Agenda - Council - 11/28/2017 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

Further discussion: Councilmember LeTourneau stated that he is aware that the City spent quite a bit of time looking at the projects to program and plan the improvements in an orderly fashion to address the needs of the community. He stated that he is curious about the variability of the conditions, noting that he would expect a community to build roads that would last for 60 years but he is not seeing those standards to be consistent with that lifespan because of the poor construction practices of the past. City Engineer Westby stated that staff continues to ask that question as well as the City continues to go down this road. He stated that staff now has a process to review roads ahead of time, through coring, in order to better understand the conditions. He noted that construction standards have changed, and it has become more cost effective to plan for a longer lifespan with ongoing maintenance. He stated that the City was built out in a somewhat disorganized manner and there is a lot of variability. He stated that they are attempting to provide a consistent standard going forward. Councilmember LeTourneau appreciated the explanation and expressed frustration while being empathetic to the folks in the community. He stated that he is frustrated with the situation the City is in but is also feeling connected to the current policy that provides uniformity. Motion carried. Voting Yes: Mayor Strommen, Councilmembers Johns, Shryock, Kuzma, and LeTourneau. Voting No: None. Absent: Councilmember Riley. 6.03: Public Hearing to Consider Adoption of Resolution #17-11-286 Approving Feasibility Report and Ordering Plans and Specifications for Improvement Project #18-01, the North Forty Street Reconstructions City Administrator Ulrich noted that a petition has been submitted to the City in opposition of the project, signed by 13 of the 15 properties. He stated that in light of the petition it is recommended that the City Council pass a motion acknowledging the petition and direct City staff to cease all work on City Improvement Project #18-01. He noted that this would place the project on hold for at least one year. Mayor Strommen stated that because there is not a project, there is not a need for a public hearing. She stated that if there are folks that would like to address the Council she would still allow comments. Dave Walker, 16421 Alpaca Street, stated that he would like the City to consider the uniformity of the streets in the area. He noted that not just the properties in front of the street benefit, as there are gravel streets within one half mile that affect the value of these properties. He suggested that improvement of the gravel roads occur prior to repairing these streets. He stated that these streets have been mismanaged and not maintained to provide an appropriate lifespan. Mayor Strommen stated that unfortunately the streets were not designed for a 60-year lifespan, but it is the intention going forward to design for that lifespan. She stated that this Council is committed to continuing that ongoing maintenance. She stated that there have been many discussions over the years regarding how to fund the road improvements and settled on assessments because of the input that was received. She stated that now the City has been on this path for a number of years, she would be in favor of inviting community input to determine if there is a better way to fund those improvements. City Council / November 14, 2017 Page 7 of 14