Ark Valley News - Valley seeks to tackle all of 85th

Valley seeks to tackle all of 85th
By Chris Strunk
Last Updated: January 18, 2018

Valley Center may reconstruct all of East Fifth Street around the same time after all.

City Administrator Scott Hildebrand told the city council Jan. 16 that staff is working on a proposal and possible timeline to complete the reconstruction project in two, back-to-back phases.

The move, he said, would eliminate the need to close Fifth Street (85th North) two separate times.

At one time, the reconstruction was planned as a single project. The project was split when design requirements made it too expensive to undertake all at once. The move surprised some city council members who had the understanding that the work was a single project.

"Those plans were misrepresented," said Hildebrand, who did not elaborate.

In the first phase, Fifth will be widened with a turn lane from the bridge over the Little Ditch to High Point Street. The project includes curbs and gutters as well as a sidewalk on the south side of the road. The city is receiving 80 percent of the $2.5 million pricetag from federal funds.

The second phase would be the reconstruction of the remainder of the road out to Broadway. The city has not secured outside funding help for that phase.

The city council agreed to meet in a workshop Feb. 6 to discuss possible funding options for the second phase.

A specific time was not set.

In other business Jan. 16, the council:

•Re-elected Marci Maschino council president.

•Gave final approval to a zoning change for a lot at 545 W. Second from single-family residential to two-family residential. The owner plans to raze the existing house on the property and build a duplex.

•Discussed allowing Wag'en Tail Ranch to install a direction sign on city-owned property on the northwest corner of 69th and Meridian. The council will continue discussing the issue at a future meeting.

•Approved a proposal to shift funding for part-time police officers to a full-time position, which would bring to 17 the number of full-time officers in the department.

•Approved a vacation policy change for city employees, allowing employees to use accrued vacation time after six months of employment, rather than a full year.

•Learned that effective Feb. 5, the city's community development office, which is in the basement of City Hall, will be located in the public works building at 545 W. Clay. It's a move to streamline customer service.

•Listened to overviews of the Parks and Public Buildings Department, the police department, public works and engineering.