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DPW memo finds in-house scattered-site sidewalk crew feasible but would require six positions and additional budget
Summary
City engineers told the Public Works Committee an in-house scattered-site sidewalk replacement crew could be more efficient per property but would require adding six staff positions, startup fleet costs, and would not eliminate the backlog without increased capital funding; DPW estimated a conservative 12-year timeline to address the backlog at current funding levels.
Kevin Muse, city engineer in the Department of Public Works, presented a memo analyzing the feasibility of using an internal crew to perform scattered-site sidewalk replacement rather than contracting the work.
Muse said the approach is "doable" and could reduce per-property costs by avoiding contractor mobilization fees, but it requires additional resources: DPW recommends authority for six positions (cement finishers, helpers, repair workers and a crew leader), startup fleet purchases and shifts in budget attribution between capital and operations. Muse described the memo as conservative and said internal productivity estimates could be higher, but that the added O&M expense and year-round staffing commitments would need to be funded.
DPW told the committee it currently spends roughly $1,000,000 of capital funds annually on the scattered-site sidewalk program, and that the program has a backlog exceeding five years. Under the conservative assumptions in the memo, Muse estimated about a 12-year timeline to substantially address the backlog without further capital increases. Muse noted that some residents do repair their own sidewalks and that property owners remain responsible for sidewalks under city ordinance, typically paying about half the replacement cost unless a city tree caused the damage.
Aldermen asked for unit cost context; Muse estimated a single typical sidewalk "square" (5-foot panel) costs roughly $300 to $400 in city contract work but said total property owner costs vary. He also said the DPW memo assumes reallocation of some existing capital funding to staff costs, and that some salary expenses could be capitalized when staff work on capital projects, while other time would be charged to O&M. Committee members thanked DPW for the thorough memo and did not hold the communication.
