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City to partner with county for asphalt repairs as Bay Street federal award lags
Summary
Director Dennis Ryan told the committee the city will use county crews to complete about 400 tons of asphalt repairs starting in July under pavement preservation funds; staff also said the Bay Street project is on hold because the federal award letter has not yet reached the state, which delays state actions and the city's ability to proceed.
Director Dennis Ryan told the transportation committee that the city is negotiating a short-term partnership with the county to use county crews and equipment to complete approximately 400 tons of asphalt repairs this summer, starting in July and paid from the city's preservation budget.
"The county's price is lower than we could use a contractor with, because they don't have the overhead," Ryan said. He explained the county crews would address recurring potholes and the most-called-about maintenance issues, noting the approach is a stopgap for this year while retaining quality and achieving cost savings.
The committee supported the idea as a "win-win," with council members noting lower cost and better service delivery. Staff said the work will be noticeable after the summer and that the preservation dollars are available in the current budget.
Separately, staff warned the Bay Street federal award letter has not yet been transmitted from the federal government to the state, forcing the city into a holding pattern for state-level actions tied to the award. "We're bird-dogging this," a meeting participant said, and staff indicated they may involve a senator's office to expedite processing. Without the award letter, state processes cannot move forward and the city may have to delay construction.
Why it matters: partnering with the county could produce visible pavement improvements at lower cost this summer; by contrast, the Bay Street award delay threatens a larger, funded capital project and could push its schedule further into the future.
Next steps: staff will finalize the county agreement and begin the repair program in July subject to finance confirmation; they will also continue follow-up with state and federal contacts on the Bay Street award letter.
