Hillsboro to seek $3.9m bond package for streets

The Hillsboro City Coun­cil at its June 6 meeting authorized staff to initiate a bond financing package for street projects estimated to cost around $3.9 million.

The list of bond issue projects include:

• First Street from Adams to Wilson, replacing asphalt with 6-inch concrete;

• Wilson Street from First to C, replacing asphalt with 6-inch concrete and curbing after laying new water line.

• East Grand Avenue from Washington to Adams, with curb and gutter.

• West Grand Avenue, Ash to Hickory, replacing existing concrete with 6-inch concrete.

• B Street from Lincoln to Adams, with new concrete.

The council continued its discussion about whether to replace the historic brick on East Grand with concrete, or go with a “concrete paver” brick. That decision will be made once the council receives a contract price for both options.

The East Grand project also will include additional off-street parking along the north side of Grand, from Jefferson Street east to the alley.

CDBG projects

A second list of street projects, valued at $759,684, would require Community Development Block Grants. The 50-50 share would make the city obligated to pay for half, which would be $379,842.

Paine reminded the council CDBG projects are competitive, so there is no guarantee the city’s proposal will be selected.

The CDBG projects are:

• Second Street, from Main to Lincoln;

• Lincoln Street, from First to Third;

• Washington Street, from First to Second.

D Street add-on

Although the project didn’t rate as highly on the priority list this spring, the council reconsidered the need for maintenance on D Street.

In the end, the council agreed to pursue a 1.5-inch mill and overlay from Floral Drive to Prairie Pointe with an estimated cost of $827,256. The projects includes rebuilding the intersection at D and Ash streets with 8-inch asphalt estimated to cost $184,110.

Paine said the city could get by for three to five years by simply applying a slurry seal to D Street, but City Engineer Darin Neu­feld, of EBH & Associ­ates, and City Street Supervisor Dale Dalke said the mill and overlay could extend maintenance by 20 years.

Mayor Delores Dalke voiced her support, saying she expects bond interest rates to increase in the relatively near future, so locking in a low interest rate now would serve the city in the future.

Council Bob Watson said in the long run it would be best to “bite the bullet” now regarding D Street and made the motion to opt for the mill and overlay.

Other business

In other matters, the council:

• voted 4-0 to receive the 2016 audit report presented by Grace Huxman representing Adams, Brown, Beren & Ball. Hux­man said the audit earned a clean opinion, which means no significant problems or discrepancies.

• voted 4-0 to renew its health insurance package for employees at an annual cost of $28,876, which is a 5.65 percent increase from a year ago. A year ago, rates increased by 28 percent.

The current package also includes a 12.79 percent increase in dental coverage, which will cost $1,721 per month, and a vision package valued at $7,469, which is unchanged from last year.

• approved an “abatement of nuisance” resolution authorizing the removal of a 1995 30-foot Mellow camper and trailer that was abandoned at the hospital construction site on Indus­trial Road.

City Attorney Joshua Boehm said the contractors and sub-contractors workers had assumed the camper and trailer belonged to one of the other crews. Research indicated the registered owner had been deceased for several years.

Boehm said legal costs will be assessed to the hospital, as the landowner. He said the local fire department is interested in using the trailer for fire training.

• voted 4-0 to authorize Paine to look into refinancing the remainder of the bond dedicated to the Family Aquatic Center, which would shorten the payment schedule by three or four years with a net savings of $362,000, based on the current lower interest rate.

Paine will bring a proposal back to the council for consideration.

• heard Paine report that a city sanitation truck had an accident at the hospital that resulted in a repair bill of $12,000.

• heard Paine reported a problem with the airport phone system, which disabled the “swipe” function and prevented plane owners from purchasing fuel. He said Century Link would repair the system.

• heard Paine report a break-in at the aquatic center that led to $150 larceny.

• agreed to move the first council meeting in July to Wednes­day, July 5, since the first Tuesday falls on the Fourth of July.

• called for a 15-minute executive session to discuss trade secrets.

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