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Council waives bidding to negotiate resurfacing work; city emphasizes sidewalks and coordination with water lead‑line program
Summary
Council approved staff authority to waive technical bidding and negotiate with Rowe Construction for the FY2026 street resurfacing program; engineering staff said the year’s program emphasizes sidewalk repairs, high‑pressure slurry preservation, and coordination with the water department’s lead‑service-line work.
The Bloomington City Council on March 24 authorized staff to waive technical bidding requirements and to negotiate directly with a contractor for the FY 2026 general street resurfacing program.
Director of Engineering Jim Karch outlined the resurfacing plan and a related sidewalk program. Karch said the city will prioritize sidewalk repairs this year to address a backlog of about 489 complaints, expand high‑pressure slurry preservation on local roads (a lower‑cost treatment that extends pavement life), and focus resurfacing on collectors and arterials where feasible. He said the engineering and water departments are coordinating so the city does not resurface streets that will soon be excavated for lead‑service-line replacement or other water work.
Karch described a mix of treatments: reclamite rejuvenator on recently resurfaced streets, high‑pressure slurry for local roads, and full resurfacing on selected collectors and arterials. He also described a tree‑friendly sidewalk approach that uses longitudinal rebar root‑barrier techniques to protect sidewalks while preserving trees.
Council Member Krumpler moved approval of the waiver and procurement approach; another council member seconded and the motion passed. Karch said the city had bid documents ready and wants to begin negotiations to speed contractor engagement and get crews working early in the construction season.
Karch also told council members that construction cost inflation has significantly increased per‑square‑foot resurfacing costs over the past decade (staff cited a recent per‑square‑foot cost roughly double what it was 10 years ago), which affects project selection and the use of motor-fuel-tax (MFT) dollars. He said the city has maintained a dedicated asphalt-and-concrete fund to help manage rising prices and that the engineering department will continue to coordinate sewer and water checks before resurfacing to avoid repeated digs.
Clarifying details: Karch said the backlog of 489 sidewalk complaints has been converted into work orders and that sidewalk grinding is a cost‑effective remedy for vertical displacements of about 1.5 inches or less; larger displacements typically require panel replacement. He noted that the city is partnering with Parks & Recreation on tree selection and root barriers to reduce repeat sidewalk failures.
