The Henderson City Council voted unanimously to approve the yearly resurfacing list at yesterday evening’s regular meeting.
During the discussion before the vote, member Mike Inscoe asked if the council will have a list of sidewalk repairs. Assistant City Manager Frank Frazier responded that that there is already a partial list. He added that the city now has a worker on staff who will be able to do “smaller” sidewalk repairs.
When member Mike Rainey asked Frazier when the work would begin, Frazier responded that bids need to be solicited after the council approved the list. He said that he thought the work could begin by mid-April.
Member Garry Daeke asked how much would be spend on curb and gutter repair. Frazier responded that $30,000 would be spent.
Daeke stated a concern about many sidewalks needing repairs. He noted that a quarter of a million dollars will be spent on streets, and asked if there is a formula for figuring the amount spent on sidewalks.
There is no such formula.
Daeke went on to indicate that more needs to be spend on sidewalk repair.
Rainey asked if property owners have a responsibility for sidewalk maintenance. Frazier indicated that there are shared costs when the property owner has a desire to have sidewalks replaced.
Near the end of the discussion, member Mary Emma Evans asked about the status of the Chevasse Avenue street widening project. She told members that it is hard to avoid hitting pedestrians who are coming across the tracks.
Frazier reported that the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) is in the process of relocating utility poles. He said that he had been in recent contact with the state and that the project is still “in the works”. He added that it may help if the council were to generate a document stating a desire to have the project finished.