[HISTORY: Adopted by the Mayor and Council
of the City of Crisfield as indicated in article histories. Amendments
noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Fees — See Ch. 45.
[Adopted 12-15-1982 by Ord. No. 366]
No person shall begin to construct, reconstruct,
repair, alter or grade any sidewalk, curb, curb cut, driveway or street
on the public streets without first obtaining a permit from the City
Clerk as provided by this Article.
An applicant for a permit hereunder shall file
with the City Clerk an application showing:
A.
Name and address of the owner, or agent in charge,
of the property abutting the proposed work area.
B.
Name and address of the party doing the work.
C.
Location of the work area.
D.
Attached plans or sketches showing details of the
proposed alteration.
E.
Estimated cost of the alteration.
F.
Such other information as the City Clerk shall find
reasonably necessary to the determination of whether a permit should
be issued hereunder.
The following fees shall accompany an application
for a permit hereunder:
A.
Filing fee. The filing fee shall be a provided in § 45-1A. When sidewalks, curbs, curb cuts, driveways or streets are to be altered simultaneously, only one permit and fee shall be required.
B.
Inspection and engineering fee. The City Clerk shall
charge a fee for all inspection and engineering services done in behalf
of an applicant or permittee hereunder. The inspection and engineering
fee shall be computed from a schedule of charges based on anticipated
actual costs. Such schedule shall be posted for public inspection
in the office of the City Clerk.
The following bonds shall accompany an application
for a permit hereunder:
The City Clerk shall issue a permit hereunder
when he finds that:
A.
The plans for the proposed operation have been approved
by the Superintendent of Public Works, to whom they shall be forwarded
by the City Clerk within a reasonable time after receipt thereof.
B.
The work shall be done according to the standard specifications
of the city for public work of like character.
C.
The operation will not unreasonably interfere with
vehicular and pedestrian traffic, the demand and necessity for parking
spaces and the means of egress from and ingress to the property affected
and adjacent properties.
D.
The health, welfare and safety of the public will
not be unreasonably impaired.
All operations for which a permit is granted
hereunder shall be under the direction and supervision of the Superintendent
of Public Works.
A.
Where the use, convenience and necessity of the public
require, the City Clerk shall have the authority to order the owners,
or agents in charge, of property adjacent to which curb cuts are maintained
to alter the curb cut in such manner as he shall find reasonably necessary
under the circumstances.
B.
Notice of alteration order.
(1)
The notice required by this section shall require
compliance by the permittee within 60 days of said notice; shall be
in writing and shall be served upon the permittee as required by law
or mailed by registered mail.
(2)
Notice shall be deemed sufficient if given to each
person assessed with property on the books of the City at the address
shown therein.
The Mayor and Council of Crisfield are hereby
authorized and empowered to construct or cause to be constructed curbs,
gutters and sidewalks and the necessary construction to ensure proper
drainage along any of the streets and public alleys of the city whenever,
in the discretion of said Mayor and Council, it may be advisable to
do so.
A.
The abutting property owners shall pay the cost for the construction of sidewalks, the cost shall be collected from such owner or owners in the same manner in which taxes on the property are collected, and any judgment obtained in such case shall be a preferred lien on the said abutting property as provided in § C8-4D of the Charter.
B.
Construction by City and assessment of benefit; construction
by property owner upon transfer of property.
(1)
At the discretion of the Mayor and Council, the City
may by resolution declare the sidewalks or curbs and gutters, or both,
to be absent or unsafe in any block or series of blocks and construct
or reconstruct same, the cost of which shall be repaid to the City
by levying an annual benefit assessment upon the abutting properties
payable at the time real property taxes are due and bearing the same
rate of interest for nonpayment. The assessment shall be based on
the amount necessary to repay any amortized principal and accrued
interest. The benefit derived by each property owner assessed shall
be the amount of feet of property abutting upon the reconstruction.
(2)
Upon the receipt by the City Clerk of a deed to property
within the City of Crisfield, for the purpose of stamping such deed
to reflect the payment of City taxes or otherwise, the City Clerk
shall direct the City Building Inspector to confirm whether such property
is improved with sidewalks. In the event the property does not have
sidewalks or does not have sidewalks determined to be safe by the
Building Inspector, the Building Inspector shall direct the property
owner to construct or reconstruct sidewalks, as the case shall be.
Contracting for the construction and the new or replacement sidewalk
shall be the responsibility of the property owner, and all costs for
the new or replacement sidewalk will be the responsibility of the
property owner.
C.
The Mayor and Council may budget moneys from the general
revenues as a contribution toward the cost of any construction or
reconstruction under the preceding subsections to reduce the amount
of amortized cost.
Plans and specifications for any curb, gutter
or sidewalk so constructed or caused to be constructed by the City
shall be prepared under the direction of the Superintendent of Public
Works, and such construction shall conform to the standard specifications
of the City for public work of like character.
The owner or owners of said abutting property shall be notified by the City Clerk of the action of said Mayor and Council under § 95-8 in directing the construction of said curbs, gutters and/or sidewalks, and the owner or owners shall be permitted to have the construction done according to plans and specifications as provided in § 95-10 and that the owner or owners shall complete the construction within a period of 60 days from date of such notification; in the event that the owner or owners fail to comply with the provisions of such notice, the Mayor may direct the City Clerk to proceed with the ordered construction and collect the cost as provided in § 95-9.
[Added 1-9-2008 by Ord. No. 581[1]]
It shall be unlawful for any person or persons,
firms or corporations occupying or owning property with pavements
or sidewalks abutting on same to permit said sidewalk or pavement
to become obstructed with grass, weeds, trees, storage of material
or any other obstacle.
[Added 1-9-2008 by Ord. No. 581]
On any streets in the City of Crisfield, Maryland,
on which there is any existing concrete curb, the owner or occupant
of property abutting on said concrete curb shall keep six feet of
said land abutting on said curb unobstructed from grass, weeds, trees,
storage of materials or any other obstacle.
Any person violating any of the provisions of
this article shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction
thereof, shall be fined in an amount not exceeding $100 or 20 days'
incarceration, or both. Each day such violation is committed or permitted
to continue shall constitute a separate offense and shall be punishable
as such hereunder.
Chapter 88 of this Code is continued, and the responsibilities and penalties therein provided shall not be deemed as impaired or repealed by this article.
[Added 4-12-2017 by Ord.
No. 669]
A.
No grass clippings, brush or foliage shall be deposited onto public
sidewalks or public streets. Grass clippings, brush or foliage shall
be removed from a public street or public sidewalk immediately following
mowing or trimming.
B.
No grass clippings, brush or foliage shall be deposited or washed
into any municipal stormwater street drain, municipal stormwater drainage
system or municipal sewer system.
C.
The property owner shall be responsible for ensuring a tenant, vendor
or third party complies with the provisions of this section.
D.
A violation of this section shall be punishable as follows:
(1)
For the first violation of this section, within a calendar year,
the City Inspector shall issue a written notice of violation to the
property owner at the last address listed on file with the City Clerk.
(2)
For the second violation of this section, within a calendar year,
the City Inspector shall issue a citation imposing a fine in the amount
of $25 against the property owner.
(3)
For the third violation of this section and for all subsequent violations
of this section, within a calendar year, the City Inspector shall
issue a citation imposing a fine in the amount of $100 against the
property owner.
E.
A violation of this section shall constitute a municipal infraction and shall be enforceable pursuant to the provisions of the Local Government Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland, § 6-101 et seq., and Chapter 10 of this Code, as amended. Each and every violation of this section shall constitute a separate offense.
