GENEVA — Last fall, City Council approved a nine-month moratorium on enforcing the city’s sidewalk ordinance, which puts the responsibility of maintenance on the property owner. The moratorium was approved to give the city time to examine potential policy changes after hearing concerns from over 50 homeowners who received notices that they needed to repair their sidewalks or that the city would do so.

There were suggestions of selective enforcement, as many of those receiving the letters were homeowners in the same area. The city denied that was the case, but added that the letters sent ordering sidewalk repairs followed complaints from one pedestrian.

The nine-month moratorium is over, and city residents cited last fall are getting new letters, said Steve Chilbert, who went to last Wednesday’s City Council meeting to express concerns. He said the letter was “basically the same letter as last year: ‘You have 60 days to repair your sidewalks.’” The only difference: This time, there was no language that the city would do the repairs if the homeowner didn’t, and a 50% surcharge was not mentioned.

The letter was a disappointment, Chilbert said.

“We were a little bit excited (prior to opening the letters) to see what it had to say, expecting it to be, ‘We had the meetings. We applied for the grants, and this is what we’ve come up with,’ where instead it was the same exact letter as nine months ago,” Chilbert said. “The only thing that has happened is nine months have passed. … So here we are, nine months later and nothing has changed except now the (cost) estimates are more. My mother’s corner lot — $15,000 last year was the estimate. That has gone up.”

With “higher costs and really no resolution,” Chilbert urged Council to meet on this and have discussions and “come up with something.”

Actually, City Council did follow up with the issue after approving the moratorium.

Assistant City Manager Taylor Youngs, who researched possible options, provided some to City Council at a meeting in October:

Maintain the current sidewalk policy, but improve communication methods with homeowners.Maintain current policy but offer “targeted financial assistance” for hardship cases.Make sidewalks part of the city’s capital improvement program, just like streets.

Ultimately, Council took no action following her presentation, and City Manager Amie Hendrix confirmed that to the Times in a March story on sidewalk snow removal and repair issues on Exchange Street.

Council did not respond to Chilbert at the meeting, but Mayor Jim Cecere told the Times Friday the city will look for potential assistance for homeowners having difficulty affording sidewalk repairs.

He said Council has reaffirmed “the existing sidewalk policy, which puts the responsibility for the maintenance on the property owner. This decision keeps Geneva in line with the vast majority of other municipalities in New York. However, City Council isn’t blind to the financial burden these repairs can place on our citizens. We have heard those concerns from those who are struggling to meet these requirements.

“I’m asking our city staff to look at grants or other state-level opportunities to see if we can help provide financial relief. The city itself is not in a financial position to provide assistance. This will take time, however, and it’s not a guarantee that we will be successful.”