Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties

Funds may be available for Range View Drive project

By TOM LAVENTURE

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Hurley — The effort to make safety improvements to West Range View Drive, the only road access to Hurley K-12 School, is again moving forward with a possible state grant, according to reports at the Hurley Board of Public Works meeting on Wednesday.

Hurley Street Commissioner Scott Santini, and Jeff Seamandel, an engineer with MSA Professional Services, the city’s engineering company, addressed the board regarding the plan to widen a section of West Range View Drive from 10th Avenue to the main entrance of the school. The current 21-foot wide road would be widened by 7 feet for bus and traffic safety.

The 2020 grant application for the Multimodel Local Supplement program of the Wisconsin Department of Transportation did not make the final list of the nearly 1,600 municipal projects statewide that were approved over summer, Seamandel said. The WDOT has since notified the firm of the possibility that a $450,000 reimbursement could be available to cover approximately 48% of the estimated $935,000 project.

A portion of the road is in the town of Kimball, and Seamandel recommended that the committee contact stakeholder communities, organizations and the school district regarding the potential for a shared interest in completing the project and to help reduce the city’s overall costs. 

If approved, the city would have approximately five years to complete the work, Seamandel said. He said he would research potential costs and other obligations that would be included with a WDOT agreement.

The board members also discussed the potential to request use of the city’s tax increment district from the Wisconsin Department of Revenue. Board member Joanne Bruneau was not present. The city council will have the topic on the agenda of an upcoming meeting.

Another long-term project to improve the section of 10th Avenue to U.S. 51 is tentatively scheduled for at least 2026, according to Mayor Jay Aijala, who appeared at the meeting by phone. 

Gary Laguna, Hurley water manager, updated the board about the lead service line replacement program. He is currently compiling information for the city council to consider in its possible application for available reimbursement funds to residents who contract to replace water lines.

The project pays up to $5,000 in reimbursement to replace lead or galvanized lines on private property from the house to the city shut-off valve, he said. The water department is currently building a list of priority properties where there is potential leakage.

Seamandel said he would also assist in determining the best course of action for the city in directing all the work to one contractor, or to require individual residents to contract with a certified and approved plumbing company to do the work. 

The application is due in June 2021 but if submitted by February the earlier approval could allow time for the work to be completed during the summer construction season, Laguna said. Other concerns are that the summer street construction schedule may interfere with some pipe replacements.

In his report, Santini said the city’s holiday lighting and wreath installations are complete. The city’s new water line tracer and sewer camera have arrived and have been put into operation to include training for employees.

In other business, the Hurley Board of Public Works approved scheduling a 2 p.m. Dec 15 special meeting with Branding Iron Steakhouse & Pub as the agenda item.

 
 
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