07-08-2010 Minutes (2) - Laserfiche WebLink

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Charter Commission July 8, 2010 Page 6 225 226 227 228 NEW BUSINESS 229 230 A. Road Improvements — How do we get there? (Council initiated agenda item) 231 1 a. Joint Subcommittee (Council initiated agenda item) 232 233 Mayor Reinert asked if the commission feels that there is a problem with current process for 234 reconstructing roads. He noted that there has been one road reconstructed in the last twenty years 235 but information would seem to indicate that while it's not an emergency, more work is needed. 236 There have been failed referendums. He is interested in hearing the commission's viewpoint and 237 any suggestions. 238 239 Commissioner Turcotte noted that he has reviewed the city's Pavement Management Plan (PMP) 240 and would like an explanation of the city's maintenance program. Mayor Reinert commented that 241 the PMP has only been fully funded in the past 5 years. 242 243 Community Development Director Grochala explained the city's current program of sealcoating 244 and overlay, noting that there are streets in the city that are past the point where either of those 245 processes would be helpful. 246 247 Council Member O'Donnell noted that it is good that the city has a pavement management plan 248 but bad that it hasn't been fully funded in the past, although full funding is in place again 249 recently. In regard to the work that was done in the past by the citizens task force and the Charter 250 Commission to address the matter of reconstructing the city's roads, he'd like to leverage that 251 work because it was beginning to bring the council and the commission together toward a 252 solution. Can that language be explored again? 253 254 Commissioner Drennen noted that he feels the crux of the issue is how does the city get to the 255 issue of citizens paying for streets that don't benefit them because that seems like taxation 256 without representation. 257 258 Commissioner Trehus added that it isn't accurate to always refer to the projects as "road 259 reconstruction" because in many cases the proposed projects include other improvements. He is 260 also concerned that the lack of sewer and water utilities can affect a roadway's rating in the 261 pavement management plan. 262 263 Mayor Reinert asked for input on the idea of forming a subcommittee to work on a proposal, 264 including using the work that has already been done on the subject. 265 266 Commissioner Lyden suggested that the solution could be to fund necessary road reconstruction 267 by making city budget cuts. 268 6