Sherwood reviews five‑year capital improvement plan; staff highlights grant readiness and several large projects

Sherwood City Council on April 15 reviewed a proposed five‑year Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) that inventories street repaving, pedestrian safety projects, sanitary sewer work and site preparation for the tannery redevelopment, and shows funding gaps the city will seek to fill with grants and partnerships.

City Engineer Jason Waters told the council the “list is very similar to last year’s CIB plan” and walked members through project‑level updates, schedules and revised cost estimates. He said the IC dry (ICDR/IC dry) project drew lower bids and that the total project remains “around $19,000,000” with the new bid about “$12,000,000,” producing roughly $5,000,000 in savings compared with earlier estimates. Waters said certain projects will be advanced only as grant and contractor schedules allow.

The plan groups projects by department and timeframe and pulls available outside funding into a visible column so councilors and the public can see which projects are grant‑ready. A staff member noted the city lists projects ahead of securing full funding so Sherwood can pursue state and federal grants as they arise: “when grant opportunities come up…we’re in a good position to go after those grants,” the staff member said.

Key projects and updates cited in the presentation include:

- IC dry project: revised totals of roughly $19 million overall with a new bid near $12 million and limited spending in the current fiscal year while the contract award completes; construction expected to begin in six to eight weeks after a preconstruction meeting.

- Sunset 99W Pedestrian Bridge and related crosswalk work: largely under way and projected for completion this fall; updated costs reflect current burn rates and a contingency staff expects will keep the project within the previously authorized 10 percent contingency.

- Oregon Street improvements and roundabout‑area work: staff left a modest placeholder ($362,000) to allow coordination with the tannery site cleanup if timelines align.

- Arrow Creek construction and Duwalt/Truett Road connections: bids came in below estimates; the city will schedule a preconstruction meeting and bring contract award items forward to council.

- Cedar Creek Trail and a grade‑separated crossing: staff is advancing FEMA flood‑mapping work tied to the trail project and plans to return this summer with a floodplain elevation update for council adoption.

- Traffic safety: the CIP keeps an annual $100,000 allocation for neighborhood traffic safety improvements and ADA ramps; staff said the amount has been held steady across recent budget cycles.

- Pedestrian hybrid beacon at a Sunset crosswalk: staff described the device as “basically a traffic signal at a location that doesn’t have the vehicle [signal],” noting there may be an 18‑week lead time for signal equipment and that some trees will need removal for sightlines.

- Sanitary sewer work funded or managed by Clean Water Services (CWS): Waters identified a Rock Creek trunk line project and a Brookman area trunk line that will serve parts of Sherwood West; the city is managing some projects but CWS is a principal funder.

- Tannery site: the city continues site‑cleanup and pre‑development work; staff said the project has a $5,000,000 grant from “EP Village” (as reported to council) and the city is pursuing an additional $2,000,000 from the state. Staff characterized the current site‑preparation line as a placeholder pending further cost updates.

- Wastewater treatment plant expansion and routine waterline work: staff said work continues on the 20,000,000‑gallon expansion with a small carryover and switchgear lead times; completion was anticipated in September (projected date reported in the session).

Councilors asked that the CIP include clearer public‑facing explanations of why projects are prioritized. Councilor Taylor suggested a dedicated column explaining public benefits (for example: “prevents larger future costs,” “improves pedestrian safety,” “readies site for grant funding”). Councilor Henry and others pressed for clearer funding source lines and for the staff to note when projects are “shovel ready” versus conceptual.

Waters and staff emphasized the CIP is a living document: numbers change as bids come in, grant opportunities appear and schedules shift. Staff said they will return to council with legislation to adopt the CIP and with more detailed project funding plans as part of the budget process.

The city did not take formal votes at the work session; staff said adoption items will come forward as ordinance/resolution requests for future council meetings.