The quality of work and the design of sidewalks in the city’s current downtown revitalization project were discussed during last week’s regular Clarendon City Council meeting.
Aldermen were particularly concerned with some thresholds of businesses that are not accessible despite accessibility being one of the goals of the project.
Engineer Ethan Johnson said the grant requires sidewalks to be accessible but accessibility to buildings is not necessarily required.
Alderman Ashlee Estlack pushed back wanting to know why the standard seems different from the first project in the 100 block of Kearney compared to the second and third projects in the 200 and 300 blocks. She said every building in the first block is accessible, but she found seven that were not accessible in the next two blocks.
Johnson said in some cases it has to do with ramping from the intersection and doors being too close to the ramp and in other cases he said that he was limited in the design but restricts on how high steps can be for the sidewalks.
“It doesn’t look like the same city did the 100 block and the 200 and 300 blocks,” she said. “Business owners have been left with a mess in some cases.”
Estlack also distributed pictures she had taken down and expressed dissatisfaction with the quality of work in the 200 and 300 blocks in several cases.
“Excuse my language, but this just looks like Fido’s ass in some places,” Estlack said.
Alderman Brittney Sanne said one area of the concrete work near the library “looks like my kid did it with Playdoh.”
Johnson said some areas can be addressed on final inspections and said a portion of the contract won’t be paid until the city is satisfied and inspections are met.
In other city business, the city approved a motion to pay for a $143,000 northside water improvement project out of reserves after financing options would have caused the price of the project to balloon. The city will now move forward with the next steps of the project which aims to improve water quality for several households in that part of town.
City officials also discussed cleaning up an area of White Street and what might be done to prevent illegal dumping in that area.
The council approved a resolution calling for a city election in May to elect three aldermen. The expiring seats are currently held by Aldermen Chelsi Shadle, Tom Thompson, and Chris Topliff.
A request for funds from the Donley County Senior Citizens Center’s home-delivered meals program was approved for $1,000.
A plan for additional stop signs in the city was presented but dropped by the council.
The council also met briefly in closed session to discuss City Secretary Machiel Covey but took no action upon returning to open session.
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