The north and east of Fairfield are to be the focal points of this year’s sidewalk repair program.
Fairfield implemented the program in 1994 to inspect and repair all the sidewalks in the city on a rotating basis, every four years. The city pays for the repairs out of the general fund. Public works personnel identify and mark the sidewalks to be repaired in what Mike Snyder, a Fairfield councilman, called a “very orderly process”.
The city commits to spending $290,000 each year on the repairs, through a contract it renews each year with various contractors. The winning bid this year came from Adleta Construction, a Cincinnati company. Property owners who will be affected by the repairs are notified by certified mail, and informed they have 60 days to either hire an independent contractor to make repairs, or have the city’s contractor do so.
If they choose to have the city fix the sidewalks, property owners have to reimburse the city, which they may do by paying an invoice, or by having an assessment added to their property taxes, which they may pay off over a five-year period.
The city might work with a flyer printing company to create a mailer for residents that explains the process and the fees that will be collected. This could also suggest alternate routes for pedestrians who will be affected by the work.
