Raising awareness of the issues and solutions for keeping Fountain Hills streets in top condition is one of the challenges the Town faces in meeting its goals for pavement management in the community.

Mark Graham, one of about a dozen citizens participating in a committee to make recommendations to the Town Council, made a presentation to the council at its May 17 session. The committee, appointed by the Town, is made up of those with expertise in engineering, streets, finance, construction and transportation planning. All who answered the Town’s call to help were appointed to the group. The committee has been meeting monthly since September 2021. This was its first report to the council.

“There are 311 years of combined experience on this committee,” Graham said. “It can be intimidating, but they know what they are talking about.”

Graham said community awareness is just one of the key issues to address. Also, he noted that 60% of the streets don’t meet minimum standards and maintenance and repair is underfunded.

The objectives the committee is working toward to address a plan for the 390 center line miles of streets in town is to identify and understand the problems, address a backlog of streets needing attention, prioritization and cost estimates.

“This is a group that challenges everything that is brought to it,” Graham said.

Currently the Town has a $2.5 million annual budget for street maintenance. That is not adequate to keep up, according to Graham.

Councilman Alan Magazine noted that about $7 million a year is needed.

“I don’t know what to do about it,” Magazine said. “This is frustrating.”

Graham said they believe the Town should use all the $8 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds it is slated to receive. To date, the council has made no specific commitment on that funding, although staff has made some recommendations that some of the money be set aside in the facilities replacement fund and considered for projects around the Fountain and lake.

Vice Mayor Gerry Friedel said he believes the council needs to take a hard look at items in the capital improvement budget that may not be necessary.

Town Manager Grady Miller said the committee will be looking at options for the consulting services the Town is using, hoping to acquire better data.

In 2011 staff proposed a street maintenance bond totaling approximately $30 million to be sold in four phases. That program was defeated at the polls with a 55% to 44% margin.

In 2013 an $8 million bond was presented to voters for the reconstruction of Saguaro Boulevard. That bond passed and that, plus grant funding, allowed for the improvements to Saguaro and Shea boulevards. That work was done in 2015 and it is now time to consider a preservative treatment for that pavement.

The council approved a contract with M.R. Tanner Development and Construction for pavement seal to be applied to Saguaro and Shea as a preservative at a cost of $1.4 million, which is to be done soon.

Public Works Director Justin Weldy added a caveat to that project, saying a portion of the Saguaro Boulevard sealant will be delayed between Colony Drive and Fountain Hills Boulevard. The Town received a $2 million grant for sidewalk construction in that corridor and Weldy said it is expected the sidewalk contract will impact portions of the traffic lanes, so the sealant is being delayed until the walkways are complete. He said the sealant will be done when the sidewalks are done under the same contract with no additional costs.