Agenda - Public Works Committee - 01/21/2025

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5. 7. Public Works Committee Meeting Date: 01/21/2025 Primary Strategic Plan Initiative: Address infrastructure needs. Title: Review Updated Project Costs for Gravel Road Elimination Program and Consider Policy Development Purpose/Background: Purpose: Review updated project costs for Gravel Road Elimination Program (GREP), and discuss project prioritizations and funding sources. Background: In 2025, the City of Ramsey will need to maintain approximately 2.2 miles of public gravel surfaced roads. Maintaining gravel roads requires the use of a road grader. In non -winter months, the grader is used to grade the surface to remove potholes and "washboards" and to restore the crown on the roads so they drain properly. During winter months the grader is primarily used to plow snow from gravel roads, though grading the surface may also be required during the winter. The City currently owns a 1999 John Deere grader, which is not identified for replacement in the Capital Improvement Program (CIP). If this grader were to be out of service for any length of time, the city would need to rent a replacement temporarily to help maintain our gravel roads. On July 19, 2011, the Public Works Committee discussed adopting a Gravel Road Elimination Policy but a final draft policy was never developed. However, when the City adopted a Special Assessment Policy in 2014, a statement was included in this policy that requires benefiting property owners to pay for 50-percent of the costs to convert a gravel road to a paved street. Attached is a copy of the July 19, 2011, Public Works Committee case with meeting minutes, as well as the Special Assessment Policy. On February 20, 2024, the Public Works Committee directed staff to obtain a geotechnical report with soil borings for all remaining public gravel surfaced roads and to explore stormwater management needs as required to convert the gravel roads to bituminous pavement sections. Attached is a copy of the Geotechnical Exploration Report obtained from ITT including a summary and map of all existing gravel roads, with the exception of the 0.31-mile cul-de-sac segment of 173rd Avenue west of Nowthen Boulevard/CSAH 5 that is gravel surfaced but is proposed to be paved with the Trott Brook Crossing residential development within the next several years Staff is requesting direction from the Public Works Committee on whether a Gravel Road Elimination Policy should be prepared for eventual City Council adoption. If so, Staff will calculate more detailed project cost estimates for each gravel road segment, develop a project prioritization schedule, identify recommended funding sources, and present the draft policy to the Public Works Committee upon completion. Notification: Notification is not required for this case. Time Frame/Observations/Alternatives: