Rochester City Council Approves Annual Fee For Sidewalk Repairs

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Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - The cost of repairing and replacing damaged sidewalk panels in Rochester will no longer fall on the individual property owner.

The Rochester City Council voted 6-1 last night to move forward with the development of a new Sidewalk Improvement District program. It calls for dividing the city into six districts, with property owners in each district assessed an annual fee to cover the cost of sidewalk repair and replacement projects throughout that district. It's estimated the cost will be around $57 per year, although that could vary depending on the scope of the projects needed to address sidewalk repairs in an individual district.

The City Council also voted to adopt a cost-sharing plan for the installation of wheelchair curb cuts to meet ADA requirements with the property owners in each district and the city splitting the bill 50/50.

Under the new plan, the city will identify and mark problem sidewalk panels for inclusion in the next round of sidewalk repair and repair projects for that particular district. The property owner will be asked to maintain the markings by adding a new coat of spray paint when the original paint begins fading.

The city's previous sidewalk repair policy required property owners to hire and pay a contractor for the work or have the city take care of it with the cost attached to the owner’s property tax bill as an assessment that would have to be paid off within five years. As part of a transition plan, property owners who recently paid for or were assessed for sidewalk repairs will not be required to pay the new annual fee for the next seven years.

Fifth Ward City Council member Shaun Palmer cast the lone vote against adopting the new Sidewalk Improvement District plan. He noted that many property owners in the area of the city he represents were hit with large bills for sidewalk repairs this year and exempting them from paying the annual fee for the next seven years would only make up for a small fraction of the amount of money they been forced to pay.

Councilmember Palmer will appear as a regular guest on the Rochester Today show next Monday (Nov. 21, 2022) after the 11 AM news on News-Talk 1340 KROC-AM and 96.9 FM.