09-2022 Street Committee Minutes

Street Committee Meeting

September 27, 2022 - 12:30 p.m.

The meeting was called to order at 12:31 p.m.

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

Arnie began the meeting with a discussion about the fleet of new trucks he is planning to purchase included with the trucks from the Water Department.  He said he wasn't able to present this information to the Committee prior to going to the Council for approval, due to the rescheduling of the Street Committee meeting to last week, and then the rescheduling once again, due to the funeral for Ken Williams.  The committee agreed that was unavoidable and agreed with Arnie on the planned purchases for so long.  

The Street Report for August was reviewed. 

The New Fire Department location is starting to get to level.  The sewer line has been run across the front of the property and Kris is working with the telephone company to get the wires down in the front and buried, to get the driveway in.  The total cost is at $48,757.85.

The rebuild project at Cooper/Louann/Demetree is just about complete.  There are a few small touch ups that need to be completed and it will be done.  Asphalt went down around the 15th of September, and this total of $667,199.84 does have the asphalt included. 

Keller Ballfields are completed as of last week, and it is waiting for the sod to be installed.  The total cost as of August 31 is $374,478.36.  The Parks Department has already reimbursed the Street Department $337,024.41 of this cost. 

The Russell Lane rebuild project is going well.  Arnie reported the crew has made it from Breckenridge to Driftwood with curb.  He said, instead of going all the way to 201 North with the curbs, the crew will go back and start putting in sidewalk to Driftwood.  There are many homes where they have been working and he would like to get the sidewalks in and get their yards back.  From there, the crew will continue to 201 North with culvert, curbs, then sidewalk.  Jennifer asked Arnie if he planned on doing any more work in that area, partnering with Baxter County.  Arnie said he has been asked why the project stopped where it did, and said, it was because that is the end of the city limits.  Arnie was asked if the city would be working with the county since there is a new incoming county judge.  Arnie told the committee that, yes, he believes there are a few projects that the mayor has in mind to work along with the county, with one being a project out at Northpointe.   Arnie reported the current cost to the Russell Lane project is at $152,848.22.  He told the committee that once the crew gets by Baxter Lab, it will be more commercial, with all the truck traffic going through there; It will be a whole different build in that road, more base, thicker asphalt, plus Baxter has an additional driveway. He said they are planning their work around our department's work.

The Hickory Park Grant project is at a cost of $322,452.26.  The Parks Department has already reimbursed the Street Department $318,029.54 of that cost, and there is a little more work to be done, plus the Maintenance crew has started working on the horseshoe pits.  There was discussion about the vandalism that has been done to the parks and the installation of surveillance cameras.

The Ozark Avenue Extension has been completed at a cost of $40,657.00. This cost includes a section of North Cardinal Drive where curb and sidewalk were extended to Ozark Avenue, from the corner of E. Arkansas Avenue. 

Work is continuing at Clysta Willett Park.  Backstop walls for all the ballfields have been poured and half of the concrete has been poured at the lower concession stand.  Concrete that had been poured a few years ago between fields 1 and 2 had to be dug up. Mismarking the electrical lines by 8 feet or so caused the net drillers to hit the primary electric lines and the concrete had to be dug out for North Arkansas Electric to get new wiring in.  The cost through August 31 at Clysta Willett Park is $78,357.93.

Overlays have been completed at Kathleen and the section of Demetree that was not a part of the Cooper Street project.   Spring Park has been milled and is ready for overlay.   These totals will be on next months street report. 

Maintenance for the month of August was $38,450.40.  Dyer Street leveling was included in this total. 

The Budget Summary was reviewed.  Arnie reported that he is watching the Fuel line item closely.   

Small projects are coming up; the crew working at Clysta Willett will be doing some smaller projects, Phase 2 of McCabe Park Walking Trail will begin soon.  Easements have been received and everything has been sent to the highway department for their approval.  Arnie told the committee that Mrs. Baker gave the easement to the city for this walking trail to connect to the bypass, and added, she is such a giving person.  Box culverts will be installed to cross the bypass and our trail will connect with the trail at ASU, which continues to Wade Street.   There was discussion of the construction at the culverts, crossing the bypass, lighting, cameras, etc.   Arnie said he has been looking at solar lighting options and added the option for electrical lighting would be quite expensive, due to the location of service to connect to.  Fiber optic can be run from the traffic light at 201 South and the bypass for the cameras.   Arnie added, besides Mrs. Baker giving easement to the creek bottom, looking where the mountain bike trail ends abruptly, she also gave easement on that hillside, for it to continue.   Besides those easements, she also gave as short easement to the old spring located above the top pond at McCabe Park.  This spring feeds the three ponds over there.  The committee was surprised and so appreciative of her kindness.  Arnie said the inmates from the state prison will be here next week and he would like them to clean that brushy tree lined area out, and added he would like to in the future, see a walking trail put in.   Arnie told the committee of another small project that is coming up; with all the spring rains the last few years, the retaining wall at the shop is leaning and needs to be replaced.   There is a similar issue with the concrete ditch at 13th Street.  This is coming off South College behind Gilbert Drywall.  Heavy rain over the years has caused one wall to break.  It is still standing but needs to be replaced; and over at Cedar Street, about three years ago, from the heavy rains, water from the creek flooded some of the houses between Spring Street and Cedar Street.  Arnie said easements have been signed along with permits obtained, and this creek will be a concrete ditch.  A new bridge at Cedar Street will start the project then work on the ditch will begin.  The inmates have been through there and cleaned it out to get ready for construction.  Arnie said all the neighbors are happy to see it beginning. 

Jennifer asked when the access road would be started for the community center, and Arnie told the committee that it is a couple of weeks out of starting that.  Jennifer asked if the plans showed where it would go in.   He said it would be near the most-west gravel parking lot, which at one end of the walking trail and is located behind the Ford dealership.  He said he is planning to put the entrance through that part of the walking trail and cutting over to the right across the creek.   

Jennifer asked what the latest was on his third crew.  He said he spoke to his foremen and is getting ready to send an email to HR to advertise for 2 to 3 laborers by the end of the year.  Susan asked what their starting rate would be, and Arnie said, no experience would be around $13.80 per hour. 

There was a short discussion about the Coulter Christmas lighting at ASU and the Street Department assisting with installing the decorations.

The meeting was adjourned at 1:13 p.m.