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Council hears updates on railroad utility leak, Main Street pavement and Second South water project
Summary
City staff reported a leaking utility line under a railroad crossing, recommended paying application fees to begin repairs, and updated council on Main Street pavement testing, Second South waterline engineering and airport power repairs.
City staff briefed the Soda Springs City Council on several infrastructure projects and maintenance issues, including a leaking buried water line at the Ingram railroad crossing, ongoing Main Street pavement problems, the Second South waterline replacement project and power problems at the municipal airport.
Public works staff said an underground line beneath the railroad tracks at Second East was leaking and that the city had applied for a railroad crossing permit. The basic permit fee listed in accounts payable was $2,055; staff explained expedited (15‑day and 5‑day) options of $6,055 and $12,055, respectively. A staff representative told the council the crossing is one of four that conveys water from the north side of town to the south and described it as “pretty critical.” Council members expressed support for moving forward to secure the crossing permit and to schedule contractor work as soon as availability allowed.
On Main Street, staff said they will take additional core and compaction samples and run laboratory tests on asphalt and base materials to diagnose failures that developed since paving. The staff presentation noted groundwater and buried leaks can undermine pavement performance and that a contractor and engineer are preparing tests and repair plans.
Regarding the Second South project, staff provided the council with a final engineer’s estimate (including a $200,000 contingency) of roughly $2,240,000 and said the grant and loan structure would cover about $400,000 (principal forgiveness) with other loan requirements expected. Council members discussed when to convene affected property owners for an information meeting; some members urged waiting until a complete information package — including property‑by‑property impacts and cost estimates — is ready, while others recommended meeting as soon as practical to keep owners apprised of the timeline. Staff said ITD will handle portions of the project and that the city will coordinate outreach.
At the municipal airport, staff described recurring buried‑cable problems and said they were trenching and replacing conduit for two hangars that were out of power. Staff called the work potentially costly and asked council to consider whether to continue reactive repairs or plan a full replacement of buried infrastructure through a future capital budget.
No formal votes were taken on project funding at the meeting; staff said they would begin permitting and testing steps and return with contracting and cost details for council approval.
