Parlier council presses contractors on sidewalks, walkway lighting and roundabout timing; staff gives timeline updates

Residents at the Feb. 5 meeting pressed the council on sidewalk repairs, a dark pedestrian walkway and delays in a planned roundabout.

Juan Cano, who said he lives on Parlier’s East Side, told council that sidewalks where broadband work took place remain uneven and patched more than six months after repairs and that walkway lights have not worked since installation. “It’s dark,” Cano said, adding he had reported a stolen car left in the unlit walkway.

Staff acknowledged repeated attempts to repair the walkway lights and said they had contacted the manufacturer and tried battery replacements but the units are likely out of warranty. “We’ve been working with public works trying to salvage them, but we’re maybe at the point where maybe I can bring it to council to replace them,” a staff speaker said and pledged to provide cost estimates.

On sidewalks, public-works staff said contractors must patch more than 800 locations citywide and that the new contractor specializes in concrete work; staff asked for and is awaiting a final repair schedule and said they will hold the contractor to it once provided. Council asked staff to secure a schedule and to bring a workshop or consent item as appropriate.

Council also received an update on a planned roundabout: staff said Caltrans had cleared right-of-way approvals and that environmental authorization and construction approval were expected within two weeks; staff said construction timing will be coordinated with schools and transit providers and that the city intends to provide about a month’s notice before major work begins.

Other public-works updates included towing-vendor application processing (five packets received; one complete; target to be online by March 1, pending supplemental documents) and a Veterans Park redesign that staff plans to bid later to avoid disrupting little-league season.