Consideration of accepting plans and specifications and authorizing advertisement for bids for 2014 Street Maintenance Program.

As part of the City of Ramsey's ongoing Street Maintenance Program, various city streets are programmed to receive street maintenance improvements each year including crackseal, sealcoat, and overlay improvements in an attempt to maximize the life expectancy of the pavement sections of city streets.  The purpose of this case is to request Council acceptance of plans and specifications and authorization to advertise for bids for the 2014 Street Maintenance Program.
 
Crack sealing streets helps prevent stormwater runoff from seeping through cracks in the pavement and through joints between the pavement and concrete curb and gutter and/or utility castings, greatly reducing the potential for future pavement damage due to wet pavement subgrades.
 
Sealcoating streets helps protect the pavement from stormwater runoff and the sun’s rays which oxidize and strip oils from the pavement over time, causing the pavement to become brittle and crack.
 
Overlaying streets helps restore a portion of the structural integrity of the pavement sections, while also providing some of the benefits received from crackseal and sealcoat improvements.

Engineering and public works staff have prepared plans and specifications for the 2014 Street Maintenance Project (SMP), identified as Improvement Project #14-00. Numerous streets throughout the city are proposed to receive crackseal, sealcoat and overlay improvements in 2014. Attached is an overall project map showing the general locations of all the streets throughout the city to be improved with the 2014 SMP.  Also attached are eleven (11) maps showing more detail for each individual street segment that is proposed to be improved.  The proposed crackseal improvements are identified in the plans and specifications as Program A, while the proposed sealcoat improvements are identified as Program B, and proposed overlay improvements are identified as Program C. Copies of the plans and specifications will be available for review at the Council meeting.

No alternative bids are being proposed with the 2014 SMP.

No notifications were required for this case.

The 2014 Street Maintenance Program does not include any reconstruction projects since a funding mechanism for street reconstruction projects has yet to be adopted.  Until then, all streets having PASER ratings of 3 or less will not receive any type of street maintenance.  Instead, staff believes it will be most cost-effective to maintain those City streets having PASER ratings between 4 and 7.  Then once a funding mechanism for street reconstruction projects is adopted, staff will reevaluate the Long-Term Street Maintenance Program to determine which streets should be reconstructed first based on the identified funding mechanism’s ability to fund such projects over time.

Alternative #1 - Motion to accept plans and specifications and authorize advertisement for bids for the 2014 Street Maintenance Program.

Alternative #2 - Motion denying authorization to advertise for bids for the 2014 Street Maintenance Program at this time.

Alternative #3 - Motion of other.

The estimated total cost for all improvements identified with the 2014 Street Maintenance Program total $504,028.
 
Estimated costs for the Program A (crackseal) improvements total $34,209.  Estimated costs for the Program B (sealcoat) improvements total $264,849.  Estimated costs for the Program C (overlay) improvements total $72,371. Estimated costs also include 10% contingency costs of $37,143 and 5% indirect costs for administrative, financing, and legal costs totaling $18,572.  Estimated costs also include 18% engineering costs totaling $76,884.

The 2014 budget includes $500,000 in the general fund for street maintenance projects.  No assessments are proposed to fund any portion of the 2014 Street Maintenance Program.

Staff anticipates that bid prices will be less than the estimated costs presented above but if bids are higher than staff’s estimated costs, one or more sealcoat segments will be removed to reduce project costs to an amount equal to or less than $500,000.

Staff recommends accepting plans and specifications and authorizing advertisements for bids for the 2014 Street Maintenance Program as proposed.

Motion to accept or deny plans and specifications and authorization to advertise for bids for the 2014 Street Maintenance Program project.