Bainbridge will wait on sidewalk repairs

Friday, November 16, 2012

BAINBRIDGE -- For the past couple months the Bainbridge Town Council has discussed the possibility of repairing the cracked sidewalks running along Main Street downtown.

At the November meeting on Wednesday council members decided that because the sidewalks are privately owned it is best to wait and take no action.

Sidewalks running north and south along Washington Street will be repaired and, in some places, installed next year and the council is hopeful they can expand that to the sidewalk on Main Street as well.

The town was awarded a Safe Routes to School grant earlier this year, which provides financing for sidewalks that allow children to travel to and from school.

Bainbridge Elementary, located on Washington Street, currently has no sidewalks that approach it.

The council, and assistant utility superintendent Troy Elless, believed it would look better, and likely be less expensive, to wait until the Safe Routes to School sidewalk is built and work on the Main Street sidewalks at the same time.

Downtown changes remained the focus for the council during the meeting.

Council members decided against adjusting parking realignment, which was brought up in October.

They also opened discussion on closing the alley directly west of the Bainbridge Tap.

Council member Bonnie Osborn asked town attorney Jim Ensley to examine procedures for shutting down an alley in town.

Although it doesn't appear to be so, the less than 10-foot wide, unpaved path is a town alley.

Osborn said the owner of the Bainbridge Tap is hoping to close the alley so the bar could potentially expand service outside.

A decision was not made, but the council seemed receptive to the idea and asked that more research be done.

In other business:

* North Putnam superintendent Dan Noel thanked the council for allowing the school to purchase the old Bainbridge police car for $1.

* Elless recently used extra blacktop to pave around the exercise equipment at East Point Park

* The council discussed the possibility of reimbursing a resident who had his property damaged during repairs to the storm sewer along Washington Street earlier this year.

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