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Council weighs incentives and accessibility options for $2.8M 68th Street reconstruction project
Summary
Windsor Heights staff briefed council on the planned $2.8 million reconstruction of 68th Street, proposed phasing to complete work in a single season, possible 3–5% contractor incentives for early completion, and accessibility provisions (gravel walkways, one-on-one resident outreach and options for golf-cart support) during construction.
City staff presented plans at the Oct. 7 council meeting for the reconstruction of 68th Street, estimating the project cost at $2.8 million and aiming for construction in 2025. The design currently envisions three phases; staff said phasing with short overlaps could keep crews on-site and potentially allow completion in one construction season if weather and bidding conditions permit.
Staff discussed two approaches to shorten duration: rolling phase overlaps to retain crews and offering financial incentives to the contractor for timely completion. Council discussed incentive levels of roughly 3–5% of project cost — which on a project this size could translate into an $80,000–$140,000 payment if used — and weighed that versus conventional approaches such as liquidated damages or no incentive at all. One council member said the local construction market conditions and contractor availability could make incentives unnecessary; another noted incentives have been used on larger regional projects to good effect.
Members raised accessibility concerns for residents during construction, including people who use mobility devices and one resident with an electric vehicle. Staff said they plan one-on-one meetings with residents with ADA needs, intend to place temporary gravel walkways where feasible and are considering options to assist residents with mobility, such as reimbursing rental of golf carts, providing limited city-run golf-cart service, or other alternatives; staffing and liability were raised as challenges for a staffed city golf cart.
Staff also proposed a $200,000 bid alternate to reconstruct an adjacent short section of roadway (to avoid a separate future project) and discussed tree-planting via temporary easements so the city could plant and fund trees adjacent to private property.
Next steps: staff will continue resident outreach, refine phasing options and pricing, determine whether to include incentive language in bidding documents or pursue liquidated-damages mechanisms, and return with more detailed cost/benefit analysis and timing recommendations ahead of bidding.
