Committee moves 2025 sidewalk assessments to Council and authorizes 2026 tree-focused sidewalk project to go to bid

The Public Ways Committee on Feb. 9 advanced two sidewalk items to the full Council: an ordinance authorizing special assessments for property owners tied to the 2025 Sidewalk Program, and a separate request to advertise, receive bids and award contracts for the 2026 Sidewalk Improvement Program focused on tree-related repairs.

Engineer Glenn Davis explained the 2025 assessment process: property owners are responsible for maintaining sidewalks and those that chose not to repair were notified; the City carried out repairs and now seeks authorization to levy assessments for those owners. The Committee unanimously voted to send the 2025 assessment legislation to Council.

On the 2026 program, Davis said the city will focus this year on tree-related sidewalk repairs and tree removals, a process that is City-funded rather than assessed to property owners. "This year the plan was to address those sidewalk issues that were tree related," Davis said, and the approach avoids the time-consuming assessment process for those segments. Committee members asked whether dispersing tree-related work across the city rather than concentrating on a single neighborhood could reduce contractor efficiencies; staff said they would revisit options but recommended the tree-focused approach for 2026.

Actions taken: the committee moved both pieces of legislation to the Council agenda and recommended the Director of Public Service be authorized to solicit bids for the 2026 program.