Deteriorated Sidewalk Sparks Discussion
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By MARK EVANS
STE. GENEVIEVE HERALD
How to address the crumbling sidewalk in front of Tri-County Feed & Fertilizer at 250 S. Fourth Street was one of the main focuses of the Aug. 25 Ste. Genevieve Board of Aldermen work session.
The city has insisted property owners across the city repair or replace damaged sidewalks, or it will do the work itself and put a tax lien against the property until the bill is paid.
Assistant City Administrator David Bova had recently that of 18 property owners whose sidewalks were in violation, he said that six still needed replacement.
He said he reached out to the six property owners and was able to speak to four of them.
The work on replacing the sidewalks began the week of Aug. 15, with the property owners who had not made other arrangements to be charged for the work.
Larry Viox, president of Tri-County Feed & Fertilizer, has said he does not want to invest in replacing the sidewalk when a plan is in the works to replace the bridge just to the north of his property.
The city and county worked together to successfully get a Federal Land Access Program (FLAP) grant to replace the circa 1935 bridge over the South Gabouri Creek.
Viox fears that when the bridge is replaced (supposedly in 2025), it would likely wipe out any sidewalk he had replaced.
City Administrator Happy Welch said the city sees it as a safety issue considering the deteriorated state of the sidewalk and believes it needs to be replaced regardless of the bridge project.
Welch said that Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) personnel had indicated “they’re about 100 feet into what would be the new sidewalk area.”
Viox also said that the city and MoDOT have both used his parking lot to turn heavy salt trucks around, damaging the sidewalk and that the city paving up to the edge of it has also caused damage, by causing water to flow over it.
“We’ll move forward with it,” Welch said. “The question is – and I’ve discussed this with Mark [Bishop, city attorney] – is if the board wants to do the work, Mr. Viox says he isn’t going to pay for it, he isn’t going to give us money if we send a bill to him, so it would go on as a lien. We can put the lien on the property, then you could go back after the bridge went in and reduce that lien amount.”
Welch conceded that there is about a 20-foot stretch that is on railroad right of way that would not be Viox’s responsibility. That would also be taken off the lien.
“I think he does have a case that the bridge would go in and tear it out, and I hate to put I a new sidewalk and have it torn out. It sounds wasteful. But that is the worst section of sidewalk in town – and one of ten ore highly traveled areas.”
Welch said they are “kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place.”
Ward 2 Alderman Bob Donovan wondered whether a regulation sidewalk would survive long in front of Viox’s business, since it regularly has heavy trucks going in and out. Welch said they had estimated it would need to be six inches thick.
“We do that with all driveways,” he said. It’s already figured in.”
Donovan asked whether it could be tabled until more is known about the bridge construction.
“I think you have a known hazard you’re potentially opening yourself up for a question of who’s responsible if something happens,” Welch said.
Ward 4 Alderman Joe Prince asked whether any temporary repairs could be made on the sidewalk.
“It is totally damaged,” Welch said.
“It’s unfortunate,” Ward 4 Alderman Mike Raney said. “It seems almost frivolous to me to do that without … like we should wait for the bridge construction.”
It was noted that the sidewalk the city replaced in front of city hall might be impacted by the bridge project.
Welch said the city needs to be “demonstrators” and show responsibility, when it is demanding residents do the same.
Ward 2 alderman Eric Bennett said he didn’t think 150 feet of sidewalk “would break the city.”
Welch said e didn’t think only a portion of it could be done.
Bennett replied that paving the whole 200 feet “would not be the most wasteful thing we’ve ever spent money on.”
It is estimated that 200 feet would cost about $15,000. Bennett noted that “if somebody trips and falls” on the sidewalk as it is, the city would likely be out at least that much.
The question also came up of how much of the area would be a recessed entrance for the company and how much a six-inch sidewalk, and whether Viox would get to make that call since he would ultimately be paying for it. Welch said they could discuss it with him.
Bennett asked what decision Welch wanted that night. Welch summarized the situation.
“We can either issue the lien and then go back later and reissue it or waive the first one and go back and put the next one on at the smaller amount. It would just be that amount that is undamaged, that doesn’t get replaced by the bridge.”
Bennett suggested “holding off” on the lien until they know how much they will ultimately be billing Viox.
“We’ll go down that path,” Welch agreed.
Before moving on to the next item, Bennett asked about the possibility of doing part of it in asphalt, which is less expensive than concrete, since it would be ripped out before long, anyway.
Welch said he wasn’t optimistic about that option but that he would check on it.