Georgetown City reviews MAP funds, proposed street paving and traffic-calming plan at public hearing

At a public hearing, Georgetown City officials presented a prioritized list of streets proposed for resurfacing using MAP funds and discussed a traffic-calming plan; city officials said council will be asked to accept the next round of funding, just under $900,000.

The list of streets the city hopes to pave this year includes Second Street; Oxford Drive; about half of West Clinton Street; Del Hollow from Rough River to Taylorsville; Rough River from Barren River to Paine's Avenue; Hiawatha from U.S. 25 to Arapahoe; Highland Court; Bridal Way; the entire Bridal Way (entire street); East Jackson Street; Fernhill Drive; Old Mill; Creekview Court; Bryant Avenue; Cambridge Boulevard; approximately half of Masters (half); the Pains Landing Boulevard entrance (for new striping); East Main extended from the new Wawa entrance to the railroad; Aztec from Seminole to Choctaw; about half of Bourbon Street; and the City Hall parking lot and the adjacent portion of North Court Street. Shay, a city staff member, read the list and said the selections were compiled from calls to the public works office and council recommendations: "we put this list together by... public works office, and then also, city council recommendations, And just, from what you all hear from your constituents." (quote verbatim as spoken).

Councilman Minkie described planned updates to the city's pavement assessment: the engineering office is compiling resurfacing records back to 2007 into a new spreadsheet to pair with a forthcoming street-condition assessment (the last assessment cited was 2010). He said the assessment will "rate the streets in terms of condition and priority" and create a mechanism to track resurfacing dates. "Some of it means something to me. Some of it is is French," Minkie said, describing work to make the data more usable for staff and council.

Officials said the city has some carryover MAP funds from prior years because contractors sometimes cannot complete projects on schedule; the next round of funding, described in the hearing as "just under $900,000," must be accepted by council at a future meeting before it can be spent. The city said its goal is to use the assessment to help spend down the available balance this year.

Discussion also covered traffic-calming on Highland Court, where staff have received multiple speeding complaints. Shay said the city is "hoping to put a speed bump on that street" and is working with the engineering team on a traffic plan. The mayor (name not specified) added that physical traffic-calming measures beyond signs require council action: "Anything to alternate other than signs and so on, you will have to bring to council because that's a... that's a tier 2." Staff said the traffic-calming plan assembled by engineers will be presented to council for adoption and that actions stemming from that plan will follow either council review or the traffic committee depending on tier.

On coordination with utilities, staff said they contact Columbia Gas and other utilities before paving to avoid repaving over imminent work. Shay referenced the city's current ordinance with Columbia Gas, under which a utility that cuts a paved street must return the full width and repave the affected segment: "If they cut the street, they have to go back full width and pave that portion." Staff said the ordinance reduces the need to redo pavement a few years after a project.

Council and staff took questions from the public and council members on specific streets and on whether existing speed tables (for example near the college on East Jackson Street) would remain; staff confirmed existing traffic tables would be left in place. With no further public comment, the mayor closed the hearing.

Next steps identified in the hearing: staff will complete the pavement-assessment updates and present the traffic-calming plan and formal acceptance of the next MAP funding allocation (described as just under $900,000) for council action at upcoming meetings.