Commission approves invitation to bid for CDBG sidewalk project after residents raise notification concerns

The Paducah City Commission on May 12 approved a municipal order directing the engineering department to release an invitation to bid for a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) sidewalk replacement project after residents raised concerns about project communication and property‑line impacts.

Philip Rowland (525 South 19th Street) told commissioners he and other neighbors were not given clear notice about where new sidewalks would be placed and said homeowners were surprised when work encroached into areas long treated as private yards. "Residents should not have to guess where their public right of way lines are while construction is actively taking place near their homes," Rowland said, and asked the city to make plats, right‑of‑way documentation and engineering plans more accessible.

Engineering staff (Greg) said the city identifies neighborhood projects and uses an email notification system and field meetings to communicate with property owners and that staff reach out directly when conflicts are expected. "Property owners are communicated with ahead of time, every one of them," Greg said, adding that in areas where a sidewalk previously existed, the work typically follows the existing alignment. Staff acknowledged that isolated contractor errors and misunderstandings may occur and committed to follow‑up with Mr. Rowland.

After discussion about outreach methods — residents proposed door hangers in addition to emails — the commission called the roll and approved the municipal order unanimously.

The invitation to bid will allow the engineering department to solicit contractors for the CDBG sidewalk replacement project; staff said specific neighborhoods are being evaluated for CDBG eligibility and that the item was timed to take advantage of available grant funds.