By DONNA KENNY KIRWAN

PAWTUCKET — Although the winter’s snowstorms now seem like distant memories, the City Council on Wednesday night will be will be considering first passage of a revised ordinance pertaining to snow and ice removal.

Although it’s been on the books since the early 1960s, the ordinance requiring that snow and ice be removed from the sidewalk hasn’t been widely or consistently enforced. However, after one of this season’s early blizzards, many residents were surprised and angered to receive citations for their failure to shovel a path in front of their property.
Many elderly residents, in particular, complained to city officials about the matter.
The City Council’s Ordinance Committee has come up with some revisions designed to give residents more time to respond to snowstorms, or, in the case of the elderly, to make arrangements to be shoveled out.
The amended ordinance provides 12 hours of daylight after a snowstorm in which to remove snow and ice--up from the four hours that was mandated in the original ordinance.
Under the revised ordinance entitled “Removal of snow and ice required,” it is stated that “No snow shall be permitted to remain upon any sidewalk, which shall be defined as that portion of a street between the curb lines, or the lateral lines of a roadway, and the adjacent property lines intended for the use of pedestrians, for a period exceeding the first 12 hours of daylight after the cessation of any snowstorm or after such snow shall have fallen from any building.
The amendment also states, “No ice shall be permitted to remain upon any such sidewalk more than two hours in the daytime, unless covered with sand or other suitable substance.”
As to the responsibility, the ordinance holds that “the owner, occupant or other person having the care of any building or lot bordering upon any such sidewalk shall cause the same to be made safe and cinvenient by removing the snow and ice therefrom, or by causing the ice to be suitably covered.
The revised ordinance also states, “Snow and ice removed from a sidewalk shall not be thrown or deposited on any street or on any property of another property owner.” In addition, it holds that the Director of Zoning and Code Enforcement or his designee shall be responsible for the enforcement of the provisions of the article, and also that the Director “shall establish a policy for determining what constitutes a sufficient path.”
The provision calls for a notice to be printed in all local newspapers (including non-English newspapers) in in late October apprising residents of the requirement.
The revised ordinance also states that all violations of the article shall be subject to a fine of $25 for a first offense, $50 for a second offense and $100 for a third or subsequent offense.