City to Develop Sidewalk Maintenance Efforts

City officials discussed plans for a sidewalk maintenance effort in a planning session Monday, after setting aside $150,000 for sidewalk repairs in the 2011-2012 city budget in March.

Assistant City Manager Michael Dzugan presented a report in which city staff recommended the following components be incorporated in the effort: documented inventory, an inspection process, established criteria for defective sidewalks, prioritization of repair and replacement, compliant process and a financial mechanism to fund the effort.

The city stopped its voluntary program of replacing sidewalks at a 50/50 shared cost with property owners in 2009, when the city suspended the annual funding of $50,000.

Wheaton has 268 miles of sidewalk—100 miles more than city streets—worth more than $35 million, Dzugan said.

He said the city will need to determine whether city employees or contract employees would do the inspections, noting that it may not be a job for the public works department.

He added that under the Illinois municipal code, the city can mandate cost sharing for the program. The City of Naperville offers property owners a 60/40 cost share for repairs, he explained.

Councilman Phil Suess said he is not in favor of cost sharing with the property owners. “I think if we continue with the voluntary program we’re not going to see a magnitude of results,” Suess said.

“I think this is an obligation the city should take on,” he said.

Councilwoman Jeanne Ives agreed, “ … we shouldn’t do cost sharing because I don’t think you’ll get the most critical sidewalks done,” she said. She suggested a grading system for inspecting sidewalks throughout the city, to prioritize which sidewalks need the most repairs.

She also said that city employees should be able to inspect the sidewalks.

The city doesn’t ask property owners to pay for resurfacing the streets, Councilman John Rutledge said, “so why ask them to pay for the sidewalks?” However, he said, “I suppose we could do some cost-sharing, if it’s a medium problem.”

Director of Public Works Vince Laoang told council members that the Public Works Department will have interns who can survey property owners and inspect sidewalk conditions during the summer.

 The City Council meets again at 7 p.m. Monday, May 16 at City Hall.