Politics & Government
Sidewalk Repairs: Who's Responsible?
About 2,000 damaged sidewalks throughout the city are on private property, which means homeowners will have to pay to fix them. However, a new city program gives residents a cheaper way to take care of the repairs. But how many folks know about the offer?
If you’ve driven or walked down Crestmoor Drive or Oakmont Drive or any number of blocks near downtown in recent weeks, you’ve noticed some changes in the streets.
It’s part of the city’s work to repair damaged sidewalks, modernize curbs and repave streets, and the repair work by JJR Construction is expected to be completed this fall.
But that will only take care of city-owned property. According to the city, there are a number of sidewalks in need of repair that fall under private property, which means that many homeowners will need to fix their sidewalks themselves.
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That is why the city has been rolling out an incentive program that allows homeowners to use the city’s contractor to repair their sidewalks at a discounted rate.
It is still not clear, however, whether everyone officially knows about the city’s offer yet.
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“I'm more concerned (with whether) they're being alerted that this is a good deal as we come through their neighborhood,” Councilman Ken Ibarra said at a July council meeting when the council approved funding for the sidewalk and street repairs.
In all, the city estimates that there are more than 2,600 sidewalks that need to be repaired throughout the city. Of those, about 2,000 sections of sidewalk are the responsibility of residents to fix.
As part of the program this year, the city expects to fix 75 sidewalks, including 50 on private property.
To take advantage of the program, residents pay the city for the cost of the work and the city will waive the encroachment permit fees, which normally could cost about $400.
Although the construction work is already underway, the perception is that many residents will still be taken aback when they find out that they’ll have to pay to repair the sidewalks that needs fixing in front of their houses.
City Manager Connie Jackson has said that participation so far among residents in the city’s sidewalk repair program has been favorable. But she concurred back in July that there is a need for additional outreach.
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