Moorhead council approves $2.77 million street and utility improvements for south neighborhood

The Moorhead City Council on March 10 ordered street and underground utility improvements for Fourteenth Avenue South, Thirteenth Street South and Eighteenth Street South and awarded the construction contract for Project 25A202 following a public hearing.

The project will include full rehabilitation of Fourteenth Avenue South and Eighteenth Street South, a mill-and-overlay on Thirteenth Street South, spot curb and gutter and sidewalk repairs, replacement of noncompliant ADA pedestrian ramps, and about 2,000 feet of water main replacement on Eighteenth Street South (cast iron to PVC). Xcel Energy will replace gas mains on the same streets under a separate but concurrent project, Clay Lehi, city engineer, said at the hearing.

The improvements are funded by a mix of sources: the total project cost is estimated at approximately $2,770,000; the city’s share is about $1,570,000; Moorhead Public Service is contributing approximately $683,000; and assessments to property owners total about $514,000. There are 101 properties in the assessment area; the average residential assessment is about $5,000 and the largest assessment, for a city-owned lot (Lamb Park), is approximately $47,500. Assessment rates cited for the project are $42.50 per front foot for mill-and-overlay areas and $90 per front foot for rehab areas.

At the public hearing residents asked for clarification on assessments, payment timing and the construction schedule. Clay Lehi said assessments are typically spread over 20 years and the city’s Special Assessment Coordinator would work with homeowners to identify payment options. Lehi told the council the project could begin as early as May and would proceed through the summer, and that engineering staff and the project engineer would meet individually with residents after the hearing to address site-specific questions.

Lehi also noted the project includes new sidewalk adjacent to Lamb Park after a request from the public works department; one resident said they supported the sidewalk addition. Lehi described the pavement condition index (PCI) in the project area as ranging from 13 to 75, with most streets constructed in the late 1950s and early 1960s and in need of rehabilitation.

Council members voted to approve the resolution ordering the improvements and to award the bid (agenda items 9b and 9c). The motions carried on voice votes.