Council to seek funding clarity before proceeding with 16th Avenue culvert repairs

Matt Reid of SEH told the City of Virginia’s committee of the whole on Dec. 16 that culverts near the intersection of 16th Avenue and Highway 169 are failing and require replacement. “One of the culverts has collapsed, two of the other ones don't have a bottom,” Reid said, explaining the structural problems and why engineering plans and a cost estimate were prepared for council review.

Councilor Paulson raised questions about funding sources and said the city’s sewer/storm fund was showing a negative balance of roughly $1.3 million, asking where the difference would come from if bids come in at the engineer’s estimate. Staff noted $250,000 of ITRRB (infrastructure) funding had been targeted to storm work and that the engineering and contingency line items raised the estimate to approximately $381,000 (engineer estimate including contingency and design fees, as presented to council).

Public works staff and contractors described the site as the last control the city has in the drainage path and warned that delaying repairs could risk future flooding. Jim Rosvid and other staff said adjacent ditching work upstream has reduced ponding in some locations but that this final culvert still constitutes a bottleneck. Staff estimated bids would be advertised after the new year with responses in February and that construction would take only a few weeks once awarded, although spring flows were a scheduling constraint.

Council took nonfinal action to advance the item for additional discussion prior to the regular council meeting so members could review funding options; Councilor Paulson moved the motion and it was supported and carried. Councilors emphasized they needed confirmation of funding (or a plan to fund the shortfall) before authorizing the city to proceed to bid and contract award.