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Council hears plan for sidewalks and street projects; city coordinates with water district on lead-line replacements
Summary
City staff outlined sidewalk and street capital work for the coming year, identified savings tied to state curbing projects, and said the water district is responsible for replacing lead service lines on private and public portions where grants permit.
City staff told the Fort Thomas City Council that the proposed capital program prioritizes sidewalk replacement, full-depth street repairs and coordination with the water district on lead-service-line replacements.
The staff presenter (Speaker 2, City staff (budget presenter)) said the administration wants to dedicate a specific sidewalk-replacement fund this year rather than relying on ad hoc repairs. “Historically, we've kind of just found money for the sidewalks, but that's something that I want to dedicate this year,” the presenter said, adding that the state’s agreement to install curbing on Grand Avenue freed local money to accelerate sidewalk work on U.S. 27.
Why it matters: staff said curbing work by the state can reduce local capital costs because the city would otherwise need to add curbs and address water-flow problems linked to missing curbs. The presenter also flagged full-depth street replacements planned for Dixie and nearby blocks — work that had been delayed pending potential water-line replacement by the water district.
Water-line responsibility: when councilors asked who pays for water-line replacement, the presenter said the water district pays for its system replacements. He explained the water district sought federal grant funding to pay to replace lead service lines that run from the street into private property, noting the district identified “a couple of hundred” service lines in town that may contain lead. The staff member said the district did not receive the grant last year and requested more time to seek federal money to reduce residents’ costs.
Operational detail: the presenter said doing full-depth street work before private-side lead-line replacement can disturb lead and “push more lead through,” which is why the city coordinates schedules with the water district. No formal action was taken; staff said they will continue coordination and bring cost estimates back to council.
