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Laurel Public Works Committee reviews $2.5 million West Railroad/Woodland stormwater proposal and asks mayor to add item to workshop
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Summary
KLJ Engineering submitted a scope and estimated $2.5 million in construction costs to address stormwater on Woodland and West Railroad, including curb, gutter and sidewalk. The committee voted 6-0 to ask the mayor to place the proposal on an April workshop agenda while the city continues an April procurement process for a permanent engineering firm.
On March 16, 2026, the Laurel Public Works Committee heard a proposal from KLJ Engineering to address stormwater problems on Woodland and West Railroad, with KLJ engineer Ryan Welsh presenting a scope of work and an estimated $2.5 million construction cost. The plan would include curb, gutter and sidewalk and connect the stormwater work to a new line on S 4th.
Public Works Director Matt Wheeler said the City’s temporary contract with KLJ ends in April and staff are accepting bids for a permanent engineering firm; interviews are scheduled for April and Forrest Sanderson will facilitate the procurement process as a non‑voting participant. Wheeler and Welsh told the committee they prefer KLJ to remain involved on both the Woodland and West Railroad efforts because of KLJ’s existing institutional knowledge of the sites.
Vice Chair Irv Wilke moved — and committee member Jessica Banks seconded — that Chair Jodi Mackay email the mayor requesting the Woodland/West Railroad stormwater matter be added to an April workshop agenda. The motion passed unanimously, 6‑0. The committee described target construction timing of roughly 2027 for the Woodland stormwater work and 2029 for the broader West Railroad project and suggested coordinating the effort with a related “CHS stormwater project” to seek economies of scale; the minutes do not define what “CHS” refers to.
The minutes include the $2.5 million estimate but do not specify funding sources or a financing plan for construction. Chair Mackay raised the question of how recent water and sewer rate increases affect project funding; Wheeler said those increases were intended to cover future projects and have helped level revenue against expenses. No formal budget authorization or contract award for the stormwater work was recorded at the March 16 meeting.
Next steps recorded in the minutes: the City will continue procuring a permanent engineering firm through April interviews, and the committee’s motion asks the mayor to place the stormwater topic on an April workshop for fuller Council-level discussion.