Council OKs street repair program and banner poles

Taking advantage of currently low crude oil prices as well as a depressed economy that has contractors desparate for jobs, Anderson's City Council unanimously agreed to advertise for construction bids for asphalt repairs on up to 15 city streets at their regular Tuesday, Feb. 17, meeting.

Estimated construction costs for either a cape seal or slurry seal maintenance treatment on 11 of the most damaged streets is $121,480 while adding four other streets to the project could mean a total estimated cost of $165,515, said Kevin Kidd, deputy director of public works.

"One or more of the alternative streets could be added to the project if the city receives favorable bids," Kidd explained.

However, with the benchmark per barrel price of Texas sweet crude sitting at less than $35 on Feb. 17, Kidd fully expects the bids, due from contractors prior to the 2 p.m. bid opening on March 11, to be substantially less than his estimates.

The 11 streets included in the base bid are: Riverside Drive, Crest Drive, Thomas Avenue, Bardick Road, Bowery Road, Timber Lane, Poppy Court, Gardenia Street, Daisy Street, Camellia Street and Begonia Street.

The four added alternative streets include Aster Street, Willow Street, Ravenwood Road and Colt Street.

On a motion by Vice Mayor Norma Comnick and seconded by Melissa Hunt, the council simultaneously authorized the use of up to $171,000 of the city's gas tax fund account, which as of June 30, 2008, stood at $671,621, according to Kidd.

A third part of the project would allocate spending up to $49,520 additional dollars from the same fund to pay for a second round of engineering required for additional street repairs should the City of Anderson see its expected share of Stimulus Package funds.

Anderson could see as much as $800,000 in federal stimulus funds, according to Shasta County's Regional Transportation Planning Agency, which will oversee dividing up Shasta County's share of those funds.

If received, federal stimulus funds would be used to repair the following downtown streets and main traffic arterials including: South Street from Emily to the city's western limits, Deschutes Road from the Interstate 5 southbound ramp intersection the Union Pacific railroad bridge's concrete deck, East Street from Balls Ferry Road to North Street, Third Street from Highway 273 to the city's western limits, Fairgrounds Drive from First Street to Lassen Way, Rupert Road from Singy Lane to the entry to Anderson River Park, and Marmac Road from Stingy Lane to Riverside Drive, Kidd's report to the council states.

Since the road resurfacing and repair projects all take place within existing street right-of-ways, the maintenance projects are exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act, Kidd assured members of the city council.

Banner poles

Helping community groups advertise various events in and around Anderson prompted members of the city council to also unanimously authorize the awarding of an $18,400 contract to Fogle Enterprises of Redding to install two decorative poles along North St., at the corners of East Street, that will have mechanisms for installing a banner across North St.

The city will maintain the poles after installation, and administer a policy for use of the banner poles by various community groups, explained Dana Shigley, assistant city manager.

Cost of the project, which was originally estimated at $26,000, will come from bond proceeds made possible by property tax increases within areas of the city that fall under the jurisdiction of the Anderson Redevelopment Agency, Shigley explained.