Keene city manager outlines street repairs, sidewalks grant and fleet overhaul; residents raise Fourth Street safety concerns

Summary

City Manager Johnny Seitz told council Feb. 6 that the city is pursuing repairs to Santa Fe Street, a federal sidewalk-and-lighting grant for Fourth Street, a speed bump for Walnut Street near a group home and a fleet-replacement analysis; residents urged action on school-area traffic and missing sidewalks.

Keene — At the Feb. 6 Keene City Council meeting, City Manager Johnny Seitz said the city has money in this year’s budget to address a badly damaged section of Santa Fe Street and is pursuing a federal grant to add sidewalks and street lighting on Fourth Street, where residents and parents say school-hour traffic and the absence of sidewalks create safety risks.

Seitz said the city is preparing a budget amendment to expand the part-time social-media contract with a part-time contractor, introduced at the meeting as Orna, and is also finalizing bids to consider moving the municipal fleet to a shorter replacement cycle through Enterprise Fleet, which could reduce maintenance costs. “I thought the average life of our vehicles was 13 and a half years. It’s actually 16 years,” Seitz said, describing an analysis that suggested moving to a 4–5 year cycle could save money.

Why it matters: Council members and residents…

Keene city manager outlines street repairs, sidewalks grant and fleet overhaul; residents raise Fourth Street safety concerns

Summary

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