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Carefree Truth
Issue #939, August 6, 2021
Issue #939, August 6, 2021
Town Engineer Mark Milstone reported on the street inventory and pavement condition assessment program. Requests for Proposal (RFP) were sent out and 3 were returned. The best fit for the town was from Rick Engineering. They would be utilizing a high tech infrastructure company called Roadbotics which uses a Smart app on a cell phone mounted on the front of a van. It takes videos of every street in town, and uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) software to rate the condition of each street. The old method was to walk all the streets to rate the pavement. This new method simplifies the process and removes that subjectivity. The cost is $35,000.
Vice Mayor John Crane asked if this was relatively new technology, and if so, was it proven. Mr. Milstone replied that it is relatively new, but it has been used in many other municipalities and worked very very well. Vice Mayor Crane asked if it is more cost effective and Mr. Milstone confirmed that it is.
Councilman Tony Geiger asked if he understood it correctly that this would give a firm budgetary number to perform all the maintenance and repairs. Mr. Milstone explained that this will give estimated costs. There are 10 levels of street maintenance. This will address years 1-3, 4-7 and 7-10.
Gary Neiss added that Carefree has always had these 10 year plans, each with a scope of work and a budgetary figure. There is no figure available if the decision is made in the future to rebuild all the streets to make drainage improvements and put down new asphalt. This would incur a significant cost of $30-40 million. This plan looks at the current assets and evaluates the best maintenance practices to deal with street distress.
Mr. Geiger asked if his understanding was correct that there is no need to rebuild, that AI will analyze and give the most appropriate repairs. Mr. Milstone replied that every road will need some kind of maintenance to prolong its life, some less than others.
Councilman Stephen Hatcher asked if the intent is to fill in cracks or to do sealants over the entire surface. Mr. Milstone replied that cracks will be filled in on some streets.
Mr. Geiger asked if the project will give an inventory of all the streets, and recommend treatments and the timelines required. Mr. Milstone said it will rate the streets from "not severe" to "very severe". Repairs will be performed first on those streets that need it most. This plan will also help look at funding opportunities, which is very important.
Mr. Geiger asked Mr. Neiss if this proposal would provide a deeper understanding into the needs of the streets and the costs to meet those needs than what was done in the past. Mr. Neiss said, "Absolutely". The use of technology will support that and he was excited to finally have that technology available. The program imports all 14 levels of distress and outputs the types of projects that will deal with it in the most cost effective way. Mayor Les Peterson noted that the Town would also have a visual record to compare the streets year to year.
The motion to approve the contract with Rick Engineering passed unanimously.
https://vimeo.com/583612984
Lyn Hitchon
Prepared by Carefree Truth
Copyrighted
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Vice Mayor John Crane asked if this was relatively new technology, and if so, was it proven. Mr. Milstone replied that it is relatively new, but it has been used in many other municipalities and worked very very well. Vice Mayor Crane asked if it is more cost effective and Mr. Milstone confirmed that it is.
Councilman Tony Geiger asked if he understood it correctly that this would give a firm budgetary number to perform all the maintenance and repairs. Mr. Milstone explained that this will give estimated costs. There are 10 levels of street maintenance. This will address years 1-3, 4-7 and 7-10.
Gary Neiss added that Carefree has always had these 10 year plans, each with a scope of work and a budgetary figure. There is no figure available if the decision is made in the future to rebuild all the streets to make drainage improvements and put down new asphalt. This would incur a significant cost of $30-40 million. This plan looks at the current assets and evaluates the best maintenance practices to deal with street distress.
Mr. Geiger asked if his understanding was correct that there is no need to rebuild, that AI will analyze and give the most appropriate repairs. Mr. Milstone replied that every road will need some kind of maintenance to prolong its life, some less than others.
Councilman Stephen Hatcher asked if the intent is to fill in cracks or to do sealants over the entire surface. Mr. Milstone replied that cracks will be filled in on some streets.
Mr. Geiger asked if the project will give an inventory of all the streets, and recommend treatments and the timelines required. Mr. Milstone said it will rate the streets from "not severe" to "very severe". Repairs will be performed first on those streets that need it most. This plan will also help look at funding opportunities, which is very important.
Mr. Geiger asked Mr. Neiss if this proposal would provide a deeper understanding into the needs of the streets and the costs to meet those needs than what was done in the past. Mr. Neiss said, "Absolutely". The use of technology will support that and he was excited to finally have that technology available. The program imports all 14 levels of distress and outputs the types of projects that will deal with it in the most cost effective way. Mayor Les Peterson noted that the Town would also have a visual record to compare the streets year to year.
The motion to approve the contract with Rick Engineering passed unanimously.
https://vimeo.com/583612984
Lyn Hitchon
Prepared by Carefree Truth
Copyrighted
Visit our website at www.carefreetruth2.com If you know anyone who would like to be added to the Carefree Truth email list, please have them contact me. Feel free to share Carefree Truth with others on your list.
Visit www.carefreeazbusinesses.com to see more info about businesses in Carefree. Please support our merchants.