Pictured is the intersection of Baker Street and Hazeltine Avenue, which was redone over the summer. The city council once again discussed reinstalling the guardrail in front of Persell Middle School, which was removed following these renovations. P-J file photo

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.”

Russell added that this was mostly the cause of inclement weather and the car going at a speed not suitable for the conditions. He said that this accident also reiterates his previous concerns about something like this happening.

“We were lucky that it happened in the early morning hours and there were no students there,” Russell said. “Obviously if something like this happened during school hours with kids out front we’d have some kids seriously injured or killed. We need to take a second look at putting that guard rail back up there.”

He said he would like to have a conversation with the school superintendent as well, saying that in the past the superintendent has mentioned the possibility of the school pitching in some funds to replace the guardrail. Russell also noted that it may be an expensive project, but something that needs to get done.

“This could be a joint venture between the city and the school district, kind of like the sidewalk plows and maybe we could get this done for the safety of our children,” Russell said.