To the Editor:
I was disappointed but not surprised by the announcement in the city’s recent State of the City publication about their intended push to have residents fix failing sidewalks, which the city points out are the responsibility of the homeowner, per city code (page 13 of city’s Snohomish Quarterly spring 2024 magazine).
I find this a bit rich, for a couple of reasons:
#1. This has been a problem for years, and
non-compliance has not been a priority, along with a host of other issues with private residences (sidewalks not getting shoveled when it snows, garbage accumulating in yards, non-permitted work being performed, etc.).
Picking sidewalks to focus on? That leads me to point #2. #2: The city needs to focus on their own sidewalks, which are an embarrassment and a hazard. Start with these, and then we can think about private residences. And for these, the city needs to offer some sort of city fund to help with the repairs.
They’ve let it go far too long to expect homeowners to foot the bill themselves.
Ann Koepke
Snohomish
