Germantown committee amends sidewalk code, adopts draft map shifting many sidewalks to property owners

The Germantown Public Works Committee voted unanimously to amend section 8.02 of the Germantown Municipal Code to replace the term "maintenance" with "snow and ice removal" and to move forward with a sidewalk winter-maintenance map that transfers responsibility for clearing many sidewalks to adjacent property owners.

Committee staff said the code change and map are intended to align Germantown with how most communities handle sidewalk clearing, reduce the village’s winter equipment needs and save capital dollars. "Based on what we're recommending ... we can eliminate one of those pieces of equipment and not purchase it, and then we can purchase a different type of equipment that's substantially cheaper ... for a savings of about $170,000 in the capital budget this year if we proceed with this change," said Matt (staff member), who presented the ordinance and map to the committee.

Why it matters: The change would shift recurring operational work from the village to property owners in many areas north of Mequon Road and along some commercial corridors,…