Sidewalks throughout Lincoln Township have been newly inspected and will get repairs starting in the spring, thanks to the efforts of Township Supervisor Glenn Youngstedt, staff, and technology.

Youngstedt tells us the traditional way of inspecting the sidewalks involved walking on them with a clipboard to note where repairs will be needed. But when he recently decided to undertake the project, he thought he’d use his bike. The township assessor and a staff member at the building department found a way to make it easier.

“So I said, well, I don’t want to carry a clipboard when I’m riding my bike,” Youngstedt said. “So I asked him, I said, ‘Could you create an app with that?’  And John and Jacqueline came up with this thing.”

Youngstedt says with the app, he could see a map of all parcels in the township and select the ones in need of sidewalk repairs, adding a note about what kind of repair is needed. He says that made conducting the inspections a lot easier.

“I got me out of the office. I got to ride my bike. It was a nice day. What’s not to like about that? And we got it done.”

Youngstedt says it took about 22 hours over a few weeks.

This is the first full sidewalk inspection done in the township in several years. Youngstedt says the cost of the sidewalk repairs will be split between the township and homeowners.