Council orders sidewalk repairs for fiscal-2025 hazardous-list properties after public hearing

East Lansing — The City Council on Tuesday approved a resolution ordering the repair of sidewalks identified in the city’s fiscal 2025 hazardous-sidewalk project list.

The issue was the subject of a public hearing under Ordinance 12-06; staff said certified and regular notices had been sent after a prior meeting identified an incorrect date on the original mailing. No residents appeared to contest the repairs during Tuesday’s hearing.

Steven Clayton, a project engineer in the Department of Public Works, briefed council on the hazardous sidewalk program and its procedures, including the city’s adopted evaluation criteria and the administrative-review process that allows property owners to contest listings before council consideration.

Motion and vote: Following the staff presentation and the public-hearing period, the council voted 4–1 to adopt the resolution ordering repairs for the addresses on the attached list. The roll call vote was recorded as: Altman — yes; Meadows — yes; Watson — no; Mayor Pro Tem Singh — yes; Mayor Brookover — yes.

Payment and schedule: Staff explained the payment process during the meeting: the city will bid and construct the sidewalk repairs, then issue invoices to the affected property owners. The charge is billed as a special assessment and may be paid over three years under the program; property owners received a notice of the “not to exceed” amounts in the earlier mailings. Clayton told council the work would likely be scheduled for late summer or fall and that final invoicing would occur after project completion.

Authorities and process: Council opened the hearing under Ordinance 12-06, which governs the hazardous sidewalk program and the city’s process for notifying property owners and ordering repairs. City staff confirmed they had re-sent certified mail and regular mail to property owners after discovering the earlier notice included an incorrect council date.

What happened at the hearing: No speakers came forward during the public comment period on this item; council members asked staff clarifying questions about the timing of the mailings and whether approving the resolution tonight would materially change the schedule versus acting at the May 20 meeting. Clayton said a later vote would primarily affect schedule timing and that staff had received no inquiries in response to the certified mailings.

Officials and speakers: Steven Clayton, DPW Engineering; Joseph Callahan, DPW project engineer; Councilmembers Ian Altman, Mark Meadows, Sarah Watson; Mayor Pro Tem Singh; Mayor Brookover.