Personalized bricks will be salvaged for Main Avenue project

Personalized bricks which have helped to make Clear Lake’s Main Street iconic, will be preserved in the brick paver sidewalk reconstruction project scheduled to begin after Labor Day.

After tabling the issue two weeks ago, Monday night the City Council voted unanimously to proceed with an option that will replace the current brick pavers with new, square pavers designed to lay much flatter.  The current sidewalks have been deemed unsafe in areas where the freeze and thaw, along with settling, has caused the sidewalk to become uneven.

The Council tabled the issue after Councilmen Tony Nelson and Jim Boehnke expressed concern about what would become of the estimated 3,000 personalized brick pavers which were purchased through the Clear Lake Area Chamber of Commerce at a cost of $50 apiece.

Monday, City Administrator Scott Flory reported the personalized pavers had been evaluated and had been deemed reusable.

Under the plan accepted by the City, the personalized pavers will be integrated into a new brick paver sidewalk.  Their placement will be as close as possible to their current location.

Flory explained the sidewalk currently features three sizes of brick pavers.  The personalized pavers are on the large size, which is in the best condition among existing pavers.

“Brick life is estimated at 25-years.  Some of these have been in place for 17 or 18-years, but we feel they can be salvaged,” said Flory.  Using a new method of placement, the longevity of the brick paver sidewalk will be increased, as they will be less susceptible to freeze and thaw, he added.

The sidewalk plan accepted by the Council will feature a one-foot strip of PCC concrete by buildings, as well as at the street lights.  Bricks will be used as the walkway surface.

The sidewalk option selected by the City Council was originally estimated at about $590,000, however that cost may be reduced by salvaging

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and reusing the personalized bricks in the new sidewalks.

The project is scheduled to begin after Labor Day and will be completed in mid to late June 2017.

Other business

In other business Monday, the Council awarded WHKS, of Mason City, the professional service agreement for its 2016 Sanitary and Storm Sewer Rehabilitation Project.  WHKS was the lowest of three bidders at $21,600.  Bids for the $500,000 project will be let June 29.  The Council is likely to award a contract at its July 5 meeting, with construction running from July 25 to Nov. 23.

The timeframe for the 2016 Street Resurfacing/Overlay Project was also discussed.  Bids will be let May 12 and a public hearing is scheduled for May 16.  Construction slated for May 23-June 30.  The estimate for the project tops $475,000.

Watershed oversight

Clear Lake Watershed Coordinator Jim Sholly was also introduced to the Council at Monday’s meeting.  Sholly, the former Iowa Great Lakes Watershed Project Coordinator, working for Dickinson County Soil & Water Conservation District,  is in his second week of work in Clear Lake.

The new Watershed Coordinator position evolved from the reorganization of the CLEAR Project.  Sholly will be employed by the City of Clear Lake, with his position receiving funding support from Cerro Gordo County, the City of Ventura, the Association for the Preservation of Clear Lake, as well as an EPA 319 grant.  Both Hancock and Cerro Gordo County Soil & Water Conservation Districts will also remain active with Lake Improvement projects and initiatives in the watershed.

The Council also passed the second and third readings establishing a new Watershed Advisory Board.  The board will be comprised of stakeholders in the watershed.

Bridge re-opening

Public Works Director Joe Weigel reported work on the 12th Avenue South bridge is expected to be completed within two weeks.  Paving is underway this week on the bridge deck and skirting.  The road has been closed throughout the winter as the project was stalled by weather.

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