Beaver Dam Street Maintenance Plan Taking Shape

11/24/17 – The Beaver Dam Operations Committee this week approved the street repairs they would like to fund next year. Roughly $1.6-million dollars in borrowing is being directed to the 2018 Capital Improvements Plan, or CIP, which maps out projects and equipment purchases over five years while locking-in spending for the current year. Not all of that money goes towards streets. An estimated $267-thousand-dollars is being earmarked for other departments leaving roughly $1.3-million for street maintenance and repairs.

Complete reconstruction is slated on two streets: North Spring Street from Maple Avenue to Mackie Street and Stone Street from South Spring Street to South Lincoln Avenue. Both projects carry a price tag of $400-thousand dollars. North Spring Street is part of a matching grant and the $400-thousand is 20-percent of the total cost with state grant dollars being used for the remaining 80-percent. Haskell Street is expected to see a mill and overlay next year from West Water Street to Madison Street at a cost of $220-thousand dollars. Henry Street would also see a mill and overlay from South Spring Street to South Lincoln Avenue at a cost of $140-thousand dollars. The CIP also includes $150-thousand dollars for concrete street rehabilitation and $45-thousand dollars for sealcoating on various streets. City officials are considering incorporating a “complete streets” concept into their street maintenance program.

City Engineering Coordinator Ritchie Piltz told the committee this week that the costs associated with possible land acquisition for expanding roadways to accommodate the bike lanes recommended in the complete streets concept could add to project costs and reduce the number of projects that can be undertaken in a given year. This coming year, he said it could reduce four projects to one. The city operates under a self-imposed, annual borrowing cap of $1.6-million dollars. To exceed the cap, a three-fourths majority of the full common council is needed. The council heard a presentation on the complete streets concept in committee this past week and the matter is expected to be considered next month.