WILLITS, CA., 3/4/25 — The Willits City Council has amended its municipal code to require property owners to fix or replace sidewalks if they spend $100,000 or more on other property repairs or construction.
Previously the city had required the property owners to fix their sidewalks if they were spending $10,000 or more in other repairs and renovations on their properties, an amount that hadn’t been adjusted in 36 years, according to the staff report provided by the city.
The new revision to the city’s sidewalk rules amended by the City Council last Wednesday states that a property owner who applies for any permit needed for construction or remodeling of lots adjacent to a sidewalk area, and where the work totals $100,000 or more, must repair and maintain the sidewalks and curb ramps on those properties.
This requirement can sometimes be waived if a property owner has a valid reason, such as their lots being at the dead end of a road with no need for a pedestrian path.
State law also requires property owners with property adjacent to sidewalks to be responsible for keeping them in a safe condition and requires property owners to maintain sidewalks to prevent accidents that could harm pedestrians.
However, the state law also states that a city, not just a property owner, can be held liable for injuries, according to court precedent in the city of San Jose.
The City Council discussed a possible ordinance addressing the issue of liability for claims involving sidewalks. Cities such as Oakland and San Francisco have passed sidewalk liability ordinances to mandate that property owners be legally and fiscally responsible for sidewalk maintenance and legal claims.
However, the Willits council on Wednesday decided not to move forward with such an ordinance, with one councilmember noting that the city has not ever faced that kind of sidewalk-related litigation.
“We haven’t had one of those kinds of claims,” Councilmember Bruce Burton said. “We’re trying to fix something that hasn’t demonstrated that it’s broken.”
A recording of the meeting is available on YouTube here.
The Willits City Council meets on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month at the Council Chambers, 111 E. Commercial St. Meetings begin at 6:30 p.m. Public comments can be emailed to council members using this link or by calling (707) 459-4601.