Mexico City Council on Feb. 24 approved temporary construction easements for the North Washington Street Stormwater Improvement Project.

Council also approved a measure regarding a change order for the project.

Concerning the North Washington Street Stormwater Improvement Project, officials had to determine whether all work could be completed within the public right-of-way or whether temporary construction easements would be needed to facilitate construction.

The current design allows all public utilities to remain in the public right-of-way with no additional right-of-way needing to be acquired (that is, permanent easements), according to the council agenda memo. To provide some additional room for construction, the city’s consultant asked for a temporary construction easement along the east and west sides of North Washington Street, between Allison and Robinson.

City engineer/public works director Drew Williford said 15 easements were a part of the project and all are temporary.

“There is no monetary cost to the city for any of this,” he told council.

The memo stated this project would allow the contractor, Plan B Development, additional room for final grading, leading to a more “aesthetically pleasing restoration” for the residents.

Public works staff met with residents to discuss the project and answer any questions. All residents within the project scope have agreed to donate a temporary construction easement to the city, the agenda memo stated. These easements will expire at the completion of the project.

Williford said later in an email that construction on the stormwater improvement project will proceed once all documents have been reviewed and approved by the Department of Natural Resources. He added that the city’s engineering division anticipates construction will begin in late March.

Also, in another agenda item, staff approved $111,420 in a change order for the project, to move a sanitary sewer line. After Plan B Development LLC was awarded the North Washington Street Stormwater Improvements Project at the Dec. 9, 2024, council meeting, the design work was completed, and it was determined that the city’s sanitary sewer main is in conflict and needs to be relocated, an agenda memo stated. Staff approached Bartlett & West Inc. requesting an amendment to develop plans supporting relocation of the sanitary sewer system.

During this process, the memo stated, staff was unable to collect all of the engineering data needed to complete the design work. Plan B Development was approached about the matter and provided an estimate based on known data. Staff reviewed both options, which were to continue with Bartlett & West, Inc. for the design work or proceed with Plan B Development’s estimate.

Staff decided it would be in the best interest of city funds to proceed without the additional design costs.

“Having Plan B Development complete both the sanitary sewer relocation and the stormwater improvements will best support the project by mitigating potential conflict between the two utilities as well as their laterals,” the memo stated. “Plan B Development will take steps to ensure the sanitary sewer is set at a depth which allows construction of the storm sewer and avoids any conflicts.”

The agenda stated the sanitary sewer infrastructure in this block does not meet current city standards and cannot be easily maintained with the existing manhole to the north and sewer main configuration.

“Therefore, this is deemed a good candidate for complete replacement,” the agenda stated.

Staff stated in the memo that the 2024-2025 annual budget provides sufficient funding to cover the costs of all American Rescue Plan Act Stormwater Grant projects through the Capital Projects Fund, which has $4,003,368 to cover construction costs incurred in this fiscal year. With this project and all other ARPA Stormwater Grant projects taken into account, the projected costs for construction are considered to be under budget.

Change Order No. 1 is anticipated to add approximately $111,420 to the North Washington Street Stormwater Project, and all costs incurred in Change Order No. 1 will be grant-eligible under the 21% ARPA Grant and have been approved by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. ARPA funds are federal stimulus dollars arising from the pandemic recovery and must be spent by Dec. 31, 2026.Easements approved for stormwater improvements project