10-2022 Street Committee Minutes

Street Committee Meeting

October 18, 2022 - 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 and Paige Evans, Committee members.

Arnie discussed with the committee prior to the meeting, six more traffic light cameras have been installed making a total of nine.  He is working on getting those additional six on the Arkansas I-Drive website for the public to view traffic flow.  The police department has split the cost of running the fiber to the cameras, but ARDOT is adamant that the cameras cannot be used for red light runners, etc. They are only to be used for monitoring traffic.

The Street Report for September was reviewed.  

Arnie reported that the Cooper/Louann/Demetree project has been completed at a cost of $667,964.11, which comes to $218.65 per foot. 

The Keller Park Ballfields project has been completed.  After the project was done, it was noticed there was no sidewalk coming from the back fence to the dugouts, so additional sidewalk was poured, to save the grass.  Arnie told the committee, he thinks they are done at Keller Park, but there may be something else come up.  The total cost to Keller Park Ballfields is at $410,237.92, and $337,024.41 of that has been reimbursed to the Street Department.    

The crew working on Russell Lane behind Baxter Lab, and beginning at the Breckenridge subdivision, has reached Driftwood with culvert, curbs, and sidewalks.  They have almost completed landscaping to that point and will begin finishing the project from Driftwood to Highway 201 North, which should be in a week or two.  Arnie told the committee that this project is about half done and the cost to date is $181,719.42.   He added, the rest of the project, that will go past Baxter Lab, will be built for truck traffic including three lanes.  He added, Baxter Lab has finalized their plans putting in two additional driveways for their truck traffic.  Arnie said the three lanes will be extended about 60 feet past Baxter's planned driveways.

Hickory Park Grant has the horseshoe pits left.  The engineer had 12 pits designed for that area.  Jim asked what side of the driveway they were on, and Arnie told the committee they will be put in on the left side of the driveway going into the park from Dyer Street.  It was decided to put in 6 horseshoe pits instead of the 12 that were planned. They want to see how much they will be used, so they will be spaced out with plenty of room for people to sit and watch when tournaments get going.   The total cost to Hickory Park is at $327,113.77 and $318,029.54 has been reimbursed to the Street Department. 

The Clysta Willett Park project has the crew taking out some of the newer concrete that had been poured.  This due to the electrical lines and poles that are to be placed where the concrete was.  There was also old concrete removed from the press boxes that had been torn down for the improvements.  New concrete was poured around the concession stand, the walls and dugouts have been poured, and all the fields are ready for new turf.  The drainage has been put in for the turf company to tie into, and now we are waiting for everything else to get finished for us to go in and finish our work.  The current cost to Clysta Willett Park is at $118,719.42. 

Overlays in Spring Park are being completed this week.  The Maintenance crew went in and milled the streets three or four weeks ago and we were waiting for Dilbeck's to get over there.  While waiting for Dilbeck, Arnie told the committee that he was having the Maintenance crew start on laying some asphalt for experience.  They finished Ouachita and Newton, along with a culdesac down Madison off Franklin.  Also included in the Overlays was the Richwood culdesac at Indian Creek.  The Overlays cost totals $147,632.47. 

Arnie reported Maintenance for the month of September totaled $8,069.08.  He said Christmas lights are going up at the college so he will have two guys there for the next three months.  There was a short discussion about the different departments working the Christmas lights and their costs.

The Budget Summary was reviewed.   Arnie said he is hiring and interviewed 4 or 5 guys yesterday and would like to hire 3 out of that group by the end of the year, depending on how their references turn out.  He would like to hire another 3 in the spring of next year, and then will start pulling apart the crews to make his third construction crew. 

Jennifer asked if the Street Department has started on the access road to the community center.  Arnie told the committee that he finally received data on where the road will go and said he will be ready to start on it as soon as he can get a crew together.  He wants his concrete crew to finish up at Hickory Street and 8th Street before moving out there.  There was discussion as to where the road would begin.

Jennifer asked the status of the walking trail.  Arnie reported that that area had been cleared and a fence was put up to keep the cattle from Baker's field next to it.  The inmates from Calico Rock were out and cleared the hillside.  He said as soon as he got the easement from Mrs. Baker, he was able to submit 100% of the plans to the highway department, which is under their final review.  As soon as he gets word from them, he will set up a construction meeting.  He said he hopes to start sooner than the first of the year and if everything goes well, he would like to start before Thanksgiving.  There was discussion about the drainage and creeks running through the culvert that crosses the bypass, and how pedestrian traffic will be able to access that.  Paige asked if there was a grant to match the money spent on this project.  Arnie said, yes, it is about $170,000.  Paige asked if the other money spent will be reimbursed from the Parks Department from their Parks and Rec Tax.  Arnie said, unfortunately no, this is a Street Department project, just like the original trail through McCabe Park was.  After crossing the bypass, the trail will connect to the trail at ASU, and continue to Wade Street.

Jim asked Arnie if there was anything in the Budget that needed his attention.  Arnie said, no but the fuel line item was going up, but it doesn't seem like it will need adjusting.  He will look at it again in December.  

Arnie reported he will have approximately $3.7 million in carryover and $250,000 of that is capital items that have been ordered for next years' budget.  He said these included a skid steer, a track hoe, and trucks. The committee discussed the budget and equipment purchases.  Paige asked Arnie, since there was so much revenue, how far is the street department behind as far as street maintenance and street building compared to the past?  Arnie said he had been looking at that this morning and he thinks about a half year of building.  He said the third crew will help in getting that construction caught up.

Jennifer asked what project is next?  Arnie said next rebuild project he has scheduled will be Morris Street and North Church Street.  He said it has already been designed, and at this time, we are working on obtaining easements. 

Another curb and gutter project will be at 1st Street.  There is a section of 1st Street, approximately 400 feet of open ditch going from College Street toward Cardinal Drive at the bottom by the creek that will be done.  Arnie told the committee that he will have his list of projects to the council January 1st.

The inmates from Calico Rock will be here November 7th to clean the creek along Western Hills Loop and Industrial Park Drive.

Jennifer asked when the access road would be started.  Arnie said he is hoping before Halloween.

The meeting adjourned at 1:20 p.m.