All sidewalks hereafter constructed in the city shall be constructed
according to the Springfield Development Code and the city of Springfield
Standard Construction Specifications and on file in the offices of
the city engineer.
The council, acting through the city manager, shall maintain
in a state of good repair all sidewalks within the city, after the
manager is notified of any repair needed upon an existing sidewalk
in the city. The city manager shall not be deemed to have notice of
a sidewalk needing repair until the needed repair has been made known
to the manager in writing.
It shall be the duty of all property owners, including record
owners and contract purchasers, or both, to keep all sidewalks in
front of and abutting and adjoining their property clean and in good
repair. All property owners shall be required to keep the sidewalks
abutting upon their property free and clear of any defects, obstructions,
and hazardous materials. Failing in such duty, they shall be liable
to any person injured thereby.
Whenever the city manager has cognizance of any required sidewalk
repair, he or she shall thereupon give notice in writing to the record
owner of the real property adjacent and abutting upon the sidewalk
that requires repair, and a copy of such notice shall be sent by regular
mail to the occupant of the premises located upon such property, if
there be any, advising that the sidewalk must be repaired to the satisfaction
of the public works director within 10 days from the date of the notice
or within such additional time as the public works director specifies,
and that if the property owner fails to repair such property within
ten days, immediately following the notice aforementioned, then the
city manager shall cause the sidewalk to be repaired forthwith.
Each lot or part thereof or parcel of land shall be liable for
the full cost of repair or reconstruction of any sidewalk in front
of and abutting upon it. Upon the completion of any sidewalk repair
or reconstruction by the city as provided herein the city manager
shall present the billing therefor to the city council and the city
council shall, by ordinance, assess upon each lot or parcel of land
liable therefor its appropriate share of such cost and direct that
such assessment be entered as a lien on the docket of city liens in
the manner provided by law. If the assessment is not paid within 30
days after notice thereof, which notice shall be made by the city
finance director by regular mail to the same person or persons who
were originally notified for the defective sidewalk, the council may
proceed to levy upon such lots or parts or parcel thereof liable for
such assessment, and cause the lien thereof to be satisfied by execution
and sale in the manner provided by the charter and ordinances of the
city, or by statute of the state for the collection of delinquent
assessments for the improvement of streets.