JENKINS — The Jenkins City Council scheduled a Dec. 12 public hearing to consider road improvements after a feasibility presentation by City Engineer David Reese.
At the council’s Monday, Nov. 14, regular meeting, Reese presented the type of work that would need to be done to repair Cottage Avenue and pave Brown Boulevard and Shanty Court.
Cottage Avenue is paved, but it is porous and damaged and there is a drainage issue on the corner in front of city hall.
Reese proposed having the existing pavement ground and incorporated as an additional base with class 5 fill that would be crowned and shaped for drainage before being repaved.
Reese kept Cottage Avenue separate from the other road projects because the city will assume more responsibility for the work there. He recommended the council add additional pavement in front of city hall during the project and abate a stormwater runoff drain from the city garage.
Cottage Avenue would be resurfaced with 2 1/2 inches of bituminous to give it a longer life span than the traditional 2 inches, and to bolster the edges that can get thin if not enclosed by a curb.
Reese said the council should discuss sidewalks with city residents and decide whether they serve a public purpose. No sidewalk was included in the feasibility study.
If they do not serve a purpose and the property owners adjacent to the city sidewalks don’t want to maintain them with shoveling, salting, edging and other work (as is traditionally the property owner’s responsibility), then the council should consider removing them and replacing them with turf.
The Cottage Avenue work is estimated to cost $180,000, with $41,006 of the cost being the exclusive responsibility of the city for the additional work being done on or near city hall property.
The remaining would be split in half, with half paid by the city and half paid by assessment to residents on Cottage Avenue. Properties would be assessed an estimated $61,878, or $7,735 for each property.
Brown Boulevard and Shanty Court require different work because they do not have an existing bituminous surface. Both roads have been brought to prebituminous conditions meeting the city’s standards and are ready to be paved contingent on final shaping with some additional material and leveling.
Once shaped, a 2.5-inch layer of bituminous would be applied to the roads.
The cost to pave these two streets is estimated at $126,226. According to city policies, the cost would be split in half with the city paying for half and assessing the other half. The cost of assessment is estimated at $63,113, or $5,738 for each property owner on Shanty Court and Brown Boulevard.
City residents, especially those living on the related roads, are encouraged to attend the Dec. 12 hearing to provide feedback regarding whether they wish to have their road paved.
These roads were chosen, in part, as a result of a city road inventory identifying streets in need of attention in combination with a survey asking residents of selected roads if they would be interested in having their roads considered for the project.
The council has the authority to decide on the project, but traditionally would consider resident feedback on that decision. Each portion of the project will be given 30 minutes during the hearing.
In other business Monday, the council dedicated a corner of the Veterans Park property for a flag display and memorial project. Charitable gambling funds collected by the city would act as seed money for the project, with additional funds being raised through fundraising efforts.
Travis Grimler is a staff writer for the Pineandlakes Echo Journal weekly newspaper in Pequot Lakes/Pine River. He may be reached at 218-855-5853 or travis.grimler@pineandlakes.com.
