Marion council considers solutions for street project

The Marion City Council, at its Oct. 27 meeting, finalized the 2013 Main Street resurfacing project after learning none of the options would satisfactorily correct the problem.

After almost an hour of discussion, Darin Neufeld with EBH?Engineering, offered the council two choices.

?We are at the end of the one-year warranty period, (which means) we can write a letter and turn (Kansas Paving) into the bond company or let it go away,? he said.

Neufeld said the city is holding $15,000 back, but only 25 percent of that?$3,750?belongs to the city with the remainder being state funds.

?(Kansas Department of Transportation) has never asked for reimbursement, and we are holding (the money) from the contract,? Neufeld said. ?This is because of the 177 tons of asphalt that was put down in last year?s rainstorm.?

Neufeld said asphalt must be applied hot; rain will cool asphalt too quickly.

Should the city turn Kansas Paving into the bond company, it would mean they would do the mill and overlay again, he said.

By allowing Kansas Paving to rework that portion of the highway on the west side of the First Street intersection, Neufeld said, they could do a poor aesthetic job that would still meet specifications.

?We could essentially end up with something that looks worse than it does now,? he said. ?But they could also come in and do a great-looking job that would hold up a long time.?

Either way, Neufeld said it would require the engineering firm monitoring the project carefully.

If the council decides to let it go, City Administrator Roger Holter said Marion?s portion of the project money could be used for the cost of materials for any patching that might occur.

Other concerns

Another problem with having the contractor coming back to rework that portion, Holter said, is that no funds have been allocated for site monitoring or engineering, which would mean the cost would be a direct expense to the city.

Councilor Jerry Dieter asked how long the asphalt would last if it had been set correctly.

Neufeld said it could be 10 to 15 years.

Dieter then asked if the paving that was incorrectly set would cut off five years of the street?s life expectancy.

?It could still last 10 to 15 years, you never know,? Neufeld said.

Major concern

The major concern about the one portion of the project was not the thickness of the asphalt but whether it was applied correctly.

?We questioned no tack oil there, so how is this going to adhere to the mill below because the rain washed it away?? Neufeld said.

Three core samples were taken when the asphalt began coming loose.

?There were spots that adhered OK, and spots you could take a shovel and pop it loose,? Neufeld said. ?On two core samples, it came up right as we were pouring?no adhesion. The third (sample) bonded OK, but fell apart when we took it out of the drill. It adhered a little bit.?

Neufeld said slippage could occur in areas where vehicles brake, turn or accelerate.

Initial bids

Former City Administrator Doug Kjellin received council approval to look into a cooperative effort between the city and KDOT for the Main Street project more than a year ago.

Kjellin said at the time that this was a mill and overlay of the existing roadbeds designated as Kansas Highway 256 that goes through Marion.

The cost of the project was about $257,600 with Marion paying $57,600 and the state paying $200,000 funded through KDOT?s connecting links (KLINK) resurfacing program.

Kansas Pavings? bid of $222,709 and alternate bid of $15,135 was the lowest among the three bids submitted.

Fee schedule

The council approved a comprehensive fee schedule presented by City Clerk Tiffany Jeffrey. The new schedule provides a one-stop place for residents and businesses to find cost information.

The schedule includes cemetery, community center, municipal airport, city clerk, municipal court, parks and recreation, police department and utilities, excluding prorate adjustments.

The fees offer citizens the opportunity to review all that is offered in the city, whether it?s renting the ballroom and meeting rooms in the community center to paying fines to the municipal court for not having a child properly restrained in a vehicle or allowing a dog to run at large.

Bidding process

The council also approved a policy change regarding bidding procedures.

Holter said the old policy stated the city would go with the lowest bidder; the revised policy allows the city to reject any or all bids, and give local preference for some purchases and contracts.

Under the new policy, individuals or businesses having a home office in Marion or Marion County and meet all the criteria, shall be given preference in the amount of 10 percent of the bid price.

Also, individuals or firms that do not have a home office in Marion or the county, and meet all the criteria for a local business as set forth in the policy, will be given preference in the amount of 5 percent of the bid price.

The maximum cost differential will not exceed $1,000, Holter said.

Other business

In other business, the council:

? tabled approval on an ordinance regarding operation of all-terrain vehicles within the city.

? approved the 2015 Bag it Box It Recycling. Holter said he would begin getting the message out to citizens in their utility bill for November and December.

? approved draw request for 2013 streets of $139,088.

This draw leaves $12,308 left in the account from the original $400,000 awarded for the project.

The next meeting is Nov. 10 in council chambers, 208 E. Santa Fe St., through the doors on the east side of the building.

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