Mayor Seeks Cooperation In Downtown Sidewalk Snow Removal
Posted
Jennifer Peryam-jperyam@timesuniononline.com
Warsaw Mayor Ernie Wiggins wants to make sure landlords who own properties downtown are aware of the city's ordinance for sidewalk snow removal.
During Friday's Warsaw Board of Public Works and Safety meeting, Wiggins said he was approached recently by Cindy Dobbins, Warsaw Community Development Corp. executive director, regarding a downtown snow removal issue.
Dobbins shared her concerns with him regarding landlords who own vacant properties downtown not removing snow from their sidewalks.
"We need cooperation and frankly there is a violation of $25 for the first offense, and $50 for the second offense for property and shop owners who do not clear their sidewalks," Wiggins said.
He said before the city gets into enforcement mode of the issue, they would like cooperation by downtown landlords in removing snow.
"If we are trying to get people downtown to shop, it's not very friendly when you have to trek through the sidewalks," Wiggins said.
Wiggins said Dobbins has been shoveling some of the sidewalks that have not been cleared, and that is not her responsibility.
Wiggins said the city's ordinance for streets, sidewalks and public places states the occupant, or owner if there is no occupant, of every building or lot within the city, fronting or bordering upon the street, must clean the sidewalk in front of the building or lot of all snow or ice before 9 a.m. each day and keep the sidewalk clear of snow and ice.
Wiggins said WPD has an ordinance violation bureau that has the authority to issue civil penalties for those who do not follow the snow removal ordinance, but he said that is not his preference."We would like some cooperation and voluntary compliance, and it's not fair to those landlords who are complying with the ordinance to have those who aren't," Wiggins said.
