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LOGAN, Utah (AP) -- Logan city officials plan to hold residents accountable for clearing their sidewalks this winter.
The city's Public Works Department has implemented a program to address complaints about slippery sidewalks clogged with snow or ice. City officials said a uniform response will help enforce a snow removal ordinance that was tightened by the Municipal Council last February.
"People just need to know we're serious," said Logan Public Works Director Mark Nielsen.
Snow- or ice-covered sidewalks can be reported to the city at 716-9000, with addresses of residences in violation.
The municipal code requires all property owners in the city to keep sidewalks adjacent to their homes clean and in repair, and last February's change added snow, hail, sleet and ice to the list of debris that must be cleared.
If a complaint it lodged, a city employee will contact or visit property owners to inform them of the violations and try to work out solutions.
"Our experience has been that 70 or 80 percent will respond to that," said Jay Nielsen, community development director for Logan city.
Nielsen said that if a resident is physically unable to clear the sidewalk, the city will help find a volunteer group to handle the chore.
The Community Development Department's Neighborhood Improvement Program uses a similar procedure to handle violations of the occupancy ordinance. Neighborhood Improvement personnel have agreed to handle snow-related complaints that are not resolved after the first contact from the city this winter, and violations can ultimately result in $25 fines.
Mark Nielsen said more than 30 addresses were reported after the snowstorm the last weekend in November.
"I think enough people will realize that you can't just not shovel," he said.
(Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
