Wheeler moves ahead on waterfront restroom loan, habitat assessment and summer waterline work

Wheeler city staff told the City Council on Jan. 21 that the waterfront restroom project will move forward to a formal loan application to Business Oregon for $60,000, but a habitat assessment must be completed first, delaying construction until that report is finished.

Phil Cheick, the city’s public works director, submitted the written public‑works report and said the city will borrow $60,000 from Business Oregon’s Special Public Works fund to cover remaining costs. He told council members the habitat assessment is expected to cost about $5,000 and be completed by mid‑February; if that schedule holds, construction could begin as early as March.

The report said the assessment will document how the project meets requirements under the federal Endangered Species Act and the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s National Flood Insurance Program. Cheick also told the council the city has coordinated with environmental consultants to perform the required assessment.

Council members and staff discussed sequencing and costs. City Manager Wes said surveying and pre‑design work for the city’s Pennsylvania Avenue waterline improvement project should finish in early February, after which design will begin and the project will be advertised for bid in spring, with construction slated for summer.

Staff also said they will issue a request for qualifications in February to hire a consulting engineer for the Drave Creek design project, with council selection of an engineer planned for the March council meeting. Design work for the Fourth and Bossburg Street caving project will begin soon and staff expect surveyors working on the waterline pre‑design to also support that work to reduce costs.

Staff told the council they will report project updates at the February meeting. The council asked staff to clarify how paving grants and multiple projects will be managed so one project does not draw funding from another; staff said project‑level estimates will inform allocations and that further conversation will continue in February.

Other infrastructure items covered in staff reports included the gateway sign lighting, which requires separate power boxes not covered by the grant and will be paid from the general fund, and the city website relaunch and document‑search issues.

The city manager and public‑works director said they will return with updates and cost breakdowns at the February council meeting.