City promises better care of future paving

City Hall is answering criticism of a comprehensive paving plan with officials saying they have an eye on the future and are prepared to properly maintain new streets.

Voters in Clarendon began early voting Wednesday, casting ballots “for” or “against” issuing $2.5 million in certificates of obligation to pave, curb, and gutter 152 blocks across the city.

Critics of the proposed project worry about the future maintenance of the pavement given the old water and sewer lines currently running underneath Clarendon’s streets. But City Administrator Sean Pate says those are issues that can be dealt with.

“Right now, citizens are seeing the way it’s been done,” Pate said. “To go in at this point – with our streets in such dire shape – and try to square off the holes and patch them all correctly, it would be very time consuming and ineffective. I think if the city was given another chance, things would be done differently.”

Pate said future repairs will be made using different techniques, including using a special saw to cut holes to make repairs when needed.

“We’re going to make sure we patch ‘em right,” he said. “When we patch a line, we’ll dig out all the wet dirt, replace it with dry material, let it settle, and pack it good. We’ll cut the pavement and roll the cold mix.”

Pate said the city already has a roller and should be able to purchase a saw – possibly one that can be fitted to the backhoe – that shouldn’t be too expensive.

“If we cut the pavement and patch it right, then when you put a fresh seal coat on, it’s like nothing ever happened.”

The condition of the city’s waterworks varies in different parts of town, Pate said. Some areas are in good shape, and there are some areas that need to be replaced where there’s old clay pipe. The administrator said one possibility is that when lines need to be replaced is to relocate them to the rights-of-way to avoid damaging the paving.

“The biggest part of this project is to do the paving right and to see that it’s done by a professional, who is bonded,” he said. “I compare it to buying a TV. You can buy a cheapo set, or you can spend a little more and get one that’s better made and has a better warranty. If we do the paving ourselves, it wouldn’t be as good.”

The city’s engineers, administrator, and board consultant have also all advised the Board of Aldermen to get on a rotating seal coat plan to maintain the streets in the future. Pate said many small cities do this now with all of them contributing money to help offset the cost.

“I’m talking to Oller Engineering now because they’ve been highly recommended by other cities,” Pate said.

The rotating seal coat plan would kick in about five years after the paving project with engineers doing a needs assessment to evaluate which streets needed to be resurfaced, he said. A certain number of streets would be done each year, which, along with proper routine maintenance, would provide a good driving surface for many years to come.

“Let’s do this right,” Pate said. “Let’s get it paved and then take care of business.”

Early voting by personal appearance continues at City Hall through September 9. The election will be held on Saturday, September 13, 2003.