GRAND RAPIDS – Village council has agreed to hire a snow removal contractor to clear sidewalks in town
when residents fail to do it.
During council’s meeting Monday, members discussed the issue that residents are not shoveling their
sidewalks within 24 hours after a snowfall. The village runs a legal notice every fall about the issue
to remind residents of their responsibility to do so.
Mayor Judy Keifer said she was walking in town and found some residents deliberately put snow on their
walks while others shoveled them, leaving the concrete slippery.
She referred to the question Village Administrator Chad Hoffman raised at council’s Jan. 10 meeting,
"’What is clean?’"
Councilwoman Sara Lewis said she walks in the street because the thin layer there is easier to walk on
than the sidewalks.
"It’s such a fine line," noted Councilwoman Carolyn Erdody. "I put down salt so (the
sidewalk) is not slippery, but then it ruins my lawn." She said the village tries to be friendly
about the issue, but "I don’t know if it’ll ever be solved."
Councilman Kurt Williams said he doesn’t like to shovel his walk because the thin layer left on the
concrete is almost more dangerous than not having it shoveled at all. He also said he didn’t see a point
for the ordinance.
Hoffman said the 24-hour ordinance has been on the books for a long time, and people who were previously
charged for having their walks cleaned by a contractor now go out and shovel them.
He cited the example of how clear the sidewalks were in front of Dr. Daniel Doss’s property; the concrete
should be clean of snow and ice and a "melt" spread over it, too.
Erdody reminded members the liability falls on the property owner if someone slips on their sidewalk. She
praised the responsibility of a couple who were out of town but arranged for their sidewalk and driveway
to be cleared when it snowed.
Members authorized Hoffman to hire a contractor who has liability insurance and Workman’s Compensation.
The village pays a set fee for each residential walk the person cleans. The resident then receives a
bill for the work and has 30 days to pay it; if not, it goes on his or her property taxes.
The mayor said that with residents complaining that they can’t walk on sidewalks in town, council has to
do something about it.
Members approved an emergency ordinance affecting the village’s income tax ordinance to match changes in
the Ohio Revised Code. Filers must now meet the deadline of April 15 instead of April 30.
Also during the meeting, council:
¥ Agreed to meet with the Grand Rapids Township Trustees on Feb. 2 at 7 p.m. to discuss issues about the
town hall and its board of control. Council will meet Feb. 9 with representatives of youth baseball at 7
p.m.
¥ Heard from Hoffman the village’s general liability insurance premium will be $11,601 for 2011, the
second year for a decrease.
¥ Agreed to meet with representatives from the pool association, chamber of commerce and arts council to
keep communication lines open.