Commission discusses $10 million pavement-management program, asks staff for project-level clarifications
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Summary
Commissioners questioned timing, site selection and funding for the pavement-management list tied to SPLOST/TSPLOST, requested follow-up on specific streets and coordination with other construction, and placed the item back on consent after staff agreed to provide detailed responses.
Athens-Clarke County commissioners on Oct. 21 held an extended discussion of the pavement-management program funded through the SPLOST/TSPLOST program and the draft repaving list proposed for the coming year.
Commissioner Link moved several streets from the consent list to discussion to ask staff about timing and coordination with near-term capital projects and traffic-calming and striping opportunities on specific corridors, including East Broad, Hickory Street, Fourth Street, Newton Street and sections near construction zones. Commissioners and staff discussed the program’s budget structure, contingency line (noted as 16.3 percent in the packet), and the relationship between water/sewer work and repaving: Public Utilities contributes to larger repaving where underground work occurs to avoid repeated pavement disruption.
Staff said the pavement-management program uses a consultant scoring system (KCI Technologies) to rate streets and prioritize resurfacing; KCI provides condition ratings and training for staff to use the scoring system. Staff also said the 2026 program funds include funds planned but not yet available; commissioners asked staff to clarify lines labeled “future program funds.” Commissioners asked for follow-up information on specific questions including whether recent construction caused pavement damage that should be addressed by developers or contractors, how the department calculates contingency, and what qualifies as eligible matching funds for anticipated grants. Staff requested that commissioners send written lists of streets for targeted questions and said staff would send email follow-ups addressing the particulars.
Commissioner Hamby noted an increase in the current year’s proposed program (about $10 million) compared with earlier years’ typical $4 million to $5 million packages and thanked staff for pursuing increased funding. Commissioners asked that the staff coordinate striping or road-diet opportunities administratively and to seek input from the Athens in Motion Committee.
After discussion, commissioners asked staff for written follow-up and accepted staff’s plan to return the item on the regular consent/voting agenda with clarifying responses. Staff said they would coordinate with Public Utilities to avoid overlapping work and would provide project-level answers by email to commissioners.
