Street improvement work is continuing this week at several locations in Brookings, including today, Wednesday, October 12th, as Alder Street between Chetco Avenue and Hemlock Street will be closed Wednesday, October 12th, from 8:00am to 5:00pm for street improvements the City announced Tuesday. Motorists are requested to use alternate routes until work is completed.
Resurfacing of Mill Beach Road between Chetco Avenue and the Mill Beach entrance to the Fred Meyer parking lot, Cottage Street and Marine Drive were all completed as of Monday, and a citywide road patching project will begin next week. Work is continuing on the Railroad Street sidewalk installation project, which also includes some street reconstruction and storm drain installation. “We have had a few days of weather delay, but otherwise this project is on schedule,” City Manager Pro Tem Gary Milliman said Tuesday.
Milliman also noted that traffic on Alder Street between Chetco Avenue and Railroad has increased since the lowering of the speed limit on Chetco Avenue. Resurfacing on Alder Street and Memory Lane is scheduled before the end of the year, but is pending the completion of some underground utility repairs.
“None of the funding is being used to pave park parking lots or for other purposes. The Azalea Park parking lot resurfacing project is included in the same contract with the street resurfacing to reduce overall costs, but is separately funded.”
“All of these projects are funded from the proceeds of the City’s four-cent fuel tax,” Milliman said, and “Money collected from the local fuel tax can only be used for street and sidewalk improvements within the City, Milliman noted.”
The City fuel tax currently generates about $330,000 annually and Reauthorization of the local fuel tax will appear on the November 8 general election ballot.
The ballot measure to reauthorize the tax also proposes to increase the tax rate from four to five cents per gallon. “Based upon this year’s collections, the tax generates about $82,000 for each penny of tax,” Milliman said.
Reauthorization of the local fuel tax will appear on the November 8 general election ballot. Questions about the fuel tax and its uses can be directed to Milliman at (541) 469-1101 or by email at gmilliman@brookings.or.us.
