Farmington council adopts five-year street reconstruction plan, authorizes bonds

At its July 21 meeting, the Farmington City Council adopted Resolution 2025‑TAX‑051 approving the city’s five‑year street reconstruction plan and authorizing issuance of general obligation street reconstruction bonds. The council held a public hearing before voting and approved the resolution by roll call. The plan lays out reconstruction projects for 2025–2029 and will be used as the basis for bonding. City staff said the proposed bond proceeds would partially fund reconstruction work and associated studies. "We're recommending bonds be issued to partially fund street reconstruction projects over the next five years," the presenter told the council. The plan uses the city’s pavement condition index (PCI) and other factors to prioritize streets. Staff said Farmington receives about $1,200,000 in municipal state aid each year, of which 25% is allocated to maintenance and the remainder to construction; state aid projects are not included in the bond package. Projects already under way for 2025 include Sunnyside Drive from Ash to Centennial, Fairview from Sunnyside to Park, Centennial Court and Sunnyside Circle; a Willow Street reconstruction was described as a state aid project and not part of the bonding request. Staff also described other years in the plan: reconstructed segments on Sixth Street and adjacent links, several 2027 projects including Seventh Street and Beach Street, and scattered 2028–2029 projects intended to fill gaps in completed neighborhoods. The plan includes two studies (Ninth Street and Carver Lane backage roads) that staff said have been in the capital improvement program for years and that some bond proceeds are allocated to study those options. "Some of the bond proceeds have been allocated to study this," staff said of backage road possibilities. Council members praised the data-driven approach. Council member Nick said the PCI-based method allows the city to monitor pavement degradation and match treatments (chip coating, mill and overlay or full reconstruction) to condition rather than replacing pavement unnecessarily. No public speakers addressed the hearing, and the council closed the hearing before voting. The resolution also includes language establishing compliance and reimbursement bond regulations under the Internal Revenue Code, as read into the motion prior to the roll-call vote. Council members voted yes on the resolution; the presenter stated the plan will be reviewed and adjusted annually and that the city is moving pavement data into OpenGov for consolidated asset management. Looking ahead, staff said the city prefers not to construct parallel roads at the same time to avoid hampering travel and that some right-of-way work has already been allocated where backage roads are under study. The adopted plan will guide bonding and project selection for the next five years.