"Sound Your Horn!"

The late Ed Kelley, Elburn Police Chief during my first term, used to refer to the Kane County Chronicle's weekly "Sound Off" column as "Sound Your Horn." He said that "Sound Off" was more about making noise than solving problems.

Lately, an anonymous caller has been complaining to "Sound Off" about the general condition of Elburn's sidewalks. While I believe that everyone, including this caller, has a right to their own opinion. I do not believe that in this case the "facts" of the matter are being presented fairly.

Here are the "facts" about Elburn sidewalks. Last spring, at the specific request of the village board, our engineering firm surveyed the entire community to evaluate the general condition of our village sidewalks.

The engineering staff estimated that over $300,000 of sidewalk repairs were warranted. They also prioritized the recommended sidewalk repairs, and mapped these locations for future reference.

In August, our village board, realizing that this situation was going to take a multi-year effort to address, decided to commit $75,000 of general capital funds to begin the repairs. In September, one year's worth of repairs were bid out, and a low bid was accepted and awarded.

Unfortunately, due to weather concerns, a decision was made to defer the actual start of construction until next spring. Interestingly enough, many of the initial repairs are in fact slated for the older southeast side of Elburn. And, that seems to be the area the "Sound Off" caller is concerned about.

I would also like to point out that all of this information was repeatedly reported in the local press before the sidewalk caller began to contact "Sound Off."

Which really makes me wonder? Why call "Sound Off" about something that is already being addressed? Why lash out at public officials that already agree with you, and are doing something about your problem?

It seems to me that it is just too easy to blame others in the newspaper. It is a much more challenging task to actually work together to find and implement solutions. I ask Elburn residents to be patient, and to give us a chance to start the phased repairs on our sidewalks.