Minutes - Public Works Committee - 03/18/2003

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Councilmember Elvig inquired if using combet could be another option in the feasibility study. Director of Public Works/Fire Chief Kapler replied that they could add the combet option in the feasibility study. Councihnember Elvig inquired as to who would pay for the roads to be done. Councilmember Zimmerman replied that typically residents have petitioned for their road to be paved and than they are assessed the cost 100 percent. This would be a different situation where the City would initiate the project. Many of the dirt roads that still exist the residents do not want paved. Councihnember Elvig stated that he has received a few calls from residents who do not want their road paved. Councihnember Cook stated that he has received calls where residents do not want to pay for their road to be paved, but they are tired of the dust. He felt that the City is probably going to have to "eat" the cost on some of the small segments in the City. He suggested that possibly they pave 1/3''d of the streets initially and than do other with comber and than pave those roads in the future as the City can afford it. Councihnember Elvig inquired if any of the projects are included in the City's CIP. City Engineer Jankowski replied no. He explained that the City began requiring developers to construct bituminous streets in the late 70's. At that time there was a huge increase in the amount of streets that were being paved. The policy has always been that the cost to pave the road be assessed 100 percent to the benefited property owners. Staff has anticipated proposing that t he c est o f t he p roj ects b e assessed 1 00 percent as in the past unless the Council would change that. He noted that for the nine projects to be turned into a quality gravel road would cost $430,000 a t a c est o f a round $ 4,300 p er property. I f t hey w ere t o p ave those roads the cost would increase 65 percent to approximately $7,000 per property. Principal City Engineer Olson stated that one of reasons the issue was brought forward is that there are very few graveled roads in the City, but they still have to keep the equipment to maintain the roads. They have heard many times from people living on dirt roads that they subsidize the paved roads, but the City did complete an analysis of how often the dirt roads are graded and it came out to almost a wash. There has been some discussion of subsidizing the project or incentive to get the roads paved at a 50 percent reduction of the assessed cost if they were to proceed with the project otherwise if they would proceed with the Class V alternative there would be no subsidy. City Administrator Norman stated that staff should provide the study done last year to the new members of the Council before any decisions are made. Public Works Committee/March 18, 2003 Page 7 of 10