June 7, 2024 |
Photo – Edinburgh Street in Rawlins – Bigfoot99 file photo
The Rawlins city council has set aside millions of dollars of city money to fix Edinburgh Street.
During Tuesday night’s Rawlins city council meeting, the 2024 through 2025 budget was read for the second time. City Manager Tom Sarvey said he has allocated $1.2 million from the general fund to pay for the Edinburgh Street project.
In 2019, Rawlins voters consented to using 6th Penny Tax money to rebuild Edinburgh Street from Dunphail to Murray Street, including utility replacements and storm sewer improvements. The Edinburgh Street project is just one of 10 projects earmarked by the Rawlins government for 6th Penny Tax funding.
The City of Rawlins asked for $12.1 million to complete the 10 voter-approved projects. So far, the city has only completed one: reconstructing a section of Walnut Street from 3rd to 7th Street. The Walnut Street project was finished in 2021 at a cost of $1.855 million.
The 6th Penny Tax money doesn’t come all at once. The city receives approximately $1.37 million a year. Right now, Rawlins has $4 million left in the tax fund. The Edinburgh Street project is expected to cost $8.65 million.
At Tuesday’s city council meeting, City Manager Sarvey said he moved $1.3 million from the city’s reserve account to the streets department for the Edinburgh Street project. Sarvey said he also set aside $1 million of unallocated impact assistance money from the Chokecherry Wind Energy Project.
Councilman Chris Weisenburg asked Sarvey if the Edinburgh Street project money will need to be paid back to the city. Sarvey said the Chokecherry money was given to the city to use as it sees fit. However, the city manager said the $1.3 million from the general fund must be replenished using future 6th Penny Tax payments.
Later in the meeting, Mass Grading owner Kelly Brendt said the city must start working on the remaining 6th Penny Tax projects. Brendt suggested working on each project a little at a time. The contractor said Edinburgh Street must be dewatered before the road surface can be fixed.
Mayor Terry Weickum said doing one part of a project at a time adds expense. Mayor Weickum said the council has decided to set aside the remaining money to complete the entire Edinburgh Street project in one go.
Brendt said the city should not wait any longer to begin the Edinburgh Street project. Inflation will quickly put the cost of the project out of reach, said Brendt. Mayor Weickum said with the upcoming budget, the city is prepared to complete the voter-approved project. Afterwards, the city will put the remaining 6th Penny Tax money back into the general fund.
Mayor Weickum said work on the Edinburgh Street project should begin next spring.
