City Spends $377,439.62  On Street Maintenance

The Manhattan City Commission voted Tuesday night to spend $377, 439.00 on streets. Here is a memo given to the Commission:

BACKGROUND

Over the years, City streets become in need of repairs. The annual street maintenance projects are intended to improve the condition of existing streets. These projects are funded through the Special Street and Highway Fund. The primary source of revenue to the Special Street and Highway Fund is gas tax money passed back down to cities from the state.

The locations for this year’s maintenance program were identified and designed by Public Works staff by utilizing the Pavement Management System (PMS) and maintenance history. The PMS is a pavement modeling software tool that identifies the condition of a pavement and the rate of deterioration of a section of pavement. Variables such as structural integrity, surface condition, ride, and surface drainage are criteria by which the pavement section is rated and quantified with an Overall Condition Index (OCI). Lower OCI’s indicate that pavement sections are generally in worse condition than those with higher OCI values.

DISCUSSION

The 2002 Street Maintenance Projects Phase I provide for mill and/or overlay operations of 15 streets within the community. Those streets are as follows:

• Thurston Street from North Manhattan Avenue to 3rd Street

• 15th Street from Colorado Street to Leavenworth Street

• Laramie Street & Fairchild Terrace from Sunset Avenue to 14th Street

• Denison Street from Leavenworth Street to Anderson Avenue

• Oak Street from Ridge Drive to the Zoo entrance sign

• Rockhill Road from Valley Drive to end

• Wilmar Drive from Justin Drive to Shelle Road

• S. Dartmouth Drive from 45 degree bend to end

• Lisa Lane from Sharingbrook Drive to Westbank Way

• Kimball Avenue from Wreath Avenue to Seaton Avenue

• College Heights from College Avenue to Sunset Avenue

• Bertrand Street from North Manhattan Avenue to N. Juliette Avenue

• Kretchmer Drive from McCall Road to Levee Drive

• Snowy Reach from west end to east end

• 14th Street from Leavenworth Street to Anderson Avenue

This project consists of asphalt overlays or milling and overlay of approximately 10.70 lane-miles of city streets. Approximately 75% of the streets receiving maintenance efforts have Overall Condition Indexes (OCI’s) within the bottom 14% of pavement segments identified in the City’s Pavement Management System. In addition to those streets, we are providing an overlay to the worst section of an arterial street in Manhattan (Kimball Avenue below Seth Childs Road) and preserving the integrity of the storm drainage system below Bertrand Street by overlaying the section east of North Manhattan Avenue to Juliette Avenue.

Efforts for this phase of the project resulted in a bid letting on May 23, 2002. The low bidder for Phase I is Shilling Construction Company Inc., of Manhattan, KS, with a low bid of $377,439.62. The Engineer’s Estimate is $558,294.50. Approximately $750,000 is budgeted for local street improvements through the Special Street and Highway Fund.

It is the intention of City Administration to consider recommending additional phases of the 2002 Street Maintenance Project. Additional projects will be supplemented by change order, to this contract to address maintenance issues that were not included in the original contract.

Differentials between estimates and actual bids for Phase I of the 2002 Street Maintenance Projects indicate that other street maintenance concerns can potentially be addressed, with budgeted funds, if change orders to the existing items can be minimized. City Administration, with the aid of the PMS, will make future recommendations as to where additional funds can most appropriately and effectively be put to use.

ALTERNATIVES

It appears the Commission has the following alternatives concerning the issue at hand. The Commission may:

1. Approve the Engineer’s Estimate for Phase I in the amount of $558,294.50 and award a construction contract to Shilling Construction Company Inc., in the amount of $377,439.62.

2. Approve the Engineer’s Estimate in the amount of $558,294.50 and deny a contract to provide street maintenance.

3. Table the request.

RECOMMENDATION

City Administration recommends the City Commission approve the Engineer’s Estimates for Phase I in the amount of $558,294.50 and award a construction contract to Shilling Construction Company Inc., in the amount of $377,439.62.

POSSIBLE MOTION

Approve the Engineer’s Estimate for Phase I of the 2002 Street Maintenance Projects in the amount of $558,294.50 and award a construction contract to Shilling Construction Company Inc. of Manhattan, Kansas in the amount of $377,439.62.