12/06/2004 Meeting Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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Regular Council Minutes 12-6-04 Page 10 • A motion to authorize an expenditure in the amount of $4,500 to Midwest Land Clearing (for tree clearing between North Commons Blvd. and Highland Road) Mrs. Mills, seconded by Dr. Parker, made a motion to authorize an expenditure in the amount of $4,500 to Midwest Land Clearing (for tree clearing between North Commons Blvd. and Highland Road) Council President Buckholtz asked, any discussion? Mr. Marquardt said I have some concerns on that path relative to safety and security. I still am concerned about the pathway that is crossing Highland Road about 500' away from an intersection- how we will handle crossing that? Plus the fact that we are now clearing a path through an unprotected open area-what type of security or safety precautions do we have for people that are going to use that path. Once we start clearing it, it becomes a path. I would suggest that we wait and see what the whole plan is for this pathway before we implement anything. Council President Buckholtz asked, this is for clearing between North Commons Blvd. and Highland Road? This is crossing the road? Several people said no (not crossing the road.) Council President Buckholtz asked, are we doing anything further with that right now? Mayor Rinker said no but it will eventually. This seemed to be a good way to at least rough out a pathway and get people used to the idea. The idea was to minimize the expenditure and frankly, I think most people recognize that when it gets dark or at other times when it gets inclement, that they wouldn't make the decision to put themselves into danger. I think eventually we will look at designing lighting and safety features for our whole pathway system. Dr. Parker asked, what responsibility will the Village have once we've cleared that? With kids going through-they are naturally attracted to things like that. Ms. Calta said I wouldn't call that an attractive nuisance-there is something called an attractive nuisance-but that is a pathway or a trail. I mean you have a bike path through the community with relatively little incident-- Mr. Marquardt said that was on S.O.M. Center Road where you had lighting and infrastructure and traffic and controls running-- Ms. Calta said this is going to be situated in a different location, I will agree with you on that but as far as a standpoint from the Village; there are numerous immunities granted to the Village including recreational immunities and that would be. where the trail would fall. So there is no liability; I would look at it from the standpoint of whether it is open and clear and you can walk through a nature trail. That is, at this point, what it would be. Like when you go to the Metroparks and you walk on a nature trail, a lot of the nature trails are not lit or---- Dr. Parker said there are rangers there that patrol---