Peculiar aldermen approve Bartlett West contract to design Hurley Street crossing after resident objections

The Board of Aldermen on Aug. 4 approved Resolution 2025-39 to contract with Bartlett West for engineering design and project management of repairs to the Hurley Street low-water crossing, selecting the firm’s Option 3 — a double box culvert design — after extended public comment and aldermanic discussion.

Monty (city staff) introduced the staff recommendation and said the resolution asks the board to approve task order 10 with Bartlett West to design, engineer and manage the project. He told the Board the option before them was the consensus choice from prior review.

Residents speaking during public comment voiced concerns that a box culvert and raising the roadway could change hydraulic behavior, increasing upstream backup or downstream erosion. Oliver Gallagher, a resident who said he has cleared his creek for decades, warned that enclosing or restricting the channel “you’re just gonna make the water back up on more people.” He described prior basement flooding among neighbors and said low-water bridges “do the best because there’s nothing blocking the flow.”

Dylan (city staff) and other board members replied that Barrett West’s report stated the selected box-culvert option “will not dam it up upstream” and that the firm’s engineering calculations support the choice; staff noted Bartlett West can be held responsible to address problems if the design fails to perform as described. The staff memo and estimate also note the selected option would require raising the roadway approximately one foot to provide adequate cover over the culvert and that the crossing “will still overtop” during significant events.

Board members sought clarification on downstream effects, the extent of roadway grade changes, potential need for riprap or gutter reconstruction and the project timeline. Several aldermen asked Bartlett West to return to a future meeting to answer detailed hydraulic and erosion-control questions; staff said Bartlett West had left the meeting but that the firm could be asked to attend the next Board meeting. Staff also explained the firm must put the work out to bid after design, and that accelerating task-order authorization would help keep design fees in the current fiscal year.

After discussion the Board moved and seconded the resolution; members voted in favor. The resolution authorizes contracting with Bartlett West to proceed with design and project management for the Option 3 double box culvert solution; the final design, bid documents and construction schedule remain subject to further engineering input and board direction.

Ending: Staff said they will ask Bartlett West to attend the next meeting to answer specific questions about upstream backing, downstream erosion and the project timeline; aldermen emphasized they want clearer hydraulic modeling and a schedule before major construction begins.