Elmhurst To Chip In More For Sidewalks
ELMHURST, IL – Elmhurst aldermen voted Monday to foot more of the bill for sidewalks in neighborhoods that petition for them.
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In so doing, they replaced a two-decade-old policy that one alderman called a failure.
Under the new policy, the city would cover three-quarters of the costs, with residents paying the rest. Previously, the city offered to pay half.
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Now, at least 60 percent of residents on a block must approve a sidewalk petition, but the threshold drops to half with the new policy. The new policy also calls for only yes and no votes to be counted; previously, non-responding residents were tallied as no votes.
Under the old policy, Elmhurst received 41 petitions for sidewalks, according to the city. Only five succeeded, and none since 2009.
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Most of Elmhurst has sidewalks. But large parts of northeast Elmhurst are without them. The northwest side has areas in the same situation.
Aldermen Marti Deuter and Mike Brennan said they liked the proposed policy, but argued to keep the city’s cost-share at 50 percent.
Deuter said the city lacked the money to cover 75 percent. Proposed sidewalks for a block of Glade Avenue would cost $213,000, but the city only had $50,000 in the budget for cost-sharing this year, she said.
Responding, Alderwoman Emily Bastedo said even at the current threshold, the city’s portion would be $142,000, well over the budgeted amount.
Alderman Jacob Hill said the current policy is a failure.
“I can’t see how anyone in good conscience can vote for it the way it is,” he said. “It’s 20 years of mostly failure.”
Hill also said the city’s process has created a lot of animosity. That’s because residents work hard on petitions to no avail, he said.
Alderman Michael Bram, who has dealt with the sidewalk issue for two decades in his northeast Ward 3, said the new policy would be a step in the right direction.
With any cost-share policy, he said, the city is essentially asking residents to pay for a public asset they do not own.
He also said the city has spent $50 million over the last decade on stormwater work.
“The majority of that wasn’t on this side of town without sidewalks. We were able to find $50 million because it benefits the community as a whole,” Bram said. “We are obligated to do the best for every resident in our town.”
Brennan asked the City Council to approve the policy, but amend it to keep the city’s cost-share at half. He and Deuter were the only ones who voted for that change.
After that, Brennan said he would join the majority in supporting the proposed policy as written.
The vote was unanimous. Aldermen Guido Nardini, Noel Talluto and Jennifer Veremis were absent.
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