Mount Clemens outlines $165-per-square sidewalk repair plan after residents report dangerous steps

City manager Brown told the commission the city has begun enforcing sidewalk repairs by marking damaged sidewalk squares and mailing notices to property owners who will have 30 days to make repairs themselves before the city’s contractor steps in.

“Notices have been mailed to property owners that have had squares marked for replacement, and these property owners will have 30 days to effectuate the repairs either on their own, doing the work themselves, or hiring their own contractor,” Brown said. He added the city contractor’s price for the initial phase is about $165 per square.

The update was prompted in part by public comment from resident Dolores Kaceniak, who said a postal worker nearly fell on a damaged step on Mosher and described numerous broken steps—particularly on Washington Street—where landlords are not repairing rentals. “They deliver our mail through rain, stone, everything, and they shouldn’t have to put up with these broken steps,” Kaceniak said.

Commissioner Manser asked how the city selected which squares to mark and whether residents could use the city contractor’s price if they preferred to have the work done promptly. Brown said staff targeted the most egregious examples and spread repairs throughout the city rather than concentrating in a single neighborhood. He said the program is being tried on a limited basis this season, with a possible spring expansion depending on lessons learned and budget recovery.

A staff member reported that in the current round the city flagged approximately 200 squares across about 48 properties. Brown said the work will be completed in two phases—phase one in summer/fall and phase two next spring—to allow the city to refine procedures and recover costs if property owners do not pay when billed.

Brown also said the city has sometimes allowed homeowners to participate in the city contractor program on a limited basis when they wanted all sidewalk squares on a property updated for a uniform appearance. The administration said it could consider a waiting list or a prepayment option to help the contractor plan for a larger spring workload.

The commission did not take a formal vote on the sidewalk policy during the meeting; Brown framed the update as implementation of the sidewalk program adopted in the FY2015–16 budget and described next steps for outreach and possible expansion in spring.