Council faces busy agenda

by EVIE SEABERG
Staff Writer | March 20, 2024 1:00 AM

SANDPOINT — A Cedar Street reconstruction project is one of many items on the agenda for today’s Sandpoint City Council meeting.

The council will consider entering into an agreement with HMH Engineering for $158,000 for design services, including complete construction bid documents, for the project.

The meeting will also include a presentation on water quality and consideration of a contract award to B&E Electric, Inc., for supervisory control and data acquisition upgrades.

“SCADA systems are used for controlling, monitoring, and analyzing industrial devices and processes,” city officials said in an agenda report. “Simply put, SCADA systems gather and quickly analyze real-time data, and assist in automating processes that would otherwise take a much larger crew of staff and resources. For example, the city of Sandpoint uses SCADA in our water treatment plant to monitor and automate the control processes of bringing safe and clean drinking water to the faucets of Sandpoint residents.”

The council is expected to select public art for the Travers Park we-go-round art panels project.

Following the council’s Dec. 20 approval of the preliminary design of a Fifth Avenue/Pine Street traffic signal project, and an authorization to finalize construction documents, the city opened the project up to bids. The council will now consider awarding a contract to SonRay Enterprises, LLC, for $483,023.

Also on the agenda is possible authorization for staff to apply for grants seeking funding for the Great Northern Road project, including possible closure of the Mountain View Drive railroad crossing. City officials said possible grants that may be sought from the Federal Railroad Administration, Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements, and Railroad Crossing Elimination Programs.

Council will also go into executive session according to Idaho Code to “communicate with legal counsel for the public agency to discuss the legal ramifications of and legal options for pending litigation, or controversies not yet being litigated but imminently likely to be litigated and to consider labor contract matters authorized under Idaho Code,” city officials said on a meeting agenda.