Committee continues discussion of sidewalk‑repair assistance for tree‑root damage; no program adopted

The University Heights Building and Housing Committee continued discussion of a sidewalk repair assistance program to address lifting and damage caused by city trees and other city‑related work. Committee members reviewed preliminary violation counts, cost estimates, and program design options but did not adopt a formal program; they plan to revisit the item at a future meeting.

Housing Director Markel Davis reported a staff run of exterior maintenance citations (May 1–Aug. 8) showing 88 citations for sidewalk-related issues and 86 citations for replacement of deteriorated sidewalk blocks in that period; staff noted those counts reflect citation lines and may not equal the number of individual sidewalk squares. Davis said leveling a square can be expensive and that a ballpark replacement/repair total for all cited blocks could be substantial.

Service Director Alan Pennington described variability in market prices. Pennington said in the past new slabs ran near $500 a few years ago and that a reasonable current ballpark for a replaced slab might be “somewhere in the ballpark” of up to $7,800, while leveling methods differ and costs can vary. Committee members offered a range of local contractor estimates during discussion: respondents mentioned leveling costs from about $400 to $2,400 per square in anecdotal exchange and replacement costs that were sometimes lower than leveling depending on contractor practices.

Committee members discussed program scope and cost‑sharing options. Options under consideration included: limiting the program to sidewalk squares damaged by city trees (not sewer or private causes), splitting costs with residents (50% was discussed frequently), capping number of slabs per property (one past program capped at three slabs), and pursuing a volume bid so contractors could schedule and lower unit costs. Some members opposed a slab cap on fairness grounds. Other topics included whether the city’s tree maintenance fund could cover part of the program, whether the program should require an application and timeline for residents to opt in, and how finance and housing staff would handle billing and administration.

Committee members and staff flagged several operational issues that would require work before launching a program: establishing a reliable inspection process to determine whether damage was caused by city trees, securing contractor bids for a defined list of addresses, setting a clear budget (and whether the program will be first‑come/first‑served), and coordinating timing to avoid higher seasonal prices and to align with spring construction windows.

No motion was made and no vote occurred on program adoption. The committee agreed to continue the discussion at the next meeting after staff completes the address list, clarifies the citation/square counts, and refines cost estimates and potential budget parameters.