Council
Communication

Office of the City Manager

Date

January 25, 2010

Agenda Item No. 11A

Roll Call No. 10-

Communication No. 10-035

Submitted by: Jeb E. Brewer, P.E.

City Engineer

AGENDA HEADING:

Communication from the City Manager recommending proposed street paving using special assessments.

SYNOPSIS:

Recommend the City Council proceed with proposed street paving improvements and set February 22, 2010, as the date for the hearing on the proposed Resolution of Necessity, as required by Iowa Code, before the City Council can proceed to utilize special assessments against benefited property owners as part of the method of financing referenced below. Property owners on the two streets recommended for paving had previously submitted petitions to the City Council requesting that the streets be paved. Recommend the City Council authorize the City Engineer to proceed with the actions necessary under the Iowa Code special assessment process and to notify appropriate property owners.

FISCAL IMPACT:

Amount: $716,000, Total City Engineer's Preliminary Estimate for assessment purposes with $140,743.31 assessed, $21,000 from Des Moines Water Works and $554,256.69 City Cost - G.O. Bonds) with individual estimates for the two streets as follows:

Druid Hill Drive from Bell Avenue to Casady Drive (Total Estimate $326,000 with $58,620.13 assessed, $21,000 from Des Moines Water Works for water main construction and $246,379.87 City Cost - G.O. Bonds)
E. 35^th Street and Arthur Avenue from Easton Boulevard to E. 34^th Street (Total Estimate $390,000 with $82,123.18 assessed and $307,876.82 City Cost - G.O. Bonds)

Funding Source: 2009-2010 CIP, Page Street-6, City-wide Paving Program, STR013, being $140,743.31 from Special Assessments against benefited property owners, $21,000 from Des Moines Water Works and $554,256.69 in G.O. Bonds

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

On June 26, 2000, by Roll Call 00-1876, the City Council adopted a policy for paving residential streets in an effort to pave the remaining 50 miles of unpaved streets. This policy specifies that the majority of remaining unpaved streets will be paved by private contractors with permanent paving over an improved subbase. Public Works crews will continue to provide non-assessed residential maintenance paving (formerly known as “interim paving”) where road use, storm water conditions and available funding are consistent with this reduced life surfacing. By past Council policy, interim pavement has been limited to construction of a maximum of 4” of hot mix asphalt over the existing street surface and does not include construction of curb and gutter or any storm sewer.

Under said Council policy, the permanent paving is assessed based upon 50% of the actual pavement costs, 50% of the driveway approach costs and design and inspection costs limited to 10% of the total construction cost. This procedure, along with the existing assessment subsidy program, results in residents typically paying approximately 25% of total project costs.

Currently, petitions for paving from the following two streets have been submitted to Council:

Druid Hill Drive from Bell Avenue to Casady Drive
E. 35^th Street and Arthur Avenue from Easton Boulevard to E. 34^th Street

Council Communication No. 09-719, which was attached to Roll Call No. 09-1831, dated October 12, 2009, outlines the procedure to be used to establish the 2009-10 Paving Program, as follows, which has been updated to the status and scheduled dates:

Council authorization to proceed with preliminary work (Authorized under Roll Call 09-1831).
Informational Meeting. Each assessed property owner will receive a mailing from the City Engineer. The mailing will contain general information about the street paving procedure and each owner's estimated assessment, and will invite the property owner to an informational meeting with Engineering staff, at which time the property owners have the opportunity to ask questions and provide input to staff on the design. (The mailing with general information was sent January 14, 2010, which included an invitation to the Informational Meeting, which is scheduled for February 1, 2010 at 6:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers).
Preliminary survey would be completed, initial design work would begin and preliminary cost estimates developed. (Preliminary cost estimates have been completed and are incorporated into the Preliminary Assessment Schedules, which are presented for Council consideration on the January 25, 2010 agenda.)
Resolution of Necessity. The Resolution of Necessity will be presented to Council for adoption after the informational meeting with property owners. (The proposed Resolution of Necessity will be presented on this agenda for Council to set the date for the Hearing on the Resolution of Necessity as February 22, 2010 at 5:00 p.m.).

The policy of taking alternate bids for hot mix asphalt or Portland cement concrete will again be utilized for the non-arterial streets included in the program.

Recommend that the City Council proceed with the following improvements and direct staff to take the necessary actions under the Iowa Code special assessment process for Council consideration, as required by Iowa Code, to assess a portion of the cost on the following improvements:

· Street paving 26 feet wide B/B with Portland Cement Concrete six inches thick with integral curb, or with Hot Mix Asphalt eight inches thick with Portland Cement Concrete curb and gutter, driveway approaches, water main, surface restoration and other incidental items, together with the necessary drainage facilities on Druid Hill Drive from Bell Avenue to Casady Drive, Activity ID 06-2010-011, Schedule No. 2010-01;

· Street paving 26 feet wide B/B with Portland Cement Concrete six inches thick with integral curb, or with Hot Mix Asphalt eight inches thick with Portland Cement Concrete curb and gutter, driveway approaches, surface restoration and other incidental items, together with the necessary drainage facilities on E. 35^th Street and Arthur Avenue from Easton Boulevard to E. 34^th Street, Activity ID 06-2010-012, Schedule No. 2010-02.

PREVIOUS COUNCIL ACTION(S):

Date: October 12, 2009

Roll Call Number: 09-1831

Action: Authorization to proceed on the 2009-10 Paving Program. (Council Communication No. 09-719) Moved by Mahaffey to adopt. Motion Carried 7-0.