Consideration of accepting plans and specifications and authorizing advertisement for bids for 2013 Pavement Maintenance Program

As part of the city's ongoing Pavement Maintenance Program, numerous city streets are sealcoated each year to protect the pavement from the rain and sun which lead to oxidizing of the pavement and the removal of oil causing the pavement to become brittle and crack.

Engineering and public works staff have therefore prepared plans and specifications for this year's sealcoating project, the 2013 Pavement Maintenance Program.  Numerous city streets are proposed to be sealcoated throughout the city in 2013.  Attached are eight (8) exhibits showing the specific streets and parking lots proposed to be sealcoated.  The proposed sealcoating work is identified in the plans and specifications as Program A.  Copies of the plans and specifications will be available for review at the Council meeting if so desired.

The plans and specifications also include provisions for paving the wear course on all streets within Ramsey Town Center 8th, 9th, and 10th Additions.  This work, which was discussed with the City Council in detail on June 11th prior to receiving Council authorization for advertising for bids, is identified in the plans and specifications as Program B, and is shown in Exhibit G.  And as was discussed at the June 11th City Council meeting, bids for installing the wear course on the private streets in RTC 9th Addition is included in the plans as an alternate bid, thereby allowing the City Council to more easily evaluate the costs for paving the wear course on these private streets when deciding whether to authorize this work as part of the 2013 Pavement Maintenance Program project or not.  Again, this decision can be made at the time bids are received and presented to Council for acceptance and award of contract, which should occur at the July 23rd Council meeting.

No notifications were submitted in conjunction with this case.

The following alternatives are presented for Council's consideration:

Alternative #1 - Motion to accept plans and specifications and authorize advertisement for bids for the 2013 Street Maintenance Program.

Alternative #2 - Motion denying authorization to advertise for bids for the 2013 Street Maintenance Program at this time.

Alternative #3 - Motion of other.

Staff recommends that Council accept alternative action #1, which is accepting plans and specifications and authorizing advertisements for bids for the 2013 Pavement Maintenance Program project at this time.

The estimated costs for all improvements identified in Program A and Program B of the 2013 Pavement Maintenance Program total $665,500.  This includes estimated costs for the Program A (sealcoat) improvements of $412,500, and estimated costs for the Program B (wear course) improvements totaling $253,000.  These estimated costs include 4% contingency costs for unknowns, and 15% indirect costs for administrative, engineering, financing, and legal costs.

The 2013 budget includes $1,327,500 in the general fund for street maintenance, which is where the funds for the Program A improvements are proposed to be paid through.  In 2011 and 2012, $400,000 was budgeted for sealcoating, which roughly equals the estimated costs for the 2013 Program A improvements.  Whatever is left in the street maintenance fund after the Program A improvements are funded can then be applied toward the reconstruction of Garnet Street and 168th Avenue, or some other project as approved by Council.

Nothing was budgeted for the Program B improvements.  However, as was discussed during the June 11th HRA meeting, the remaining escrows for RTC 8th and 10th Additions, which total over $179,000, are proposed to pay for construction of the Program B (wear course) improvements to RTC 8th and 10th Additions.  As was also discussed on June 11th, staff is researching the city's options for paying for the Program B improvements for RTC 9th Addition and will be prepared to discuss this in more detail at the time bids are received and presented to the City Council for approval and award of contract, which will likely occur on July 23rd.

Actual project costs will likely be considerably less than the estimated costs presented above as several quantities were estimated on the high side.

Council is being asked to accept plans and specifications and authorize advertisement for bids for the 2013 Pavement Maintenance Program project at this time.