Poplar Bluff Street Superintendent Jerry Lawson is asking for a change in city code regarding construction of new streets that he believes will reduce longterm maintenance costs.
The proposal was presented Monday to the city council. It is expected to be a voting item Nov. 20, along with increased costs at the City Cemetery for plots and burial.
Current ordinance regarding construction of asphalt and concrete streets is “convoluted,” Lawson told the council.
“We have spent a lot of money repairing these streets,” he said.
He explained the city has some subdivision streets that are in bad condition after only 25 or 30 years, while others have held up much better despite being twice as old.
The street department has done excavation in some of these areas, Lawson explained, and thinks that by simplifying and strengthening certain requirements for subdivision contractors, the city will see a better result.
“It’s a lot easier. I think we’ll get a better product for our subdivisions and contractors will know exactly what they need to do... There will be one standard,” Lawson said.
City manager Matt Winters commented Lawson had done a lot of research before bringing the proposal to the council.
The current ordinance gives contractors three options. One allows a rolled stone base with two inches of an asphalt/concrete composite wearing surface, while under another both the base and wearing surface are of a asphalt/concrete composite. A third is made of 6 inches of concrete, with no asphalt/concrete composite.
The new policy would create a single standard for concrete streets and a single standard for asphalt streets.
It would require, “Four (4) inches of rolled stone base and six (6) inches of concrete at a six (6) bag mix of four thousand (4,000) PSI for concrete streets. Asphalt streets will require four (4) inches of rolled stone base and a three (3) inch layer of BP1 asphalt.”
Council members moved the item to the next voting session, along with two proposed rate increases.
The street department has also asked to increase rates for excavation/street cut permits and for burial in the City Cemetery.
Part costs for blades have gone up, with a decrease in availability, Lawson said of the street cut permits and concrete saws used for this work. The city does not sell many of these permits, he said.
Costs vary on the type of cut, but currently range from $15 for driveway installation of CMP pipe to $35 for concrete surface. Rates would increase to between $40-$50 for all permits covered by section 510.560 fees.
Grave spaces in city cemeteries are currently sold for $300 each, with a charge of $300 for weekday burial services and $400 on weekends.
Costs would increase to $500 for grave spaces under the proposal, with a cost of $500 for weekday burial services and $600 for weekend burial services.
Lawson said other communities charge a much higher rate for these services than the city currently does.
These prices were last raised in 2019.