Council member Kitty Klitzke outlines sidewalk inventory and funding considerations at District 3 town hall

Council member Kitty Klitzke opened a District 3 town hall saying residents raised concerns about sidewalks and that the city is working to better document and address sidewalk gaps and repairs. "We had a run through about what we're doing to inventory our sidewalks and understand our situation and how we are handling enforcement of the code around sidewalks currently," Klitzke said.

A staff member at the event said the central goal is to collect detailed information on where sidewalks are missing or damaged so the council can shape an effective program. "What we're really trying to do is get more information about our sidewalks, more information about what they look like, where there are missing pieces, so that city council really can use that information to help us deliver a program to address the concerns that we saw," the staff member said.

Klitzke also told attendees she was watching developments at the state level. "What the state legislature is looking at for potential funding mechanisms to address our system wide sidewalk programs," she said, indicating that any new funding options would affect how the city prioritizes repairs and fills gaps.

The town hall included time for constituent questions and Klitzke encouraged continued public input on sidewalks and funding priorities. She closed the session with a practical reminder for immediate maintenance needs: "If you see potholes, you can call 311 to get them patched."

The meeting did not record any formal motions or votes; staff described the effort as data-gathering to inform future policy options and possible funding requests to the state. The next procedural steps would be for staff to complete the sidewalk inventory and report findings to the council so members can consider program design options and any funding requests to higher levels of government.