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Council approves final-design authorization for 2026 pavement management project
Summary
The North St. Paul City Council approved staff’s recommendation to move forward with WSB for final design of the 2026 pavement management project, which targets five areas with an estimated total cost of about $2.8 million and includes limited utility work such as a short water-main replacement on Seventh Street.
City engineers and staff presented the scope, cost and schedule for the 2026 pavement management project and the City Council voted to authorize final design services by WSB.
City engineer Morgan Dolly told the council the project focuses on overlay and reclamation of asphalt pavement across five geographic areas — including First Street, Mohawk Road, a 7th Street stretch and a neighborhood cluster — with selective curb replacement and updated pedestrian ramps to meet ADA standards. "This item before you tonight is basically a report ... the 2026 pavement management project," Morgan said, summarizing the approach to surface rehabilitation and limited utility work.
Morgan presented area-by-area estimates: Area 1 about $289,000; Area 2 about $384,000; Area 3 about $346,000; Area 4 about $460,000; and Area 5 about $1.3 million, bringing the total to roughly $2.8 million including soft costs and contingencies. "The total if you add all that together is just about $2.8 million," Morgan said.
Staff flagged one localized utility need: a short stretch of problematic water main on Seventh Street with repeated breaks that public works proposed to replace during the pavement work. Morgan explained that replacing that segment is the primary reason the water-utility estimate ($234,000) exceeds the CIP line of $125,000. "We don't have any indications to say that we need to cut scope at this point, but it just needs to be evaluated further before we go into bidding," he said.
Council members pressed staff on fund-by-fund differences and the risk of paving over failing underground infrastructure. Finance director Dan and public works staff described the city's approach to using available street, wastewater, water and surface-water funds and to refining cost percentages as bid data becomes available. Council members noted examples of streets with frequent water-main breaks and discussed whether CIP fees or contingency levels should be reevaluated.
Morgan outlined the anticipated schedule: begin final design in October, return to council in February to authorize bidding, receive bids in March, award a construction contract in March, begin construction in May and complete major work by September with final completion by October barring restoration or punch-list issues.
A council member moved to recommend moving forward with the WSB final-design proposal (hourly, not-to-exceed engagement); the motion was seconded and the council approved the authorization by voice vote. The council did not specify changes to the CIP at the meeting; staff said they will report back if scope adjustments or funding reallocations are required before bidding.
Next steps: WSB will proceed with final design and staff will return to council with refined costs and any recommended CIP adjustments prior to authorizing the bidding process.
