Bethel, CT Property Maintenance: Snow & Sidewalk Clearing (2026)

Chapter 92 of the Bethel Code of Ordinances, first adopted by the Board of Selectmen on 7-18-1987 (originally numbered Chapter 85), makes every person or corporation owning or occupying land fronting a sidewalk responsible for removing snow and ice within six hours of daylight after a storm ends, and for applying sand or similar material so pedestrians are not endangered. Section 92-1 sets the penalty for missing that window at a fine of not more than $50, and separately lets the Director of Public Works order the sidewalk cleared at town expense, then recover that cost from the owner through a court action brought in the Town's name.

A 2016 amendment, § 92-2, layers on a liability shift: Bethel adopted Conn. Gen. § 7-163a, so the Town is not liable for injuries caused by ice or snow on a public sidewalk unless the Town itself owns or controls the abutting land. Instead, the abutting property owner carries the same duty of care the Town previously held, and can be sued directly if a breach of that duty causes an injury, though any such lawsuit must be filed within two years of the injury. Chapter 91 (Sidewalks, Use and Maintenance) cross-references this chapter for the separate, year-round duty to keep sidewalks structurally sound.