Bluff council approves Jones & DeMille engineering proposal for Old Bluff Highway after debate over scope and funding

Bluff Town Council voted to accept an engineering proposal from Jones & DeMille for improvements to Old Bluff Highway during its May 20, 2025 regular meeting.

The council’s approval followed extended discussion about whether the project should remain a road resurfacing effort or be expanded to incorporate elements of Bluff’s active transportation and strategic plans, including a separated walking and biking corridor. Council members and staff raised concerns that adding full active-transportation components could substantially increase design complexity and cost and make the project more likely to seek federal or Community Impact Board (CIB) funding.

Town Manager Erin Nelson recapped the project options and said the Jones & DeMille proposal as submitted can be submitted to funding sources in its current form. Several council members said they want the project to align with the town’s strategic plan and active transportation objectives; others cautioned that adding trail or ADA-specific elements could push the project from a straightforward resurfacing into a larger, roughly million-dollar effort that may require different funding strategies.

Michael Haddigan, who attended the meeting to discuss the proposal, told the council the project had been estimated at roughly a million dollars and that the current design could be used to apply for funding. Council members discussed potential funding routes including CIB and federal infrastructure programs and whether the town should pursue the road and trail in separate phases so each could meet relevant funding requirements.

After discussion, a motion to “accept the proposal as submitted by Jones and DeMille” passed with four votes in favor and one opposed. The accepted submission reflects the 30-foot roadway concept included in the written proposal; a verbal discussion during the meeting referenced an additional 6-foot delineated area for bikes and pedestrians, but council members noted that the 6-foot addition had not been included in the formal submittal and that design details would be finalized during the design phase.

Council members said next steps will include directing the consultant to proceed into design and clarifying which design elements are required to make the application competitive for CIB or federal funds, and whether the town should pursue a separate trail project to preserve federal funding eligibility for roadway work.

The vote was recorded as 4–1 in favor. The council did not specify a project start date at the meeting; staff advised that any federal or CIB application timelines would determine design and procurement scheduling.

The project drew sustained attention because it intersects the town’s strategic plan goals for active transportation, ADA accessibility concerns and limited local funding capacity. Council members noted that design choices now will affect future grant competitiveness and long-term maintenance responsibilities.