OpenCDA

February 29, 2008

Does Your Voice Count?

Filed under: Cartoons,Jimmy Barona Cartoons — Jimmy Barona @ 10:25 am

stakeholders-both.jpg

12 Comments

  1. Is Jimmy B from Queens? His drawing of the Coeur d’Alene Stakeholders Club bears some resemblance to the Bergin Hunt and Fish Club in Ozone Park. But maybe it’s just my imagination.

    Comment by Bill — February 29, 2008 @ 2:03 pm

  2. Could be, Bill. He’s a reader who wants to express his views in a visual format. I think they’re great.

    Comment by mary — February 29, 2008 @ 2:17 pm

  3. I believe you’ll find several Stakeholder’s Clubs in Coeur d’Alene. One is in Border’s books between 10:00 and 11:00 am on most weekdays, another is about the same time at the Ironwood Starbucks.

    Comment by Dan — February 29, 2008 @ 2:21 pm

  4. I read in this morning’s Press that the city is determined to force property owners to replace/repair sidewalks. Perhaps the city could free some of the rainy day monies to accomplish this task. Utilization of city Street Department personnel would provide uniformity in the construction and the city would control the cost and bear the financial burden/responsibility.

    Comment by Susie Snedaker — March 4, 2008 @ 12:58 pm

  5. The city ordinance that requires homeowner’s to maintain and repair the sidewalks in front of their property is bizarre to me. The city owns it, not the property owner. Even more interesting are the double-frontage lots, like in Bentwood Park. Who is responsible to maintain and repair those walks?

    This issue has been brought up at city council meetings. Mike Gridley mumbled his usual song and dance and had no definitive coherent response to the question. Yeah… we’ll get back to you on that!

    I would personally love to see the city take some old lady to task over this, who in turn challenges it in court and wins. Wouldn’t that be fun?!

    Does anyone know if this issue has ever been challenged in court… anywhere?

    Comment by Damn Yankee — March 4, 2008 @ 1:27 pm

  6. I believe there is plenty of historical reference that shows where the City has been inconsistent on sidewalk policy in the past. If someone were to legally challenge them on ownership, the case would prove interesting.

    Comment by Dan — March 4, 2008 @ 2:25 pm

  7. I just saw this on the news. So does the city have specific code/guide for folks to repair their sidewalks? That’s awful – sure glad I don’t own a sidewalk – I would replace mine with buffalo chips. Jerks. What are they trying to do? Remove liablility from the city if someone trips on a nasty crevice? Is this what other cities/town do?

    This reminds of a wierd ordinance that I heard Clark Fork,Idaho enacted – where you have only a specific time to have Christmas Lights up. Can you just see a city enforcing that ordinance or someone suing the city because they believed in Christmas all year long?

    This is so Idaho. Stupid things like this are what we are known for – it gets us in the news. Not that long ago female topless nudity used to be okay in Moscow, Idaho because there was NO ordinance against it(Land of law and lawyers) Girls were holding topless carwashes in residential neighborhoods to pay the rent. It was a national joke.

    The three were arrested, although the subsequent legal fight ended with the city’s ordinance being struck down as too vague.

    Too bad I don’t own a sidewalk – I would be testing that one ASAP.

    Comment by Stebbijo — March 4, 2008 @ 5:31 pm

  8. Stebbijo,

    The City of Coeur d’Alene is spinning this story. The City is saying that sidewalks have to be made ADA compliant, and that is true. What the City isn’t saying is why. It isn’t because the US Department of Justice has filed a complaint alleging the City’s sidewalks have harmed someone in violation of the Americans With Disabilities Act, though the City is doing nothing to correct the misimpression. So the City is going to make homeowners bring their sidwalks into compliance at the owners’ cost. For a detailed (but not too informative) explanation, go to this webpage on the City’s website. If you really want to get steamed, click on the link that takes you to the FAQs.

    Comment by Bill — March 4, 2008 @ 7:54 pm

  9. OMG – this is beyond a person’s common sense. My guess is most folks who are disabled would not wish this on a homeowner. Some of them cannot even afford a decent motorized wheelchair or one that is decently padded to prevent decubitus and we/the city are enforcing sidewalk law in order to place a lien on private property so the city – in reality can own it?

    The city might as well add an ordinance that says all residential structures have a wheelchair access ramp built from the sidewalk to the door. Same thing – city sidewalk and the disabled want safe access/conditions?

    Yeah – I am steamed. This is ridiculous.

    Comment by Stebbijo — March 4, 2008 @ 9:16 pm

  10. Spokane Community Development City Funds are matched one to one for new sidewalks and sidewalk repair in Spokane. Our neighborhood inventories needed sidewalk repair and then submits a list to the city and the city hires the contractor and oversees the sidewalk repair. What does CDA do with its Community Development Funds?
    I realize that CDA folks get their backs up when offered comparisons to how Spokane does things BUT maybe its time for CDA to learn from its neighbors.

    Comment by Kathy T — March 4, 2008 @ 9:53 pm

  11. Kathy, Thanks for the information. I will check on Community Development Fund applications with the city. I wonder if those are the funds that the city granted to St. Vincent’s.

    Comment by Susie Snedaker — March 4, 2008 @ 10:16 pm

  12. Kathy T,

    Thanks for asking that question. It’s a good one. When CdA was talking about applying for a HUD Community Development Block Grant, some private citizens asked if the CDBG funds could not appropriately be used for sidewalk compliance. I don’t know if they ever formally asked the question or received an answer.

    Susie,

    Once (and if) you get a response from CdA, maybe it would be a good topic for Mary’s newsletter. It could also be posted here.

    Comment by Bill — March 5, 2008 @ 8:20 am

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