Street projects nearly complete; proposed 2010 list compiled

Joe Charles, public works director, told the infrastructure committee Thursday night that the 2009 street construction program is almost finished.

"Everything is completed but part of South Spring Street and North Tucker Street," he said.

"There are a few spots of paving that are not done to our satisfaction that they have to address. They haven't met with me yet about how they'll address them," he said.

Charles told the committee that he had an expert from Allgeier Martin look at the paving and was told it look like the asphalt got too cold before they laid it.

"Forty five degrees is the absolute coolest we can let them pave," he said in response to a question.

The 2009 street construction projects have run later in the year than normal, partly due to research for the South Spring Street project, and in order to get the 2010 projects started earlier in the year the infrastructure committee met Thursday to select about $500,000 in proposed street construction projects from a list of $1.8 million of projects developed by the public works department. The money for the projects comes from the city's 1/2 cent transportation sales tax.

"I feel we have failed to cover the corners of the city," Ben Mendenhall, committee chairman, said.

"I feel the same way. Most of the work has been done around the High School," Bob Coonrod, said.

"A lot of the corners can be fixed with overlay. I think we can overlay a bunch of streets and make the neighborhoods look better," Mendenhall said.

Coonrod said that missing street signs are also a problem, that made it hard for him to find some of the streets that were on the list projects.

"We have trouble with vandals stealing them," Charles said.

Part of the work the infrastructure committee members do to prepare to select street construction projects, is to drive around town and personally look at all of the proposed projects.

"Ninety percent of the streets were in about the same condition," Coonrod said when asked what he thought should be the priorities for 2010.

He said that his top three picks were Timberbrook Drive, Barrett St., from Division north to Wal-Mart and Pine St., from Locust St. south to Walnut St.

Coonrod said that water from Locust Street floods the Pine Street Church basement and there is a lot of traffic on Barrett Street between Division and Wal-Mart.

Charles said that most of the traffic on Barrett Street is people going to Wal-Mart the back way.

John Haggans said that he would like to see Elizabeth Street between Austin and Cherry be on next year's list.

After some further brief discussion the committee voted to hold a public hearing on Dec. 3 at 6 p.m. to discuss the following nine street projects for 2010 totaling $474,028.87:

Curb and gutter and overlay

* Oak Street, Hunter to Locust, at an estimated cost of $21,826.02.

* Hunter Street, Oak to Washington, at an estimated cost of $30,355.45.

* West Street, Ashland to Garfield, at an estimated cost of $137,294.00.

* Elizabeth Street, Austin to Cherry, at an estimated cost of $35,057.73.

* Spring Street, from the storm drain to Parade, at an estimated cost of $36,575.73.

* Pine Street, Locust to Walnut, at an estimated cost of $62,342.87.

Overlay only

* Barrett Street, Division north to Wal-Mart, at an estimated cost of $28,357.27.

* Chestnut Street, Allison to Austin, at an estimated cost of $68,219.80.

* Timberbrook Drive, 1,900 feet, at an estimated cost of $54,000.