Marblehead seeks money for sidewalk repairs

MARBLEHEAD – Selectmen will place a $750,000 sidewalk repair and replacement program before the voters in May to correct damage caused by tree roots.On separate motions by Selectman William Woodfin, the board voted unanimously Wednesday to use the money to pay private contractors to accelerate the town’s existing $10,000-$15,000-a-year program, provided town officials can come up with a prioritized plan for the money by Town Meeting.Woodfin spoke at length on his motions, stating that a capital program of $500,000-$1 million would cost the average homeowner $8-$16 a year if funded by a debt exclusion override, the current economy could stretch the amount of work the town got for its money and the work was needed to make key sidewalks passable."I see a number of people in wheelchairs going down the middle of streets," he said. "This is a structural need we’ve neglected and it’s an issue we’ve got to begin to address."This really is a walking town."Selectman Judy Jacobi suggested naming a study committee to examine the problem and come up with a plan for the 2011 Town Meeting.She and Selectman Harry Christensen pointed out that Town Meeting will be faced with several debt exclusion items this year, including the Pleasant Street traffic upgrade, the transfer station replacement and the Glover-Eveleth School construction.However, both joined Acting Chairman James Nye in supporting the motions. Selectmen Chairman Jackie Belf-Becker was absent Wednesday.