[HISTORY: Adopted by the Borough Council
of the Borough of Bridgeport 11-26-2002 by Ord. No. 2002-020, approved 11-26-2002[1] (Ch. 131 of the 1975 Code). Amendments noted where applicable.]
[1]
Editor's Note: This ordinance superseded former
Ch. 131, Snow and Ice Removal, adopted 1-3-1905 by Ord. No. 55, approved
1-4-1905, as amended.
It shall be unlawful for any person, firm, corporation,
owners, occupants or tenants of property to dump, throw, shovel, pile,
plow or in any other way move snow or ice into or upon any roads and
streets within the Borough with the intent of allowing such snow or
ice to remain on such roads and streets. Such violation is declared
to be a nuisance and detrimental to the health, safety, welfare and
comfort of the inhabitants of the Borough.
Where sidewalks exist throughout the Borough
of Bridgeport, the abutting property owner or tenant in possession
shall be required to remove snow and ice from said sidewalks in accordance
with and not in violation of any provisions of this chapter.
No snow, ice, slush, or a combination thereof,
shall be pushed or deposited into any drainage area, stream, river,
culvert or catch basin.
No snow, ice, slush or a combination thereof,
shall be deposited, pushed or maintained within a commercial, manufacturing,
light industrial, or multiple-family zoning district parking facility
or at or near an intersection in any zoning district in a manner or
at a location which creates a traffic hazard by impairing visibility
from or of a public highway.
No person shall damage any Borough property,
including, but not limited to, traffic signs, culverts, etc. while
removing snow, ice, slush or a combination thereof. Any damage to
Borough property shall be repaired or replaced in accordance with
the requirements of the Borough at the expense of the property owner
and/or snow removal agency.
Fire hydrants shall not be covered by snow,
ice, slush or a combination thereof. The owner, occupant or tenant
of the property is hereby required to remove or cause to be removed
all snow, ice, slush or any combination thereof or any accumulation
and/or impediment which would limit access to, from and/or around
all of the fire hydrants which are located on said property, so as
to provide immediate access by fire rescue personnel in cases of emergency.
In cases involving storms, fire hydrants shall be cleared of all snow,
ice, slush or any combination thereof within 24 hours following the
storm; in any event, any accumulation shall be removed not less than
once in every twenty-four-hour period. This is necessary to allow
for fire hose connections to be made to access water in the event
of a fire. The owner of a property shall be responsible for conforming
to the requirements of this section where such property is occupied
by said owner or is unoccupied or vacant.
In cases where the owner, occupant or tenant as aforesaid shall fail, neglect or refuse to comply with any of the provisions of this section of this chapter, or within the time period required therein, the Borough of Bridgeport, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, may, in its discretion, proceed immediately to clear the snow, ice, slush or any combination thereof or accumulation and/or impediment which would limit access to, from and/or around fire hydrants and to collect the expenses, with any additional amount allowed by law, from fine or penalty imposed under § 463-8 of this chapter. In no case is the Borough of Bridgeport liable if it does not exercise the Borough option for removal of snow, ice, slush, any combination thereof or accumulation and/or impediment which would limit access to, from and/or around fire hydrants as defined within § 463-6.
[Amended 2-23-2016 by Ord. No. 2016-003, approved 2-23-2016]
Any person, firm or corporation violating this chapter shall
be subject to the following procedure:
A.
The Borough official shall issue a written ticket to the owner of
the property which shall provide for a penalty in an amount to be
established by resolution of the Borough Council and which may be
amended from time to time by resolution of the Council. If this penalty
is paid within 10 days of its issue and the condition that warranted
the issuance of the ticket is abated within the time allotted, then
this discharges the violation.
B.
If the violator does not pay the required penalty provided for in
this chapter within seven days, and/or does not abate the hazard within
the allotted time period, then an appropriate municipal official shall
cause a nontraffic citation to be issued in the court of local jurisdiction
and, if necessary, abate the hazard in accordance with this chapter.
C.
The nontraffic citation shall be forwarded to and adjudicated by
a Magisterial District Judge. If found guilty of the violation, the
violator shall be sentenced to pay a fine of no more than $300, plus
costs of prosecution, plus reasonable attorneys' fees of the
municipality to enforce this chapter.
D.
Each day the violator continues to violate this chapter shall constitute
a separate offense. In default of payment of said fine and costs,
the violator may be imprisoned in the county jail for a term of not
more than 30 days.
Where sidewalks exist, the abutting property
owner or tenant in possession is required to have at least a two-foot
width of sidewalk cleared of snow, ice, slush or any combination thereof
within 12 hours after cessation of snowfall.
When more than 12 inches of snow has fallen,
the abutting property owner or tenant in possession may have up to
48 hours to have at least a two-foot width of sidewalk cleared of
snow, ice, slush or any combination thereof after the cessation of
snowfall.
The Borough Council of the Borough of Bridgeport
ordains and enacts this chapter to promote and preserve the health,
safety and welfare of the residents of the Borough pursuant to the
powers granted to it by the Borough Code. For the purpose of enforcing
the civil provisions of this chapter, the Borough Council shall undertake
to accomplish the same on its own motion and/or resolution as the
occasion warrants. So far as the enforcement of the non-civil remedy
afforded by this chapter, the Borough Council of the Borough of Bridgeport
hereby designates the members of the Borough Board of Health or the
Health Officer of the Borough or the Borough Building Inspector or
the Code Enforcement Inspector or police officers of the Borough as
the proper party or parties empowered to initiate proceedings for
the enforcement hereof before any Magisterial District Judge of the
Borough.
