Shores updates sidewalk program policy, relieves property owners of costs

ST. CLAIR SHORES — At its meeting on April 20, the St. Clair Shores City Council voted 6-0 to approve a new sidewalk replacement policy.

Councilwoman Candice Rusie was excused for the meeting. 

According to items attached to the agenda, the city has charged residents for sidewalk repairs or replacements adjacent to their property. Expenses were included in the general funding under the engineering section, the item stated. 

“With changes in revenue sharing reducing General Fund revenue, reallocating road funding, administration is proposing to fund the sidewalk program through Act 51 funds. The city can use Act 51 funding for nonmotorized transportation (sidewalks),” the agenda item said. 

This means the residents will not be billed or be responsible for their sidewalks for normal wear and tear for as long as the funding exists. 

“This does not include if there are any root damage as well that is covered under this program,” City Manager Dustin Lent said about new language suggested at the meeting. 

The funding will come from the State of Michigan. 

Lent said the city is divided up into 10 sections and it will continue to be like that. 

“But outside of those 10 sections we also still get complaints and or issues outside of those areas,” Lent said. 

He said individuals call about trip hazards. 

Let also said they intend to continue the normal sidewalk program and to expand upon the pilot program last year which utilizes a saw cut and saves money. 

Councilman John Caron said at the last state budget, a significant shift happened with funding. They received an increase in funding for roads and there are limited things they can spend it on. 

“What we’re doing here as a council tonight is deciding going forward, rather than the sidewalk program that was majority being directly funded by residents through billing, you know, if you had so many slabs of sidewalk, you’re getting billed for each one of those slabs, that we’re going to move those expenses over to local roads Act 51, to be paid for (through that),” Caron said.  

He also said that the residents will no longer be receiving assessments for sidewalk replacement. 

“Hopefully that eases a lot of angst, that several council members over decades have had to go out and look at,” Caron said. 

The new funding cannot cover sidewalks retroactively. The funding starts in 2026 with District 2 at the south end of the city. 

Rusie said in a phone interview she thinks residents are grateful and happy to not bear the financial cost of replacing damaged sidewalk sections. 

“I wish we could have done this in previous years; however, it wasn’t financially available to us like it is now,” Rusie said. 

She said this should be the policy going forward as long as the state keeps providing the funding. 

Rusie said they’re happy they could do this for the residents. In previous discussions, the council had overwhelmingly positive feedback. 

“We know the financial hardships have not been easy for a lot of our residents, so we’re really excited to be able to cover these now,” Rusie said.