Othello approves 2008 roadway repair

Overlay for 11 blocks

OTHELLO - Othello City Council unanimously approved 11 blocks worth of street overlays Monday.

The overlay project is part of an originally proposed eight-year plan to repair all deteriorating streets in the city.

Mayor Shannon McKay said the city fell behind on the project and it is now a 12-year plan. The 2008 repairs are more than $20,000 over what was budgeted. He asked council to approve the $220,300 project as presented to prevent any streets from being left in poor condition.

Council agreed to keep all streets on the project and approved the additional cost.

Councilmember Ken Caylor said he wanted to keep all the proposed streets on the project because he expects construction prices to continue to rise.

The streets scheduled for overlay include portions of Cedar Street, Macbeth Avenue, Second Avenue and Third Avenue.

The bid was awarded to Granite Northwest for $201,300. The city engineering costs were approximately $19,000.

Councilmember Tim Wilson asked how long the streets remain in good condition once they are ground during the overlay process.

Municipal Services Coordinator Jay Van Ness said the process allows the street to last an additional eight to 10 years. Usually the edges are cut and the roadway is ground up to two inches.

"These are not expected to last 20, 30 years," he said. "This is just to maintain what we have."

Councilmember Marc Spohr was absent from the meeting.