Frank Speziale photo

NORWICH – As the winter enters a January lull with the recent warmer temperatures, the City of Norwich Codes Department is reminding property owners of some responsibilities and safety tips in the wake of a winter storm.

City of Norwich Ordinance requires property owners to clear both snow and ice from the entire width of all the sidewalks on their property within 12 hours following the completion of snowfall.

City Codes Enforcement Officer Amy Donnison said after the most recent snowstorm, many residents were not clearing snow and ice from the full width of the sidewalks on their properties. Most city sidewalks are four feet wide, Donnison said, and the city ordinance requires the entire width of a walk be cleared, and not just a path created by a shovel or snowblower.

"Clear width is a real problem," said Donnison. "Even though there are many people that did shovel their sidewalks––some did a great job; others, if their shovel's only 12-inches wide, that's how wide the path was."

The Codes Enforcement Office may inspect properties within 24 hours after a snowfall, and if the city receives a complaint or discovers a sidewalk is not properly cleared, the property owner will be contacted as a last attempt to encourage them to clear it.