Council approves $1.65M contract to upgrade 1700 North waterline; impact fees to help pay cost

The North Ogden City Council on Jan. 20 approved contract A01/2025 to replace and upsize the city’s main waterline along 1700 North, a project staff estimated at about $1.65 million and scheduled to run from mid-April to October.

The project is a long-planned trunk upgrade to serve increased demand in lower-density areas; staff said a portion will be paid from the water enterprise fund and roughly $600,000 of available impact fees.

Public Works Director and Assistant City Manager Dave Espinosa told the council the work is larger than the usual annual water-line projects and would be difficult to phase without extended construction impacts. The proposal increases pipe size in places from existing 6- or 8-inch lines to 12- and 14-inch lines to accommodate future development and serve as a primary trunk line for the lower portion of the city. Staff said the city had programmed roughly $1 million in the current year budget with the remainder to be covered in the next fiscal year and impact fees.

Espinosa said the chosen contractor has a long track record with regional public works work and that the project timeline (construction start April 15; contractual completion October 31, with a staff target of Oct. 1) reflected an effort to complete the work in a single construction season to minimize long-term neighborhood disruption. Staff acknowledged traffic-control challenges on the narrow sections along the corridor and said they would work with the city police department to manage detours and encourage early public notice via social media and door hangers.

Finance staff and councilors discussed the fund-level effects. Jamie (finance staff) told the council roughly $600,000 in impact fees was available; Espinosa and councilors noted that major capital spending increases depreciation in the water enterprise fund and could affect future rate decisions. Council discussion referenced the city's five-year capital plan, and staff said the five-year schedule anticipates a pause on large projects in fiscal 2027 to rebuild fund balance and slow the pace of depreciation increases.

The council voted to approve contract A01/2025 by roll call (Severing, Pulver, Watson, Dalpez and Barker voting yes). The motion’s mover and seconder were not specified on the audio record for the roll call; staff will publish the executed contract and the project schedule. Staff also committed to advance public notices and to coordinate with police about detours.

Key project figures discussed on the record: estimated contract award approximately $1.65 million; budgeted $1,000,000 in the current fiscal year; available impact fees roughly $600,000; construction window April–October.