City crews describe $1 million concrete-repair and asphalt programs; stormwater ditch work ongoing

City construction and street staff briefed the commission on three maintenance programs that the city uses to repair concrete panels, overlay asphalt and clear stormwater ditches.

"I'd like to go over our my favorite program in the city, which is the concrete repair program," Construction Projects Manager Larry LaRue said, showing before-and-after photos of completed repairs at Nineteenth & Cherry, 1700 East Oak and Ramona Drive. LaRue said the concrete-project work focuses on salvageable concrete panels and neighboring curb-and-gutter repairs.

Public Works and street staff said the concrete program typically repairs smaller panels and short stretches rather than reconstructing full collector streets. One commissioner said the city spends about $1 million over the course of a year on concrete repairs. Street staff also described their asphalt overlay work: the city budgets roughly $900,000 a year for asphalt materials and crews place a 3-inch overlay (about 2.75 inches after compaction) on roads identified for resurfacing.

Stormwater staff reviewed recent ditch and drainage fixes at locations including 30th & Pine, Yale between Adams and Midway, West Cherokee and others, noting work to clear flumes and reduce water backflow into yards. Staff described Meadowbrook ditch as a winter-phase multi-year project and identified upcoming smaller projects such as North Adams, Monroe and Thirteenth & Randolph.

Commissioners and staff praised the crews for cost-effective, in-house work that allowed more pavement miles to be addressed than fully outsourced contracts would permit. No action was required; staff said projects are underway and contractors for larger jobs have been procured when needed.