City Code, ExplainedBetaPardon our dust while we build this out — expect some changes along the way.

This chapter covers the use and condition of city streets and sidewalks, including parades, sidewalk sales, snow/ice removal, littering, sidewalk and curb construction standards, and permits for street excavations.

Who this affects

Residents and property owners are responsible for keeping abutting sidewalks clear of snow, ice, and obstructions, and for maintaining curbs, gutters, and sidewalks in good repair. Anyone parading, selling goods on the street, or excavating in a street or alley must first obtain a City permit.

Key rules

• A permit from the Mayor is required to parade on city streets; the permit is free of charge.
• Playing ball on streets or alleys is prohibited and "is hereby declared to be a public nuisance."
• Riding or driving animals or motor vehicles over sidewalks is prohibited, as is operating a bicycle, skateboard, rollerblades, or other self-propelled conveyance on sidewalks in the business district; conveyances for handicapped persons are exempted if not exceeding normal pedestrian walking speed.
• Willfully obstructing sidewalk travel or blocking building entrances/exits without the owner's or lessee's consent is prohibited.
• Signboards, bulletin boards, or other obstructions may not be erected on streets, sidewalks, curbs, or gutters if they interfere with public use.
• Property owners/occupants must remove snow, sleet, or ice from sidewalks within 12 hours of a snowfall, clearing to within one foot of the curbline; no one may shovel or throw snow, slush, or ice into the traveled portion of a street or alley.
• Littering streets, alleys, or public places with dirt, garbage, broken glass, ashes, paper, and similar materials is prohibited.
• Draining offensive matter or rainwater from buildings across sidewalks is prohibited.
• Sidewalk obstructions are prohibited, and owners/occupiers must remove obstructions and prevent weeds from growing on adjoining sidewalks.
• Erecting stands or parking vehicles on streets/sidewalks to sell goods is prohibited, except for charitable, religious, humane, or welfare organizations (including fire companies) that first obtain the Mayor's consent.
• New sidewalks on curbed or paved streets must be built of portland cement concrete (brick allowed for decorative purposes with Code Enforcement Officer approval); existing asphaltic sidewalks may remain until repair/replacement, at which point concrete is required.
• All sidewalk, curb, and gutter construction must follow specifications and grades furnished by the City Engineer and be supervised by the City Engineer or Director of Streets and Public Improvements.
• Nonconforming sidewalk work must be corrected within 30 days of notice; if not, the City may do the work itself and collect the cost plus a 10% penalty as a lien on the property.
• Curbs and sidewalks fronting Market Street west of Twentieth Street are fixed at 10 feet wide on each side where the street is 60 feet wide.
• A building permit from the Code Enforcement Office is required before constructing, replacing, or repairing any curb, gutter, or sidewalk.
• A permit from the Department of Streets is required before excavating in any city street, avenue, alley, or lane; applicants must indemnify the City, pay for restoration costs, and post required deposits or bonds.
• Permit fees are $35 per job for any street opening, and $10 for exploratory drilling up to six inches (drilling deeper counts as an opening).
• Excavations must be backfilled within 24 hours of completing repair work, and material removed from the excavation may not be reused as backfill.
• A street opening permit is valid for 90 days or until final restoration is made, whichever comes first.

Penalties

Violations of Article I (General Provisions) and Article II (Sidewalk, Curb and Gutter Construction) carry a fine of not more than $600, with imprisonment of not more than 90 days in default of payment. Violations of Article III (Excavations) carry a fine of not more than $300, with imprisonment of not more than 90 days in default of payment, and "each day's violation shall constitute a separate offense." Nonconforming sidewalk or curb/gutter work not corrected by the property owner may also be completed by the City, with costs plus a 10% penalty collected as a lien on the property.

Notable and archaic details

• Playing ball on any city street or alley is explicitly declared a public nuisance.
• A parade permit from the Mayor is required, but the chapter specifies it is issued free of charge.
• The excavation article requires applicants to notify the City if backfilling material runs out because "bituminous material is not available," reflecting older supply-chain language still in the code.
• Sidewalk width standards for Market Street west of Twentieth Street are written into the code with exact measurements (10-foot sidewalks, 60-foot street width, 40-foot roadway).