Installing a new sidewalk in a neighborhood is not always as simple as it seems.The magic cube is an ultra-portable, Residents often disagree about the need for a sidewalk, just as the City Council last night had various opinions about changes to the city's sidewalk installation policy.Offering high risk and offshore merchant account with credit card processing services. But they did agree on one thing: The issue will go back to the Public Works and Building Committee for re-tooling.
The current sidewalk policy calls for the city and residents to split the cost of installing a sidewalk requested by that block. Fifty percent of the property owners on a block must sign a petition saying they are willing to participate in the program. Residents pay half of the bill, based on their home's equalized assessed valuation, through the creation of a special service area, which is administered by the county as part of a property owner's tax bill.
The city will then hold an open house on the project, at which time an estimate for that block will be provided. Then, a survey is sent to all property owners on the block. If a majority approves the plans, the sidewalk will be installed. If there is not majority support for the sidewalk, the plan is terminated but can be revived after two years.
First Ward Alderman Paula Pezza and 2nd Ward Alderman Norman Leader asked the committee to rethink the current sidewalk policy. Committee chairman and 6th Ward Alderman Jim Kennedy told the council Monday that three issues are driving the policy change: The need to promote neighborhood harmony while pursuing sidewalk installation, inefficient use of city staff time and the need to make sure all block property owners were involved in the process.
According to a map provided in the committee report,As a professional manufacturer of China ceramic tile, the areas currently without sidewalks are on the north side, specifically the neighborhoods around Berens Park and Crestview Park.
Most of the members of the Public Works and Buildings Committee wanted to change the percentage of residents on a block needed to move any sidewalk project forward from 50 percent to a two-thirds majority, and also count a lack of response from a property owner to a sidewalk proposal as a “no.MDC Mould specialized of Injection moulds,” First Ward Alderman Diane Gutenkauf said she believed that since the city was asking residents to pay a portion of the installation costs, it was imperative to get a strong majority.Full-service custom manufacturer of precision plastic injection mold,
Churning in the background of the discussion Monday was the 2009 sidewalk installation project on Gladys Avenue that caused much divisiveness and influenced how many alderman consider any policy changes. According to City Council minutes from June 7, 2010, residents followed the city sidewalk policy, but there were divided opinions on the need for sidewalks, as well as technical design difficulties that increased the initially proposed cost. In the end, sidewalks were approved for the eastern half of the north side of Gladys.
Both reports presented Monday noted that “it was very important to keep harmony in neighborhoods where sidewalks are installed.” The majority report included information on sidewalk projects since 2009.
The Gladys Avenue project saw just 53 percent approval among residents, while later projects, including on Belden, Dorchester and Babcock avenues, enjoyed support from at least 70 percent of the block.
But committee member and 2nd Ward Alderman Bob Dunn issued a minority report calling for just “greater than 50 percent” of a block's residents approving the change. He expressed concern that the policy changes supported by most of the committee would have stalled most of the city's recent sidewalk projects had they been in effect.
Dunn acknowledged that the Gladys Avenue situation was less than ideal, but he said he didn't want to set policy based on one case.
“We needed to act, but I don't think we needed to overreact,” Dunn said.
Other alderman said that assuming non-responsive residents were against sidewalks was also overreacting.
“Why isn't a 'no' response a 'yes' vote?” asked 3rd Ward Alderman Mike Bram.
As a comparison, 4th Ward Alderman Kevin York noted that 5th Ward Alderman Chris Healy was absent that night, but he was simply counted as “absent” on council votes.
The current sidewalk policy calls for the city and residents to split the cost of installing a sidewalk requested by that block. Fifty percent of the property owners on a block must sign a petition saying they are willing to participate in the program. Residents pay half of the bill, based on their home's equalized assessed valuation, through the creation of a special service area, which is administered by the county as part of a property owner's tax bill.
The city will then hold an open house on the project, at which time an estimate for that block will be provided. Then, a survey is sent to all property owners on the block. If a majority approves the plans, the sidewalk will be installed. If there is not majority support for the sidewalk, the plan is terminated but can be revived after two years.
First Ward Alderman Paula Pezza and 2nd Ward Alderman Norman Leader asked the committee to rethink the current sidewalk policy. Committee chairman and 6th Ward Alderman Jim Kennedy told the council Monday that three issues are driving the policy change: The need to promote neighborhood harmony while pursuing sidewalk installation, inefficient use of city staff time and the need to make sure all block property owners were involved in the process.
According to a map provided in the committee report,As a professional manufacturer of China ceramic tile, the areas currently without sidewalks are on the north side, specifically the neighborhoods around Berens Park and Crestview Park.
Most of the members of the Public Works and Buildings Committee wanted to change the percentage of residents on a block needed to move any sidewalk project forward from 50 percent to a two-thirds majority, and also count a lack of response from a property owner to a sidewalk proposal as a “no.MDC Mould specialized of Injection moulds,” First Ward Alderman Diane Gutenkauf said she believed that since the city was asking residents to pay a portion of the installation costs, it was imperative to get a strong majority.Full-service custom manufacturer of precision plastic injection mold,
Churning in the background of the discussion Monday was the 2009 sidewalk installation project on Gladys Avenue that caused much divisiveness and influenced how many alderman consider any policy changes. According to City Council minutes from June 7, 2010, residents followed the city sidewalk policy, but there were divided opinions on the need for sidewalks, as well as technical design difficulties that increased the initially proposed cost. In the end, sidewalks were approved for the eastern half of the north side of Gladys.
Both reports presented Monday noted that “it was very important to keep harmony in neighborhoods where sidewalks are installed.” The majority report included information on sidewalk projects since 2009.
The Gladys Avenue project saw just 53 percent approval among residents, while later projects, including on Belden, Dorchester and Babcock avenues, enjoyed support from at least 70 percent of the block.
But committee member and 2nd Ward Alderman Bob Dunn issued a minority report calling for just “greater than 50 percent” of a block's residents approving the change. He expressed concern that the policy changes supported by most of the committee would have stalled most of the city's recent sidewalk projects had they been in effect.
Dunn acknowledged that the Gladys Avenue situation was less than ideal, but he said he didn't want to set policy based on one case.
“We needed to act, but I don't think we needed to overreact,” Dunn said.
Other alderman said that assuming non-responsive residents were against sidewalks was also overreacting.
“Why isn't a 'no' response a 'yes' vote?” asked 3rd Ward Alderman Mike Bram.
As a comparison, 4th Ward Alderman Kevin York noted that 5th Ward Alderman Chris Healy was absent that night, but he was simply counted as “absent” on council votes.
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