City of Alpine Streets

April 2, 2015
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Dear City of Alpine,

As we all are keenly aware, many of the roads in Alpine have seen their better days. Driving through town, one can not help but notice the condition of the roads and the many potholes that have developed.

It’s easy to blame the recent run of bad weather (continuous rain, ice, etc…) and that certainly plays a part in the breakdown of our roads. Asphalt, whether a hot-mix or a chip seal, does not like water to get beneath it.

We also have numerous repairs to our water, sewer and gas infrastructure that require us to cut through the asphalt and create disruption and heightened opportunities for potholes.
The critical piece of the puzzle that city staff has been compiling recently is a thorough understanding of: the lifespan of roads, rehabilitation intervals, maintenance intervals, equipment needed, staff needed and pothole remediation. I will have an agenda item at this upcoming City Council meeting to discuss the findings and hopefully encourage some robust dialogue on remediation planning. I encourage our citizens to attend and listen/participate as you feel inclined.

We will also post the presentation to this very important topic on our City of Alpine website after the meeting.

Roads and Buildings are two of our most important assets that the City owns. How we invest in and maintain them over a period of time is critical. Because Alpine is such a ‘walkable’ town, we also want to ensure the avenues are in good function for vehicle, foot and bike traffic.

Thanks for the continued comments and calls in to City Hall. We look forward to seeing some of you at our April 7th City Council meeting.

Erik Zimmer, City Manager