Sheldon, Iowa — There’s no debating the fact that 16th Street in Sheldon is in need of repair, but the question before the Sheldon City Council, at their Wednesday meeting, was whether they should do a complete reconstruction project with all new concrete or a rehabilitation project with an asphalt service. The new concrete method would cost about $770,000 and would have a forty-year life expectancy. But, there are some drawbacks. The ditch slopes would likely need to be changed, some trees on the south side would probably need to be removed, and power poles on the north side of the road would have to be moved.
If the city chose the rehabilitation method the cost would be much lower, about $479,000. With this program the ditches would not need to be re-graded, the utility poles could stay in place and the trees would not have to be removed. But there was one major concern on the minds of council members. Looking at the way the road is breaking up, you would think that the roadbed is not very firm….not adequate for new blacktop. So, the City has allocated two thousand dollars for core samples to be taken along the street. Wednesday, Public Works Director Todd Uhl reported that the core samples turned up better than expected and it is suspected that moisture issues are part of the problem. He explained that if the blacktop method is chosen, they would completely remove problem areas and shore them up with a blacktop made for that purpose.
After discussion, the council voted for the rehabilitation method with blacktop. Uhl had also explained that it could be possible to extend the length of the project because they were choosing the lower-priced plan. The initial plan was to do the work on 16th Street from Iselin Avenue to 8th Avenue South, but there is a possibility it could be extended all the way to Washington Avenue. Part of the cost will be covered by a grant, which will be available in October of 2017. The City would like to see the repair work begin in the spring or summer of 2018, with work to be completed in time for the fall harvest.
The council also approved SCAT applicants, Maria Garcia and Kaitlin Dagel. Mayor Meendering reported that there are now vacancies in the Trails Committee, Parks and Recreation Committee, Planning and Zoning and the Airport Committee.
No action was taken after a closed session for a discussion of non-union employee benefits.
