Council accepts low bid to overlay Tyler Street after debate over curb-and-gutter and drainage

The Cascade City Council on Sept. 22 approved Resolution 97-25 to overlay Tyler Street with a 2-inch asphalt overlay and awarded the project to the low bidder, River City Paving ($19,060).

Council discussed whether the overlay should include curb-and-gutter given sections of the neighborhood lack curbing and have gravel or grass areas that direct runoff into the roadway. Multiple council members cautioned that installing curb-and-gutter is costlier (one participant cited roughly $42 per foot) and would typically require assessment or separate funding. “Do we want to spend that money?” Unidentified Speaker 1 asked during the debate.

Public works and council members described the street as having several grass stretches and low-profile drainage features that could cause water to concentrate after paving. Staff said the planned work is a 2-inch overlay intended to fix potholes and washouts rather than a full reconstruction with curb and gutter. Two bids were introduced: Kleisner Construction at $20,010 and River City Paving at $19,060; River City was the low bid and was selected.

Delaney moved to accept the low bid; the motion was seconded and passed by roll call with all members recorded as voting in favor.

Why it matters: The council’s decision prioritizes a lower-cost overlay to address current pavement failures while deferring more costly drainage or curb-and-gutter upgrades, which some council members said could leave underlying drainage problems unresolved.

The council approved the resolution and directed staff to coordinate scheduling with the contractor; door hangers will notify affected residents once the start date is set.