by Tess Wolfe
Reporter
Munroe Falls -- City officials are implementing a sidewalk improvement program for the second year in a row.
Last year, inspections and repairs took place in District 1, the north central section of the city. This year, sidewalks in the northeast quadrant, known as District 2, are being addressed.
The city sent letters to District 2 residents in April to inform them of the process of inspection, repair and payment.
Residents are required to fill out the form included with the letter, indicate the method by which they will repair or replace sidewalks designated by the city for correction and submit the completed form to the city by June 10. If the city does not receive a reply form from a property owner whose sidewalk has been marked with a green or orange dot, the city will fix the sidewalk and bill the owner.
If, by June 30, citizens do not complete the work to correct a designated sidewalk by hiring registered contractors, doing the repairs or slab replacements themselves or hiring the city to fix them, then the city will do the work and bill it to the property owner.
The main goal of the program is to decrease flaws, cracks or unevenness in sidewalks, according to the city Web site.
"I went to the worst areas in need of repair in the city last year," said Ken Freiman, building and zoning inspector who conducted the on-site sidewalk inspections. "[Repairs] are much less this year."
According to Service Director Larry Valentine, 234 sidewalk slabs require leveling to be brought to the city's standard of no more than a half-inch deviation in height, while 444 slabs will be replaced.
In addition to the sidewalk repairs, the city is preparing to implement street repairs.
The city will begin seeking competitive bids May 27 for street repair contracts. Unlike the sidewalks, the city will pay for repairing the streets. The engineer's estimate for paving and concrete repairs to streets is $358,622.
Approximately $120,000 will go toward asphalt repairs, while approximately $230,000 will go toward concrete repairs. Street paving is scheduled to be completed by Aug. 15, according to Valentine.
For more information, call Munroe Falls City Hall at 330-688-7491 or go to www.munroefalls.com.
E-mail: twolfe@recordpub.com
Phone: 330-686-3916