Montrose council clears pavement, railroad and lift‑station repairs to meet tight schedules

Montrose City Council authorized a set of street and wastewater repairs at its April 13 meeting aimed at preventing service interruptions and meeting an externally imposed timeline from the railroad.

Public Works Director Dan Reimer told the council the pavement management plan includes chip seal and crack-fill work across multiple neighborhoods and presented four bids; council approved the lowest responsive bid 5-0. Reimer said the city must act quickly on a railroad crossing repair the railroad scheduled for April 27, and the council approved the recommended low bid for the railroad crossing and a package of miscellaneous street repairs for approximately $106,000 so the work can proceed on the railroad’s timeline.

Reimer also detailed mechanical failures at the Rolling Meadows lift station: soft-start controls on the three pumps have failed and only one pump is fully operational. He presented a $23,283 proposal to replace the soft starts and said the work could begin promptly; the council approved the repairs 5-0.

On park infrastructure, council approved Veterans Park electrical work: option 2 to remove the leaning pole and mount floodlights on the shelter for $5,200, and a separate bid to drop a 50‑amp service plus a 150‑foot flexible cord ($875 and $1,200 respectively). Council also approved $3,500 to restore shelter electrical fixtures. Reimer emphasized that railroad timing, contractor availability and county road restrictions will determine exact start dates.

Council members recorded routine questions about bid history, contractor familiarity and the need to reopen roads quickly after work; staff committed to contacting contractors first thing the next morning upon approval. The council voted to proceed with purchases and repairs and instructed staff to coordinate schedules and public notice for road closures.