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On Should the city ticket property owners with snowy sidewalks?
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Comments
uglyrumor 4 months, 1 week ago
They should also ticket people who don't take care of their lawns.
jafs 4 months ago
As soon as unkempt lawns are a safety hazard for pedestrians, sure.
And, by the way, there are city regulations on lawns, and they do sometimes ticket people for them.
sunshine_noise 4 months ago
Sometimes is not good enough.
In_God_we_trust 4 months ago
The proper way is not to issue a ticket. The city can warn after the yard is well over-grown and an eye sore, and if the tenant does not take care of it within 2 weeks, the city will come and mow it for them. Then the city will bill the tenant for the service.
Sandrat52 4 months, 1 week ago
I don't believe the fine is fair. If you have sidewalks on one side and not the other only people on side with the sidewalks are responsible, how is that fair?
KRichards 4 months ago
My sidewalk is twice as long as my neighbor's. How is that fair? Oh, I purchased the house knowing I have to maintain the city right of way. Yes, that is correct.
signoflife 4 months, 1 week ago
What if you're out of town during the 48 hours after the snowfall. I am sure many people found themselves in this situation over the New Year's holiday. I vote no fines.
lionheart72661 4 months ago
The city puts in the sidewalks and expects the home owner to maintain them. Their sidewalks let their crews get out and clear them!
sunshine_noise 4 months ago
Totally agree with you. If there were a sidewalk in front of my house and I was expected to shovel it. Then I will upgrade it, paint it, change it to brick if I was responsible for it.
3up3down 4 months ago
Ding ding ding.....we have a winner!!! City sidewalks are on city right of way,not owner's property. Let them clean the sidewalks. See too many workers leaning on shovels while one digs. Nice use of money and manpower.
Souki 4 months ago
The city needs a right-of-way to the land because it doesn't own the land. If it owned the land, it would need no right-of-way. Any improvements on the land -- like a sidewalk -- belong to the owner of the land, not the city. The owner should maintain those improvements, and keeping a sidewalk in functioning condition seems like a reasonable maintenance requirement.
jafs 4 months ago
Well, it's funny.
If it's my property, I should be able to control access and thus limit the use/damage to my property. If it's public, then all should have access and maintaining it should be public rather than private.
And, not everybody considers a sidewalk put in by the city to be an improvement, and would prefer the city not do that, but they don't get that choice.
In practice, it's not a real issue for me - it doesn't take very long, and it's decent exercise. But in theory, it's a little funny.
Anydaynow 4 months ago
My most concern are the elderly and disabled that are not able to get outside without falling or who are confined to wheelchairs or use walkers for daily use inside the house. Many of them could maybe get someone to shovel their sidewalks, but some of them are living from month to month and can't extend their money further.
I say no to giving city tickets, mainly because there are many of these tickets just pile up - not paid - then what happens - more money to be spent by the individual. The city should take care of the sidewalks, giving more work for someone in the city at minimum wages.
sunshine_noise 4 months ago
This could definately provide employment, even if short-term so those who need it. Why not hire teens at minimum wage. (even if it is 2.65 an hour - they are just grateful to have money).
cheeseburger 3 months, 2 weeks ago
merrill doesn't support jobs unless they pay $17.95 an hour.
beatnik 4 months ago
the fact that it is complaint driven is just plain wrong
KRichards 4 months ago
So is the fact that domestic violence is complaint driven. That is also just plain wrong.
jhawkinsf 4 months ago
Make the ticket the $3 variety, the same as parking downtown at an expired meter. Twenty bucks for the ticket and sixty for court costs seems excessive.
I'd be curious if someone could explain why court costs for these tickets would be so much higher than court costs associated with parking tickets.
jafs 4 months ago
Then it would be about as effective at ensuring people clear the sidewalks as the pt fine is at preventing expired meter parking (not very, I would think).
Court costs for moving violations are much higher, and in line with the sidewalk ones - not sure why.
Also, court costs are a bit odd - everybody who gets the ticket has to pay them, whether they contest them or not. Always seemed to me that if you're not contesting the ticket, perhaps you shouldn't have to pay the court costs, since there really aren't any for your ticket.
sunshine_noise 4 months ago
Me too, especially when the courts can't hire more court reporters to pay?
sunny 4 months ago
Only rich people should be ticketed.
justanotherface 4 months ago
Damn nanny state. Sooooo glad I don't live in Lawrence!
KRichards 4 months ago
We are glad as well. Yet you are so glad that you come back here to routinely post on this board to the tune of 213 times.
grandpaD 4 months ago
Lots of opinions but they won't do much good. The city commission does what it wants, when it wants, how it wants. I'm sure it will not pay attentions to the voting public
bearded_gnome 4 months ago
complaint driven is indeed just wrong. needs to be systematic.
however, I disagree with the premise of the law. often clearing the sidewalk makes it more dangerous because then the nice smooth surface becomes perfectly smoothly ice covered when you have just a little melt and refreeze. or, if you have rain/ice storm.
merrill 4 months ago
Surely some landscape maintenance operators would love to clean walks for their customers.
This town has a load of active citizens that which like walk,jog or run for exercise daily.
Then there employees who walk to work rather than drive. Lawrence has some active seniors who walk to keep their hearts working.
Public school students of all ages and college students of all ages walk to school.
Some wheel chair bound need a clear travel path as well.
I say there is a demand for clean safe travel paths in Lawrence,Kansas.
No doubt some landlords find this ordinance inconvenient however when folks become rental barons they know what they are getting into therefore go for it. Time to keep a snow shoveling crew on call. Surely some landscape maintenance operators would love to clean walks for their customers.
cheeseburger 3 months, 2 weeks ago
How much do you charge, merrill, given that you purportedly pay your helpers $17.95 or more per hour, since you have determined that a worker cannot survive on less than that?
merrill 4 months ago
Jan 12 , 2013 - Today Snow likely, mainly after 4pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 34. North wind 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. Total daytime snow accumulation of less than one inch possible.
Tonight Snow likely, mainly before 7pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 17. North wind 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New snow accumulation of less than one inch possible.
More snow on the way then comes global warming...
oletimer 4 months ago
typical lawrence kansas. they pass laws to prevent injuries and such. But no one wants them to enforce the laws. REALLY? what a bunch of whiners and morons.
Ron Holzwarth 4 months ago
Back in the Olden Days, the 1960s, the neighbor kids and I used to get really excited when there was a big snowfall in Greeley, Colorado, because then we could take our snow shovels out and earn money as a team. We would look over the sidewalks and driveways, and come up with our bid. It was never more than a dollar, and was always divisible by how many were in our team.
We were very industrious, and got lots of money, it seemed like. But in retrospect, we should have bid at least a dollar for those double driveways, with the sidewalks too.
Our bid was often responded to with surprise, and we sure had a lot of repeat customers.
Trumbull 4 months ago
Not sure.
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