Roadways are always a concern for any city. Paving projects have already begun around the city of Mendenhall.
Booth explained that the city will spend approximately $120,000 on asphalt, which is nearly twice the amount that was budgeted last year.
These repairs are made later in the fiscal year so other resources can be pooled. Any leftover money in the budget is transferred to the road department for street repairs. Booth said the plan is to continue to budget a little more each year, and commit to fixing the city streets.
Booth said, “We are looking at our worst streets, and those will take priority.” City Superintendent Red Lewis is taking the lead on identifying streets in the worst conditions. Booth acknowledged that a few streets needed attention. He named streets such as Revere Circle, Downs Avenue, Pat Street and Polly Avenue, and Circle Drive near the schools.
He said, “That’s the way we have to do it. We have to fix our worst stuff and work from there.” With the amount of money budgeted for road repair this year, Booth believes citizens will see big improvements. He said, “It’s a slow process but we are working towards improving.”
Things are going as planned up to this point, according to Booth. J&L Enterprises has been contracted to do the paving work. The city is using a high grade mixture of asphalt. The quality makes it possible to do more with the available material and cover several areas.
“We are on schedule to do what we have planned to do,” said Booth.
A repaved street can work wonders in terms of the aesthetics of a community. Booth said this year the city is repaving streets that probably have not been touched in over 30 years, except for patching pot holes.
With the limited amount of resources, the city is forced to skip around and concentrate on high traffic areas. Booth said, “I hate doing spots and skipping around but we have to work with what we got.” With the amount of asphalt purchased this year the citizens have been able to notice the work being done. Elected officials have attested to receiving positive feedback. Improvements were made possible by actions taken throughout the year, and managing a tight budget. Booth admitted to pinching pennies as much as possible to be able to focus on streets. He explained that the goal moving forward is to be able to budget $100,000 or more each year.
He said, “The streets are what people see, and that’s how citizens base what type of job you’re doing.” The focus last year was on making repairs to water and sewer, which is not visible to the common citizen. The condition of the streets is a universal measuring stick for all municipalities. Booth and others have expresses joy for being able to do more than they have in previous years. Fixing streets can go a long way towards fixing communities.
During the recent budget workshop, maintaining the current amount of funds dedicated to asphalt was a priority. The city has already used over 235 tons of asphalt to this point, and the improvement has been noticeable. Booth said, “We have a plan and we’re taking action.”
