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Sidewalks/Crosswalks get full discussion, action by council The Columbia City Council took care of regular business on the agenda in the first ten minutes of Tuesday night's hour long meeting. With no Citizen comments, the rest of the meeting was devoted to improvement of city sidewalks and crosswalks. Greensburg Street resident Mary Ann Loy brought a picture of where the city has been and where it is today. Her statements to the council follow: Text of Mary Ann Loy address to City Council, 8 Sep 2015: After the March council meeting, I decided if I was going to be an effective advocate for a more walkable town, I needed to understand the past and how we got to where we are today. I began by reading the minutes of all city Council meetings from 1983 to the present. The council focused on the various main arteries leading on and off the Square throughout those years. Three areas that receive repeated attention but have still not been fully realized are: 1. Sidewalks/crosswalks connecting LWC campus to the Jamestown hill commercial area 2. Sidewalks/crosswalks connecting Adair County schools to existing sidewalks on Green Street 3. Sidewalks on Dillon Street to connect Longhunters to Greensburg Street As commercial activities expanded to the top of Jamestown hill in the 1970s and 1980s, extending sidewalks in that direction became importing for residents and Lindsey students. When the two shopping centers were built sidewalks were part of the development plan. And in 1991 the city built a sidewalk from 5-Star to Hurt Street. Now, with the acquisition of a grant to build sidewalks from LWC campus along Young Street to Jamestown Street and the sports complex on Russell Road -- and appropriate crosswalks -- a long-held goal may be achieved. According to Mark Coleman, who is coordinating this project, the plan is 75% outlined. Sidewalks to the schools have a more involved history. In 1988 the council budgeted $12,800 to complete sidewalks from Dillon street to the schools on the north side of Greensburg Street. The plan was to divide the work over two fiscal years, beginning at the Board of Education building. However, it was 1992 before that first portion of sidewalk was installed. The cost was $3,746.90 quite a bargain by today's costs. In August 1995 the council returned to the need to complete this project. However, despite persistent pushing by council members -- particularly Larry Marshall, Louise Hutchison and Bob Barnes -- throughout the next nine years no results were realized. Into 2005, another push to finish the project surfaced. The city and schools jointly applied for a grant of $94,000 to finish the sidewalks out Greensburg Street and run sidewalks out Dillon Street to Longhunters. The city was awarded the grant but failed to execute the plan so the grant was forfeited. After this review, you may wonder why I believe better results can be achieved. We all know that Public Works is not an easy task. It requires patience, persistence and focus. But I do believe we can do much better. We have to have better results for at least three very important reasons. Increasing obesity, diabetes and heart disease among Kentuckians make good diet and exercise a goal toward which we should all work. Walking can be a part of that, and is for many. There are regular walkers where I live. I also believe every community has an obligation to provide safe sidewalks for students. It shouldn't take 30+ years to build a sidewalk a few blocks. And it is going to sound like an old refrain, but safe sidewalks are one component of a community's "curb appeal." In the 2006 comprehensive plan it is an important part of every category of assessment. There is an epigram on the outdoor sign at Adair County middle school that states: Begin with the end in mind. To me, in this instance, it means you begin with a goal and develop a plan to achieve it. Identify where we are, where we want to go, and how we are going to get there. And then, you get people to help you. And planning should start now. Being prepared ensures a much greater chance of success. All of us know Public Works is not an easy task. It requires convincing people to share a little of your vision for a better community in which to live and work. And it means finding creative solutions to obstacles that develop along the way. But I grew up a UK football fan, so being optimistic is part of my DNA. My request of you tonight is to establish a planning committee to focus on sidewalks and crosswalks. We will begin right away and report periodically to the council. People who have offered to serve with me are: Jimmie Harper, Edwin Taylor, Mikki Flowers and Debbie Cowan. Alan Reed and Pam Hoots have offered to consult when appropriate. I am sure others will make important contributions as we work toward Our goal. And ultimately, as our local government body, you will have to act. What do you say? End of Mary Ann Loy text. A lengthy discussion followed, ending in a motion to appoint Loy's committee, with the mayor's addition of Dr. Ronald Rogers. The motion was made by Charles Grimsley, seconded by Linda Waggener, and the vote was unanimous. This story was posted on 2015-09-09 06:02:37
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