(BLOOMINGTON) – Property owners in Bloomington are responsible for the repair and maintenance of the sidewalk(s) adjacent to their property, according to the Bloomington Municipal Code (§12.04.010).
Toward this end, the City of Bloomington makes funds available for owner-occupied residential properties within designated areas to complete the repair of the sidewalk(s) adjacent to their property.
Owners of property located within federally designated Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) boundary areas whose adjacent sidewalk has been determined to be in poor condition have been notified of their eligibility to participate in the City’s 50/50 program, which matches City funds with the property owner’s contribution.
Property owners may confirm their eligibility by entering their address into a search box on the City’s website. Applicants must have owned and occupied the property prior to application submission.
Property taxes must be current at the time of application, or the property owner must be on a verifiable payment plan with the Monroe County Clerk’s Office, and applicants must not be delinquent on taxes or other debt owed to the City.
In the coming weeks Street Division staff will inspect sidewalks that have been determined to be in need of repair to verify their condition and mark the portions of the sidewalk rated as poor. Property owners who are eligible for matching funds are encouraged to complete an online application.
Hard copies of the application are available in the Department of Public Works administrative offices in Suite 120 at City Hall (401 N. Morton St.). Applicants chosen for participation in the program will be matched with vetted local contractors.
Preliminary determinations of eligibility were made by overlaying CDBG boundaries over an inventory of all the City’s sidewalks rated as good, fair, or poor, as illustrated here.
Pavement condition information for the City’s entire 234 miles of the street network was generated in early 2018 and is available at the City’s B-Clear site. Thus far in 2019, 1550 linear feet of sidewalk on West Howe between Walker and Maple Streets have been replaced through the Sidewalk Repair Assistance program.
More information about the Sidewalk Repair Assistance Program is available at 812-349-3410 or public.works@bloomington.in.gov.
