• A number of Ninth Avenue residents came before the council Monday night to express their concerns about the Safe Route to School sidewalk planned for Ninth Avenue. Those present were Jan Dedrickson, JJ Jenkins, Rose Waage, Brenda and Brad Waage, Carolyn and Robert Snyder, Aloise and Gene Brolin and not pictured is Richard Kolker. Around the council table starting at left and going right are Mary Fliehs, Eddy Opp, Mayor Scott Hanlon, Finance Officer Anita Lowary, Clare Brotherton, Michelle Muilenberg and Gary Heitmann.
• The residents at the meeting expressed concern that Ninth Avenue is too narrow of street to have a sidewalk. Jenkins said for the summer OST program, they could walk north on First Street and then east on 10th Avenue coming out where the four-way stop light already exists. "From what I understand, the late Mayor (Roy Olson) wanted it on 10th Avenue.
• There is no boulevard on the north side and only four to four and one-half feet of boulevard on the south side--not enough for a sidewalk with the existing driveways and garages.
• "We're not against it," said Rose Waage. "Our Avenue is just a smaller street."
• There was also some discussion about making Ninth Avenue a one-way street which would allow putting the sidewalk in part of the street. Robert Snyder said that there needs to be more patrolling of that intersection. "Someone is going to get clobbered there one of these days," he said. Mayor Scott Hanlon said, "The kids don't obey the traffic laws and that the education needs to start at home."
• The South Dakota Department of Transportation has not approved any plans for the route and construction is not expected to begin until sometime in 2015.
• "We'll keep you informed of what's going on," Hanlon told the crowd as they left.