Independence council approves $5 million watershed repairs, sidewalk design and several contracts and ordinances

The Independence City Council on Feb. 17 approved multiple infrastructure, contract and regulatory items, including a federally funded $5 million project to replace deteriorated corrugated pipe in the Rock Creek watershed and a design contract for Phase 2 of sidewalks along the 23rd Street corridor.

Council members voted unanimously on the consent agenda and on individual items later discussed. City Manager (name not specified) told the council the Rock Creek Watershed project will replace rusted corrugated metal pipe with modern concrete pipe to reduce erosion and protect public and private property; the manager said significant federal grant funding covers a large portion of the work. Deputy City Manager and Director of Municipal Services Lisa Reynolds described the Phase 2 sidewalk contract as a design contract that will study whether a multimodal trail, sidewalks on both sides, or a single-side sidewalk is feasible on the state highway corridor from Route 291 east to Speck Road, near Bridger Middle School. "This is actually the design contract, so bike lanes through here would be anticipated to be something more along the lines of a multimodal trail," Reynolds said.

On a separate consent-item contract, the council approved a substitute agreement between the city and the Independence Chamber of Commerce for economic-development consulting services after adding contract protections and additional city input on the hiring of personnel assigned to perform the work. Council members also approved an amendment…