Ephraim launches comprehensive sidewalk safety initiative

EPHRAIM—The Ephraim City Council has approved the Sidewalk Management, Maintenance and Inspection Program, designed to create a systematic approach to identifying hazards and repairing defective sidewalks.

The program also calls for a master plan to add sidewalks in high-priority areas where they are missing.

In addition to sidewalks, the program covers curb ramps, crosswalks, walkways in parks and at public facilities, and city-owned parking lots and trails.

At a meeting Wednesday, July 17, Ephraim City Manager Katie Witt told the city council that Ephraim currently has about 35 miles of sidewalk valued at about $12 million.

But that’s a far cry from having sidewalks on every street. Community and Economic Development Director Bryan Kimball said new sidewalks cost about $75 per linear foot.

“I do want to caution you that we have a lot of sidewalks that could use a lot of help,” Witt told the city council. “…But also, we don’t have all the funds that we would like.”

Witt said the impetus for the sidewalk program came from the Utah Local Governments Trust, an organization of Utah cities that provides property and liability insurance for its members.

“Traditionally in Ephraim, the property owners have maintained their sidewalks,” Witt said. “The Trust is now saying, ‘That’s too bad, because at the end of the day, if somebody gets hurt, they’re not going to go to the homeowner. They’re coming to the city.'”

During public comments, Cameron Nielson, director of Golden Skyline Assisted Living, gave an example of the risks associated with missing or damaged sidewalks.

Nielson said a Golden Skyline resident was traveling in an electric wheelchair on a sidewalk on 300 North near Jose’s Restaurant. Suddenly, the sidewalk came to an end.

His wheelchair tipped over, Nielson said. An ambulance was called, and he was taken to the hospital. Fortunately, he wasn’t seriously hurt.
“They’re ‘city’ sidewalks,” Nielson said, “and the city should take responsibility for them.”

The sidewalk program has several components. The first is an asset inventory, which maps sidewalks, trails and other infrastructure while documenting the location and condition of each segment.

“We have a company right now that is going to do an inventory of all 35 miles of sidewalk,” Witt said.
Other steps include regular inspections of sidewalks and related infrastructure, along with a condition rating system that will be used to prioritize repairs.

“Citizen sidewalk complaints would be logged, inspected within 24 hours, assigned a risk level and tracked through resolution,” the sidewalk program document states.

Finally, all findings and actions related to sidewalks will be tracked and documented in a Geographic Information System, or GIS. That includes “inspections, hazards, photos, work orders, repair types, completion dates, and crew or contractor information.”

Councilman Bud Powell, a former Provo city attorney, said injuries arising from damaged sidewalks were one of the thorniest liability problems he dealt with in his former job.

“I love it that we’re putting together a plan,” he said.

He added that from a legal perspective, “Spray paint is our best friend. If we are aware of a problem and we paint it red, we absolve ourselves of legal liability until we can fix it.”

One challenge in Ephraim is that, in the past, developers were not required to install sidewalks with new homes. They are now. The result is that on some streets, sidewalks exist in front of some properties but not others.

Councilman Loren Steck said he knew of a location where sidewalk was installed in front of a new house. But if you ride a bicycle along the new sidewalk and continue straight ahead after the sidewalk ends, “you end up in the ditch.”

Kimball said when he started working for the city in about 2007, the city budget for sidewalks was $2,000 per year. Over the years, the budget increased, first to $10,000 and, in the past couple of years, to $50,000.

“Some major sidewalk projects have been completed…We’ve been chipping away at it,” Kimball said.

“But I cannot tell you that we’re going to be able to have perfectly safe sidewalks in ‘X’ amount of years,” he said, “unless you want to take out a bond and redo all the sidewalks. I wish I could say (something) different.”