Decorah council directs RFQ for full Hively Street redesign, signals preference for roundabout at River intersection

The Decorah City Council voted to issue a request for qualifications (RFQ) for outside engineering services to design the remainder of the Hively Street project to State Street and asked respondents to address multimodal transportation in project goals. Council members also instructed staff that the council’s current preference is for a roundabout at the Hively Street/River Street intersection, while allowing consultants to recommend otherwise.

Council members said hiring outside consultants would free in-house staff to manage other projects and allow the city to coordinate Hively Street construction with the planned new middle school construction. City staff told the council the full stretch would be difficult for internal staff to design in the calendar window needed to hit a desired bid schedule; an outside firm could deliver a 30% design early enough for meaningful review.

During discussion, staff said an out‑of‑house design contract for the full corridor could cost in the neighborhood of several hundred thousand dollars (planning‑level estimate: roughly $300,000 for design tied to a $1.5 million construction estimate), but that the RFQ process lets the city rank and negotiate with firms before committing. Council members said consolidating construction into a single multi‑year project could yield modest construction efficiencies (fewer mobilizations, combined traffic control) and would keep work coordinated with the school’s access points.

Council also added an explicit language change to the RFQ: respondents must address “encouraging multimodal transportation” as a project goal. The amended RFQ passed on a unanimous roll call vote (ayes: Zitter Gruen; Olsen; Chisel; Whittle; Parker; Missalinich; Neil; others recorded as present).

On the intersection form, council members debated pros and cons of a 100‑foot inscribed traffic circle (roundabout) versus a reconfigured four‑way intersection. Supporters of a roundabout cited smoother traffic flow and potential pedestrian benefits; opponents cited maintenance and winter plowing concerns and recommended the traditional 4‑way design shown in staff sketches. The council ultimately voted to proceed with RFQ language that identifies the majority council preference for a roundabout but directs consultants to evaluate both options and provide recommendation(s). The motion to indicate a roundabout preference carried on a 6–1 vote (Chisel recorded as opposed; others aye).

Staff said the RFQ will ask firms to show prior relevant work (school‑area intersections, multimodal facilities) and to provide staged deliverables (30% and 60/90% reviews) so the council can adjust the selected concept if the school’s final site plan changes. Councilmembers emphasized that a consultant recommendation could change the council’s position if engineering analysis or coordination with the school indicates the other option is safer or more viable.

The council directed staff to return with the RFQ package and to include the stated multimodal goal and the intersection preference language. Staff also said issuance of the RFQ buys additional time to finalize detailed construction and financing decisions.

Councilmember Christopher (speaking as a councilmember) summarized the approach as a compromise: advance comprehensive design work now while keeping the final intersection decision open to engineers’ technical review.

The council will review RFQ responses, open negotiations with top‑ranked firms, and return to council with price proposals before executing a final design contract.