The city of Edina highlighted its sidewalk maintenance operations in a recent episode of "On The Job," featuring City Manager Scott Neil learning about ADA-compliant sidewalk repairs from maintenance worker Matt Batty.

Batty, who works in the Public Works Department's concrete streets division, demonstrated the city's use of modern technology to assess and repair sidewalk hazards. The city employs a Deep Walk application that uses laser camera technology to identify cross slopes, running slopes and trip hazards without manual measurement tools.

The maintenance process prioritizes repairs based on severity levels indicated by color coding, with black representing the most severe issues and green indicating acceptable conditions. Batty said he targets a minimum of 15 repair spots daily during summer months, focusing first on the most critical safety hazards before addressing less severe problems.

Tree roots represent the primary cause of sidewalk damage, according to Batty, who has 14 months of experience with Edina after working 26 years in commercial construction. The city recently purchased specialized grinding equipment with vacuum systems to minimize dust and debris during repairs, allowing work to be completed in-house.

During winter months, Batty transitions to sidewalk snow plowing using trackless machines. The maintenance program aims to ensure sidewalk accessibility for residents with disabilities, families with strollers and all pedestrians throughout the community.