TINA L. SCOTT
EDITOR
As a reminder, if you live within the City of Merrill, Sec. 32-91 of the Code of Ordinances requires that anyone who owns, occupies, or is in charge of any land within the city that abuts any sidewalk must keep it clear of snow and ice. Snow and ice must be removed within 48 hours of when the snow stops falling and, if ice is such that it can’t be physically removed, it needs to be “sprinkled with material to accelerate melting or prevent slipping” (i.e., ice melt or sand).
None of that snow and ice can be pushed, shoved, or otherwise deposited onto a public street, alley, sidewalk, or public use land unless it directly abutts a premises, the ordinance says.
Property owners will be notified to remove sidewalk snow and ice if they fail to do so, but if they don’t after receiving that notice, then the City will take charge of the removal and charge the property owner a special assessment for doing so, at a much higher rate than typical snow and ice removal would normally cost. The reason? The Street Department isn’t staffed or in the business of clearing sidewalks and driveways, so the intent is for property owners to take care of it on their own, in a timely manner.