Ad hoc Sidewalk Committee to Pause Recommendations Pending Townwide Survey

The Town of Farmington ad hoc Sidewalk Committee agreed Wednesday to delay formal recommendations on changes to the sidewalk ordinance until results from a newly funded townwide community survey are available.

Committee member said the committee "really can't do anything with the ordinance until we do a public survey, which has now been funded by the council." The committee discussed presenting a short summary of outstanding questions and their public-facing presentation to the Town Council in May and then pausing committee actions while the survey is conducted.

Chair proposed recording the committee's presentation and making the video available on the sidewalk committee web page so residents who do not read the ordinance can watch a concise explanation. "If people go there to get information and they're not really reading the entire ordinance, at least they can watch that," the Chair said; staff confirmed the public information office could link the recording.

Members and staff described the survey as a substantial undertaking. Participants said a professional firm should design the instrument and sampling method to ensure representative results and avoid reliance on an unscientific website poll. Staff noted similar recent local efforts — including a high-school referendum survey and a 1928 Building survey — and warned that survey procurement may require an RFP and time to build a broad outreach strategy.

Committee members described the likely timeline as roughly a year for the community-survey process and said the committee would likely reconvene in spring 2027 to review results and consider recommendations. They discussed forming an expanded volunteer survey committee in July with work beginning in September and promoted broad outreach to ensure a geographic and demographic cross-section of respondents.

On funding and project structure, members said a grant recently obtained would cover installation work and that, under the town ordinance, residents are responsible for maintaining sidewalks once installed. One committee member said the planned approach would not levy assessments on homeowners for this project but identified that the town manager has authority to recommend which sidewalks to install and how to finance projects; residents affected by any assessment must receive certified notice under the ordinance.

Votes at a glance: The committee approved minutes from Feb. 10 and Feb. 19 during the meeting; specific vote tallies were not recorded in the transcript. The committee also moved and approved adjournment at the meeting's close.

The committee recorded correspondence from several residents and noted Sarah Burns's submitted comments. Members asked staff to prepare an FAQ packet and a shortened presentation for the May council meeting that would summarize what the committee still does not know and how the survey will address those questions. The committee adjourned after confirming next steps.