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Resident’s fall prompts immediate shaving of Baker Street sidewalk; city to explore contractor remedies and budget options
Summary
A resident reported tripping on a mismatched section of sidewalk on Baker Street. City staff and a contractor representative agreed to a near‑term shave/mill of the affected sections to reduce the trip hazard; council members asked staff to pursue contractor remedies and consider boosting sidewalk maintenance funding.
A public comment on July 13 prompted the Board of Public Works & Safety to direct an immediate temporary fix for a trip hazard on Baker Street.
Marilyn King reported tripping on a segment by 1259 Baker Street where a newly poured section sat about one inch higher than adjacent sections. Dennis Long, a longtime walker and former public‑works employee, told the board the mismatch poses a risk to other pedestrians and criticized the city’s follow‑up with the contractor.
Contractor representative Randy Wallen told the board he believes inadequate backfill or frost settlement caused the sinking and said he was not sure whether the contractor could be held to a warranty. City staff said the shaving/milling contractor is scheduled to work as soon as weather permits and sought direction on paying about $750 for the immediate shave so the city could remove the hazard before fall milling operations.
The board approved the near‑term shave to make the location safe and asked staff to pursue the contractor for remediation or warranty recovery. Members also discussed whether the annual sidewalk maintenance budget (about $5,000 this year) is sufficient and asked staff to evaluate whether increased funding or in‑house equipment would be a better long‑term approach.
City staff said they will follow up with inspections across the subdivision and identify other sites with similar utility tie‑in settlement issues. The board said it will consider budget changes and procurement options for future seasons.
