Public Works Committee approves engineering contracts, denies sidewalk waiver for Harley Drive site

The Rapid City Public Works Committee on Nov. 12 approved a slate of engineering and procurement items and rejected a developer—s request to waive sidewalk installation along Harley Drive and Tatanka Road.

The committee voted to approve consent items 2–8, which staff summarized as a sanitary‑sewer agreement for a Columbus Street property (item 2), a cost‑share agreement for nonstandard aluminum streetlight poles in the High Point Ranch North development (item 3), authorization to advertise a near‑full reconstruction of Waterloo Street between Racine and East Adams with an estimated construction cost of $3,000,000 (item 4), bidding for Country County Heights drainage improvements and Detention Pond 101 (item 5), a water valve/main replacement and pavement rehabilitation on Main Street (5th to 2nd streets) (item 6), and authorization for the mayor and finance to sign a contract with American Pipeline Solutions Inc. for sewer force‑main ice‑pigging services not to exceed $43,036 (item 8). Todd Pekosch, the city—s development group coordinator, described the Columbus Street agreement as one where the property owner will design and construct sanitary sewer access and hire an engineer for design and construction administration.

The committee discussed but declined to approve item 9, a developer request to waive the requirement to install sidewalks along Harley Drive and Tatanka Road for a proposed warehouse and expansion. Chair expressed opposition, saying the Harley Drive frontage is flat and that large pedestrian flows associated with Harley Davidson events have forced people to walk in the street; he said sidewalks should be required now to avoid future safety conflicts. "There's no reason they can't put them in," the chair said. Staff member Todd Pekosch clarified constructability differences: Harley Drive is an existing city street with curb and gutter where sidewalks can reasonably be installed, while Tatanka Road is essentially a gravel path that currently terminates in a bare field. Senior staff member Vicky said staff generally supports sidewalks but noted that properties to the north and east of the site are mining and extraction uses with heavy truck traffic, which factored into staff—s willingness to support a waiver on Tatanka Road. The committee approved items 2–8 and did not approve item 9.

Other brief clarifications made during consent discussion: several fleet‑management questions were raised about surplus motor graders and replacement frequency; staff said Street division machines often last seven to eight years, the division currently operates roughly two motor graders, and staff offered to add mileage/age/repair data to the agenda memo going to City Council. For the ice‑pigging service (item 8), staff said ice pigging uses an ice slush pushed through a force main to remove sludge and that American Pipeline Solutions Inc. is the only company in the country offering the service, making it a sole‑source procurement for this work.

The committee approved the consent slate (items 2–8) and voted separately on item 9; the motion to waive sidewalks for the Harley Drive/Tatanka Road parcel was not approved. The committee then moved to a presentation from the Rapid City Fire Division and adjourned after that discussion.

Next steps: the approved consent items will proceed through the City Council process as applicable; staff indicated it will add requested fleet data to the Council memo where appropriate.