Ellsworth approves one-year StreetScan pilot to inventory streets and sidewalks

The Ellsworth City Council voted to enter a one-year contract with StreetScan for up to $25,000 to scan and assess the condition of city streets and sidewalks and to provide asset-management tools staff said will inform multi-year capital planning.

City staff described the product as a LIDAR/camera-driven scan that produces a GIS asset database, condition ratings and treatment-cost modeling. Staff said the scan will cover municipal streets, selected Maine Department of Transportation urban-compact segments and sidewalks; the dataset can be used to prioritize paving, crack sealing and sidewalk repairs and to generate public-facing maps and condition reports.

Staff recommended StreetScan over lower-cost bids because of its more robust analytics, budgeting tools and ongoing asset-management platform. Council and staff discussed the contract structure: the vendor offered a multi-year option to spread upfront costs, but staff asked to start with a one-year agreement for the initial scan and dataset so the city can integrate results into its capital-improvement planning this summer. Council approved the one-year, up-to-$25,000 contract to be paid from the highway capital account and asked staff to return for multi-year contracting and supplemental asset inventories (lighting, signs) if desired.

Public commenters raised sidewalk and off-road path coverage and asked whether non-adjacent sidewalks and recreational trails could be scanned; staff said they would explore those additions and follow-up options.

The contract will deliver an initial condition dataset (approximately 90 days from collection) and a web-based asset-management interface the city can use to prioritize treatments and to improve public transparency about road and sidewalk investments.