Meeting approves up to $30,000 for Van Buren storm‑sewer design as engineer outlines $280,000 construction estimate

At the meeting, members approved a motion to fund survey, design and bidding work for storm‑sewer extensions along the Van Buren Street corridor with a not‑to‑exceed amount of $30,000. The engineer presented maps and a schedule tying the work to a related CCNG sanitary‑sewer project that staff said could begin as early as Aug. 1.

The engineer described the CCNG contractor as already working in the field on sanitary laterals and said those laterals should be complete by the end of August so a street contractor can install curbs, sidewalks and other street improvements from Glen Grove to the field. He said the storm‑sewer elements shown on the handout (blue and magenta lines) will be built as part of that coordinated effort and that intersection inlets and curb-and‑gutter upgrades are included in the CCNG scope.

The engineer estimated the total construction cost for the immediate Van Buren work at roughly $280,000 and recommended completing the design and bidding now. He said procurement rules require bidding for projects over $150,000 and proposed to perform the needed survey, design and bid work for $30,000; members voted to approve that authorization by voice vote. The motion was made by the engineer (speaker 2) and was recorded as being seconded by John.

Staff also described related park‑area work shown on the conceptual map: a potential storm‑sewer outlet east of the community center that could allow a tie‑in into the park. That park plan was described as part of a pending grant application that had not been submitted at the time of the meeting; staff said they were hopeful grant funds would cover the park and associated stormwater construction.

Beyond the near‑term Van Buren work, the engineer identified a larger drainage area bounded by Spryer Place, Harrison Street, Compromised Street and Clark Street where aging inlets and catch basins suggest a future backbone project. He estimated a phased, multi‑year effort to install large‑diameter pipe there would cost in the range of $1.5 million to $2.0 million, and said staff will refine that estimate at a subsequent stormwater meeting.

The engineer characterized the materials presented as informational where noted; the design/bidding authorization for the Van Buren storm‑sewer extensions was the only formal action on the stormwater topic taken at this meeting. The meeting adjourned following approval of routine claims and scheduling discussion for the next meeting.