Borough of Park Ridge, NJ Article I Removal of Snow, Ice and Debris

[Adopted 3-8-1994 by Ord. No. 94-3[1]]

[1] Editor's Note: This ordinance also repealed original Art. I, Removal of Snow, Ice and Debris, adopted 12-9-1963, as amended 7-8-1974 by Ord. No. 74-16.

§ 86-1 Duty of owner or tenant to remove.

The owner or tenant in possession of any lands abutting or bordering upon sidewalks of any public streets of the Borough shall remove or cause to be removed from the abutting sidewalks the following:

A. All snow or ice therefrom within 18 hours after the snow or ice shall have been formed on the sidewalk or gutter.

B. All grass, weeds, brush and other impediments thereon within three days of notice to remove the same, given or caused to be given by the Director of Operations, or his designee; and the notice shall be served upon the owner or tenant by personal service or registered or certified mail addressed to the last known addressee of the premises.

§ 86-2 Removal by Borough; costs as lien; collection of costs.

A. In all cases where the owner or tenant shall fail or refuse to remove snow, ice, grass, weeds, brush or other impediments within the time period provided by § 86-1, the Director of Operations shall remove or cause to be removed the snow, ice, grass, weeds, brush or other impediments. The Director of Operations shall then certify the costs of such removal to the Borough Council. Upon the receipt of these certified costs, the Council shall examine these costs and, if it finds them to be correct, shall cause the cost to be charged against the lands abutting the public land upon which such removal of snow, ice, grass, weeds, brush and other impediments have occurred, at the direction of the Director of Operations or his designee.

B. The amount so charged shall become a lien in the tax upon the land and shall be added to and become a part of the taxes next to be levied and assessed upon the land. The amount shall bear interest at the same rate and be collected and enforced by the same officers in the same manner as taxes upon the real land.

§ 86-3 Deposit of snow or ice on streets.

A. No person, including the owner or occupant of any lands or premises abutting or bordering upon any street, shall place, deposit, throw or shovel any snow or ice into or upon that portion of any such street which has been cleaned, plowed or shoveled of snow or ice by the Borough or by any governmental agency or authority or by any public utility having and exercising a franchise or permit to operate autobuses along any streets in the Borough, at any time after said street has been cleaned or plowed as aforesaid.

B. No owner or occupant of any lands or premises abutting or bordering upon any street shall cause, allow or permit any person to do or perform any of said conduct prohibited by Subsection A of this section.

§ 86-4 Violations and penalties.

A. Any person who violates the provisions of this article shall, upon conviction thereof, be punished for a first offense by a minimum fine of $100. For each subsequent offense, the fine shall be not less than $100 nor more than $1,000 or imprisonment for a term not to exceed 90 days or 90 days of community service, or a combination thereof. A separate offense is deemed to have been committed on each day during or on which a violation occurs or continues.

[Amended 7-8-1974 by Ord. No. 74-16]

B. An imposition or collection of the penalty or penalties imposed by this article shall not bar the right of the Borough to collect the costs of removal as provided herein.

§ 86-4.1 Obstruction of fire hydrants.

[Added 4-26-2016 by Ord. No. 2016-004A]

A. The owner, tenant or occupant of lands abutting any fire hydrant shall maintain the area within a five-foot perimeter of the center of the hydrant free of all ice and snow. The removal of ice and/or snow shall be completed within 24 hours after the final accumulation of snow or ice has ceased.

B. In the event an owner, tenant or occupant fails to comply with the provisions of Subsection A of this section, the snow or ice surrounding a hydrant may be removed by the Borough, or any department of the Borough, with the owner, tenant or occupant paying a charge of $75 to the Borough for the service. Failure to remove snow or ice from a fire hydrant shall not subject a person to the penalties contained in § 86-4 of Article 86 of the Park Ridge Code.

§ 86-4.2 Waiver of obligation to remove snow and ice.

[Added 4-26-2016 by Ord. No. 2016-004A]

A. An owner, tenant or occupant of land abutting a fire hydrant or sidewalk who is a senior citizen, disabled resident or who is otherwise incapable of removing snow or ice from an abutting sidewalk or fire hydrant may apply to the Borough Administrator for a waiver from the obligation to remove snow or ice from the sidewalk or fire hydrant.

B. The Borough Administrator shall maintain a list of individuals who have requested a waiver of the obligation to remove snow and ice. Any resident who applies for a waiver shall be added to said list. The Borough Administrator shall make said list available to the Borough Fire Department and the Borough Police Department.

C. No person who has requested a waiver from the obligation to remove snow or ice from a sidewalk or fire hydrant shall be required to pay a fine for failing to do so.