§ 8.56.060. Clearing of sidewalk, walkways and streets.

A.

Snow, Ice and Sleet.

1.

The owner and tenant of any land abutting upon any sidewalk or walkway of any public street or road in this township shall remove all snow, ice and sleet from the full width of that sidewalk abutting his or her land, or the land occupied by him or her as a tenant, within twelve (12) hours of daylight after the same shall cease to fall or be formed thereon; provided, however, that in the event removal of ice or sleet is rendered impractical because of freezing weather conditions, the owner and tenant of such land may discharge his or her obligations hereunder by causing the full width of such sidewalk or walkway to be thoroughly covered with cinders, sand or salt so that such sidewalk may be safely and conveniently used by pedestrians.

2.

No person shall place or caused to be placed any snow or ice upon the paved portion of any public street or road or sidewalk in this township or on private property without the consent of the property owner. No property owner shall plow or allow to be plowed any snow from his or her driveway, parking lot, or sidewalk onto or across a public street so that any of it remains on the public street or is deposited upon other public property or on private property not owned by him or her.

B.

Grass and Weeds. The owner and tenant of any land abutting upon any sidewalk or walkway along a public roadway shall remove all noxious weeds and all overgrowth impeding passage of pedestrians or over the height of six inches from such sidewalk or walkway and from the area between the sidewalk or walkway and the paved improved portion of the public street or road.

C.

Every day that a commercial premises is open for business, the occupant shall be responsible for removing litter from the sidewalk or other pedestrian areas, if any, in front of the occupant's premises. The area shall be swept as often as necessary to maintain it free of litter, spillage and other debris.

D.

Costs of Removal Assessable. Where the owner or an occupant of any such land shall fail to comply with subsection A within the time set forth therein or fails to comply with the provisions of subsections B or C within three days after service upon him or her of notice to remove the same, the township may do so, and the cost therefor shall then be certified to the council by the officer in charge thereof. The council shall examine such certificate and, if found to be correct, shall cause such cost to be charged against such abutting land, and the amount so charged shall thereupon become a lien and tax upon such land and be added to and be a part of the taxes next to be levied and assessed thereon, and enforced and collected with interest by the same officers and in the same manner as other taxes.

E.

Multifamily Dwellings and Vacant Land. Where any such land contains a building occupied by more than one family, the duty herein specified shall fall upon and be performed by the occupant or tenant of the first floor of the building, and in the event the building is unoccupied, then by the owner thereof. In the case of vacant land, the duty herein specified shall fall upon and be performed by the owner thereof.

F.

The owner or tenant of any land lying within the township shall keep all brush, hedges, and other plant life, growing within ten (10) feet of any roadway and within twenty-five (25) feet of the intersection of two roadways, cut to a height of not more than two and one-half feet where it shall be necessary and expedient for the preservation of the public safety. In the event that the owner or tenant fails to cut the same within ten (10) days after notice from the public officer, the public officer may cause same to be cut or removed under his or her direction and the costs of such actions, after certification by such officer to the governing body, shall become a lien upon such lands and shall be added to and become part of the taxes next to be assessed and levied upon such lands.

(Ord. 11-08 § 4 (part); Ord. 44-01 § 1; prior code § 55-6)