The City of Osceola begins summer projects

A multitude of projects are scheduled for Osceola this summer, some of which are starting now.

The new waste water treatment plant construction has begun. It’s a six contract project and five of those have begun working. It’s a two year construction project for the new plant and a two year deconstruction project for the current treatment plant.

The Iowa DOT has begun it’s entrance and patching work on U.S. Highways 34 and 69. They will also be laying asphalt on the driving portion, the interior 24 feet, of those two highways through town.

The City is partnering with the Iowa DOT for the construction of five feet wide sidewalks along Highways 34 and 69. The DOT project will only replace existing sidewalks with new sidewalk. Any gaps in the sidewalks will be filled in by the City. No sidewalks will be assessed to the property owners during this project. The City is also going to be putting asphalt on the shoulders of Highways 34 and 69 where the DOT has resurfaced the interior of the roads. The City is also responsible for repainting the elementary school crosswalk on Highway 34.

“My understanding with the DOT’s ADA program is that communities 5,000 [population] and above they require that those cities handle the sidewalk replacement in whatever form it may take, whether they do it or they special assess the property owners,” said Ty Wheeler, City Administrator. “But for communities less than 5,000 the DOT pays for the sidewalk replacement because of concern that the smaller communities don’t have the resources to take that on. And in this one single instance it was better that our census in 2010 was not above 5,000.”

The Fillmore Street sidewalk from Clarke County Hospital down to Highway 34 and the sidewalk project that goes from Clarke Community High School to Highway 69 were awarded to Country Concrete. These will begin once Country Concrete finishes the Osceola Public Library parking lot which is in progress now. The Q Pond connector trail project was awarded to Andrew’s Construction and can begin now that the school is done with events at the football stadium.

The City has partnered with the Water Utility to replace the water main between Main Street and Fillmore Street in the 100 block of West Clay Street and from that intersection up to Ayers Street. In total it will be about 900 feet of water main. The City’s side of the partnership will include replacing sidewalks along those roads and replacing the intersection of Clay and Fillmore Streets.

Another project will be taking place at the Osceola Municipal Airport. The airport will be closed for the month of June for pavement rehabilitation on the runway which is an FAA funded project.

The City will be focusing on East Clay Street Park later this spring. It will be graded up and then the playground company, Outdoor Recreation Products, will pour the foundation for the equipment. The City will then pour the rest of the concrete for the area and then Outdoor Recreation Products will come back to set up the equipment and pour the rubberized play surface.

Once the East Clay Street Park is finished this summer the City will focus on the dog park. They have sought out information on cost to asphalt the parking lot and also the area by the Depot park.