An early January incident is prompting renewed efforts to reinstall a guardrail in front of Persell Middle School.
Councilman Jeff Russell, R-At Large and chairman of the Public Safety Committee, brought the issue up once again at Monday’s meeting, noting that he has discussed this issue before and that he and Mark Roetzer, city public works director, have a difference of opinion on whether or not the guardrail needs to be put back. While Russell said he would like to see it go back, he said Roetzer’s professional opinion was that it does not need to, due to the redesign of the intersection last summer. The guardrail was removed following the renovations done to Baker Street and the corner around the school over the summer. Russell reported that Councilman Joseph Paterniti, R-Ward 4, also brought up concerns during the Public Safety Committee meeting.
“On Jan. 4 in the early morning hours exactly what I thought would happen happened,” Russell said. “A vehicle went down through the intersection, didn’t go right, didn’t go left, went up through the lawn of the school, hit a street sign and knocked that down, and that they replaced.”…