Paving streets, improving drainage and installing sidewalks are among the plans for the Street Department if voters approve a bond issue and one-cent city sales tax at a special election Sept. 14.
"If the sales tax doesn't pass, even if the bond does, then we still can't get the money because the lender requires the sales tax revenue as collateral," Nathan See, Street Department superintendent, said. The bond issue, which would provide $5.8 million to the Street Department, is completely dependent on the sales tax.
"People need to be educated on that -- both have to pass to help the Street Department," See said.
"It's very important that people vote and that they understand. The one-cent sales tax goes to the streets, to police, fire and parks but it's not allocated by percentage," See said. "It's allocated annually."
See shared several proposed projects at town hall update meetings and plans to present the plans at the scheduled Town Hall meeting Tuesday, July 20. He said that he will do as much work as possible "in house" -- with staff -- in order to "stretch the dollar further and get more projects for our taxpayers' money."
"We want to stretch it and maybe go in on a couple of projects with federal dollars if possible," he said. He said he could save as much as 28% by not having the overhead costs of a contractor and doing the work in house. Some projects, such as Greer Street, Hazelton and It'll Do will be contracted out.
He said Hazelton and Patton streets create an east/west corridor through town and he hopes to complete those projects first.
"Then, sidewalks after that and try to get some connectivity through town as far as walking," he said.
The money from the bonds has to be allocated to projects within three years.
"If we get this passed, people are going to see the benefits of their money faster," See said. "I'm not wasting time with this; will start in October, November, getting these out in March 2022."
Plans include:
• Greer Street include upgrading about 2,500 linear feet of existing two-lane gravel road to 26-feet wide asphalt paved street with improved storm drainage between Schrader Road and Arkansas Highway 72 (East Pickens Road) at a cost of $1,058,240.
• Hazelton Road include upgrading about 2,986linear feet of existing two-lane gravel road west of Weston Street by widening, adding asphalt paving, curb and gutter and storm drainage plus sidewalk at a cost of $1,861,700.
• It'll Do Road include overlaying pavement between Arkansas Highway 72 (Slack Street) to East McNelly Road and drainage improvements at a cost of $516,195.
• Lee Town Road include sidewalk connectivity to the business district adding 2,625 linear feat of five-feet wide sidewalk between Greer Street and Smith Street at a cost of $278,000.
• McCulloch Street include adding sidewalks to Pea Ridge Middle School and High School with 2,100 linear feet of five-feet wide sidewalk between Weston Street and North Curtis Avenue at a cost of $226,3500.
• Patton Street include making street and sidewalk improvements (about 1,200 linear feet) between Hoffman Street and North Curtis Avenue (North Arkansas Highway 94) at a cost of $483,900.
• Weston Street include overlaying existing street from West Pickens Road (Ark. Hwy. 94) south to Slack Street (Ark. Hwy. 72) at a cost of $557,586.
• North Davis Street include providing sidewalk connectivity to Pea Ridge Intermediate School -- 1,565 linear feet of five-feet wide sidewalks between Battlefield Estates and East Pickens Road at a cost of $311,300.
