City realigns street projects
City officials discussed reallocating funding for street projects at the Monday commission meeting.
According to Hernandez, the project of the realigning of 6th and 7th Avenue near the former Lincoln Elementary School area does not need to happen in the short term.
"We will continue to design it and get it completed so we do have it on the shelf for future use," Hernandez said.
According to city officials, the current proposed list of asphalt streets that engineering would like to include in the project is still subject to change and will not be official until it is put out to bid next week. It could also change depending on how bids come in.
The city also said that if better bids come in than estimated, more could be added to the list. However, if bids are not as favorable as hoped, the list may need to be trimmed back to move forward with the project.
The 6th/7th Avenue Realignment project is still moving forward with the design with the general obligation bond earmarked for its construction being reallocated to the larger asphalt street project.
By doing a mill overlay on several streets, the life expectancy of those streets would be a minimum of 10 years.
"But if we look at the chip seal budget and mill overlay budget we're looking at about $2.7 or $2.8 million a year," Hernandez said. "With that perspective you can issue bonds and we pay on those for 20-plus years or we can pass a half-cent sales tax and you can do this every year, pay for it every year, and do bigger projects every couple of years and never go into debt."
Instead of doing projects for $2.8 million, the city could do projects every year without having interest costs.
"So realistically, if we did this project once a year for every 10 years, every road would be touched," Mayor Joyce Warshaw said. "What is the best estimation on playing catch-up and for how long?"
By committing $2.8 million a year, Hernandez said, the city would be caught up with street project maintenance in an estimated four years.
"That doesn't address the realignment of Central Avenue, that doesn't take into consideration major improvements of Comanche Street," Hernandez said. "With enhancements or improvements, those will have to come from debt service or other funding sources."
According to Commissioner Joseph Nuci, one of the major complaints commissioners receive is street maintenance.
"I like the fact that you took a small three-block out of this and added so much to it. I like it," Nuci said.
Commissioner Brian Delzeit added, "I like it too, we just need to figure out how to pay for it."
To contact the writer, email vmarshall@dodgeglobe.com.
PROPOSED 2020 ASPHALT STREET PROJECTS
STREET NAME | AHEAD | BEHIND
Central Avenue — US-50 highway — South End
Soule Street — Hart Street — 13th Avenue
Underpass Road — E. Wyatt Earp Boulevard — E. Trail Street
S. 14th Avenue — McArtor Road — US-400/56 highway
1st Avenue — Wyatt Earp Boulevard — Trail Street
Shirlane Street — Avenue A — Doralane Avenue
Mellane Street — Avenue A — Doralane Avenue
Tanglewood Drive — Avenue A — Cannery Row
Toalson Avenue — Plains Street — W. Ross Boulevard
Gary Avenue — Mellane Street — W. Ross Boulevard
Cannery Row — Cannery Row — Gary Avenue
Anna Avenue — Saint Joseph Street — E. Ross Boulevard
E. Frontview Road — Kliesen St. — W. Frontview Road
W. Frontview Road — N. 14th Avenue — West Of Center Street
Hi Street — 14th Avenue — Hi Street
Layton St. — 6th Ave. — Hart Street
13th Avenue — Soule Street — Burr Parkway
Burr Parkway — Burr Parkway — 13th Avenue
Circle Lake Drive — Avenue P — Elbow Bend
Elbow Bend — Shadow Lane — Circle Lake Drive
Fairway Drive — E. Comanche Street — Ruth Ann Drive
Lavista Boulevard — Crescent Drive — Avenue A
Roanoke Drive — University Drive — E. Plaza Avenue
Greenwood Avenue — Homewood Avenue — W. Division Street
Lasalle Street — W. Wyatt Earp Boulevard — Linn Street
W. Cedar Street — 12th Avenue — N. 14th Avenue
11th Avenue — W. Ash Street — W. Brier Street
12th Avenue — W. Spruce Street — Vine Street
W. Division Avenue — 11th Avenue — 14th Avenue
Diane Drive — Wright Avenue — Wright Avenue
Bristol Avenue — Tomahawk Road — Division Street
Tomahawk Road — Bristol Avenue — Lasalle Street
10th Avenue — W. Wyatt Earp Boulevard — W. Cedar Street
13th Avenue — Vine Street — W. Division Street
13th Avenue — W. Division Street — W. Ash Street
Greenwood Avenue — W. Division Street — Tomahawk Road
Westlawn Avenue — Spruce Street — W. Wyatt Earp Boulevard
W. Ash Street — 13th Avenue — N. 14th Avenue
Avenue K — 13th Avenue — N. 14th Avenue
Avenue K — E. Wyatt Earp Boulevard — Military Avenue
Avenue K Court — Avenue K — End
Mulberry Circle — Avenue K — Mulberry Court
Military Avenue — Avenue N — Avenue P
Elm Street — Avenue D — Avenue G
E. Brier Street — Avenue D — Avenue H
Sunflower Avenue — E. Sycamore Street — Poplar Street
Agnes Street — Rath Avenue — Frontage Road
Crawford Avenue — Robinson Street — E. Sycamore Street
Grant Street — Flora Avenue — Morrison Avenue
Flora Avenue — W. Beeson Road — Grant Street
Pearl Street — Minneola Road — Clark Street