A meeting of the Drainage, Roads, Buildings and Lands Committee will be held at the Oregon municipal building at 7 p.m. on Aug. 22 to discuss installing sidewalks along Navarre Avenue from Coy to Lallendorf roads.

“I think it’s appropriate that we are responsive to our citizens who are calling for sidewalks,” Councilman Doug Walendzak, chairman of the committee, said at a council meeting on Aug. 8. Walendzak said notices on the matter have already been mailed to affected property owners.

“I have talked to a few of the landowners to discuss the matter beforehand, but I think it’s appropriate that we at least are responsive to our citizens who are calling for sidewalks, we can discuss it and see where it can go,” said Walendzak.

Councilman James Seaman said some notices should go to nearby property owners who would also use the sidewalks. “Why not let some people in adjacent areas know about it so they can have some input, too?” asked Seaman.

“Just for some clarification,” said Public Service Director Paul Roman, “last year we had sent notices to property owners on the north side of Navarre, and I believe it went from Coy to Lallendorf. I am assuming we would invite that same group that we sent the notices to.”

Seaman asked Roman if notices could be sent to property owners living nearby.

“The property owners, obviously, are very important. No question. But people who live in adjacent territory, why not let them know about it?” asked Seaman.

Roman said it was just a matter of costs.

“Where do you draw the line?” asked Roman. “I don’t mind, but there’s a cost when we send notices out, and I want council to be aware of that. I don’t mind if you want both sides of Navarre, go East and West from Coy and Lallendorf, too. I think it’s just a matter of where you want to draw the line?”

“I would leave it to your discretion,” said Walendzak. “You’re obviously more in tune with what is going on in the areas that would be affected. I’m not here to micromanage. I’m here to let you do what you think is best for our citizens.”

Roman suggested using One Call Now - a service Oregon contracted with last year that allows the city to notify households by phone of weather emergencies or important events - to let the public know about the matter.

“We could use it to focus in on a certain area. Not the entire city, but for the areas that we think may have a lot of walkers that use Navarre. That would be another way of doing it.  That’s what One Call Now is for. It can be simply limited to people in those areas,” said Roman.

“If the administration feels it’s appropriate, we can go along with that,” said Walendzak. “People have to understand just because we have a committee meeting doesn’t mean we’re going to take action at this time. But we want to be responsive to the citizens that are calling for that.”

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