Town of Woodbridge, CT Article III Snow Removal

[Adopted 3-22-2010, effective 4-22-2010]

§ 375-17 Definitions.

The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this article shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, except when the context clearly indicates a different meaning:

HIGHWAY

Any Town-owned and maintained streets and roads.

OCCUPANT

The tenant, lessee or any other person or entity in possession and control of any privately owned premises.

OWNER

The person, estate, corporation or any other legal entity that owns the premises. This includes all owners regardless of number or interest.

PREMISES

Any tract, parcel, lot or other subdivision of land, within the Town with or without buildings thereon, that adjoins or fronts on any sidewalk within the Town or borders or adjoins any street, square or public place within the Town where there is a sidewalk.

SIDEWALK

Any paved, graded, or in any way improved, Town-owned off-road walkway intended for public use but does not include hiking and walking trails.

§ 375-18 Snow removal.

A. It shall be the duty of every owner or occupant of any premises within the Town where there is a sidewalk, to remove or cause to be removed from the entire width of such sidewalk any and all snow and ice within the following limits:

(1) In the case of snow, within 24 hours from the time the snow has ceased;

(2) In the case of ice, within 24 hours from the time conditions which have caused the sidewalk to have ice upon it or to be covered with ice have ceased to exist.

B. In any case or situation where the removal of ice is impossible or extremely difficult, the owner or occupant shall cause such sidewalks to be made safe for public travel by covering the same with sand, ashes or some other suitable substance.

C. Each occupant or owner of premises which front Town fire hydrants shall remove all snow and ice accumulating in the street higher than a point four inches below the bottom of the lowest outlet on any fire hydrant, and within a radius of three feet from the center of such hydrant, within 24 hours after the snow event has ceased.

§ 375-19 Plowing or throwing snow and ice into street.

A. No resident, owner occupant or agent thereof, including private contractors, shall:

(1) Push, plow, blow or otherwise put any snow or ice from driveways, parking lots or sidewalks into or onto Town highways or other public property in the Town;

(2) Plow snow from a private premises across a Town highway or sidewalk to the opposite side of any highway or sidewalk; or

(3) Plow snow in a manner which blocks access to the premises of other Town residences or mailboxes.

B. If there is no other alternative to pushing snow into the highway, the owner, occupant or agent thereof, including private contractors, must plow any piles, rows and ridges of snow left on the highway by plowing the highway until the snow is removed from the traveled portion of the highway. This may not necessarily mean bare pavement, but certainly it should be no worse than when the individual or driver began plowing the private residence.

C. Any resident, owner or tenant who hires a private contractor to plow premises shall inform said contractor about this article.

D. Any resident, owner or tenant who hires a private contractor to plow premises shall be responsible for any violation of this article by said private contractor.

§ 375-20 Violations and penalties.

A. The Town Police Department shall be responsible for the enforcement of this article.

B. First offense: Any owner or occupant who shall violate this article for the first time shall receive a written warning.

C. Subsequent offense: Any owner or occupant who shall violate this article for the second time and thereafter shall be deemed guilty of committing an infraction and shall be fined $100 for each violation.

D. Each and every twenty-four-hour-period of refusal or neglect to comply with the provisions of this article shall be deemed a separate offense.

E. In the event that any owner or occupant of premises shall fail, neglect or refuse to remove snow or ice from any sidewalk or to make any sidewalk safe for public travel or otherwise fails, neglects or refuses to comply with the provision of this article, the Town may remove any snow and ice from such sidewalk or otherwise make it safe for public travel.

F. The expenses of such removal or other necessary action by the Town shall be a lien upon the premises and shall be recorded in the Town Clerk's office within 60 days from the date of violation of this article.