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Council weighs uses for surplus after Cedar-Johnson bids come in below estimates
Summary
After Cedar-Johnson Road bids came in lower than engineers' estimates, the West Branch council discussed allocating surplus bond funds to either extend paving to a maintenance shop or prioritize replacing chip-and-seal streets and water-main trouble spots.
Councilors discussed how to allocate surplus proceeds from a proposed $4.15 million general obligation borrowing after bids for the Cedar-Johnson Road Reconstruction came in below the engineer's estimate.
City Administrator Adam Kofoed told the council the loan proposal is capped at $4,150,000, with engineers' estimates allocating about $3.4 million to the Cedar-Johnson Road Reconstruction and roughly $750,000 for West Main Street milling. Because bids were lower than expected, the city will have additional funds to apply to other projects.
Mayor Roger Laughlin and Councilmember Jerry Sexton favored using some of the surplus to pave the stretch from Ember Lane to the Cedar’s Edge maintenance shop or to extend pavement to the city limits. Councilmember Colton Miller opposed that idea, arguing there are still chip-and-seal streets in town that "should be replaced before paving a road to a private maintenance building." Public Works Director Matt Goodale noted there are water main locations that increase maintenance costs and supported prioritizing repairs to chip-and-seal streets.
The council reached no final decision but asked Goodale to prepare a top-ten list of candidate projects that could be funded with the remaining bond money for the council to review at a future meeting.
