10-27-2014 Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING Monday, October 27, 2014 7:00 o’clock p.m. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Page 27 of 32 (12. WATERTOWN ROAD AND STUBBS BAY ROAD REHABILITATION, Continued) Edwards noted if the City utilizes all of the money in the City’s MSA fund for the first portion of the Watertown Road project, the City need to wait until 2021 before that fund is replenished enough to complete the second half. The disadvantage to that is that it does not allow anything else to be done on MSA roads until that time. An alternative is if the City adopted a policy to fund 50 percent of any of the City’s MSA reconstruction projects with MSA funds and then finding other funding sources where all of Watertown Road could be done in the first year or two. After that the City could start seal coating or other projects beginning in 2017 as the fund begins rebuilding itself. Edwards noted that assumes the City maintains the same amount of support from the state and the City’s current debt service. Edwards indicated Staff would need a decision from the Council tonight on whether to proceed forward with all or a portion of the work in 2015 in order to go out for bids in the first part of the year or early spring. The first option completes all of the surveying, design work and bidding process this year, which would cost approximately $250,000, and would be less expensive than breaking out all the preliminary work over multiple years by approximately $46,000. The other advantage is that it would look at the project as a whole but the disadvantage is it commits the City upfront to those costs. Another option would be to break the project up by sections and to authorize the survey, design and bidding by the different phases. The estimated cost for that work from Bolton & Menk would be approximately $296,000. Edwards stated part of the reason for the difference in the cost is, regardless of the size of a project, it still comes with a certain amount of administrative fees and that by breaking it out into three or four times, it would present an increased cost. McMillan noted the City Council was originally discussing just doing Watertown Road and then added Stubbs Bay Road as part of the feasibility study since that road had a number of issues. McMillan asked if the Stubbs Bay portion is depicted in yellow on the map and whether there are different ratings for the colors. Edwards stated the color codes have to do with the pavement index and where it was assessed. Edwards noted the darker road is the worst section of Watertown Road where actual reconstruction would be required. Edwards stated the difference between Options 2 and 3 would be the sequencing of the project and that the most traveled section of Watertown Road would be completed first under Option 3. McMillan stated the pavement on Stubbs Bay Road is pretty broken up. Printup stated he likes the layout of the report and the options that have been outlined. Printup stated in talking to people, he has heard a lot of comments about land use and overregulation but that the condition of the roads has become more and more over the last couple of years. Printup indicated he is in favor of moving forward with the surveying, design and bidding for this year since it will show the citizens the City is committed to fixing the roads. Printup asked why Staff recommended option three over the other two options. Edwards stated in his own estimation, options two and three are very close and that it depends on what the City’s priorities are. Edwards stated he recommended option three because it would benefit the most drivers first but that sooner or later the rest of the road has to be done.