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City shelves Sixth Avenue stormwater construction after consultant cost increases
Summary
Staff told the council that a planned Sixth Avenue stormwater swale project to meet MS4 permit pollutant-reduction requirements returned higher-than-expected cost estimates; the city will keep designs on the shelf and pursue smaller in-house work or rely on nearby frontage conversions to satisfy permit requirements.
City utilities staff told the Post Falls City Council on Dec. 3 that the proposed Sixth Avenue stormwater project—intended to reduce pollutants entering the Spokane River and to meet an MS4 permit requirement by April—will not move to construction now because consultant cost estimates were higher than anticipated.
"Our existing permit requires us to complete a pollutant reduction activity by April of next year," utilities manager Craig Bornpool said. Staff explained the original plan was to convert some catch basins into swales in the city's right-of-way to allow infiltration and reduce direct discharge to the river. As design progressed, the consultant's opinion of probable cost increased and similar conversion work along Fourth Avenue already achieves part of the permit goal.
Bornpool said the city decided to finish design work and keep the plans 'shelf ready' rather than bidding at a higher price point. He added that smaller swales could be constructed in-house by stormwater staff when time and budget permit and noted that Idaho Transportation Department planning for I-90 widening could affect stormwater needs in the area.
Council took the update as information and did not authorize construction at this meeting.
