A Common Council committee on Thursday recommended, 3-1, that the city pay for sidewalk replacements damaged by city-owned trees, but only in the isolated instances when property owners complain about the damage.

Property owners are now billed for 50% of the cost of all sidewalk slab replacements.

Ald. Joe Dudzik voted agains the measure.

Property owners still would be assessed for replacing city tree-damaged sidewalks if the replacement was part of an area sidewalk maintenance and repair project, as occurred in Story Hill last fall, or if it was part of a paving project, under the recommendation of the Public Works Committee.

Ald. Robert Bauman originally proposed that the city replace any sidewalk slab that was damaged by a city-owned tree — such damage usually occurs when tree roots dislodge or raise a sidewalk slab.

Bauman, though, added language sharply limiting the potential city-paid sidewalk slab replacements after colleagues questioned where the $25,000 to $50,000 estimated annual cost of the measure.

If the full Common Council approves the measure, property owners would best off if they complain to the city as soon as they notice that sidewalk slabs adjoining their properties are affected by city tree roots. Waiting until the city schedules a sidewalk replacement project would only expose property owners to a special assessment.