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BY FRED PETKE

Sun Reporter

A proposal would create a fund and unit pricing for homeowners to replace their crumbling sidewalks, particularly if they have been subject to code violations.

Winchester’s engineering technician Daron Stephens said the city was moving ahead on replacing and redesigning the wheelchair-accessible ram at the corner of Main and Broadway streets. Rather than bidding the project as a whole, Stephens suggested getting unit prices for each of the materials, including concrete. Those unit prices, he said, could then be passed on to property owners, who are responsible for their own sidewalks.

There would be three options, he said. Property owners could fix the sidewalks themselves, use the city contract price and pay up front while splitting the mobilization costs with the city, or financing for six months if the cost is less than $500.

“What we’re trying to do is get as many … fixed across town,” Stephens said.

Doing it by unit price, he said, should be more enticing to companies to take on some of the smaller jobs.

City Manager Mike Flynn said the offer was intended to help those with sidewalks in disrepair or those who have been cited for violations.

Winchester Mayor Ed Burtner said the commissioners had not received the documentation, and scheduled it for further discussion and a possible vote at the March 16 meeting.

The commission also approved a request for Winchester Police Patrolman Terry Cockrell to participate in the Travis Manion Foundation’s Spartan Leadership Program.

Manion was a first lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps, who died to protect his patrol in 2007 in Iraq.

The program, according to the foundation website, is open to veterans or families of those killed in combat to work toward empowering those while making positive changes in the community.

Cockrell told the commissioners he wanted to teach leadership and character to local children.

Being accepted to the seven-month program is competitive, and Cockrell said he has already been accepted and interviewed.

The commission approved his participation and associated out-of-state travel unanimously.

In other action, the commission:

• heard a presentation from tourism director Nancy Turner about providing information to local short-term rental properties and owners about paying the county’s transient room tax, which funds the tourism program.

• accepted the resignation of Janet Murphy, single role EMT.

• approved the promotions of Alex Belcher, Travis Thompson and Zach Conlee from patrolman III to sergeant.

•hired Brett Foley as communications officer II.

• approved Arcorp LLC as the city’s third party administrator for its self-insured health plan.

• adopted a resolution to participate in a Department of Local Government program for utility cost payments.