Money saved on repaving Fifth Avenue to help Arnold pay for fixing Richmond Street

Money left over from resurfacing one road is going to help fix another in Arnold.

Arnold spent about $50,000 less than expected when it resurfaced Fifth Avenue from 16th Street to the city line last year, community development Director Rick Rayburg said.

That money will be combined with nearly $150,000 in 2020 federal grant money to resurface all of Richmond Street, which is a heavily traveled road that’s in bad condition.

While the bid for Fifth had been almost $120,000, Rayburg said the city spent only about $68,000 because some work was not done — for example, the road’s base was in better condition than anticipated.

With word that rising gasoline prices are also pushing the cost of asphalt higher, “We’re just hoping we have enough to cover the whole length of Richmond, from Freeport Road to Constitution Boulevard,” Rayburg said.

Rayburg said the city will seek contract bids this summer and expects to have the work done this year.

Asphalt plants close in October.

“We definitely want it done by then,” he said.

Because the city is using federal money on the project, it can’t use its own engineer, Rayburg said.

The city is seeking proposals for engineering services, which are due by 4 p.m. April 16.

The firm that is retained will prepare engineering specifications and provide construction inspection services, including preparing plans, specifications and cost estimates for Richmond Street’s reconstruction.

Richmond Street is where Arnold plans to spend the largest piece of its federal grant money from 2020. Other uses are $40,000 for firefighting equipment, about $34,000 for code enforcement, and $25,000 toward repaying a loan. About $54,600 will go toward administrative costs.

Money the city had considered spending for recreation, $20,000 for playground equipment, was removed. Rayburg said the city is eyeing doing something bigger for recreation with its next grant award.

Hearings on how Arnold would spend its 2021 allocation will be held this summer, Rayburg said.