Eureka holds public hearing on roads master plan; council hears $67,000 estimate, CIB planning grant option

EUREKA, Utah — The Eureka City Council held a public hearing Monday to receive comment on a proposed roads master plan and pavement analysis and on the city’s application for a Community Impact Board planning grant.

City staff presented a draft proposal from Dan at Jones & DeMille that estimates the total cost at $67,000. Shay, a city staff member who led the presentation, said CIB “will fund 50% for a planning grant,” and told the council the mayor would need to sign the application before submission. Staff noted the application deadline is Feb. 3.

The hearing focused on what the master plan and pavement analysis would include and how the city would pay the local match. Shay said the plan would combine a roads master plan with a pavement-condition analysis and that the draft scope from Jones & DeMille would be attached to the grant application. She told the council the firm has proposed doing the whole town as a starting point and that the scope could be scaled back later.

Council members and attendees asked how the plan would interact with other funding and programs. Staff advised that state B and C road funds appear to be limited to construction and maintenance, not planning, and therefore “cannot be used for planning efforts” under the administrative code staff reviewed. Alternatives discussed included applying to UDOT programs such as Transportation Alternatives (TAP/TPA) and Safe Routes to School, and seeking other grants if the CIB request were not funded.

Staff described the pavement-analysis technology Jones & DeMille showed the council: a camera system mounted on a vehicle that captures photos every 10 feet and rates pavement condition (red/yellow/green) and can produce engineer cost estimates for segments. That data, staff said, would let the city prioritize work, estimate quantities and costs, and revisit updated segments after repairs.

Attendees discussed phasing the work — focusing first on main streets or on sections such as Church Street — and the possibility of the city collecting some data itself to save costs if the consultant provided equipment or instructions. Staff said it is common for planning grants of this type to be approved if the application is complete and the expense eligible.

The council closed the open public hearing by unanimous voice vote. No final council approval of the grant application was recorded at the hearing; staff said the application would be completed and presented to the mayor for signature before submission.

Next steps noted during the hearing: staff will finalize the consultant’s cost estimate and the scope to include in the CIB application, circulate materials to the council for review, and submit the application before the Feb. 3 deadline. Council members also discussed pursuing complementary grant opportunities for sidewalks and Safe Routes to School work.