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City outlines road, bridge and traffic signal work; staff flags funding shortfall
Summary
Street, bridge and traffic infrastructure needs were presented with an emphasis on multi‑year chip seal cycles, a Sandhill diversion box rehab, traffic signal controller replacements and possible cuts to meet CIP limits.
City street engineering staff and council discussed a broad slate of transportation and stormwater projects proposed for the 2026 CIP, ranging from residential chip seal cycles to bridge reserve funds and traffic‑signal controller replacements. The presentation emphasized an eight‑year chip‑seal program for residential streets and a targeted rehabilitation approach for the Sandhill diversion box.
Nut graf: Staff said the city must trim proposed CIP requests to meet available funds and proposed several deferrals and reductions; they also outlined targeted repairs such as a $500,000 phased rehab for the Sandhill Diversion Box and a planned program to replace aging traffic signal controllers and cabinets.
What staff proposed. Street staff described an 8‑year residential chip‑seal cycle, with a mill and overlay for each sector on a 24‑year rotation, crack sealing and staging of higher‑cost overlays. For the Sandhill Diversion Box — roughly 1.5 miles of concrete conveyance — staff proposed a $500,000 budget to begin interior concrete repairs from the north end and proceed as funds allow. The presenter said most failures appear on the interior and the program will use contractors to patch and repair multiple localized areas.
Traffic signals and safety grants. Staff said many traffic controllers and cabinets are well past expected lifespans and that moisture, wiring deterioration and manhole water intrusion cause recurring outages during storms. Staff proposed capital replacement of older controllers and wiring, and noted some individual traffic poles can cost about $100,000 to replace because of new KDOT foundation standards (23‑foot foundations). Evan Patterson noted a Safe Streets for All grant opportunity: “this grant lets us spend somebody else's money evaluating some of the areas in town that we wanna, determine, if they're appropriate to investigate further,” he said.
Funding tensions and proposed cuts. Finance staff and the city’s packet showed the total CIP requests exceeded the city’s target. Staff proposed deferring bridge maintenance for the year, reducing the downtown maintenance reserve and trimming traffic lights and other projects to meet a constrained transfer and bonding target. Angela (staff) said the transfer target “we probably need that to be closer to 1,750,000.00. That's the cash the general fund is gonna transfer.” Councilmembers were asked to weigh priorities and consider whether to seek a dedicated revenue source for streets.
Ending: Staff said they will refine street project lists after council direction and that many projects will require multi‑year funding or external grants to proceed.
