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Braidwood outlines $50,000 first‑year sidewalk program and $1.5M+ in infrastructure work
Summary
City staff described a three‑phase sidewalk replacement plan starting with a $50,000 west‑side allocation this year, an MFT roadway contract strategy to save engineering costs, and broader water and sewer projects that together push infrastructure investment above $1.5 million.
City staff told the council the city will begin a three‑phase sidewalk repair program, allocating roughly $50,000 in year one for west‑side repairs and reserving future allocations for the east side. The work will include replacement of damaged sidewalk panels and adding ADA detectable‑warning transitions where needed.
To lower costs staff proposed adding limited sidewalk work as a change order to an existing MFT roadway contract rather than creating a separate bid package; staff said the contractor JJ Newell has already bid flat work and indicated willingness to perform the sidewalks at prices close to the $50,000 target. Roadway work is planned to start after Summerfest and staff expected the construction to be largely complete before the start of the school year.
On utilities, staff reported multiple infrastructure projects in design or planning, including an Eureka water‑main project that will undergo three soil borings to determine whether directional drilling or open‑cut methods are appropriate; the city hopes to advertise the project for bids in September. Staff also described an ongoing inflow/infiltration monitoring study in the sewer system (meters installed at the end of the month) with draft recommendations expected before September and final results by October; staff said the work should save long‑term treatment costs by reducing rainwater inflow to the wastewater plant.
The council record includes a staff comment that the city is investing more than $1.5 million in infrastructure this year, with multiple projects (water mains, lift stations and roads) in design or construction. Staff also noted a recently received county camera grant (about $53,000) to support security cameras, and small capital items such as ADA improvements are included in the sidewalk program.
Next steps: staff will proceed with coordinating sidewalk change orders with the MFT contractor, complete borings for the water main project, and return with procurement documents and schedule updates.
