Cloverdale staff begin drafting sidewalk-liability ordinance after spike in claims

Cloverdale public works staff on Monday introduced a proposed sidewalk ordinance intended to shift some liability for sidewalk injuries from the city to adjacent property owners and asked the Public Works subcommittee for guidance on next steps. "This is a project that we are considering. We wanted to get kind of a measure of, you know, what council would be willing to do," said Susie, Public Works staff. The subcommittee directed staff to gather additional local claims data, review sample ordinances, and bring the proposal to the finance subcommittee before formal consideration by the full council.

The ordinance concept and rationale were explained by Eric Young, a risk-pool representative from Sierra, who said California’s streets-and-highways code (section cited during the briefing) has long placed maintenance responsibility on adjacent owners but that cities often end up paying claims. "Even if the property owner is required to maintain their sidewalk, ultimately, if someone…