Hayden public works outlines months-long sewer, water and road projects; council asks for public notice options

Public Works Director Alan Sartling told the Hayden City Council on March 11 that four concurrent construction programs in the city’s northwest corner will require careful coordination and phased traffic controls over the coming months.

Sartling said the city will manage five separate contracts handled by four different contractors: the Ramsey Road extension, the H6 gravity sewer (which includes water on its south half), a water project for the Hayden Lake Irrigation District, a Dakota–Ramsey lift station, and a force main tying to the treatment plant. Work began slowly during February after cold weather and snow, and schedules have changed multiple times, Sartling said.

The public works director walked council through a month-by-month schedule showing active work moving from north to south. He said a short section of Hayden Avenue near the Dakota/Ramsey intersection likely would be the most disruptive (about a quarter mile, roughly 800 feet), and that the contractor is proposing an extended closure there. ‘‘It’s about 6 weeks, it looks like, the estimated time,’’ Sartling said of the intersection work. He added closures would include signed detours and that some sections would remain gravel until the asphalt plant is available.

Sartling said Miles Road will remain open while crews progress elsewhere, and that some access behind ‘‘closed’’ signs will be allowed for airport access. He identified three airport access points on the south side of the airport as critical intersections and said the schedule aims to keep at least one, and preferably two, open at all times.

Projected milestone timing shown to the council included: March–May phasing of work through intersections; July completion of the gravity sewer project; August tie-in of the Dakota lift station to the new force main and treatment plant connection; and an anticipated full connection and public roadway to Lancaster by October, subject to weather, materials and equipment availability. Sartling said paving for one section was being discussed for late September to provide a buffer ahead of an October target.

Council members asked questions about duration, detour routes and materials procurement. When one council member cited traffic counts, Sartling noted Hayden Avenue carries ‘‘8,500 to 10,000 vehicles a day,’’ and acknowledged that the work will require advance public notification. He told the council he has a coordination meeting scheduled the next day to address a contractor request to begin work on Hayden Avenue and that the proposal could change the schedule.

Several council members and staff raised public-notification options. A councilmember suggested using the city newsletter to summarize expected work areas and provide general windows rather than specific dates; another suggested reader boards and Facebook posts. Sartling said materials for some contracts have already been tied down by contractors but that other long-lead items remain under review. He said the lift station has detailed product reviews still under way and that the gravity sewer pipe for Ramsey Road is on site.

Lisa (city staff) and councilmembers agreed staff would consider using the city’s message boards and Facebook presence to post general project graphics and notices; the mayor suggested including a short summary in the next newsletter. Sartling cautioned that schedules have changed repeatedly and that posting a fixed day-by-day slide could create confusion if dates shift.

Councilmembers also asked about coordination with events at the airport and the city’s upcoming summer events; staff said they are communicating with the airport advisory committee and contractors to avoid conflicts.

Council members introduced and welcomed Deputy Public Works Director Ty Cobatch during the reports section; Cobatch was described as returning to Idaho after a stint in Portland.

The update concluded with Sartling reiterating the contingency risk: ‘‘all this stuff is subject to weather, material, unexpected fines and material changes in equipment, breakdowns. I mean, there’s a lot of things that can happen that just change it, right?’’ The council did not take formal action on any one closure plan during the meeting but directed staff to continue coordination and to consider public-notice options discussed.