The proposed ordinance in Clinton mandating owners of property abutting sidewalks in town be responsible for snow, ice and leaf removal is not about making the sidewalks passable in the winter. It is about shifting the liability for accidents from the town to a small number (approximately 200) of property owners who happen to live physically the closest to these public ways.
This is a nasty trend spreading across the country and it dosen't stop with snow, ice and leaves as the next step is to force such property owners to maintain the sidewalks, that is fix them, as well. All of this without any control over who uses them or for what activities.
In Connecticut, per Office of Legislative Research report 2005-R-0148 (found at http://www.cga.ct.gov/olr/ ) act CGS-Sec.7-163a allows municipalities to create ordinances that transfer liability for damages associated with snow and ice on a sidewalk to the abutting property owner; however, abscense of such ordinances, a property owner is ordinarily not responsible for keeping the sidewalk in front of his house in reasonably safe condition for public transit.
In addition to shifting liability, whether you get sued or not, the insurance companies will take note of such a shift and increase the homeowner's premium as the ratings will have changed. Home owner insurance applications in the future will include not only questions about how far your house is from a fire hydrant but also how close it is to a sidewalk.
I have lived in Clinton by a sidewalk for 35 years, have cleaned it for 35 winters and I am on my second snow blower. If this ordinance passes, the name of my next sidewalk related purchase will end in LLP.
If you think I am being extreme, do an Internet search on "Sidewalk Liability" and hold on.