The Hillsboro City Council narrowed its list of potential street projects to four during a work session Tuesday.
The city is planning to designate up to $1.6 million for street-improvement projects without raising local property taxes to fund them. By paying off an old bond this year, the city will use the monthly payments of about $50,000 to pay for a new bond worth about $1.2 million.
The city also will be pursuing Community Development Block Grant funding up to $400,000 for a residential street project. That process requires a survey of residents along the targeted street(s) to see if they meet the criterium of 51 percent of households being of low to moderate income. Once the information is gathered, an application for grant funding will be submitted to the state.
After discussing several of the 30-plus project options included on an initial survey to council members, the council identified four projects as priorities:
1. Adams Street, from the former railroad tracks to U.S. Highway 56, with an initial cost estimated to be $714,150, or $900,910 if the street/road is widened.
2. First Street, Ash to Adams, with an initial cost estimate of $591,276 for asphalt and $724,647 for concrete. The council is hoping this project might qualify for CDBG funding up to $400,000.
3. Industrial Road, from the former railroad tracks to U.S. 56, estimated to cost $454,518. The council discussed reducing the linear feet of curb and gutter to reduce project expense. The motivation for this project, and a factor in its timing, is the construction of a new hospital at the corner of Industrial and U.S. 56 starting in 2011.
4. A Street from Main to Washington, estimated to cost $159,620 for concrete and $132,020 for asphalt.
This priority list will be on the council?s agenda at its March 15 meeting, City Administrator Larry Paine said. The expectation is that the list will be formally accepted at that time.
