Commission reviews paving priorities; officials worry about paving South Central ahead of planned water-main work

City staff presented a paving plan during the budget session that lists Palm Avenue, South 26th Street (referred to in the plan as South 20 Sixth Avenue), and North Flagler as the top three projects for the balance of the fiscal year, with North Lambert Avenue, Palm Circle, North Tenth and North Eleventh proposed for next year. Commissioners voiced concern about leaving South Central unpaved while a multi-year water-main extension is planned.

Commissioner concerns: Several commissioners said South Central is in notably poor condition and questioned whether leaving it off the immediate paving list would be practical. One commissioner urged staff and commissioners to discuss short-term fixes because the area “may not hold up for another couple years.” The group observed that paving a segment now and then replacing the road to install a water main would be wasteful.

Water-main plan and location: Staff clarified the water main is currently under the pavement on South Central. The city plans to replace an old asbestos-concrete water main with PVC and to extend a reuse line southward, ultimately toward the golf course, working with consultant Mead Hunt on design. Staff said next year’s planned segment would extend the water main roughly three blocks farther south, from Third Street down to Sixth Street.

Coordination and timing: Commissioners asked staff to weigh whether to repave immediately or delay work until water-main construction and right-of-way adjustments are completed. Staff said these trade-offs will be part of the capital-plan discussions and noted possible short-term surface repairs as an interim approach.

Ending: Staff will continue coordinating the paving and water-main schedules and return with recommendations that minimize rework and align funding in the capital plan; no final paving decisions were made in the session.