Aberdeen staff report: Market Street safety work, wastewater upgrades, mobile surveillance pilot and park slide replacement approved

Public works and parks staff reported progress on infrastructure and public‑space projects and obtained council approval for a parks repair.

Staff said Market Street received new striping, traffic-calming islands and pedestrian improvements; crews completed concrete work on a sidewalk replacement project and planned landscape work and tree replacement. Staff noted that traffic signals on Market Street will be temporarily covered on Sept. 23 so intersections will operate as two-way stops while signage is added to clarify right-of-way.

The wastewater treatment plant improvement project is ongoing; operations staff are maintaining regulatory compliance while parts of the plant are under construction. Staff also said the North Shore Levee construction documents were roughly 90% complete and under internal review.

Public safety staff described a 30-day pilot of a mobile surveillance unit deployed in an alley near Safeway in partnership with private vendors; staff reported the unit cleared loitering and appeared to act as a deterrent. The city said it may seek council approval to purchase a unit if the pilot continues to show results.

On a parks item, council authorized the parks director to order replacement of a damaged playground slide (quote not to exceed $17,300.68). Park users and staff had reported vandalism to the slide at Fitch Park, and council members said constituents had asked for a prompt replacement to restore safe play equipment.

No votes beyond the slide authorization were required for the informational public works briefings.