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Hamilton County holds first of two required public hearings on sidewalk repair assessments
Summary
The Hamilton County Board of County Commissioners held a public hearing Jan. 23 on a sidewalk repair and replacement program with an estimated project cost of $98,238, to be paid initially from the Road and Bridge Fund and ultimately reimbursed by adjacent property owners; no written objections were filed and a second hearing is scheduled in Feb.
Hamilton County commissioners held the first of two required public hearings on Jan. 23 about a sidewalk repair and replacement program that the county estimates will cost $98,238.
County Engineer Eric Beck told the board the initial outlay will come from the county Road and Bridge Fund and will be reimbursed by the adjacent property owners; some townships (Beck cited Anderson Township as an example) will pay for work within their jurisdictions. Beck said letters notifying property owners of inspections and required repairs went out in September and October 2024, and reminder notices were sent Jan. 10, 2025, about the two public hearings.
The hearing gives affected property owners an opportunity to address commissioners about repairs and potential assessments. Beck said there were no written objections on file and that staff had received only informal phone calls from property owners seeking information.
Commissioner Stephanie Summeraldon asked whether any written replies had been received; Greg Flammer, who manages the program, said no written responses had been filed and that he typically answers questions from property owners informally before the formal hearings. "It's rare that we get anything in writing," Flammer said.
With no members of the public appearing to speak, the board voted to close the hearing and scheduled the second required hearing in February. Commissioners voted unanimously to close the hearing.
If assessments are finalized after the second hearing, affected property owners will be billed for their frontage share of the repairs. The county will publish next steps and assessment amounts following the February hearing and any subsequent determinations.
Evidence from the hearing and staff statements indicates the program follows an established county process for inspecting sidewalks, notifying property owners, holding two required hearings, and assessing frontage owners if work is not performed voluntarily.
