25LINKBUDGET(FULL) - Flipbook - Page 77
City of Plymouth 2024 / 2025 Budget
repaired streets. However, due to the higher cost of this comprehensive repair program, it
was not feasible to completely repair all City streets within the $12 million approval.
By the holiday season of 2006, the original resources of the street repair program were
depleted following the reconstruction of Union Street, Blunk Street, Ann Street, and Pacific
Avenue. In January 2007, traffic on Sheldon Road was closed for the commencement of a twoyear construction process for a new railroad underpass, utilizing the remaining $600,000 of
the City street construction funds previously reserved. This project heavily relied on City
Municipal Services employees throughout its complex construction process. Due to concerns
related to the underpass project, the existing street reconstruction program was suspended
until a new vote of the electorate could determine its continuation.
The Second Ballot Proposal:
Continuation of the Street Construction Program
Throughout the summer and fall of 2006, the City Commission engaged in discussions
regarding the proposed continuation of the street construction program. Presentations by
Wade Trim Associates, the City's consulting engineers, revealed that by the conclusion of the
fall 2006 construction season, approximately 13 miles of streets had been reconstructed since
1997. An additional 8.5 miles of City streets, constructed of concrete, either required no
repairs or would be addressed through the City's concrete patch program. Among the
remaining 10.5 miles in need of repair, City engineers identified 5.5 miles for attention within
the first five years of the construction program, with the remainder slated for repair in a
subsequent five-year period. It was anticipated that all City streets requiring repair would be
addressed within 20 years of the program's inception.
The estimated cost to repair the remaining City streets in need amounted to $10 million, with
an additional $5 million earmarked for water and sewer utility repairs. These costs would be
financed through the issuance of $5 million in bonds in the summer of 2008, followed by an
additional $5 million four years later. Utility replacement associated with street repairs would
be funded through reserve fund balances and additional bonding, with the life expectancy of
the bonds not surpassing 15 years, contingent upon anticipated interest expenses.
In 2007, the City Commission authorized a second ballot proposal for the November 6 General
Election, permitting the issuance of bonds to fund a second phase of the street repair program
and the imposition of additional millage to cover bond payments. This decision followed
thorough discussions during budget deliberations and public presentations by the City
administration. Voters supported the continuation of the street construction program with a
vote tally of 1,003 YES to 613 NO—a margin of 62% to 38%.
Specifically, the November 2007 ballot authorization allowed the City to issue up to an
additional $10 million in bonds, which were subsequently sold in 2008 and 2012. Fortunately,
several streets high on the priority list for repairs had already undergone sewer televising
and preliminary engineering, enabling the City to commence initial construction under the
second phase of the program during the summer of 2008.
The Third Ballot Proposal:
Continuation of the Street Construction Program
In early 2016, the City utilized the remaining funds from the 2012 bond sale and subsequently
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