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Council seeks crosswalk by Garage Bar, approves 12-month sidewalk deadline and reviews low bid for 2025 road program
Summary
Business owners requested a crosswalk near the Garage Bar; staff will scope location and costs (state standards apply). Council approved a resolution requiring remaining Liberty Avenue sidewalks to be completed within 12 months of signing (motion passed by roll call) and staff reported a low bid of $388,276.30 for the 2025 road program, recommending award at the next council meeting.
At the Streets, Buildings & Grounds portion of the meeting, business owners and parking representatives urged the council to install a crosswalk near the Garage Bar on Liberty Avenue to prevent pedestrian crashes during busy summer events.
Bob Stitchick, the Garage Bar owner, described multiple near-miss incidents and asked the city to take steps to improve pedestrian safety. Sherry Kuhn, representing local clubs and businesses, described visibility problems and heavier traffic with boats and event crowds; she suggested a crosswalk located from the BBC corner toward the gas station for better sightlines. Staff said the roadway is a state route but that crossings meeting state standards can be installed locally; solar-flashing crosswalk signs and grants could help cover costs.
Council directed staff to identify an appropriate crossing location, check state standards, estimate costs and return with a plan. Staff said a grant previously awarded could be used for solar elements and that installation costs would be under $50,000 for the types of solar flashing signs discussed.
Separately, council reviewed a long-standing sidewalk requirement for businesses on Liberty Avenue that had been paused during a water-line replacement. Members agreed to update and reissue the requirement, giving businesses 12 months from the resolution’s effective date to complete sidewalks, with allowance for a one-time short extension for unforeseen circumstances. A motion to create the new resolution (to be numbered for 2025 and to mirror the 2019 R-16 details) was made and passed by roll call; responses recorded in the transcript were affirmative for Lucas, Drew, Holmes, Worley, Powell and Gabriel.
Staff also reported on the 2025 road program bid opening: five bids were received and the apparent low bidder, D.L. Smith, submitted $388,276.30 against an engineer’s estimate of $468,612.50 (which included a $35,000 contingency). Staff recommended that council consider awarding the contract at the next Monday council meeting; the project’s planned substantial-completion date was listed as October 31.
