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STAFF REPORT <br />1 <br />TO: Mayor Fischer and Members of the City Council <br />FROM: Bryce Shearen, City Administrator <br />Eric Seaburg, P.E., City Engineer <br />DATE: September 24, 2025 <br />RE: Authorize Local Road Improvement Program Grant Application for Labore Road <br />Improvement Project <br />ACTION TO BE CONSIDERED: <br />Motion to approve a resolution authorizing an application to the Local Road Improvement Program <br />(LRIP) for the Labore Road Improvement Project. <br />BACKGROUND: <br />The Labore Road Corridor Study was completed in 2023. It examined the roadway between <br />Centerville Road and County Road D. After thorough community engagement, the study identified <br />corridor deficiencies, improvement opportunities, and potential sources of future grant funding. At that <br />time, the City Council strongly supported the report’s recommendations, which included narrowing the <br />roadway and adding a dedicated off-street trail. It was also noted that there was support to pursue <br />additional funding opportunities in the future. <br />FUNDING OPPORTUNITY: <br />The study outlined various potential funding options. One of the programs identified was the Local <br />Road Improvement Program. This program is usually a biennial effort that is reopening this September <br />with a deadline of December 12. The maximum grant award is $1.5 million, and a local match is not <br />required. <br />The Local Road Improvement Program is one of the more flexible roadway grant programs available <br />to municipalities. For reference, this is the same program that awarded $1.5 million in funding to the <br />2026 Little Canada Road Improvement Project. <br />To make the most of this opportunity, city staff identified the stretch of Labore Road between <br />Edgerton Street and County Road D as a top project area for funding. If successful, the funds would <br />need to be used in 2026, 2027, or 2028. <br />If the city successfully receives the grant award and the City Council approves it, staff will work to <br />move this planned project earlier in the Capital Improvement Program to align with a likely <br />construction year of 2028. A 2028 project would fit well within the current Capital Improvement <br />Program but would need some adjustments to keep a healthy fund balance. The current budget estimate <br />for this project is $3.8 million (2028 dollars), with about $2.3 million in Fund 450 costs that will be <br />shifted. It should also be noted that additional funding opportunities will be pursued for this project, <br />and those options will be presented to the City Council as well. Notably, the project cost includes both <br />trail installation and roadway rehabilitation.