A 30-year-old bridge that should have lasted 70 or more years and is already in need of replacing thanks to deteriorating materials. That’s what the Devils Lake City Commissioners learned at their regular meeting on Monday evening in City Hall.
The entire intersection where College Drive and Highway 19 come together is suffering from a deterioration of the concrete aggregate. It has been inspected and determined that it should be replaced.
What’s this going to cost? According to City Engineer Mike Grafsgaard, the price tag for this repair will be a hefty $20 million with the local share being somewhere between $250,000 and $2 million.
Although the repairs aren’t scheduled to begin until 2015, the city will have to start soon setting aside funds for its share of the cost of this replacement. Last year the city did some repairs at the intersection in hopes of buying some time as it was clear there was a problem with the roadway deteriorating.
The commission voted to send a letter to the DOT explaining that given all the expenses faced in the next few years with the city’s new water source and the embankment projects they estimate $250,000 to be the maximum the city could fund for this project.
In other business, the commissioners opened bids for 2010 sand, gravel and rip rap then referred those bids to Myron Asleson for his recommendation and review.
Five changes in the city’s zoning were unchallenged in public hearings as the commissioners voted to approve all the changes recommended for approval by the planning commission.
Mayor Fred Bott signed a proclaimation making May 14 Arbor Day in Devils Lake. Grafsgaard reminded the commission that Devils Lake has been a Tree City USA for the past 30 years.
An ordinance to help finance RSVP passed aftger its second reading and City Attorney Tom Traynor submitted a sample smoking ordinance for the commissioners to study based on Grand Fork’s ordinance.
All items on the consent agenda passed without question except the permit for the carnival.
Police Chief Keith Schroeder said he wanted to complete the background checks on the 32 people submitted by the carnival, so that item was approved on the condition that the checks be completed first. He will contact the vendor if anyone on the list should be banned.
Forward Devils Lake was granted its requests for funding and replenishing its mini grant fund.
Payments were approved for work done at the city’s water treatment plant and for all the city’s bills.
The next scheduled meeting of the Devils Lake City Commission will be Monday June 7.
Devils Lake, ND —
