Councilmember Doucette urges return to original streets program, says District 4 behind on allocations

Councilmember Calvin Doucette used a March 18 council presentation to press for a return to the city’s original, district-based streets program and for clearer accounting of how $50 million in streets and drainage bond proceeds are being spent.

Doucette said the program, adopted by an earlier council, was designed to allocate $10 million a year across council districts based on the linear feet of streets needing work. He said the adopted approach gave each single-member district the ability to select streets for remediation or reconstruction and that the council would approve both the selections and the funding so citizens could track the work.

Why it matters: Several council members and residents have complained that streets in certain neighborhoods are not being prioritized equitably. Doucette told the council that Districts 1 and 4 — older parts of the city with more asphalt streets — have the greatest need and that district allocations appear not to reflect adopted formulas. He said the city currently shows about $20.9 million available for reconstruction and $20.9 million for resurfacing but questioned why work appears limited while money remains unspent.

Key points from the presentation: - Doucette described components of the adopted plan: districts select streets; public works provide cost estimates and contingencies; council approves funding and selections; monthly financial reports track spending. - He said that when the city followed the plan, there were multiple contractors working across the city, monthly monitoring, and transparent budget line items showing costs per street; when the practice lapsed, transparency declined. - He recommended a new, verified street list by district, recalculation of percentages following redistricting, a requirement to appropriate funds and leave them in the districts, monthly budget updates that clearly show allocations and expenditures, and increased use of outside contractors to accelerate repairs.

Council reaction and staff response: City staff provided a recent list of 2025 rehab projects to council members after the presentation and encouraged district council members to meet with engineering to confirm selections. Finance staff said there are funds in the streets account available for current projects; Doucette replied he wanted to see district-by-district balances so council members and residents can track money to specific streets.

Ending: Doucette said the council must “get the program back on track” and requested the city attorney review the original resolution that adopted the program to ensure subsequent resolutions and budget actions follow the adopted plan. He framed the issue as one of accountability and transparency to residents who ask their councilmembers “what about my street.”