High Springs Vice Mayor Bob Barnas reported that he tripped over the car-shaped bike rack in front of the Chamber of Commerce, calling it a hazard.
HIGH SPRINGS – The bike rack issue continues to cycle through the City of High Springs as Vice-Mayor Bob Barnas requested the names of volunteers who installed the decorative racks. In a Monday, June 25 email, Barnas said he required the names to file a report.The latest move comes despite an agreement that the racks could remain on private property as long as the property owners released the city from any potential injury-related liability.
The Community Development Committee (CDC), whose volunteers installed the bike racks, refused to provide the names of volunteers, stating Barnas had no possible reason to request such information.
According to the CDC, the committee owns all of the artistic bike racks, and it would be responsible for removing the racks if the City deemed it necessary. Crafted in the likeness of Santa Fe River animals by local artist Ted Brock, the racks were purchased using a grant approved by the Community Redevelopment Agency.
CDC volunteers installed all six of Brock’s racks around town in spots determined by the High Springs’ former city planner, Christian Popoli. A seventh rack was donated to the CDC by a High Springs business, and with City approval, placed outside of the Chamber of Commerce.
It took approximately 25 residents two weeks to finish the project, just in time for Bike Florida in March 2011, an event which draws more than 700 visitors into the High Springs area. None of the bike racks were placed on the sidewalk, said Tom Hewlett, president of the Yellow-bellied Sliders Bicycle Society, during an interview in May.
In a May 17 email, Barnas claimed he was injured April 14 as a result of one of the bike racks.
“As a private citizen, I tripped over the bike rack at the Chamber building, which is on city property. I hurt my knee and wrist. It happened on April 14, just as it was getting dark,” he said in the email directed to City Manager Jeri Langman and Finance Service Director Helen McIver.
But in a March 29 email, two weeks before the injury reportedly occurred, Barnas warned the city manager that the rack was dangerous.
Just three days before the purported injury, Barnas sent another email on the matter. He said in the April 11 email, “I think we need to refocus on things that we started, but need to finish. Bike rack in front of city hall. One gone, none replaced. Bike rack at city-owned property chamber office. I believe it is a hazard. Please consider removing it and giving back to CDC or put it in storage.”
The ongoing issue was seemingly being put to rest on May 24 when Barnas said he would prefer to compromise on the artistic racks. Raymond Ivey, the city attorney, was directed to draft a form for business owners with bicycle racks on their property to sign. The document will release the City from any liability associated with the bicycle racks if someone were to trip over a rack and then intended to sue for injury.
“There are a lot of dangerous things out on our sidewalks that people could sue us for, and if we have to worry about all of that, why have sidewalks down our streets in the city?” Hewlett said during the May 24 meeting.
After City Engineer John Morrison released a report stating the bike racks were hazardous to the public and should be removed, Hewlett offered to meet with Morrison to find a solution to the perceived problems with the bike racks located on city property.
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Email awilliamson@alachuatoday.com
High Springs Vice Mayor Bob Barnas reported that he tripped over the car-shaped bike rack in front of the Chamber of Commerce, calling it a hazard.
HIGH SPRINGS – The bike rack issue continues to cycle through the City of High Springs as Vice-Mayor Bob Barnas requested the names of volunteers who installed the decorative racks. In a Monday, June 25 email, Barnas said he required the names to file a report.The latest move comes despite an agreement that the racks could remain on private property as long as the property owners released the city from any potential injury-related liability.
The Community Development Committee (CDC), whose volunteers installed the bike racks, refused to provide the names of volunteers, stating Barnas had no possible reason to request such information.
According to the CDC, the committee owns all of the artistic bike racks, and it would be responsible for removing the racks if the City deemed it necessary. Crafted in the likeness of Santa Fe River animals by local artist Ted Brock, the racks were purchased using a grant approved by the Community Redevelopment Agency.
CDC volunteers installed all six of Brock’s racks around town in spots determined by the High Springs’ former city planner, Christian Popoli. A seventh rack was donated to the CDC by a High Springs business, and with City approval, placed outside of the Chamber of Commerce.
It took approximately 25 residents two weeks to finish the project, just in time for Bike Florida in March 2011, an event which draws more than 700 visitors into the High Springs area. None of the bike racks were placed on the sidewalk, said Tom Hewlett, president of the Yellow-bellied Sliders Bicycle Society, during an interview in May.
In a May 17 email, Barnas claimed he was injured April 14 as a result of one of the bike racks.
“As a private citizen, I tripped over the bike rack at the Chamber building, which is on city property. I hurt my knee and wrist. It happened on April 14, just as it was getting dark,” he said in the email directed to City Manager Jeri Langman and Finance Service Director Helen McIver.
But in a March 29 email, two weeks before the injury reportedly occurred, Barnas warned the city manager that the rack was dangerous.
Just three days before the purported injury, Barnas sent another email on the matter. He said in the April 11 email, “I think we need to refocus on things that we started, but need to finish. Bike rack in front of city hall. One gone, none replaced. Bike rack at city-owned property chamber office. I believe it is a hazard. Please consider removing it and giving back to CDC or put it in storage.”
The ongoing issue was seemingly being put to rest on May 24 when Barnas said he would prefer to compromise on the artistic racks. Raymond Ivey, the city attorney, was directed to draft a form for business owners with bicycle racks on their property to sign. The document will release the City from any liability associated with the bicycle racks if someone were to trip over a rack and then intended to sue for injury.
“There are a lot of dangerous things out on our sidewalks that people could sue us for, and if we have to worry about all of that, why have sidewalks down our streets in the city?” Hewlett said during the May 24 meeting.
After City Engineer John Morrison released a report stating the bike racks were hazardous to the public and should be removed, Hewlett offered to meet with Morrison to find a solution to the perceived problems with the bike racks located on city property.
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