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

Section 115-24 puts the clearing duty on the owner, the owner's agent, or the occupant of any premises bordering a street or public place that has an established sidewalk. The clock is 12 hours after the snow or ice falls or forms, except that snow or ice that falls or forms overnight is measured from 12 hours after sunrise rather than from the moment it fell, giving residents through the following morning before the deadline runs. Where ice genuinely cannot be removed, the code does not excuse the owner outright: the sidewalk must instead be made safe and convenient for travel by covering it with sand or another suitable substance until it can be cleared.

Section 115-25 separately addresses liability, adopting C.G.S. § 7-163a so that the Town is not liable for ice or snow on a public sidewalk unless the Town itself owns or controls the abutting land, while the abutting owner or occupant carries the same duty of care the municipality previously had and can be sued for a breach within two years of an injury. Chapter 115 is enforced by the Town Manager or a designee under § 115-30.