The City of Perry has submitted an entry to acquire a grant to improve sidewalks around the town. 

The City Council approved a submission of a Rural Innovation Grant which would assist them with the Safety Action Plan. Perry Public Works Director Josh Wuebker says that in the Safety Action Plan there will be a focus on Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) transitions on sidewalks. Wuebker tells Raccoon Valley Radio that improving sidewalks is expensive and this will help push the project forward. 

“So this is just getting the thing going. We did have Voth Engineering do a scan of the whole town that basically can lay everything out. I think we’re the first city in the United States to have our town completely scanned, which was a really big deal. So we’re trying to incorporate that into getting an ADA transition plan together, which is something that we need to do to just make more walker accessibility and make it easier for people to get around. So that’s something that it’s going to take some time, but you got to get the ball rolling sometime.”

Wuekber does not expect them to start this project until they remove all the ash trees on the right of way in the city. He expects that to be in four years. The Rural Innovation Grant would provide $50,000 with the local match coming from the same match for the SS4A (Safe Streets 4 America) Grant through the US Department of Transportation.