SPOKANE VALLEY - The Community and Public Works Director for Spokane Valley, Bill Helbig brought discussion about a memorandum of understanding to council on Aug. 15.
The memorandum specifically addresses some ongoing road work, and also implements some simultaneous water line replacement.
“This is for work and pavement preservation in areas they are replacing water mains,” Helbig said. “They are in the process of putting in water lines, and their work is actually going to tear up and replace half of the road with new pavement.”
“This memorandum of understanding will allow us to replace the pavement on the other half of the roads as well,” he added.
Helbig said Avista was also working in the area recently and that had also affected road integrity, so he told council he wants the city to piggyback on that work and develop a fresh road that will last for 20-30 years.
According to Helbig the work will still be contracted through the water district, but the city will be paying for the costs of additional work.
“Again, this is work that will be done by the water district’s contractor,” Helbig said. “So, we would just be paying our fair share of the additional work.”
Councilman Ben Wick questioned the condition of the existing pavement saying the pavement index had those roads marked as being in good condition.
“Just looking at the pavement condition index,” Wick said. “On our website these show that they were in excellent condition.”
Helbig answered saying the initial index was taken several years ago.
“When the condition index was done several years ago,” Helbig answered. “They were in good condition but since then Avista has been in there and patchworked together their gas mains as well as their service lines.”
Helbig said now that the other half of the road is being patchworked the condition of the pavement has deteriorated. He also said the index has not been updated since then, so it does not accurately depict the situation.
As part of its 2023 Construction Program, Spokane County Water District No. 3 is constructing a project known as the Wardson Road and Buttercup Street Waterline Replacement Project.
The project overlaps city street segments that are eligible for funding through the local streets program within city street fund 101.
The plan will result in a 10-foot, to 12-foot, wide asphalt trench patch over the length of the project.
City staff have evaluated the pavement condition along the route of the water district’s project and concluded that the streets being impacted by the water district are eligible candidates for full-width pavement preservation measures.
Councilwoman Brandi Peetz asked Helbig about the utilities put in, and who is responsible for the costs associated with installed utilities.
Helbig said the utility companies are responsible for their part, but they only patch what is disturbed at the time of installation.
Helbig continued by telling council there is a policy in place to prevent utility companies from coming back in. There is a five-year minimum in which utility companies will not be able cut into the road once the new paving is installed.
Mayor Pam Haley asked if the utility companies that cut into the road caused potential bad spots then why didn’t they bring the road back to the level it was at before the utility work.
“So, I guess what I don’t understand is why a utility company comes in and does work,” Haley said. “Why can’t they set it back to what it was before.”
Helbig said they do bring it back with their patchwork, but his goal is to replace the parts that haven’t been touched by utilities and create a uniform road through the neighborhood.
“It still doesn’t make sense to me,” Haley said. “That we had a very good road, and now we’ve had utility work on it and it’s poor.”
“But it’s not the utility companies’ fault, it’s ours somehow. I’m still confused,” Haley added.
According to the memorandum, the total cost of the project is expected to be $408,621.43.
The cost is divided between the water district and the city if approved.
Water District 3 will be responsible for $210,680.66 and the city will pay $197,940.77.
Matthew graduated from West Virginia University-Parkersburg in 2011 with a journalism degree. He's an award-winning photographer and enjoys writing stories about people.
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