City staff recommends prioritizing 1600 South/Main sidewalks, East Maple north‑side repairs and 12th North sidewalk

City staff presented a plan at a work session to prioritize a set of immediate roadway projects—1600 South/Main sidewalks, the north side of East Maple and a 12th North sidewalk—asking the council to include roughly $1 million from capital reserves in upcoming budgets to move the work forward.

Rob, a city staff member who led the presentation, said: "I'm proposing to to prioritize this one now with city funds," referring to the 1600 South/Main project and the connected sidewalk work. He outlined three packages of projects and recommended a fiscally conservative mix that could be funded from existing C‑road and capital reserves while keeping larger items for later phases.

Why it matters: the projects include a school crossing and gaps in pedestrian access; staff said completing sidewalk links and improving pavement width will improve safety and ADA access and will serve new subdivisions and the nearby school. Rob told the group that the north‑side-only rebuild for East Maple (what he called option two) reflects a compromise between cost and accessibility while reserving the south side for future work.

Details and estimates: Rob presented line‑item estimates for East Maple and other projects. For a full East Maple rebuild, staff estimated roughly $3.4 million, which includes an approximate $1 million allowance to bury power lines, about $1.25 million for sidewalk/curb/hardscape, ~$220,000 for mobilization and traffic control, ~$115,000 for relocating meters/mailboxes and roughly $120,000 for storm‑drain work. For a north‑side‑only approach (option two) the staff estimate is about $1.1 million.

On South Main, Rob described three approaches: (1) a PI (pressurized irrigation) tie‑in and pavement repair using PI and road maintenance funds (conceptually $400,000 PI + ~$370,000 pavement), (2) a targeted widening to create a left‑turn lane with an estimated ~$1.1 million of new construction, or (3) a full rebuild with a roundabout now at a conceptual ~$4.2 million. Rob said his recommendation is the middle option (option three) given current fund constraints.

Rob also said the city has been in discussions with the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) about transferring SR‑147 segments and related funding; he noted the agency’s previous $3.5 million request is three years old and may need to be updated before any final transfer is accepted. "That request was is three years old now," he said, adding that staff will re‑confirm amounts once UDOT identifies funding sources.

Utilities and residents: staff emphasized the need to coordinate with Rocky Mountain Power on burying lines—Rob said the utility has provided only ballpark figures so far and will prepare a design and a refined cost once the city finalizes a preferred approach. Rob recounted a resident concern about ADA‑compliant driveway slopes: the staff plan includes replacing noncompliant driveways to meet ADA requirements where sidewalks are rebuilt.

Outreach and timing: staff described a neighborhood outreach approach that favors early individual meetings and door‑to‑door notifications rather than a single large meeting. For schedule, Rob estimated East Maple could reach final design in a couple of months and might be bid this calendar year with a construction window that could finish by October; South Main and the 12th North sidewalk work are likely to proceed in 2027 with the PI in place before an April 15 paving target.

Funding and next steps: staff said about $2 million remains in the road/capital reserves after current commitments. The immediate package Rob recommended (Maple north side ~ $1.1M; South Main option three ~ $1.1M; 12th North ~ $670K) would require roughly a million dollars from capital improvements funds after accounting for other reserves. Rob asked if council members were generally comfortable that staff move these priorities into the budget; council members present voiced support and urged thorough neighbor notification. Rob said staff will proceed with design, property surveying where needed and with utility coordination, then return with a formal budget item and contract documents for council consideration.

The work session ended with general agreement to proceed with the recommended sequencing; no formal vote was taken at the session. The council will see formal budget or contract items at later meetings as staff completes designs and refines costs.