Consider City Council Recommendation to Indefinitely Suspend Pavement Sealcoating Program

Purpose:
The purpose of this case is to consider a recommendation to the City Council to indefinitely suspend the City’s annual pavement sealcoating program.

Background:
Since 2015, the City of Ramsey has budgeted $500,000 each year for the purpose of cracksealing and sealcoating between 13 and 23 miles of City streets annually.  Prior to 2015, cracksealing and sealcoating was generally completed on a less frequent basis based on availability of funding.
 
The purpose of sealcoating is to protect existing bituminous pavement from damage caused by stormwater runoff, ultraviolet rays from the sun, and petroleum deposits left by vehicles using the streets.  In addition, a small amount of oil in the sealcoat emulsion is absorbed by the underlying pavement, helping to rejuvenate up to the top quarter-inch of pavement.

In the spring of 2019, Staff began observing significant damage to the underlying pavement of several streets sealcoated since 2015. Staff has since been monitoring streets sealcoated since 2015 to document the scope and severity of observed pavement stripping issues, and to explore the root cause(s) of pavement stripping observed in Ramsey.  Pictures of damage caused by pavement stripping under sealcoats on several streets in Ramsey are attached.
 
Numerous cities across the Twin Cities metro area have experienced pavement stripping issues under sealcoats over the last decade or more, including cities in the northwest metro.  Since last spring, Staff has discussed pavement stripping issues experienced by numerous metro area cities, including those cities that have been experiencing this issue the longest, with the goal of better understanding the cause(s) of pavement stripping, how to cost-effectively repair damaged pavement, and if reasonable alternatives to sealcoating exist.
 
Attached to this case is a summary of Staff’s research into pavement stripping, which includes findings and practices of other metro area cities, general comments and/or observations received from other cities and from sealcoat practitioners and experts, as well as conclusions and recommendations reached by pavement stripping research reports completed by the Minnesota Local Road Research Board (LRRB).  The LRRB was established in 1959 through state legislation with the goal of improving the quality of Minnesota’s transportation systems through grassroots research efforts.  Copies of LRRB Technical Reports #2013-08 and #2017-35 are attached for reference.
 
In summary, Staff is concerned that continuing the current sealcoat program without first identifying the root cause(s) for pavement stripping is likely to result in additional damage to streets moving forward.  Instead, Staff would like to indefinitely suspend the sealcoating program while continuing to monitor the scope and severity of the pavement stripping observed to date on City streets, to continue researching the sealcoat practices and findings of other metro area cities and alternative treatments to sealcoating, and to determine how to best repair City streets previously damaged by pavement stripping.  Given the degraded condition of streets in Business Park 95, significant repairs are likely needed this year.
 

Staff estimates 15 minutes will be sufficient to present this case and respond to questions.

Alternative #1– Motion to recommend that the City Council indefinitely suspend the City’s annual sealcoating program.

Alternative #2 – Motion of other.

The City annually budgets $500,000 for crack sealing and sealcoating projects. Staff recommends that the City continue to complete crack sealing projects at an estimated amount of up to $200,000 annually. Based on discussions at this evening’s Public Works Committee meeting, Staff will develop recommendations for repairing streets previously damaged by pavement stripping, and for implementing alternative pavement maintenance practices to sealcoating, and proposes to present the recommendations at the February Public Works Committee meeting.

Staff recommends providing a recommendation to the City Council to indefinitely suspend the City’s annual sealcoating program for reasons noted herein.

Motion to recommend that the City Council indefinitely suspend the City’s annual sealcoating program.