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Resident urges action after child injured at school crosswalk; city says crossing guards are school district responsibility
Summary
A Hermiston resident told the council that a child was seriously injured at a crosswalk in front of a school. City staff said installing a streetlight would be costly and that school crossing guards are the responsibility of the school district.
A Hermiston resident told the City Council on Jan. 20 that a recent collision at a school crosswalk left a child seriously injured and urged the city to take steps to improve crossings near the school.
"My name is Michael Gibson. I reside at 497 East Highland Avenue...yesterday morning, my HR lady got a phone call that her son was hit at a crosswalk in front of the school. He sustained serious injuries and isn't currently in the hospital now," Gibson said during the public‑comment period.
Councilors and staff said they share concern but outlined limits on the city’s authority and budget. City officials said installing a new streetlight is expensive: "It's been being talked about for a very long time. Unfortunately, the the cost of putting in a streetlight is very, very high," City Manager Mark Smith said. He added that placing crossing guards would fall to the school district rather than the city.
The council did not take formal action at the meeting. Smith said the city is "very sensitive to the fact that that someone was hurt" and asked Gibson to continue reporting safety concerns; he also suggested the school district is the place to address crossing‑guard staffing.
No subsequent agenda item or formal direction to staff to fund or install safety infrastructure was made during the meeting.
