City, council work to remedy John Dr. street project

City Council
By: 
Kim Brooks
Express Editor

     Now that the new Jones County JETS building is complete, along with the extension of John Drive in Monticello, the city council was ready to accept the street extension project before the city engineer reviewed the project. Now, that action is put on hold.

     During the Oct. 1 council meeting, City Engineer Patrick Schwickerath said the street is not up to city code had the city done a street extension project.

     City Administrator Doug Herman said this project was unique because it was a county project in Monticello city limits, bringing both entities together.

     “We could have done things a little different in hindsight,” he said.

     One of the current issues is water infiltrating the sub-base under the street.

     “Some things weren’t done to specification to manager the water,” said Herman.

     Schwickerath said the cuts in the pavement don’t match what should have been specified.

     “They’re too narrow,” he said. “That makes them fairly difficult to seal. I recommend something be done.”

     In the end, after talking with County Supervisor Jon Zirkelbach, who was present at the meeting, the council decided to ask the original project contractor to return to the site and remedy the situation. That would involve making the pavement cuts deeper and sealing the hard surface.

     Schwickerath said without proper sealing of the concrete, the surface could crack more easily, especially through the winter.

     “Our main concern is that we keep the base the under the pavement dry,” added Schwickerath. “If the soil is wet then there are no support capabilities. We need to increase the longevity of the street.”

     The city officials and county supervisors met at the site prior to the meeting. Herman said per their conversation, the contractor was willing to perform the work at his cost.

     Zirkelbach said the project already went over budget.

     Schwickerath did advocate for a 3-foot deep tile to provide a place for the water to drain, but the council wanted to wait and see how the new saw cuts and seal held up first before pursuing something at an additional cost.

     “The plans didn’t call for any tile,” said Herman. “They did call for sawing and sealing. They just didn’t meet the expectations.”

     The council felt they could not accept the street extension as is before the repair work is complete.

     “If that doesn’t work out, we need to put tile in at that point in time,” urged Council member Johnny Russ.

     “For the longevity of the street, tile would be better,” said Schwickerath.

     With the issues concerning the new Berndes Center floor project, the council decided to wait until early spring (March) to see how the material holds up with additional traffic and multi-purpose use.

     The council also approved a 28E agreement between the city and Monticello Community School District to fund a SRO (school resource officer). The Monticello Police Department has already taken steps to advertise for an open position on the department.

 

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