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2021-04 Meeting Minutes

Street Committee Meeting

April 20, 2021 - 12:30 p.m.

 

The meeting was called to order at 12:30 p.m.

Present were Arnold Knox, Director of Streets; Jim Bodenhamer, Jennifer Baker, Susan Stockton and Paige Evans, Committee members.

Arnie told the Committee he would not be available for the regularly scheduled May meeting and asked for that month's meeting to be rescheduled.  It was discussed and agreed that Tuesday, May 25 at 1:15 p.m. would be the next Street Committee meeting.

Sealed bids for the Spring overlays will be opened this Thursday, April 22.  Arnie showed the Committee a list of streets he plans to have done and explained it is basically Village Green subdivision and the rebuild streets have been completed and waiting for, which would be Market, Gentry, Thorn, etc.  The bid will be approximately 5,800 tons of hot mix and is to be completed within 90 days.  If this bid goes well, Arnie said he plans on doing another bid opening for the end of summer, with overlays to be completed late Summer or early Fall. 

The Street Report for March 2021 was reviewed. 

Arnie reported the Medical Plaza project is 95% completed.  There is a section of curb to be poured yet and the Maintenance crew is digging out the street to get it ready for asphalt.  The cost to date at Medical Plaza is $272,837.60.

The Market/Thorn Street project is going well with that crew almost to the end of Thorn near Highway 62.   The cost for the combined two street project is $264,802.87.

Fill is continuing to be hauled to the new fire department location.  Both Dilbeck and White River Materials have been hauling in fill loads also.  We are just pushing the fill level as loads accumulate.  The cost to be reimbursed to the Street to date is $33,133.83.

The Budget Summary was reviewed.  Arnie said it looks good and will approach the Council in June or July to have money transferred to the Workman's Compensation line item to have that balanced. 

Jim asked what the status of the Street Department staff was.  Currently, there have been two new employees hired and another part time employee of the Parks Department is planning on transferring to the Street Department for full time this coming Monday.  Arnie reported there will be 4 short, with Dennis Seats retiring at the end of the month.

Arnie asked the Committee for their input on the upcoming complete rebuild of Russell Lane, behind Baxter Lab.  He said he would like them to take a ride out there to see if the project should stop at Driftwood or continue to Breckinridge, or continue on and end at County Road 461.  He explained there is a section of City limits that runs down the middle of Russell Lane after Driftwood and he would like to know where to end.  Paige asked if there were any other streets the City rebuilt in the same situation.  Arnie gave Rossi Road, which runs along Keller and Clysta Willett Parks, as an example, which is shared with Baxter County, but the City rebuilt it at their own expense.  Another example is Buzzard Roost Cutoff, that was rebuilt a few years ago.  This rebuild project was partnered with Baxter County.

Susan told Arnie the cleanup of the overgrowth along the retention pond at the back of Indian Creek looks a lot better.  She asked if there could possibly be a hedge planted along the fence to beautify it. Arnie said the problem with that would be the additional maintenance of that, including trimming hedges.   There was discussion of other retention areas that look better than a white fence, or maybe the fence can be painted.  Arnie told the Committee, most retention ponds are not fenced, he said, this one is the only one he knows of that is fenced. 

The meeting adjourned at 1:05 p.m.

Wide view of downtown Mountain Home