As previously heralded, the paving season has begun in earnest. I believe you will subtly notice several changes and question others. I welcome your input as we have already begun to compile a paving list for Fiscal Year 2014. It never hurts to plan ahead.
First, the Numbers
The 2013 paving allocation per the adopted budget was $3,080,000. Pursuant to a council-adopted formula, it is allocated in each district based on the total paving need of the district as a percentage of the whole. Because of the expanded size of our district after the census and redistricting, we received $376,540. That isn’t much against our total inspected need, but it is second highest among all 12 districts.
When you see new paving going on about town and in our area, it will be in short “fits and starts” as we had so little money against the estimated $26 million overall need. For instance, you’ll see paving in the two blocks of Clays Spring Lane or the two blocks of Cochran Road from Hart Road to Providence Lane. That is the original budget being spent.
What’s Next
Last fall the Planning and Public Works Committee – and then the full council – embraced and enacted a heretofore underutilized financing method. Based on continuing income from the state, we know the minimum amount we as a community will receive will be no less than $3 million per year in our share of the gas tax income in the form of Municipal Aid Program (MAP) funding. The plan is to commit half of that as a bond payment. That income produces a net bonding of $13 million, roughly half the inspected repaving need across the city. The bond documents, in final form, are currently on the council’s docket for final approval. Most district representatives, including me, have turned in lists to use those funds as quickly as possible.
As soon as the original Fiscal Year 2013 budget funds are paved and spent, work on the bond funded lists will begin. This will look sometimes inefficient. Clinton Road is such an example. The 400 block was paved in late April for the first time in recent memory – 30 years according to some neighbors. It was in poor shape and as the previous surface was removed it did indeed reveal pavement failures. So that one block is now done and when we begin the bonded paving the rest of the street will be milled and paved.
Old Opportunities
As I drove the newly milled streets I noticed how at the beginning and ending points, the milling was deep and even. But once leaving the “joint,” the milling tends to be toward the edges only and not so much or at all at the centerline. Part of that has been more common practice lately so the street has a slight crown and drains water better.
My point to the Division of Engineering and in an upcoming meeting with the paving managers is that I would like to have the gutter portions of the streets “double milled” as much as possible to return to the original cement curb and gutter base. I find that approach more appealing visually, and I think that it adds depth back to the curb for greater capacity during drainage. That is a treatment we previously used successfully on South Hanover Avenue.
I don’t remember the last time I wrote a whole column on just one topic but with the mobilization under way and the funds in place, great things have already begun to happen.