A product invented in the 19th century, concrete, somehow
befuddles us in Gilroy at the beginning of the 21st.
We assess no blame to the city councilmembers of days past who
approved the planting of the liquid amber trees which ruined our
sidewalks.
A product invented in the 19th century, concrete, somehow befuddles us in Gilroy at the beginning of the 21st.
We assess no blame to the city councilmembers of days past who approved the planting of the liquid amber trees which ruined our sidewalks. At the time, they seemed ideal, with low water requirements, swift growth and excellent resistance to hot climates.
They were not. These trees resulted in the ruination of our sidewalks, curbs and gutters in many areas of our city. That is, however, irrelevant to the current issue, which is “how shall we fix them?”
The city has stumbled over this issue for at least a decade and five elections – the only time that sidewalk repair seems to be a hot issue. How long should a known problem, with a known solution, fester? How long should it be before a permanent solution to the problem, absent occasional patches like the 50/50 city/homeowner matching funds program, is found?
The answer: the time is long past. With the comments and solutions proposed by a recent city task force (oh, how government yearns for task forces) formed to study the problem, we see little change in the wind.
Putting more money into the 50/50 problem is something; so is shifting future liability for repairs to homeowners, as most cities now do.
But it is not enough, and nothing should be satisfactory save sidewalk repair funded by the same entity that made the mistake that broke them. “You broke it, you fix it,” is fair.
This issue consistently displays modern municipal thinking. The city has liability insurance against lawsuits for slip-and-fall accidents, with a small deductible. That’s prudent financial planning.
But does that attitude display moral clarity? No. How many citizens slip and fall and don’t sue? How many disabled people can’t get around well due to lack of handicap-friendly curbs? More pointedly, how many of our citizens do not have quiet use and enjoyment of perhaps the most basic of urban amenities?
The solution? This city enjoys one of the highest municipal credit ratings in the California. That fact, coupled with four councilmembers with courage, can get the job done at once. The project should be bonded, and the payments should come from the General Fund, not a tax increase.
It will be said that the city can’t afford it, that the market isn’t right and that construction costs are soaring. Objections will be plentiful and repeated. But until one councilmember summons the courage to agendize the issue, and at least three others agree, a full and open discussion will not ensue.
Seven people decide this town’s future, not the 200 or so on the city staff. What’s taking so long? In the spirit of the season … On Bracco and Gartman and Correa and Velasco, on Valiquette and Pinheiro and Arellano …
