T-R PHOTO BY ROBERT MAHARRY Marshalltown Public Works Director Heather Thomas speaks about the Highway 14 project as Councilors Marco Yepez-Gomez, Gary Thompson and Sue Cahill look on during Monday night’s meeting.

During a meeting that ended up running over three hours before a closed session due to several lengthy discussion items on the agenda, the Marshalltown city council moved forward on a pair of major infrastructure projects in the community — the Highway 14 reconstruction project from Anson Street north to the intersection of 3rd Avenue and Riverside Street and the Center Street viaduct rehabilitation.

First, the council took action on an engineering services agreement not to exceed $129,800 with Foth Infrastructure & Environment LLC for design phase engineering services on the Highway 14 project, which is being led by the Iowa Department of Transportation (IDOT). Public Works Director Heather Thomas explained what the work would include — 38 pedestrian ramps, traffic signals, sidewalk improvements, bringing seven alley approaches into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), rehabbing or replacing 25 storm sewer intakes, median replacement along Anson Street and removing the south boulevard on the west side of Riverside Street to eliminate the traffic signal there.

If everything proceeds “perfectly,” Thomas said the project could be let this November, and as she opened the floor up for questions, Councilor Jeff Schneider wondered why the alleys she mentioned should be maintained or if they should be connected to other nearby streets. She replied that it could be challenging for developers to get direct access to Highway 14 in the future, so she didn’t recommend getting rid of them.

When Councilor Melisa Fonseca asked for a timeline on construction, Thomas said it would likely occur in 2027 or 2028 without providing any definitive dates. During the public comment period, Jolene Ballard shared that the alleys are very important to the people who live in those areas and didn’t recommend closing them.

Doris Kinnick then asked where the funds were coming from, and Thomas said the council had set aside $150,000 in Road Use Tax money to fund the engineering services agreement, and she predicted that some enterprise water funds could be used once construction starts. A motion to approve the agreement passed by a unanimous 7-0 vote.

A few items down the agenda, the council discussed and ultimately approved authorizing the Iowa DOT to award a $4,049,299 contract to Boulder Contracting of Grundy Center for the Center Street Viaduct rehabilitation project. Thomas noted that bids were opened last Wednesday, and the repairs are intended to replace expansion joints, touch up the paint on all of the railings, address issues in the enclosed concrete area by the Gun Club as well as some structural concrete work on the outside.

The bids that came into the Iowa DOT for the project were above the engineer’s estimate of $3.3 million, with Boulder’s low bid about $750,000 higher than that. According to Thomas, the DOT automatically awards a bid if it’s within 10 percent of the estimate, and since this one was above it, they come back to the city for confirmation.

She noted the uniqueness of the viaduct project, and Boulder Contracting already has two current contracts with the city and has done other jobs in the past. Ultimately, Thomas recommended accepting the bid as she didn’t foresee rebidding the project resulting in a lower cost. She surmised that the painting costs were running high and that keeping the historic look of the railings would likely be more expensive.

Another major concern is the fact that with bids coming in higher, the city is currently facing a funding shortfall of approximately $1.2 million for the project, suggesting a swap using street improvement money from a 2023 bond and keeping Road Use Tax dollars open as an option.

Tentatively, construction is set to begin in April with 120 working days, and the hope is to complete it within the calendar year 2026 depending on the weather. Councilor Greg Nichols asked Thomas to bring back a comparison in cost between the black vinyl and the current railings.

Councilor Gary Thompson said he receives compliments about Boulder’s work but wondered if they had the level of expertise to complete such a difficult project. Thomas replied that if the city was bidding the project, she could reach out for references, but because it’s a DOT project, she isn’t able to do so.

Thompson also worried about change orders escalating if Boulder runs into problems, and she said a valid justification has to be provided for each one. Thomas expressed optimism that Boulder’s close proximity to Marshalltown would allow for commuting as opposed to stay in hotels.

In response to other questions, Thomas said the bridge will be completely closed while the work is being done, and Thompson expressed his preference for the black chain link fence look as opposed to the historic fence. A motion to authorize the DOT to award the contract to Boulder also passed by a unanimous 7-0 vote.

In other business, the council:

• Approved the consent agenda as listed.

• Voted 4-3 against a resolution affirming the allocation of Local Option Sales Tax revenues for property tax relief and council-designated priorities, including the authorized use of general fund balancing, essentially formalizing a process the council has already been utilizing for the last several years. Thompson, Mitchell and Nichols were in favor, while Fonseca, Cahill, Yepez-Gomez and Schneider were opposed.

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Contact Robert Maharry at 641-753-6611 ext. 255 or

rmaharry@timesrepublican.com.