Council recommends bidding sections 3 and 4 of Cane Creek greenway project

Mr. Cat, presenting the Cane Creek greenway master plan, briefed the council on a six-section design that would connect the town park toward the west side of the interstate. He told council staff and members they analyzed logical construction segments and recommended bidding sections 3 and 4 now because those sections provide usable connectivity and fit the town's current funding package.

"We arrived at the recommendation —1 to do section three and four right now," Mr. Cat said, explaining that section one would be included only as a bid alternate if pricing was favorable. He described section three as including a new parking lot off Rockwell Drive and section four as a loop that increases walkable length near the creek.

Council and staff discussed remote-area security measures for the proposed parking and trail segments: allocating funds for parking-lot lighting, exploring camera coverage and the possibility of a gated access point that could be secured by police or parks staff at dusk. Staff also noted a line item for parking lot lighting in the section-three estimate and said future additions (call boxes, power, or gating) could be added depending on funding.

On funding, staff said the town's package for design and construction with alternatives is roughly $900,000 when including design fees, grants (about $400,000) and a $100,000 CIP design appropriation; grant matches are dollar-for-dollar obligations. The council agreed to direct staff to prepare bid documents for sections 3 and 4 with section 1 as a bid alternate and to follow grant requirements when programming the work.

No final contract award occurred at this meeting; staff said they will aim to advertise for bids and return with a contract recommendation in March.