Kalamazoo, MI Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Sidewalk Repair (2026)

Section 33-38.A puts a standing duty on every owner or occupant of property within the City to keep the cement sidewalk in front of or adjacent to their premises in good repair, whether the walk was laid before or after the ordinance. An owner or occupant who allows a sidewalk to remain out of repair or in dangerous condition without properly barricading it is responsible for a municipal civil infraction. Subsection B gives the City Commission a formal process for hazardous walks: it adopts a resolution identifying the sidewalk as hazardous, breaking up, or deteriorated, declares replacement or repair a public necessity, and directs the adjoining owner to fix it within a specified deadline.

The resolution must be served by registered or certified mail or in person, following a form set out in the ordinance that names the property, the linear or square footage of walk involved, and the deadline. If the owner does not arrange the repair, or notify Public Works and request the City do the work, within the deadline, the Department of Public Works installs the replacement or repair itself and the City may assess the reasonable cost against the adjoining or benefited property. Costs can be based on the Department's standard average costs from the prior year, less any subsidy or credit the City Commission allows, and can be collected before or after the work under § 33-39, including by civil process or counterclaim.

Where disrepair creates an immediate menace to traffic, § 33-38.E authorizes the Director of Public Works to erect barricades or make temporary repairs, adding that cost to the eventual assessment.