Despite the fact that today there was still a sign on the door indicating limited access to City Hall, Common Council meetings will, going forward, be held in person in the Council chamber. Fortunately, there are only two meetings this week, and they both take place on the same day.
- On Tuesday, February 15, the Common Council ad hoc committee devoted to sidewalks meets at 5:30 p.m. It is not known who will be serving on this committee in the new term. The committee has not met since July 2o21, when, according to the minutes from the meeting, Jeff Baker, then counsel to the Council, repeated his advice to committee members that they needed to determine what areas of the city would be affected before he presented a draft of the law which would levy an annual sidewalk maintenance fee on all properties.
- Also on Tuesday, February 15, the Common Council holds its regular monthly meeting at 6:00 p.m. One of the things expected to be on the agenda is a resolution regarding the Tourism Board.
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They've set aside a whopping 30 minutes for the sidewalk meeting? Off to a great start! Sometime in the year 2035, one block of State Street will have a new sidewalk. Then they'll reconsider and give up. B Huston
ReplyDeleteWhat's the problem with enforcing the current rule and make people take responsibility and fix their own sidewalk? Why should someone who has maintained their own sidewalk pay for a slaker who refuses to do required maintenance? There are some very well to do properties with huge expanses of sidewalk that will cost thousands of dollars to repair and under this new plan they will have their sidewalk repaired for $150 at the expense of everyone else. What a totally messed up idea. All you have to do is send someone around and give citations out to all the property owners who have not maintained their sidewalks.
ReplyDeletea brief survey of linear feet of deteriorating sidewalk, and the owners thereof, will quickly disclose the primary beneficiary of this proposal. And I predict it begins with Gal and ends in van. Prove me wrong, Tom and Kamal.
ReplyDeleteSo much sidewalk is wrecked here, this is a big public works project. The fee is an unfair and disproportionate tax. Most likely the repair costs billed to the city will be inflated and overcharged and the fees will have to go up - and who gets the contract?
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