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Norwalk council declines to approve 28E maintenance agreement for Southwest 28th Street after resident concerns
Summary
Council discussion and resident testimony prompted the council to let a proposed 28E cost-share resolution for Southwest 28th Street die for lack of a motion; residents raised concerns about a proposed 5-ton embargo and the use of chip seal that they said would not withstand heavy truck traffic.
Norwalk ' A proposed intergovernmental 28E agreement to share costs for repairing Southwest 28th Street did not move forward at the July 16 council meeting after residents and several council members raised objections to the planned work and associated use restrictions.
City staff described the project as a three-way effort among Norwalk, Des Moines and Warren County to repair a portion of Southwest 28th Street that is jointly owned by jurisdictions and has suffered accelerated deterioration from heavy truck traffic. Staff said the plan in the packet called for a chip-seal-style repair and that the agreement would withhold work until a weight-embargo (a vehicle weight restriction) was in place.
Kelly Corbin, who said she owns about 10 acres at 9047 Southwest 28, told the council a proposed 5-ton limit would effectively block dual-wheeled pickups, farm tractors and other equipment needed for agricultural uses on or near her property. She called chip seal a short-term "Band-Aid" that would not last under heavier loads and asked the council to seek a more durable alternative or delay action while staff explored other options. “When they propose a 5 ton limit, it's pretty much cutting me completely out of anything,” Corbin said.
Public works staff cautioned that without a weight limit in place the proposed chip-seal repair likely would fail quickly. "Without an embargo in place and ability to limit the loads, I probably wouldn't recommend this," staff said, noting Warren County had already posted weight-limit signs on its portion.
Councilmember discussion included options to table the resolution to renegotiate terms with Des Moines and Warren County or to pursue a different repair approach (for example, a more robust gravel upgrade). Councilmember Andy (surname on file) made a motion to send the item back for further research but later retracted it, and no subsequent motion to approve the resolution was offered; the resolution therefore died for lack of motion.
Because the council did not approve the 28E agreement the repair will not proceed under the current proposed terms; staff said they will continue to coordinate with the other jurisdictions and can return with revised language or cost-sharing options.
