Committee forwards street treatment contract to finance for approval

The Public Works Committee accepted a low bid and agreed to forward a contract for the city’s annual street surface treatments to the finance committee and city council. The committee’s motion referred the contract to finance in an amount not to exceed $189,162 and the committee carried the motion by voice vote.

Why it matters: The street-surface program—crack filling and thin emulsion overlays—is the city’s primary low-cost method for preserving pavement life. Staff said the work protects higher-cost reconstruction projects by keeping sound roads in good condition.

What happened: Staff described the program as focused on crack filling and very thin overlays to “keep our good roads good,” and said the department typically targets roughly $250,000 for surface treatments in the annual budget. Sean, a public works staff member who presented the memo, told the committee that the bids returned favorably and that the low bidder had “done good work” in prior years. The contract language approved by the committee will be forwarded to finance and council for final authorization.

Budget and scope: The motion referenced an award figure of up to $189,162 for the contract; committee members noted the department can use change orders, at the direction of council/finance, to expand the scope toward the budgeted target for the year (staff said the typical target is about $250,000). One member asked whether the department or council decides which streets get chip sealing; staff said engineers identify nearby candidate streets that maximize value within the project footprint.

Vote and next step: The committee moved and seconded the recommendation to forward the contract to finance and council; the motion carried by voice vote. The finance committee will consider final approval and any direction about expanding the scope via change order.

Quoted: "This is our sort of best bang for the buck maintenance tool," Sean said while describing crack filling and thin overlays as the department’s primary preventive maintenance strategy.