Concerns over street projects and costs for updating the city’s pavement management plan became a key point of discussion during this week’s Green River City Council meeting.
At the October 1 meeting, one of the council action items included the Public Works Department’s recently issued request for quotes for updating the city’s pavement management plan. Responses were received from two firms, and the review committee recommended awarding the contract to preform the work to MDS Technologies Incorporated. Before a motion was brought to enter into agreement with MDS Technologies Inc. for the street surface inspection services, Councilmember Ron Williams expressed his concerns about the cost associated with the surface inspection services.
“I just feel like it is a waste of money to have someone from Utah or Colorado come tell me the roads are bad,” Williams said.
The cost for the street surface inspection service through MDS technologies is $37,150.
Public works Director Mark Westenskow said his department finds the information provided by the inspection service to be reliable and important.
“We find the information to be very valuable in determining road conditions,” Westenskow said. “The service also helps indicate how asphalt has changed overtime.”
Councilmember Mike Shutran asked Director Westenskow how the project priority list is updated in relation to street projects, because many of his constituents have concerns as well.
“Citizens start to get concerned when their street is bumped down on the list,” Shutran said.
Westenskow explained, “the priority list is updated as projects are completed, however, the list can change based on what information is provided by MDS.”
Westenskow also noted that it has been an “extended amount of time” since the last street surface inspection had occurred.
Additional concerns regarding the street projects were also addressed later in the meeting, with Councilmember Williams once again mentioning worries from citizens, including one who expressed her concerns to him.
“I had a citizen reach out just prior to the meeting who lives on Evans and is concerned with the four-inch lip that was installed as part of the new gutter system,” Williams explained. “She said it is an issue with driving over that lip continually and it does not work with an established ramp system she had invested in prior to the road construction.”
Councilmember Williams questioned whether a four-inch lip was standard, or if a one-inch lip should be used as it had been for past street projects.
“I’m doing some gutter work right now myself in which I am doing a one-inch lip because it is much easier for vehicles to get in and out,” he said, adding, “Is a 4-inch lip even protocol?”
Director Westenskow said “a four-inch lip is currently the protocol for all street projects in regard to the gutter systems, however I’m happy to address any citizen’s concerns with some flexibility.”
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