A Bloomington Alderman believes road resurfacing overshadows the need to maintain and upgrade the City's water infrastructure.
Water Department Director Bob Yehl spoke during the council's Committee of the Whole meeting Monday night about the need to repair water mains, spillways for Lake Evergreen and Bloomington, and other projects over the next several years.
The presentation on water is one of a series from staff detailing needs in the capital improvement plan, or CIP.
Unfunded needs in the water department total almost $18 million. Alderman Scott Black said funding should be a priority within the council.
"I think resurfacing the roads is something residents really enjoy. You can see the roads and their status. I think a lot of people forget that there's a lot of things that go on under the roads," said Black. "I'm pretty proud of the $10 million street resurfacing and sewer repair we passed a few years ago. It made a big impact on our community, but I think we need to do more to make sure these projects are funded."
Yehl also said the Water Department would need to hire additional staff members to carry out an infrastructure plan. It is unclear whether these repairs will lead to higher water rates in Bloomington.
Also during the Committee of the Whole meeting, aldermen discussed possible projects which could be part of the Economic Development Council's "One Voice" advocacy trip to Washington, D.C. in 2017. Those projects include reconstructing Hamilton Road from Bunn to Commerce and the Main Street corridor.
Bloomington Alderman and mayoral Candidate Kevin Lower said he doesn't support the "Complete Streets" concept, which dovetails with the community effort to reconstruct Main Street. Running from Olive Street in Bloomington to College Avenue in Normal, the Main Street corridor project would resurface roads and allow for bike lanes, among other things.
Public Works Director Jim Karch spoke to the council to push for officials to re-apply for the federal TIGER grant to fund the project, after being denied in August. Lower believes construction should consist of routine repairs.
"I think we're already multi-modal, and I'm not seeing the demand for those other transportation facets," said Lower. "I'm not sure that I agree with, from a safety standpoint, having bike lanes on major roads."
Lower said the city needs federal grants for the Main Street corridor since I-DOT will not provide funding.
