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MINUTES OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE <br /> March 28, 2022 <br /> AUDITORIUM <br /> Present: Councilmembers Litten (Chair), Shachner, & Baker <br /> Also Present: Councilmembers Bullock, Rader, & Kepple, Planning Director Leininger, Public <br /> Works Director Ducu, Police Chief Kaucheck, Mayor Meghan George, Law Director Corrigan, <br /> Assistant Law Director Swallow, Prosecutors Andrew Fleck, Myriam Miranda, Human Services <br /> Director Gelsomino, Chief of Staff Storey, member of the public, Deputy Clerk Lascu and Clerk <br /> Bach taking minutes <br /> Call to Order: 6:03 p.m. <br /> Approval of the minutes of the November 8, 2021 meeting of the Public Safety <br /> Committee. <br /> Motion and a second to approve the minutes of the November 8, 2021 meeting of the Public <br /> Safety Committee. A voice vote was conducted as follows: <br /> Yeas: Litten, Shachner <br /> Nays: none <br /> Abstain: Baker <br /> Motion passed. Minutes approved. <br /> Communication from Councilmembers Kepple& Shachner regarding sidewalk <br /> snow removal. (Referred to Public Safety 2/22/22) <br /> Councilmember Shachner remarked on his joint communication with Councilmember Kepple, <br /> stating that the rationale of the communication was to better understand the various procedures <br /> and lines of communication within City Hall related to sidewalk snow removal. Upon inspecting <br /> the relevant ordinances, it was his opinion that changes in policy and procedure could mainly be <br /> made without amending the Code. <br /> Councilmember Shachner shared some of what he learned and discussed in meetings with the <br /> administration on this topic. He stated that it is only the police who have the authority to cite <br /> property owners for failure to clear sidewalks; not the Building Department, as is commonly <br /> assumed. However, it is not an appropriate use of police resources to patrol for this issue. <br /> When Building Department and Public Works Department are out in the community and observe <br /> poor sidewalk conditions, they can report those to the police for enforcement. <br /> Councilmember Shachner expressed his position that landlords and commercial properties <br /> should not get warnings for failure to clear sidewalks and that clearing sidewalks of snow is part <br /> of the responsibility of running a business. He added that although some lease agreements pass <br /> this responsibility onto the tenant, that it is not the city's role to negotiate that relationship and <br /> 1 <br />