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Council weighs Onyx seal and chip-seal to stretch roads budget, acknowledges past complaints
Summary
Staff recommended Onyx sealing and selective chip sealing as lower-cost preventive options; council members noted past resident complaints about chip seal and discussed using a fog seal to limit loose rock.
City staff described Onyx as a fog-seal-like, proprietary spray that can fill microcracks and limit water intrusion; they suggested a 5-year cycle could lengthen pavement life. "Onyx... it's a little bit thicker than a regular just earlier chip seal," an operations speaker explained, and staff estimated Onyx would cost about $40,000 per mile and an $85,000 application would cover roughly 2 miles.
On chip seal, staff said the treatment can add about 5 to 7 years of service life at significantly lower cost than overlays and that it can be appropriate on low-volume dead-end roads and cul-de-sacs. Councilmembers warned of historical complaints when contractors underapplied binder or used the wrong chip size, causing loose stone and property issues: "You're gonna get a lot of pushback on Chip Seal," one councilmember said. Staff proposed a two-course chip seal followed by a fog seal to reduce the loose-rock problem and suggested using chip seal selectively as part of a hybrid five-year plan.
