duty of all owners or tenants to remove or cause to be removed from the abutting sidewalks all snow or ice within eighteen (18) hours after the snow or ice has accumulated on the sidewalk.

Failure to comply with this ordinance may result in a minimum fine of $100. For complete details on the snow removal ordinance, please see the text of Chapter 86 of the Borough's statutes below.

Please remember, it is extremely important to remove the snow and ice to make the sidewalks safe, especially for the children, seniors and the handicapped community, and we thank you for your anticipated cooperation.

Chapter 86, STREETS AND SIDEWALKS

[HISTORY: Adopted by the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Park Ridge: Art. I, 3-8-1994 as Ord. No. 94-3; Art. II, 12-9-1963; Art. III adopted during codification 7-8-1974 as Ord. No. 74-15 (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. II). Sections 86-4A, 86-5 and 86-10 amended at time of adoption of Code; see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I. Other amendments noted where applicable.]

GENERAL REFERENCES 
Land subdivision -- See Ch. 74. 
Street openings and excavations -- See Ch. 85. 
Zoning -- See Ch. 101.

ARTICLE I, Removal of Snow, Ice and Debris [Adopted 3-8-1994 as Ord. No. 94-3EN]

§ 86-1. Duty of owner or tenant to remove.

The owner or tenant in possession of any lands abutting or bordering upon sidewalks of any public streets of the borough shall remove or cause to be removed from the abutting sidewalks the following:

A. All snow or ice therefrom within eighteen (18) hours after the snow or ice shall have been formed on the sidewalk or gutter.

B. All grass, weeds, brush and other impediments thereon within three (3) days of notice to remove the same, given or caused to be given by the Director of Operations, or his designee; and the notice shall be served upon the owner or tenant by personal service or registered or certified mail addressed to the last known addressee of the premises.

§ 86-2. Removal by borough; costs as lien; collection of costs.

A. In all cases where the owner or tenant shall fail or refuse to remove snow, ice, grass, weeds, brush or other impediments within the time period provided by § 86-1, the Director of Operations shall remove or cause to be removed the snow, ice, grass, weeds, brush or other impediments. The Director of Operations shall then certify the costs of such removal to the Borough Council. Upon the receipt of these certified costs, the Council shall examine these costs and, if it finds them to be correct, shall cause the cost to be charged against the lands abutting the public land upon which such removal of snow, ice, grass, weeds, brush and other impediments have occurred, at the direction of the Director of Operations or his designee.

B. The amount so charged shall become a lien in the tax upon the land and shall be added to and become a part of the taxes next to be levied and assessed upon the land. The amount shall bear interest at the same rate and be collected and enforced by the same officers in the same manner as taxes upon the real land.

§ 86-3. Deposit of snow or ice on streets.

A. No person, including the owner or occupant of any lands or premises abutting or bordering upon any street, shall place, deposit, throw or shovel any snow or ice into or upon that portion of any such street which has been cleaned, plowed or shoveled of snow or ice by the borough or by any governmental agency or authority or by any public utility having and exercising a franchise or permit to operate autobuses along any streets in the borough, at any time after said street has been cleaned or plowed as aforesaid.

B. No owner or occupant of any lands or premises abutting or bordering upon any street shall cause, allow or permit any person to do or perform any of said conduct prohibited by Subsection A of this section.

§ 86-4. Violations and penalties.

A. Any person who violates the provisions of this Article shall, upon conviction thereof, be punished for a first offense by a minimum fine of one hundred dollars ($100.). For each subsequent offense, the fine shall be not less than one hundred dollars ($100.) nor more than one thousand dollars ($1,000.) or imprisonment for a term not to exceed ninety (90) days or ninety (90) days of community service, or a combination thereof. A separate offense is deemed to have been committed on each day during or on which a violation occurs or continues.

B. An imposition or collection of the penalty or penalties imposed by this Article shall not bar the right of the borough to collect the costs of removal as provided herein.