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Resident urges commission to let Napanee property owners keep sidewalks; $3,800 repair estimate presented
Summary
A resident asked Brownsboro Village commissioners to reverse a sidewalk-removal decision on Napanee and instead allow property owners to keep and repair sidewalks, citing an estimate of $3,800; commissioners cited attorney and Kentucky League of Cities guidance on liability and ADA compliance.
During the announcements on May 20, 2025, resident Beth Freibert asked the commission to reconsider the Napanee sidewalk removal and allow property owners to retain and repair the sidewalks if costs were shared.
Freibert said her neighbors’ sidewalks are in good condition and provided a contractor estimate of $3,800 for repairs; Matt Stampler supplied the estimate during the meeting. Freibert asked the commission to split repair costs with property owners rather than remove the sidewalks.
Commissioner Maryellen Howley responded that sidewalks are owned by property owners and raised concerns about Americans with Disabilities Act compliance. Howley said the Kentucky League of Cities had cautioned that if the city opted to repair sidewalks, that could create an ongoing city responsibility. Ethics Administrator Dana Lindley said the city proceeded with the removal-and-cost-split option because the city attorney cautioned that both the property owner and the city could be found liable if the city undertook repairs.
Howley also clarified that the city is covered under liability insurance for incidents related to sidewalks owned by property owners, but commissioners discussed the implications of taking on future repair responsibility if the city offered to pay for repairs.
The transcript records inconsistent spellings of the resident's name (Friebert and Freibert); this article uses the spelling "Freibert" as that form appears in the meeting’s announcements section. The record does not show a formal motion or vote to change the Napanee sidewalk decision.
Next steps recorded in the meeting minutes indicate no formal reversal of the prior decision at this session; the matter remained a topic of citizen request and commissioner discussion at adjournment.
