Ranlo staff outlines stormwater-driven repaving plan and three funding options

Town staff presented a strategic street-resurfacing plan that prioritizes roads based on underlying stormwater infrastructure condition. Public works used camera inspections of stormwater lines to identify assets that are likely to require repair before repaving, a step staff said will reduce the risk of repaving streets that must be opened later for utility work.

Staff said the effort produced a ranked list of priority streets and described three phased options: option 1 (least expensive), option 2 (includes option 1), and option 3 (includes options 1 and 2). Staff said option 3 carries an estimated cost of about $640,000. The Powell fund balance available for such projects was reported at roughly $792,000.

Staff recommended a cautious, phased approach so the town does not expend the entire Powell fund: "My professional recommendation would not be to expend all of our dollars," the staff presenter said, arguing for leaving a reserve for unexpected events. Staff asked for board direction to proceed with procurement and competitive bidding under North Carolina procurement procedures (citing N.C. Gen. Stat. § 136-41.3) to obtain firm quotes.

Board members discussed prioritizing thoroughfares and streets where the subgrade is failing, and asked staff to return with exact quotes for Wilmot and other roads. The board indicated support for moving forward with staff conducting the procurement process and returning with concrete bids to inform a future appropriation vote.

If the board chooses to proceed with an option after bids are returned, staff said the town will follow its procurement manual and budget requirements before appropriation.