Georgetown, KY Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Sidewalk Repair (2026)

Section 32-47 of the Georgetown Code puts the duty on the owner, not the city: each owner keeps and maintains the sidewalk bordering their property in good repair. The same section declares that allowing a sidewalk to become a danger to the public is a public nuisance, enforced and abated under the procedures in chapter 2, article VI.

Section 32-48 explains how the city acts. The city engineer, through a citation issued by a code enforcement officer or citation officer, can order the construction or repair of sidewalks that are a hazard to the public. The owner or the owner's agent can build or repair the sidewalk, but the work must be done as ordered and under the supervision of the city engineer. The citation sets a reasonable time, not to exceed 30 days. If the owner or agent has not completed the work by that date, the city repairs the sidewalk and bills the property owner whose lot the sidewalk abuts. Where pavement runs past one owner's line and abuts two or more owners, the cost is apportioned by the number of front feet abutting the street where construction is done.

The city engineer also inventories every sidewalk in the city each year and scores its condition, then reports the results to the city council (section 32-49). Related duties sit nearby: owners and occupants keep sidewalks clean of weeds and grass (section 32-27), and occupants clear snow from the sidewalks in front of their lots within 24 hours after a snowfall, extended to 72 hours in a declared snow emergency (section 32-28).

A permit is part of the repair process. Under section 32-76, sidewalk repairs fall in the basic encroachment category with a $25.00 base fee, and section 32-78(f) excuses a surety bond for repairing or replacing a sidewalk on residentially zoned property.