Citizens of Indianola aren’t alone when it comes to concerns with the streets.
At this week’s Indianola Board of Aldermen’s meeting Ward 5 Alderman Sam Brock asked for an update on street projects and when they will possibly begin. City Engineer Ron Cassada was present during the meeting and spoke before the board, informing them of current updates.
“I want to bring to the board’s attention that we approved for the streets to be overlayed. I am asking the board if we may get a start date for those streets that we have approved, and if we have to go through Mr. Cassada to get those approved,” Brock said.
Cassada said, “We have one, which is the overall street project. We had the pre-construction conference in October. They started saw-cutting the concrete roads at the end of November going into December. All of that was finished last week. We contacted the contractor to determine when he was going to mobilize. We start digging the concrete out. It’s supposed to be this week. Lake (Lake Baird, the city’s project engineer) was checking in with him this morning. I think they are moving some equipment in.”
Cassada said that paving projects would be on hold a little longer, possibly until mid-March when the weather turns warmer.
“The actual hot mix asphalt street paving – again due to seasons of limitations and temperature – you are looking at mid-March before they will probably start on that part,” he said.
Cassada explained to the board that a lot of concrete work has to be done.
“They have a lot of concrete work to do on Wiggins, Sunflower and Oak Street,” he said.
Brock has long been concerned about Cox Street, a street within his district.
Cassada said, “That is in your NCWI project. That is the one we have to replace the water lines… The last step is we gave the attorney the documents last meeting. I think he is reviewing those. I think he has to sign off on those. The next step is once we get the attorney to sign off on those, then we will send them to the administrator to get them to say yes. And all of the procurements are in place. And then we will issue another procedure on those.”
Cassada told the board this is the overall update on the water line replacement and pump station rehab.
“On the streets, we are redoing the water lines. We are also paving those,” he said. “The notice to proceed has not been given yet. Your overall street project, it has been given.”
Cassada explained to the board that the contractors have a timeline to complete the project.
“And they do have a timeline to stick to, to complete that job. So you should see some work on these streets this week or next week, more work. They have already started on the saw cutting,” he said.
Brock asked if Adair Street was on the list of repairs.
“Adair was bid as an alternate, but you didn’t have enough money to do it,” Cassada said. “It’s like 200 and that is the water line replacement and the street overlay, but you have a bid, you can still add it to the contract. We did that as an alternate, because we didn’t think it would come in budget and it did come in over budget. At this point, it has not been awarded for anyone to do. We can either rebid the job or it would be an easy change order to the NCWI Project because it was bid in it. We just had to pull it out because it proceeded.
The board intends on doing a change order. Cassada expressed to the board that they have to know where the funds are coming from for this project.
“You have to make sure you know where the funding is coming from,” he said. “At the last meeting, you all kind of indicated – I am not sure if you really gave us direction – for me to get with Adrian (Dr. Adrian Brown, the city’s planner) and Elvis (Elvis Pernell, the city’s public works director) to look at other streets and present to the board and where the funding would come from.”
Cassada expressed to the board that Brown and the city’s financial consultant, Stephanie Washington, should possibly team up and see where funds may come from for more street projects.
“Adrian could look at that with Stephanie to see how much use tax you have. That is probably where we could bring it from. I am not sure, but Adrian and I still should get together, along with Elvis, to create a plan,” Cassada said.
Cassada told the board that he is unaware if they officially directed him, Brown and Pernell to get together and collect information on streets that need repairing throughout the city.
Cassada said, “I don’t know if you all officially directed us to do it, but you all did discuss it.”
Ward 3 Alderman Ruben Woods explained to Cassada that Adair Street was not the only street the board showed interest in repairing.
Woods said, “It was more than Adair Street; there were additional streets.”
Cassada said, “I guess that is what I am saying. Over the last three years, we have had planning meetings. We have done cost estimates. We have done overall streets, and you all have been kind of chipping away at that. We use the use tax money for the ones that are under contract now and the notice to proceed. We are doing some with your NCWI Project with the water line, but you still have streets on that wish list that you want to do. We just have to figure out where that money is going to come from.”
Mayor Ken Featherstone suggested another possible work session in the future.
No board action was required.
