City officials assessing damaged sidewalks

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BROOKINGS – Plenty of sidewalks in Brookings were damaged by falling and uprooted trees during last week’s derecho. 

But who repairs the sidewalks is dependent on the location of the tree that caused the damage.

Sidewalks damaged by public shade trees will be replaced/repaired by the city, according to a news release from the City of Brookings. Damage caused by private property trees is the responsibility of the homeowner to repair/replace.

“The Brookings Engineering Division is currently assessing damage to sidewalks throughout town. The city is asking residents to report any sidewalk damage to Engineering by calling 605-692-6629 or emailing bhenning@cityofbrookings-sd.gov,” the new release says.

Residents who believe damage was caused by trees on their private property are asked to:

• Reach out to the City Streets Division and it can assist with making the damaged area safe until you can repair the sidewalk.

• You may request that the city add the damaged sidewalk to its sidewalk assessment project for this year. Call 605-692-6629 or email bhenning@cityofbrookings-sd.gov for more information. Due to the volume of repairs already needed this year, the city’s contractor will not get to all of these repairs until later this year. 

• Speak with your homeowner’s insurance company to see if the damage is covered by your policy. 

“The city will make every effort to repair the damaged sidewalks in a timely manner, but due the number of repairs needed, this will take some time to perform. Your patience is appreciated while this work is being completed,” the news release says.