1 00:00:02,850 --> 00:00:08,880 [Music] And I'm Marlene Thomas and I am a major 2 00:00:07,040 --> 00:00:12,480 proama of the city. Yes, ma'am. And I'm just stopping and talking to our 3 00:00:10,719 --> 00:00:17,039 constituents and say, "Do you know about the resurfacing project?" Yes, I've 4 00:00:14,799 --> 00:00:21,279 heard a little bit about it. Not a lot, but a little bit. Okay. So, what have 5 00:00:19,119 --> 00:00:25,359 you heard so far? I'm hoping what I've heard is that basically we're going to 6 00:00:23,039 --> 00:00:29,439 be repaving the asphalt walkway because there are an awful lot of cracks and and 7 00:00:27,840 --> 00:00:34,079 dips. And if you could change one thing about the park, what would that be? If 8 00:00:30,800 --> 00:00:38,480 anything, um, the resurfacing, just probably repaving. Everything else I 9 00:00:36,800 --> 00:00:43,040 really like. Like you say, it's a little bit rough on his scooter sometimes in 10 00:00:40,640 --> 00:00:46,320 his stroller. Hi, I'm Jessica Henry, community development specialist with 11 00:00:44,559 --> 00:00:50,320 the city of Duth. Welcome to another edition of Conversations with Council. 12 00:00:48,559 --> 00:00:54,559 Today we're at Button Road Park to learn about an exciting improvement project, 13 00:00:52,000 --> 00:00:59,920 the resurfacing of our walking trails. I'm joined by Mayor Pro Tim Marlene 14 00:00:57,440 --> 00:01:03,600 Thomas and council member Lamar Doss as well as our parks and recreation 15 00:01:01,280 --> 00:01:08,000 director Kathy Marley to learn about this project's purpose, timeline, and 16 00:01:05,680 --> 00:01:11,520 the benefit to our community. Let's start with an overview. Kathy, can you 17 00:01:09,760 --> 00:01:17,280 tell us what this trail resurfacing project is all about? Oh, I would be 18 00:01:13,600 --> 00:01:24,000 happy to. It is 1.08 um in length, a mile, a little bit over 19 00:01:20,000 --> 00:01:30,240 a mile, heavily used by all generations. Um it's uh gathering places for people 20 00:01:27,439 --> 00:01:36,240 to come and meet each other and have an occasional walk. It's also cross country 21 00:01:33,520 --> 00:01:40,400 use for the high school uh Duth High School that'll come through here and 22 00:01:37,600 --> 00:01:47,119 train on our trail. It is one of the most highly used visible passive um 23 00:01:44,159 --> 00:01:53,920 activities that the city of Duth offers to the community. um very beloved trail 24 00:01:50,640 --> 00:01:59,200 and um we are excited about the proposed project as this will improve our 25 00:01:56,479 --> 00:02:03,439 infrastructure and provide walkability for a healthier community for 26 00:02:00,960 --> 00:02:08,239 generations to come. Very cool. So what prompted the need for the project at 27 00:02:05,680 --> 00:02:14,239 this time? Um honestly it was the deterioration of the trails as in it's 28 00:02:10,959 --> 00:02:20,560 an asphalt trail. So, as in roads, you start to notice when there's uh large 29 00:02:16,640 --> 00:02:26,000 cracks or some potholes in some cases and also in compliance to our storm 30 00:02:23,520 --> 00:02:31,360 water infrastructure. So, improvements are needed not only for our hydrarology 31 00:02:29,120 --> 00:02:37,040 and our foundation, but also for the surface and the base of our trail. Okay. 32 00:02:35,040 --> 00:02:42,400 So, how does this initiative align with the city's broader goals for park 33 00:02:39,040 --> 00:02:49,599 improvements? Oh, at the top of the list um as an active uh public open activity 34 00:02:46,400 --> 00:02:54,879 um for a healthier community. Um it is number one on the list. Very cool. So 35 00:02:52,400 --> 00:02:59,200 Marlene, um what is the estimated budget for this project and how is it being 36 00:02:56,640 --> 00:03:04,560 funded? So the estimated budget for this project is about $6 million. that is to 37 00:03:02,319 --> 00:03:08,319 be seen, you know, once we get the bids and we get the actual work, but we 38 00:03:06,879 --> 00:03:15,360 estimate that it will be about $6 million. Uh we funded the design phase 39 00:03:12,400 --> 00:03:18,959 which it was done with the 2017 FLOS that was already completed and it's 40 00:03:17,040 --> 00:03:23,200 under review. That's where we have the basis for the estimate for the total 41 00:03:21,120 --> 00:03:29,680 project and the total project will be funded by the 2023's plus. Okay. Thank 42 00:03:27,200 --> 00:03:34,000 you. and Lamar, um what specific improvements will be made, um to the 43 00:03:31,920 --> 00:03:38,480 trail and the surrounding areas? Well, as Kathy alluded to, um big part is 44 00:03:36,640 --> 00:03:43,680 we'll pull up the existing trail, put down a new base, new asphalt path. Um be 45 00:03:41,680 --> 00:03:51,120 some areas, um we'll have to do some landscape improvements, um storm water 46 00:03:46,879 --> 00:03:57,360 uh upgrades to get it to code because existing trails, 30 years old, so that's 47 00:03:53,760 --> 00:04:00,959 the main part. Very good. Um so Marlene with that is there any anticipated 48 00:03:59,280 --> 00:04:06,480 challenges during the construction phase? Certainly a lot of challenges 49 00:04:03,760 --> 00:04:10,480 facing and a lot of the areas you don't know until you start pulling things up 50 00:04:08,480 --> 00:04:16,239 you know what else is coming up but we have over 20 storm drainage the ponds in 51 00:04:14,400 --> 00:04:21,600 addition to that you know a lot of the vegetation that is mature the terrain 52 00:04:20,000 --> 00:04:26,400 you see the elevation varies tremendously from one area to the other. 53 00:04:24,320 --> 00:04:32,560 So, a lot of the areas have to have a unique design. In addition to that, 54 00:04:29,440 --> 00:04:37,840 we're expanding the ADA um accessibility. So, areas were not u 55 00:04:35,680 --> 00:04:42,639 accessible before, we're adding to it. So, we're not just replacing what we 56 00:04:40,000 --> 00:04:47,919 have, we're actually improving. And we hope that the improvements, especially 57 00:04:44,479 --> 00:04:52,400 with the um storm water, that it will make it more um durable and it will last 58 00:04:50,400 --> 00:04:57,759 for many more years to come. Oh, very good. Um, so Kathy, with all of that 59 00:04:55,600 --> 00:05:02,400 entailed, um, how will the resurfacing project benefit the visitors and the 60 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:08,240 community? Well, it's going to improve the conditions of the amenity that, um, 61 00:05:05,280 --> 00:05:15,440 the park has to offer. Uh, so that's the number one criteria is to improve it and 62 00:05:11,360 --> 00:05:23,440 bring it up to grade for for better use. um if not we have areas that um would 63 00:05:19,919 --> 00:05:27,759 fail to the standards of what our infrastructure needs to be. So 64 00:05:25,440 --> 00:05:33,600 infrastructure criteria is crucial to the stability of our park. Um so Lamar 65 00:05:31,840 --> 00:05:38,000 um what is the projected timeline for this project? It's probably going to 66 00:05:35,600 --> 00:05:42,000 take the course better part of a year to get done. Um as Marlene had said phases 67 00:05:40,880 --> 00:05:44,880 going to be a big part of it. There's going to be sections of the trail 68 00:05:42,960 --> 00:05:49,840 that'll be closed down temporarily as work's going on. Um but within the year 69 00:05:47,199 --> 00:05:55,440 we should have project complete. Oh, awesome. So, um Kathy, 70 00:05:52,720 --> 00:05:59,199 along for um along with this project, is there any plans for additional 71 00:05:57,039 --> 00:06:05,360 improvements to Bunt Road Park following the resurfacing? Um this will where we 72 00:06:02,479 --> 00:06:08,720 are going to be the actual trail is a project in itself but then the 73 00:06:06,720 --> 00:06:15,280 surrounding areas with our ponds and our storm water there'll be improved 74 00:06:11,120 --> 00:06:19,759 landscaping and um areas uh that will be improved throughout the park to also 75 00:06:17,759 --> 00:06:23,840 stabilize the area of the trail. Awesome. I I look forward to coming to 76 00:06:21,600 --> 00:06:27,680 check it all out. Please do. Um so Marlene, um how can residents stay 77 00:06:25,680 --> 00:06:31,120 informed about the progress of this project? 78 00:06:29,120 --> 00:06:35,520 Well, one of the greatest source of information is Kathy here. You see her 79 00:06:33,120 --> 00:06:39,120 here all the time and I know all of our team members uh with the park and 80 00:06:37,520 --> 00:06:45,360 recreations, but a lot of the information is available on our website. 81 00:06:41,600 --> 00:06:50,000 So, if you go to duluthga.net, um you will get a lot of the information 82 00:06:47,039 --> 00:06:54,400 within our website. In addition to that, we have our blast. So, if you have not 83 00:06:52,160 --> 00:06:58,479 signed up for the blast, you know, our blast will give you information, 84 00:06:56,800 --> 00:07:03,680 especially when we're talking about changes to the schedule or the path or 85 00:07:01,360 --> 00:07:08,240 disruptions. So, if we're closing one area, one parking lot, we will likely 86 00:07:06,080 --> 00:07:11,840 put some of that information on the website and on the blast. So, stay 87 00:07:10,080 --> 00:07:16,479 tuned. That's how you can get a lot more information as well as joining our 88 00:07:14,160 --> 00:07:19,280 meetings. Okay, good. Well, thank you all for joining us today. It's been 89 00:07:18,080 --> 00:07:22,800 exciting to hear about the improvements at Button Road Park. And to our 90 00:07:21,120 --> 00:07:27,360 audience, be sure to follow all the updates um from the city of Duth at 91 00:07:25,120 --> 00:07:31,479 duthgga.net. And until next time, this has been Conversations with Council.