Sedalia Council Approves Additional Paving Projects

Sedalia City Council received an update from Public Works Operations Director Justin Bray Tuesday night concerning all of the recent road improvements and resurfacing projects in the City.

According to Bray, of the seven projects completed this season, all came in under budget. A total of $979,000 was budgeted, and only $469,845 was spent for materials only. The figures do not include salaries of the workers, it should be noted. That leaves $509,155 remaining in the budget for other projects.

According to the City's website,  Sedalia has 140 miles of paved roads.

In addition, two of three parking lot projects have been completed thus far, including North Ohio and Pacific, and Main and Osage. The third project at 7th and Ohio has yet to be completed.

A total of $18,000 was budgeted for each of the first two projects. The City lot at North Ohio and Pacific was completed at at cost of $9,207 (materials only) and the City lot at Main and Osage was completed at a cost of $6,642. Those two projects together cost $15,849. The 7th and Ohio lot is budgeted at $35,000 (materials only). All three combined were budgeted at $71,000.

Bray proposed additional projects, such as Eagle View Drive, which he said has surface failures and a poor approach into the new Casey's. The estimated cost of asphalt and tack oil is $42,000.

To illustrate the importance of this particular project, the City sent out a press release late Thursday morning, Sept. 5, announcing the Eagle View Drive project will begin at 6 a.m., Monday, Sept. 9 with milling and overlaying on Eagle View from Adams Lane to Highway 65.

Work will cease at 4 p.m,, each day. The project is expected to be completed by Sept. 12.

Another project proposed is South Warren from 16th to 20th at a cost of $115,000. Base failures are expected in that area.

South Park Avenue is another project suggestion by Bray. He put forth two options – chip & seal for $7,000 – or mill and overlay for $85,000.

Total cost for those three additional projects is $242,000 (if the mill & overlay option is approved).

City Administrator Kelvin Shaw noted that the City's reserve funding would be spent down by $463,645 if all the proposed projects were approved.

He added that Pettis County's half-cent sales tax revenues have not yet been made available to the City of Sedalia and therefore cannot be used in these paving projects. If that money is allocated and forwarded to the City, the reserves would only be spent down by $98,245.

“We have met with them, asked them to take another look at that and see if they could reallocate those funds so that we may use them on these projects,” Shaw said.

“So really the question in front of Council is 'Are you comfortable going forward with these additional projects at the $242,000 estimate? Or do you want to wait & see what the county does, if they will reallocate those funds, or do you want to stop where we're at?'” Shaw asked the Council, adding that they could easily pick & choose which additional projects to pursue.

Third Ward Councilman Bob Cross suggested the City should go ahead with all the proposed projects and not wait on Pettis County officials.

Fourth Ward Councilman Steve Bloess noted that South Grand approaching 32nd “is really falling apart.”

Assistant City Administrator Matt Wirt noted that the 24th & Grand area is being re-engineered, then the project can be bid out either this fall or winter.

Other capital paving projects completed this year include:

*South Kentucky from 16th to 20th
*North Engineer, Tower, Reine
*South Ingram from 16th to city limits
*North Grand from Main to US 65 Highway
*An outer road that runs alongside Lemaires Restaurant

A fifth project (South Grand from 20th to 24th) was pulled from production due to issues with the water lines, Bray said. That project will be proposed again next year after the water lines have been fixed from 20th to the city limits.

Council ultimately voted yes to all of the proposed paving projects. The vote was seven yes, and one absent (First Ward Councilman Tom Oldham).

Council meets again Monday, Sept. 23, which was pushed back a week due to most of the Council members attending the Missouri Municipal League conference in Branson Sept. 15-18.