Published July 14, 2008 10:44 pm - Exactly 112 city residents will get letters in their mailboxes soon, rating the condition of their sidewalks from “the worst of the worst to the best of the worst,” City Manager Jim Pearson said.
Genevans asked to rate sidewalks
By MARGIE TRAX PAGE - Staff Writer - mtrax@starbeacon.com Star Beacon
GENEVA — Exactly 112 city residents will get letters in their mailboxes soon, rating the condition of their sidewalks from “the worst of the worst to the best of the worst,” City Manager Jim Pearson said.
At Monday’s regular council meeting, Pearson outlined the plan for craggiest and most cracked city walkways and said the city is offering a 50/50 solution to the problem to the tune of $20,000.
“Residents own to the center of the road and that includes the sidewalks,” Pearson said. “But our council many years ago, as an additional service to the residents, began a 50/50 sidewalk program. The city pays 50 percent of the replacement costs, which this year translates into a combined $40,000 in sidewalk repairs.”
“The program helps get more don and helps offset the costs to the citizens,” he said.
Pearson said the city got a “tremendous response” to the program last year and quickly ran out of money to hand out.
“This year we went back to the people that had been turned down last year and made the same offer,” Pearson said. “And only five people responded.”
Pearson said the city doesn’t expect to complete 112 sidewalks by the end of the year, but hopes to get a good start on the “worst of the worst sidewalks.”
“We don’t expect to get anywhere near 112 sidewalks done,” Pearson said. “But some sidewalks are pretty extreme hazards and have to be addressed as soon as possible.”
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