City staff issues nine RFPs for Business Highway 75 corridor study; council discusses funding and phasing

Lamar — City staff announced at the June 3 Lamar City Council meeting that nine requests for proposals for consultants on the Business Highway 75 project were mailed; proposals are due June 27, and staff expects to bring a recommendation to the public works committee and the council by mid-July.

Jason, a city staff member, said the RFPs were mailed and are due to him on June 27; he said the public works committee is expected to review proposals and make a recommendation by July 11 and that staff would bring a contract to council in August. "I've put in there Those are due back to me, June 27," Jason said. He added the selected consultant would help refine scope and that a contract would likely return in August.

Council members discussed project phasing and funding. Members asked whether the project could be divided into shorter segments to avoid having the corridor under construction for two years; staff noted phasing could help from a budgeting and traffic-impact standpoint. Funding questions included whether to use tax increment financing (TIF) or road-use tax; staff said the project could involve a TIF bond, and if TIF is used the road-use fund would likely not be the primary payor.

On short-term maintenance, staff said the city will continue addressing maintenance issues on the corridor until the design decision is made but may stop full-depth repairs and focus on minimal or surface-level fixes while planning proceeds. Council and staff discussed whether interim asphalt patches or crack sealing would be appropriate while planning and design proceed.

Jason said recent recommendations from Stanley Consultants will inform the scope and that, after consultant selection, staff will refine the work plan and schedule for design, phasing and budgeting. The council did not take formal action on the item; staff will return with a contract for council consideration.