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Bluff council directs engineers to circulate Calf Canyon bid packet, schedules funding work session for Old Highway project
Summary
Council members agreed to have Jones & DeMille release a bid packet for Calf Canyon repairs and to move discussion of funding for the Old Highway improvement to a May work session. Councilors debated whether planned roadway designs should include future space for pedestrian and bicycle facilities.
Bluff — Bluff Town Council members on April 15 authorized town engineering consultant Jones & DeMille to release bid documents for the Calf Canyon repair work and agreed to hold a work session in May to pursue funding sources for a larger Old Highway improvement concept.
The council did not formally vote to award any contracts at the meeting; members agreed that Jones & DeMille could put the Calf Canyon packet out to bidders and that the council would formally consider bids and an award when responses returned. “We could just go ahead and have Jones and DeMille follow-up with putting it out and then see what we get back,” the council said during the meeting.
Why it matters: The Old Highway concept covers a stretch of historic roadway through town that councilors and residents want to keep walkable and safe. The project carries significant mobilization and construction cost implications; councilors said the town must confirm funding sources before committing to construction.
Key facts and council direction
- Jones & DeMille will circulate the Calf Canyon bid packet for repair work on Calf Canyon and related paving/riprap items. The council indicated it would review returned bids and vote on contractors at a later meeting.
- The packet discussed in the meeting covers Calf Canyon repairs and a separate small paving/riprap segment (Seventh Street / Center Street West curves). Councilors noted combining the two small projects creates duplicate mobilization costs for contractors.
- Council members scheduled a work session in May to examine funding sources for the Old Highway project. Potential funding sources mentioned during the discussion included the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) programs, the Community Impact Board (CIB), and the San Juan County Transportation Board.
- Cost items mentioned in the discussion: an engineer’s mobilization estimate of about $95,000 and an aggregate project estimate discussed in the meeting in the roughly million-dollar range (transcript references included figures such as “$1,100,000” and similar estimates). Councilors emphasized those figures were from preliminary engineering estimates.
Pedestrian and bike facilities debate
Council members and the consulting engineer discussed whether the conceptual design for the Old Highway should explicitly include space for bicycle lanes or a separate pedestrian pathway. Some councilors cited the town’s strategic plan and general plan priorities for walkability and bicycle access and argued that the conceptual plan should reserve space for future pedestrian/bicycle facilities. Others noted that funding streams for roadway construction and for pedestrian/bicycle paths often come from different programs and that a separate funding strategy may be needed.
Engineer Michael (last name provided in the meeting packet) advised that conceptual plans can show desired pedestrian and bicycle features but that some funding sources require separate project scopes. The council directed staff to place funding-source strategy on a work-session agenda so the town can decide priorities for potential CIB submittals and other applications.
Process and schedule
Town Manager Erin Nelson confirmed the council does not need to vote to authorize Jones & DeMille to prepare or circulate the bid packet; the council must, however, approve any contract award after bids are opened and recommendations are presented. The council asked Michael to coordinate a short virtual review if needed and to return with bid results and funding recommendations.
What’s next
- Jones & DeMille to issue the Calf Canyon bid packet and return with bids for council consideration. - Council work session in May to review CIB, San Juan County Transportation Board, UDOT and other funding options for the Old Highway concept and to decide application priorities.
Quotes
“We could just go ahead and have Jones and DeMille follow-up with putting it out and then see what we get back,” said a council member during the discussion of the Calf Canyon packet.
“Mobilization cost is $95,000…when you bring equipment to town and get all set up to pay that, that’s a big chunk of your project,” an engineer said when councilors reviewed the estimate.
Ending
The council moved the technical and funding questions to the May work session so staff and the engineering consultant can assemble funding options and bring a clearer construction package back to council for a vote.
