San Carlos clarifies sidewalk repair rules

The additional rules set in motion a sidewalk repair program the council approved last spring, which most notably shifted up to 50 percent of repair costs for eligible projects to the city in response to complaints from residents, who were previously responsible for paying for the repairs. Councilmembers also budgeted $60,000 toward the program, opted for an increase in the sidewalk repair threshold to three-quarters of an inch of sidewalk displacement from one-quarter of an inch and advised city staff to stop visibly marking areas in need of repair when they put the program in place.

But repairs under the city’s program have been on hold since the council approved it last spring due to turnover in the Public Works Department and a need for further clarification on the rules, according to city engineer Grace Le. Because sidewalk defects related to remodel and redevelopment projects can be related to construction activity, staff recommended repairs done for those projects not be eligible for reimbursement in the city’s program, said Le.

She added that projects completed by private contractors are more difficult to verify and can be more expensive than if the city’s contractor were to work on them and recommended that repairs completed before Jan. 1 are deemed ineligible for reimbursements.

With an existing backlog of 324 properties with sidewalk defects to repair, city staff would have a better idea of how much to budget for the repairs once the program resumes, said Le.

Though councilmembers agreed with the additional rules, Councilman Mark Olbert wondered if the program would prevent residents from working with the city contractor on repairs that may not be eligible for reimbursement through the program. Le said residents would be allowed to work with the same contractor on repairs outside the program.

Le also reassured councilmembers that those whose repairs are completed would be reimbursed in a timely manner, and that staff would come back to the council should the $60,000 dedicated to the program annually were to be spent before the year’s end. Councilman Ron Collins asked if a cap would be put on the amount in funds dedicated to a specific project to ensure staff could address a certain number of them, acknowledging some may require large portions of the $60,000 dedicated to the fund. City Manager Jeff Maltbie said staff had discussed a cap, but ultimately couldn’t identify a limit that would be fair to homeowners incurring high costs because they have more sidewalk on their properties, such as those owning corner lots.

Noting staff would be evaluating repairs and that the city could revisit the program budget in the coming months, Maltbie and Collins agreed a cap on reimbursements would not be necessary.

“This is earthquake country,” said Maltbie, according to a video of the meeting. “It’s really no more their fault than it is the city’s fault that a crack develops in a sidewalk.”

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