City Council Meeting Date: August 22, 2017
To: Mayor and City Council
City Administrator
From: Sean Simonson, Engineering Manager
David Bennett, Public Works Director/City Engineer
Title
Consideration of Resolution Ordering Preparation of Feasibility Report for the 2018 Division and Seventh Street Reconstruction Project and Washington Street Mill and Overlay, City Project STRT2018-A37.
Body
Action Requested:
The Northfield City Council approves the Resolution ordering the preparation of a feasibility report for the 2018 Division and Seventh Street Reconstruction Project and Washington Street Mill and Overlay, City Project STRT2018-A37, and to assess benefited properties for all or a portion of the cost of the improvement.
Summary Report:
The approval of the attached resolution (Attachment 1) is the initial step in moving the 2018 Division and Seventh Street Reconstruction Project and Washington Street Mill and Overlay, City Project STRT2018-A37, forward. By this resolution, the City Council orders the preparation of a feasibility report which is a necessary step under Chapter 429 of the Minnesota Statutes. Chapter 429 clearly specifies the actions that must be taken to assess property owners for the cost of local improvements. See Attachment 2 for a detailed project process.
The proposed scope of the Improvement Project includes the following streets and public parking lots: (Attachment 3)
1. Division Street from Sixth Street to Eight Street (Reconstruction)
2. Seventh Street from Water Street to Washington Street (Reconstruction)
3. Washington Street from Second Street to Washington Street (Mill and Overlay)
4. Grand Theater Parking Lot (Reclamation)
5. Third Street Parking Lot (Reclamation)
6. City Hall Parking Lot (Mill and Overlay)
7. Washington Street Parking Lot (Mill and Overlay)
Division Street and Seventh Street Reconstruction
The Division and Seventh Street Reconstruction streets identified above are listed in the proposed 2018 - 2022 Capital Improvement Project (CIP). The proposed improvements on the identified streets would improve streets that are currently in very poor condition. The existing utilities are also expected to be in poor condition due to their age, and it is expected there will be a full replacement of all sanitary sewer, watermain, and storm sewer facilities within the project area.
The Division Street and Seventh Street Reconstruction will improve approximately 0.31 miles of street at a total estimated cost of $1,954.978.00 This estimate was based on previous reconstruction projects undertaken in the City and adjusted for inflation.
Washington Street Mill and Overlay
Washington Street Mill and Overlay project including the public parking lots listed above are also listed in the proposed 2018 - 2022 CIP. The improvements identified would improve street and parking lot surfaces that are currently beyond minor routine maintenance practices (i.e. crack fill/seal coat). Utilities in the project are expected to be in overall satisfactory condition due to their age, although minor utility repairs are expected.
The Washington Street Mill and Overlay Project will improve approximately 0.62 miles of street and approximately 8,900 square yards of city owned parking lots at a total estimated cost of $822,127.00. This estimate was based on previous mill and overlay/reclamation projects undertaken in the City and adjusted for inflation.
Currently, the City of Northfield is in the process of a Complete Streets review of the above mentioned project areas. This City of Northfield has retained Toole Design Group, a national leader in multimodal and complete streets design to help facilitate this process. This process involves conducting a series of Neighborhood and Community Meetings with stakeholders in order to gather information for final design concepts of the project area. The findings of this Complete Streets review will be presented to City Council for approvals during the feasibility report preparation to be included in the final feasibility report.
Staff is recommending that this project move to the feasibility report phase. The feasibility will be developed on a section-by-section basis and a determination of the final project scope can be made prior to the design phase. This approach allows the Council latitude for further discussions on budget and scope in the next few weeks while allowing the project to remain on schedule.
Alternative Options:
The City Council could decide not to move this project forward; however, that action would then allow the existing pavement to continue to deteriorate. Alternatively, the Council could decide to reduce (or increase) the scope of the project which would then be included in the feasibility report. It should be noted that moving this project to construction as well as levying of assessments will require several additional actions by the City Council.
Financial Impacts:
The estimated project cost is $2,777,105.00, which would be funded via assessments, Municipal State Aid (MSA) funds, bonding, and utility enterprise funds. If the City Council authorizes the preparation of a feasibility study, staff will review the estimated project costs, funding sources, and provide additional detail as part of the acceptance of the feasibility report.
Tentative Timelines:
Attachment 2 shows the project process in detail. Minnesota Statutes require several additional follow up approvals prior to actual award of a construction contract. At any time during that process the Council could reduce the scope, delay the project or decide to not move it forward.