01-2025 Minutes

Street Committee Meeting

January 21, 2025 - 12:30 p.m.

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

Present were Scott Manchester, Assistant Director of Streets; Steve Hill, Director of Public Works; Jim Bodenhamer, Susan Stockton and Jennifer Baker, Committee members; and Scott Liles, City Clerk.

The meeting began with Scott distributing the annual Street Report to the Committee for their review.

The Street Report for December 2024 was reviewed.

Scott reported the ongoing project at the Community Center was going well.  He said the crew hasn't been out there for a while, the contractors are doing their work and it will be a while before our crew is back out there to work on drainage and building parking lots.   He said the current cost is $1,597,659.26.  General Fund had been invoiced $1,314,515.18 for work done by the Street Department, which has been reimbursed.  

The New Fire Department is going well.  There was a crew out there pouring curb and a pad for the transformer.  We are waiting for ARDOT to approve the move of one of the entrances, and then concrete work can resume.  The total cost to the New Fire Department project is $254,076.60.  General Fund had been invoiced $253,702.99 for costs incurred by the Street Department, and this also has been reimbursed. 

Scott reported the crew rebuilding Redbud and Windbrook are now working on Redbud.  The crew has been out there every day, and the design is such that there have been more inlet boxes than normal placed, to move the water off the street.  He said curb and gutter along with new culvert is in on Windbrook from Lucerne to Redbud. Currently, the crew is working on Redbud placing culvert, and they are almost to Spring Street.  When finished with the culvert, they will start pouring curbs.  The cost to date for Redbud and Windbrook is $142,354.08.  

Delwood Lane, Meadowcrest and Grace Lane are undergoing a complete rebuild.  At this time, the crew has all the drainage culvert in, and they are pouring curbs on Grace Lane.  Scott told the Committee they are still planning on completing this project in March.  The cost totals $58,157.67 through December 31.  Jim told Scott the crew working out there are all doing a great job, they work very hard.  Scott told the Committee that every guy that works for the Street Department are great workers and he is proud to have them.

Maintenance for the month of December totaled $64,244.75.  This includes sign maintenance, crack sealing, traffic light controller box maintenance and the rebuilding of a ditch wall that had fallen in at 11th Street, and some concrete for the Water Department at Alice, Bean and Preyer.

Scott reported the recent snow removal has a total cost of $16,702.27.  He said the crew did a great job, they began plowing Thursday evening around 11:00 p.m. and finished up Friday evening around 6:00 p.m. He said it went well, and Mother Nature helped us out 😊.

The Budget Summary was reviewed, and the year-end balances were discussed. There were a few line items that went over budget, one being the Traffic Control line; there were costs to replace traffic light boxes that had been damaged.  The Treasurer's office received payouts from the insurance companies for both of those damaged boxes, but there was no notification to the Street Department to add the amounts back into the line item.

Traffic timing at the intersection of 62, 1st Street and Highway 5 North.  Scott told the Committee he has been working on the timing to accommodate traffic flow but there is a glitch in the controller that he cannot trace, and the traffic light specialist that checks our monitors and controllers has worked on it also.

Jim asked for the status of the Highway 5 South rebuild at Hicks Creek.  Steve told the Committee that advertising for the bids will be January 29.  He added, February 13, bids will be opened.  Scott asked if this was for the bridge, and Steve said the bridge work cannot begin until all utilities are moved.  He said, there are significant relocations by water and sewer.  He estimates 180 days from the notice to proceed, the utilities will be moved; he added, when all utilities have been moved (gas, electricity, phone, etc.), then they will begin on the bridge.   Scott also asked if the start date for our construction portion was still 2026, and Steve reported that it could be more like 2027, depending on timing.

Jim asked if there were any other big projects scheduled for 2025.  Scott reported the Street Department will still be working at the new Fire Department location; work is continuing at the Community Center; there are several grant projects the Street Department will be working on for the Parks Department.  At this time, there is a crew tearing out the tennis courts at Cooper Park, and will be getting that ready for new surface.  He said we will be done with our part of the tennis courts by April 1.  Also, there are a few more grants for the Parks Department, at McCabe Park, there are walking trails and restrooms to be built.   Steve said as far as reconstruction projects, Bradley Drive is scheduled to begin, also Langston Street is scheduled for a complete rebuild.  He will have a list ready for the Committee at the next meeting.  Scott added there is a crew working at the new Police Station building a handicap ramp with some drainage. 

Steve reported to the Committee, the next Council meeting on February 6, a resolution will be presented to raise the spending threshold for bidding, currently at $20,000. The State raised it to $35,000 several years ago, and recently they have raised it to $42,921.  Scott Lilies announced, starting this year and every five years they will update this amount by CPI.  Steve told the Committee the Council will need to pass an to update this threshold to $42,500.  Steve also told the Committee that at the next Council meeting, a resolution will be brought forward to raise the Fixed Asset Value for the City, which is currently at $2,500.  He explained that anything $2500 or more has a series of tracking, tagging and paperwork to follow it.  City leadership is going to ask to raise that amount to $5,000; tracking assets of $5,000 or more vs $2,500.

The Year End Report for the Street Department was reviewed and Steve complimented Scott and Lauren, along with the crews, for a job well done all year.

Steve told the Committee there are two laborers to be hired along with a third mechanic for the Street Shop. 

Steve also reported to the Committee that he has been working with North Arkansas Co-op on installing streetlights on Arkansas Avenue from North College to Commerce Drive.  Scott said they are just about finished.  The power poles are far from the sidewalk, so when installed, the lights are on an angle shining.

The meeting adjourned at 1:03 p.m.