Council hears complaints about chip‑seal work; city staff says contractor must correct defects

Councilors and residents told the McCall City Council on Aug. 14 about hazardous loose gravel from a recent large chip‑seal project, particularly in bike lanes and around corners. City staff acknowledged problems with contractor performance and outlined steps the city will take to limit recurrence.

Council member Thrower asked about the duration of loose chips and possible improvements to reduce hazard to bicyclists. Public Works staff (Nathan) said this was the first year of an extensive chip‑seal program tied to local option tax funding and that the contract used Idaho Transportation Department specifications. "The burden is on that contractor to ensure that product withstands 1 year of wear," Nathan said, adding the contractor has 10 days after completion to address identified issues.

Nathan said the city will strengthen future contract language to limit how long loose chips may remain on roads and to require clearer sequencing and cleanup responsibilities. He described operational problems with the contractor's subcontracted traffic control firm — notably employee no‑shows — that hampered timely cleanup and traffic management. Nathan noted chip sealing performs best on roads in good condition and that heavily deteriorated asphalt will not hold chip seal; that explains why some structurally poor roads were not included in this year's work.

Staff told council the city will inspect completed areas with the contractor next year and require remediation where the product fails. They also said future contracts will include clearer timeline and cleanup requirements and possible rolling by the contractor to reduce the need for traffic to perform chip embedment. Council members urged staff to tighten specifications and consider targeted safety measures for bicyclists while work is underway.