Since 1989 the City had assumed that responsibility in response to citizen complaints about damage to sidewalks caused by public street trees. The City has spent an average of $30,000 a year on sidewalk repairs, which has left a substantial backlog of damaged sidewalks.

To address citizen concerns that the new plan for sidewalk maintenance places an undue burden on homeowners in older neighborhoods, it was decided that sidewalks constructed in the last 15 years would immediately become the property owner's responsibility, but sidewalks older than 15 years would be fixed by the City before being handed over to the property owner.

Salem Transportation Services Manager Mark Becktel said the City is moving on this new plan fast.
"Letters will go out to property owners. Construction efforts on older sidewalks will begin soon."

South Central Association of Neighbors Chairperson Claudia Howells doesn't agree with the approach taken by the City.

"The City has a list of repairs going back years. You'd think they'd get fixed first," she said. "The City has no engineering standards for sidewalks, so some of the newer sidewalks are as bad as the old ones. I don't think the solution was terribly imaginative."

For many who disagree with the new plan, it is a question of what is fair for all Salem residents.
"There are some serious equity issues," Howells said. "Property owners are left with a burden that is not fair. It's a community-use facility -- these are public thoroughfares. We all use them. It's no benefit to me to have a sidewalk; they are there for the benefit of the public."

Mayor Janet Taylor announced an exception for schools when the plan was voted on and this has raised further concern about equity.

"These kinds of exceptions will lead to problems," Howells said. "I'm on the board of a homeless shelter, how are nonprofits like them going to pay for sidewalk repairs?"

Councilor Laura Tesler who voted against the new sidewalk repair proposal has similar concerns.

"There are a lot of people like the elderly on fixed incomes," Tesler said. "They take out liens against their houses to pay their taxes. How are they going to pay for sidewalks?"

Tesler believes sidewalks should be the responsibility of all residents.

"Everybody uses sidewalks. They're for everyone's safety, everyone's enjoyment. It [the new repair plan] further enhances this strange way of thinking: `I don't use the schools so I don't want to pay for them. I don't use the library so I don't want to pay for it.'"

Salem voters rejected a proposal in 2003 that would have cost each household $2.46 a month to build sidewalks, install street lamps and plant curbside trees. Tesler believes such a proposal needs to be revisited.

"I'm not afraid to say we need to have a tax where everyone pays for the sidewalks," Tesler said. "Why is that bad to talk about?"

Councilor Bruce Rogers who supported the new repair plan said most cities rely on property
owners to repair sidewalks.

"It was a tough call for me but I do think the end result was fair. It will take some time to work out and we will have opportunity to review how it's working and can make future changes."

The council will have some future financial decisions. The cost of repairing sidewalks older than 15 years still presents a huge impact on the City budget.

"One thing I am sure of: this issue will come to the public's attention again at a future time," Rogers said.