ENCORE: Waukee City Council Members Tour City Sidewalks

A sidewalk ordinance that has drawn much criticism from Waukee residents could be getting a second look by the Waukee City Council.

As part of a special work session, members of the Waukee City Council toured a handful of the properties that fell under the troubled sidewalk improvement program.

Residents Speak Up

The sidewalk ordinance got quite a bit of attention back on April 2 when more than 20 residents showed up to the Waukee City Council meeting to protest it.

According to the ordinance, "Pursuant to §364.12 of the Code of Iowa, the abutting property owner shall maintain sidewalks, parking and all other property outside the private property lot lines and inside the curb lines upon the public
streets."

Residents, many of which had received notices to repair or replace damaged sidewalks, were facing estimates of more than $10,000 to maintain the walkways in accordance with the city's ordinance.

Patch Readers Respond

In an , a majority of respondents voted for the Waukee City Council to do away with the ordinance all together.

Some of the comments from the article and Facebook discussion included the following:

"The program needs to be eliminated. The city is playing "Big Brother" to adults and we should not let it happen. It is the homeowners responsibility to maintain their sidewalk and 99% of all homeowners will and do maintain their sidewalk/property. If there is a major issue with a sidewalk and the property owners are not fixing THEN and ONLY THEN should the city step in. They (city) says they are doing this to be inline with ADA. If this is so, they need to look in the mirror and repair their streets. I have seen walk crossings where a non handicap person would have issues crossing because the street has major imperfections. Wake up citizens of Waukee and stop letting the city rule our lives. We are adults not kids that need to have our hands led by the city. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!" - Lynn Hakenson

"Why does the city call the sidewalks their own, but when they need fixed they all of a sudden belong to the homeowner?" - Dave Anderson

"No one thinks sidewalks are bad just the city or gov. making you do it with nary a care. I wonder if politicians or city council members EVER have to do something they didn't want to do but were forced?" - Darwin Larrison

What's your opinion? Do you think the Waukee City Council should do away with the ordinance? What would you want council members to take under consideration when making that decision? Tell us in the comments.