By Shelby Stewart
Staff Writer
Brandon Twp.- On Nov. 4, the township board voted 5-0 to postpone a second reading of the sidewalk maintenance ordinance until cost could be found for removing or repairing the sidewalks on East Glass Road. Treasurer Terri Darnall and Trustee Bob Marshall were absent with notice.
“I can say I voted no to start with because I didn’t think there was enough notice on it. We were just given it the week before the meeting about the sidewalks and then it went through first reading fine and then it hit the newspaper and the residents found out about it,” said trustee Dana DePalma. “I have no problem with saying ‘hey, you need to maintain them, you need to clear them, they need to be passable, but if these are falling apart and you expect the residents to fix these sidewalks, I’m just not sure I agree with that.”
The ordinance in question would make maintenance and repair of township sidewalks the homeowner’s responsibility. Residents spoke with the township about the state of disrepair of the sidewalks on East Glass and that it would need a lot of fixing.
“CDBG funds put those sidewalks in, it wasn’t a burden on the township, and the township’s never done anything to maintain them, which I think is incorrect,” said Clerk Candee Allen. “It’s great that we get our federal dollars for the community but just like anything we use those funds for, we have to maintain. It’s a gift, is how I look at it.”

The sidewalks were originally put in in the 1980s for students attending Belle Ann Elementary school, though the township board is questioning the usage of the sidewalks now that the elementary school closed in 2013.
More research will be done as to costs before a second reading is done on the ordinance.