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Council debates repaving schedules and safety of Walah Hatchee roundabout
Summary
Council members pressed staff for clearer paving schedules and raised safety concerns about the recently built Walah Hatchee roundabout; planning staff and town engineers explained county vs. town responsibilities and town pavement prioritization.
Council members at the June 8 meeting asked town staff where residents can find repaving schedules and pressed on the town’s ability to address complaints about the recently completed Walah Hatchee roundabout.
A council member asked whether citizens can access repaving schedules for county and town roads. Senior Planner Mr. Riggsby and other staff explained that most arterials are county or state roads (for example, Marlor and Tropman) and are scheduled by the county or state; the town maintains connector and neighborhood streets and uses a third-party grading program to prioritize pavement projects. Mr. Riggsby said the town has a prioritized grading list and “as funds become available every year, we go knock out the top two or the lowest two on that list based on the grading score.”
Council members also questioned whether the Walah Hatchee roundabout is “finished” and expressed concerns about signage, truck behavior and safety during peak school traffic. Staff said the roundabout construction is essentially complete, with only landscaping and permanent striping remaining, and that the design intentionally uses a smaller configuration than interstate roundabouts to discourage large rigs from using the corridor.
Why it matters: citizens frequently contact council about road conditions and safety; clarifying which agency maintains which roadway affects who residents should contact and how quickly repairs can happen. Council members asked staff to publish the town’s prioritized pavement list so residents can check if their street is scheduled.
What’s next: staff said they have no objection to publishing the town’s pavement-priority list and will continue coordinating with county and state agencies on major arterials. Council members emphasized clearer resident-facing information about upcoming paving projects and possible improvements to roundabout signage.
