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Muscatine County reviews plans to replace sidewalks and three downtown parking areas
Summary
Engineers presented plans to replace sidewalks and two parking lots near the jail and county administration building and to repair sidewalks on Fourth and Walnut streets; county staff discussed budget, phasing and a July bid timeline.
Muscatine County supervisors heard a presentation May 19 from Watersmith Engineering on proposed replacement of sidewalks and two downtown parking lots and discussed phasing and funding.
The plans cover three components: the jail parking lot and adjacent sidewalk at the north‑northeast corner of the jail building; both the upper and lower administration parking lots; and sidewalks along Walnut from the alley between the Public Safety Building and the jail down to the previous jail addition project, including about two‑thirds of Fourth Street in front of the historic jail building and along Mulberry.
Brad Roth of Watersmith Engineering presented the draft plans and an accompanying cost estimate. Roth said the project is roughly divided into the three components and described construction specifications discussed with county staff: a 5‑inch sidewalk section over 3 inches of rock, and parking lots with rock base (described in the meeting as 6 inches of rock) and 7 inches of pavement. Roth and supervisors agreed the jail parking lot and the Walnut/Fourth sidewalks are the higher priorities if funding limits require phasing.
County staff said the jail parking lot and sidewalk portion is funded by bonding in the county capital projects budget, while the other two components were estimated higher than the county’s earlier projection. Supervisors said they expect to look to leftover contingency from the courthouse roof project to help cover the remainder but will know final availability only after that project closes out. Roth estimated plans could be about 60% complete within a month and be ready to bid around July 1; supervisors noted bids this spring have been favorable but cautioned final prices depend on contractor responses.
Supervisors asked whether the city requires abutting property owners to maintain street‑facing sidewalks; a board member observed that city practice generally holds property owners responsible, and staff said the city would share the cost of curb and gutter repairs where the city is directly involved. Board members also discussed construction calendar conflicts with other courthouse work and whether contractors are using the parking lot for access; supervisors suggested coordinating timing to avoid access conflicts and to avoid bidding pressures that can spike prices if contractors’ schedules are overloaded.
No formal vote was recorded on the overall project at the meeting; supervisors directed staff to proceed with plan completion and to prioritize the jail parking lot and the Fourth/Walnut sidewalk work for bidding and construction as budget permits.
