Fourth Avenue residents of Burns Lake were recently consulted by the village in regard to a repaving project done in the summer.
A survey was delivered to all Fourth Avenue residents via mail, phone and hand delivery. Village staff collected 11 responses.
According to the survey results, residents felt generally uninformed about the project.
“They did not know when crews would be working and when they would not, and staff had no efficient means by which to contact them,” notes a village staff report. “Notices were mailed and delivered door to door, but day-to-day process of going door to door was too time consuming for village crews and, given that most residents are not at home during the day, not especially effective.”
To alleviate this issue going forward, village staff is investigating a potential software solution by which residents could submit their e-mail or phone contact information and receive simple, regular updates from the village on the details of the project as it unfolds.
Fourth Avenue residents also commented on the length of the project, saying the project took too long to be completed.
“This is because the contractors began the project, were drawn away to another obligation, and then returned to Fourth Avenue to complete the project,” explains village staff. “While this occurrence is not ideal, the demand for paving contractors has been very high, causing frequent project delays.”
Village staff said the best means of addressing this issue also involves better communication with residents.
Another concern expressed by residents was in regard to the increased height of the road surface. Although the original contract with the village stipulated four inches of additional asphalt, 12 inches were installed, increasing the height of the road.
“This height increase was done by the contractor as a means of attempting to increase the longevity of the road surface,” explains village staff. “This has ensured that the road surface remains unblemished for a longer period of time, but has had the undesired effect of increasing the grade on many driveways and ditches."
“To address this problem, the village instructed the contractor to do what they could to remediate the grade increase, which they did in a number of affected driveways.”
Councillor Susan Schienbein said this survey will be very useful for future paving projects in Burns Lake.
The 2016 approved budget included a total of $160,000 for the purpose of resurfacing streets and roads. The Fourth Avenue paving project cost the village $159,625.96 plus GST.