I. RECOMMENDATION:
Staff is recommending that the City Council approve an amendment by introducing and waiving the first reading of Ordinance No. 843, amending Chapter 2. – SIDEWALKS, CROSSWALKS, CURBS, GUTTERS AND DRIVEWAYS.
II. BACKGROUND:
Ordinance No. 843 establishes regulations regarding curbs, sidewalks, and gutters. As it is currently written, lacks any language to indicate who is responsible to maintain sidewalks, who inherits liability, and enforcement pathways. It only outlines permitting related to new sidewalk construction. This is often a point of confusion with many residents, as clear rules are not set forth.
III. DISCUSSION:
Staff has prepared revisions to the existing ordinance that would generally shift the responsibility of sidewalk repair and maintenance to the abutting property owner and define enforcement of such.
The purpose of this revision is not to levy citizens with the burden of repairing all of Coalinga’s sidewalk. Public Works will still pursue repairs or replacements as much as is economically feasible. Either through inclusion of repair in large projects related to thoroughfare or through targeted maintenance activity. The intent is to create clear language that defines responsibility congruent to what many other cities abide by and create a pathway to enforcement for egregious offenders of purposeful or negligent destruction.
A copy of the ordinance has been attached to this report to see the changes.
IV. ALTERNATIVES:
Do not introduce and waive the first reading of Ordinance No. 843. Staff does not recommend.
V. FISCAL IMPACT:
This will have no fiscal impact. |