Council hears road-prioritization plan; staff flags need for irrigation casing and possible bond

The Mount Pleasant City Council received an update on road planning, irrigation coordination and funding strategies aimed at a larger road-rebuilding effort next year.

The Director said staff and consultants prioritized roads for the next project, listing corridors including Main Street, 5th West to 9 East, 1st North segments and 99 East between key intersections. He emphasized that irrigation trunk-line casing must be installed or coordinated before large-scale road work so lines are not disturbed by reconstruction.

The Director said the city’s current road budget is about $486,000 and that staff intends to use that amount as leverage or a grant match when applying for outside funding. He told the council the plan likely will combine available road funds, any awarded grants and “more than likely, a bond next year” to cover the scale of rebuilding needed. During the discussion the Director used large, rounded figures to describe the gap between current annual revenue and the scale of required rebuilds.

Council members discussed sequencing, with staff urging that casing be included in early contracts or done ahead of paving to avoid repeated digging. The Director said he hoped to provide a draft plan for council review before the next meeting and characterized the timeline as targeting a major project next spring, weather permitting. No formal vote or funding appropriation was recorded in the transcript.

Council requested the draft to evaluate scope, costs and timing before any bond measure or additional commitments are pursued.