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Tom Fedor/The Gazette Middletown's director of operations and construction, Bruce Carbaugh, inspects town side walks for defects along East Main Street. Middletown is preparing to notify property owners whose sidewalks need to be repaired.
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Tom Fedor/The Gazette Middletown is preparing to notify property owners whose sidewalks need to be repaired. Inspections of properties have been under way since February.

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Middletown is preparing to send out letters to property owners whose sidewalks need to be repaired.

Crews of town employees have been conducting inspections of sidewalks since February, checking for areas that create a hazard for pedestrians.

According to the town code, sidewalks may not have a vertical or horizontal crack or separation of an inch or more, a slope that creates a height difference of two inches or more in a 4-foot area, any hole wider than 3 inches at its widest area, or holes 1 inch or deeper.

The letters will be sent to every property owner in town, likely by the first week in August, said town administrator Drew Bowen.

Property owners whose sidewalks don’t need work will be told so. For others, the letters will identify changes that must be made within a year, unless it’s considered an immediate hazard. In that case, owners will only have a few weeks to change it. Residents can meet with the town staff for an explanation of what repairs are needed, Bowen said.

The town will reinspect the property after the one-year deadline, and if the repairs aren’t finished, the town will schedule a contractor to do the work at the property owner’s expense. If the costs aren’t paid, a lien will be attached to a property’s annual tax bill.

Bowen emphasized that the program isn’t intended to make homeowners replace their entire sidewalks, only the sections that need improvements.

The burgess and commissioners discussed the issue at their July 9 meeting, but didn’t reach a formal resolution.

Commissioner Jennifer Falcinelli asked that the town put together a packet that could help answer frequently asked questions for residents who aren’t familiar with sidewalk construction.

Commissioner Richard Dietrick asked what would happen if someone couldn’t afford the cost of making repairs.

That resident could likely set up a payment plan with the town, similar to customers who can’t pay their water bills, said Burgess John Miller.

“We’re not out to punish anyone here,” Miller said.

rmarshall@gazette.net