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Committee backs simplified sidewalk‑maintenance code and faster repairs
Summary
Delaware City staff proposed changes to city code (section 909) to streamline sidewalk repairs, emphasize city responsibility for tree‑ and ramp‑related damage, and shorten response times; committee voted to send the ordinance to council.
The Delaware City Public Works & Public Utilities Committee voted on Sept. 23 to recommend city council adopt a streamlined sidewalk‑maintenance ordinance that aligns the city’s procedures with current practice and federal accessibility guidelines.
Public Works Director Bill Perino told the committee the city’s prior Safe Walks program repaired roughly 14,000 sidewalk sections during an earlier comprehensive sweep. Staff said the code change to section 909 would formalize a simpler, more flexible process: when the city inspects a sidewalk that is the city’s responsibility, staff will arrange repairs; when the abutting property owner is responsible, staff will provide information, allow an appeal to the committee, and then set a case‑sensitive (seasonally appropriate) repair deadline before exercising resolution‑of‑necessity powers.
Perino said the city had inspected and repaired about 148 segments this summer and that most sidewalk failures are linked to street trees. He noted the need to conform with PROWAG (Public Right‑of‑Way Accessibility Guidelines) and to address discontinuities greater than a quarter‑inch where PROWAG requires accessible walking surfaces. The ordinance would keep the appeals pathway described in Ohio law and give staff discretion on timing so that repairs identified in winter are not subject to an impractical 60‑day deadline.
Perino described operational changes already underway: a faster customer‑service response (typically same day for complaints), contractors or in‑house crews used for immediate hazards, and coordination with street paving projects so ramps and adjacent sidewalks are upgraded to current standards. He said the city’s grinder tool and contractor partnerships have made it easier to offer residents a low‑cost remedy or to piggyback repairs on nearby public work.
The committee approved the recommendation to send the modified sidewalk maintenance program to council for its ordinance process. Councilman Corey Hoffman moved the recommendation; Miss Frasier seconded. Roll call: Hoffman — Yes; Frasier — Yes; Mayor Bridal — Yes.
Why it matters
Perino said the change will let staff fix hazardous walking surfaces faster and reduce the elapsed time between complaint and repair. The proposed code keeps property‑owner responsibility when Ohio law requires it, preserves the owner appeal right to the committee, and emphasizes the city’s responsibility for handicapped ramps and damage caused by street trees.
Votes at a glance
- Motion: Send amended sidewalk‑maintenance code (section 909) to council for ordinance consideration. Mover: Corey Hoffman. Second: Miss Frasier. Vote: 3‑0.
Next steps
Because the change is an ordinance, the measure will go through multiple readings and a public hearing at council. Staff said it will continue to prioritize immediate hazards and use the new process to reduce repair timelines and increase accessibility compliance.
