By Jason Stuart
Ranger-Review Staff Writer
With less than two weeks left to go, sign-ups for the city of Glendive’s proposed sidewalk and curb program are going well, though city officials remain hopeful many more residents will join in before the sign-up period ends on Feb. 28.
Glendive Public Works Director Jack Rice said on Tuesday that about 65 residents have signed up to be part of the sidewalk program.
Under Glendive city code, sidewalk, curb and gutter maintenance and repair is, in most cases, the responsibility of abutting property owners.
Under the city program, property owners can sign up to have their sidewalk repaired, their curbing repaired, their gutter repaired, or all three, with the cost of the work assessed on their city taxes over the next 10 years.
Rice said it appears many of the applicants so far have checked off on receiving the full suite of offered repairs.
“Just flipping through the applications, I’d say at least half want curb, gutter and sidewalk, so I think it might be a sizeable project if it moves ahead,” he said.
Besides asking residents to sign up, the city is getting in on its own act and plans to include sidewalk, curb and gutter work alongside several city properties. Rice is planning to include sidewalk, curb and gutter work for two sides of Lloyd Square Park — along North Meade Avenue and Gresham Street — as part of the program, as well as city property at the corner of South Pearson and Raymond streets.
One thing Rice hasn’t seen yet that he had hoped might happen is entire blocks of residents banding together and agreeing to join the program. That would both help with creating long stretches of new sidewalk and curbing around town and help the city get a better deal on the contractor’s costs, as the more people are signed up and the bigger the project, the more cost-efficient it becomes for everyone involved.
“There’s a couple of neighborhoods that are trying to get something together, which right from the get-go we were encouraging that,” he said.
Whether or not the city will offer the program again next year depends largely on how this one pans out.
The city last utilized such a program in 2008, but it fizzled out because at the time, with the Bakken beginning to take off, the city had increasing difficulty finding any contractors willing to do the work.
As noted, the sign-up period for the sidewalk, curb and gutter program ends on Feb. 28. To sign up, contact Rice at Glendive City Hall at 377-3318 ext. 15.
Reach Jason Stuart at rrreporter@rangerreview.com.