Crossing guard program to be studied

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, March 15, 2000

They are there in the rain or snow and on sunny or gray days.

Wednesday, March 15, 2000

They are there in the rain or snow and on sunny or gray days. Armed with smiles, brightly colored vests and flags on the end of a bamboo pole, they are the people who help children safely cross busy streets. But they may either be retired or answering to a new boss soon if Police Chief Paul Philipp has his way.

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On Tuesday, Philipp asked the Austin City Council’s finance committee for permission to initiate talks with the school district concerning alternatives to the current arrangement, which has the police chief in charge of the program, the city paying nearly $12,000, and the school district paying $2,000.

"It’s a nightmare to find people who want to do that job," Philipp told the finance committee members Tuesday. "It requires a very unique time commitment," he added, referring to the 30 to 45 minutes required each morning, lunch and after school.

"I’m hoping the district and the PTCs will be willing to take on that responsibility and take over the crossing guards job."

There are four crossing guards employed by the city, posted at spots on Oakland Avenue near Banfield, the intersection of Third Avenue and 12th Street SW near Banfield, 12th Street SW near Southgate Elementary and Fourth Street near Seventh Avenue NW. Nearer the schools, the job is done by student safety patrols. In all, Philipp estimated the four serve about 75 children.

"It’s a huge pain for what we do," he told the committee, adding that there were only two substitutes available and that police officers sometimes were called in when a crossing guard was absent. He said he didn’t know exactly how those four spots were chosen either, and wondered whether the city would incur liability to provide more crossing guards at other spots.

At a recent meeting about Fourth Street NW, parents expressed strong fears for the safety of their children crossing the street, even with a crossing guard available. Several Sumner parents no longer allow their children to walk to school, preferring instead to drive them across the busy road.

This won’t be the first time the crossing guard program has been a topic of discussion between the city and the school district, but Administrative Services Director Tom Dankert is determined, at the very least, to reach an agreement on a funding formula that will work for the city. The possibility of the district assuming responsibility was declined during prior discussions several years ago.

Schools Superintendent James Hess said he had not heard anything about proposed changes to the program as of this morning, but that the district would be very willing to discuss any concerns with Philipp.

"I certainly think we want to do everything we can to ensure student safety and pedestrian safety in Austin," Hess said.

Whether the solution ultimately will be more or less crossing guards, no crossing guards, pedestrian-activated signal lights, portable warning signs or a crossing guard program run by the school district, is a decision that lies farther down the road. For now, Philipp and the city are content to leave the program run through the school year and work on a new arrangement over the summer.

Suggestions from the finance committee included talks with individual schools, as well as with the district itself. Strict enforcement of a state law requiring motorists to stop at a pedestrian crossing when a pedestrian is waiting to cross was another suggestion, less as an answer to the troubled program than a way to educate the public and reassure parents.

Other recommendations to go to the council from the Finance Committee included the following:

n Approval of a $94,500 loan to the Austin Port Authority from the city’s Building Fund to purchase land from Burt Plehal. The land is to become part of the city’s recently approved Tax Increment Finance District No. 11.

Committee Chairwoman Jeanne Poppe and committee member Dick Chaffee voted in favor; committee member Dick Lang voted against the measure. Lang reiterated his disapproval of the TIF district, because of its location in a popular retail district.

n Approval of the sale of about a half-acre of property in the Northeast Industrial Park to Gary and Pat Ray for $5,000 plus costs. The Rays want to construct a building to facilitate the business ventures of Pat Ray, which include a partnership called Gift Gals and Pirate Pete’s Popcorn stand.

n Permission to advertise for business and renovation proposals for both the former Wold Drugstore and the former Silver Bullet Bar and Arcade. Both buildings have been purchased by the city as part of TIF District No. 10 plans to improve the appearance of downtown Austin. The city is looking for buyers to enter into an agreement to restore the buildings in return for a possible bargain on the price of the property. So far, each building has one party interested in buying, but no deals have been signed.