Council reviews multi‑year capital plan: 12th Street reconstruction, US‑30 signals and bond financing discussed

Randy, speaking for the city’s public works department, presented the capital improvement program and a five‑year outlook that includes a nearly $3 million 12th Street reconstruction, a multi‑year US‑30 traffic signal project (major construction expected in FY28) and an ongoing street restoration/resurfacing program. He framed these projects inside an asset‑management metric: Carroll City maintains about 92 lane miles of streets with an estimated replacement value of roughly $107 million, and current replacement rates are well below what would be required to prevent gradual deterioration.

Staff told council they plan to package the US‑30 traffic‑signal work and 12th Street reconstruction into a bond issuance to spread costs across years, noting that some signal equipment purchases will be paid when delivered because of long vendor lead times. Randy said preliminary estimates anticipate about $659,000 in outlays next fiscal year for the first signal purchases with the majority of fellow construction in the following year.

The discussion covered road‑use tax revenue volatility. Randy explained that the state distribution formula and changing fuel use patterns have reduced per‑capita road‑use allocations; the city’s projections were lower than prior estimates, and staff cautioned council on budgeting for fluctuating state dollars.

Councilors questioned timing, equipment lead times and maintenance‑vs‑reconstruction tradeoffs. Randy said staff will continue refining design work and that bond timing will be coordinated to match project cash‑flow needs and debt windows. No final bond authorization occurred at this meeting; staff were asked to return with refined numbers and schedule options.