Lewiston bond one step closer to a vote

A bond of as much as $25 million that would be paid back in no longer than 30 years for downtown infrastructure is one step closer to going before city of Lewiston voters.

The Lewiston City Council voted Monday to proceed with an ordinance on the proposed bond. The ordinance will be voted on by the council at its next meeting March 10.

If the ordinance passes, the bond would go before Lewiston voters on May 20.

The $25 million and $6 million in city reserves as well as $3.2 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) money would cover upgrades to water, sewer, stormwater and streets in downtown Lewiston.

Annual bond payments on the $25 million are estimated at $1.4 million. The city doesn’t plan to increase property taxes or utility rates to cover the payments, said Lewiston Public Works Director Dustin Johnson.

The city would use existing money that is set aside for street upgrades as well as money already in utility rates earmarked for infrastructure to repay the bond, Johnson said.

New 16-inch-diameter ductile iron underground water lines are the centerpiece of the improvements.

One section of the line would be on Main Street between Fifth and Ninth streets. Another would be installed on D Street between First and Fifth streets. A third section would run on Third Street between D and Beachy streets.

That work is being covered with the $3.2 million in ARPA money.

Another section of line in the project starts on Snake River Avenue west of First Avenue goes north and heads along Main Street to Fifth Street.

A leg would be put on First Street between Main and D streets. A new line would also be installed on D Street between Temple Lane and Seventh Street.

The new lines would replace a network constructed in 1909 and 1920 with pipes that range from 4 inches to 12 inches in diameter, Johnson said.

The project would also include upgrades to the sewer, stormwater collection system and streets.

The sewer lines underneath downtown are where all of the city’s wastewater other than what comes from North Lewiston goes before being funneled underneath the Clearwater River to the city’s wastewater treatment plant, he said.

Many of the sewer lines need to be larger, such as a section on First Street that’s 2 feet in diameter but should be 3 feet, Johnson said.

Downtown Lewiston has a system of pipes that gather stormwater and carry it to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ ponds by the levee, where it is treated before being released into the river, he said.

One of the issues is that the lanes for vehicles, curbs, and gutters along Main and D streets between First and Ninth streets as well as some side streets weren’t designed to direct stormwater into the system, something that would be fixed in the project.

Those upgrades would be in addition to a new design for traffic in downtown.

A preliminary design includes three roundabouts.

Two roundabouts would be immediately east of the Interstate Bridge on Main Street. They would regulate traffic entering and exiting the bridge, as well as Main Street’s intersections with Snake River Avenue and First Street. The third roundabout would be installed at First and D streets.

A block of Third Street between Morgans’ Alley and the Lewis Clark Hotel would be turned into a pedestrian plaza similar to Brackenbury Square. The road that connects Main and D streets would no longer be needed for vehicles once the roundabouts were installed.

Two-way traffic on Main and D streets is also part of the preliminary design. Right now, Main Street is one way carrying eastbound traffic between First and 11th streets. D Street runs parallel to Main Street with westbound traffic in that same section.

A part of New Sixth Street would be turned into a “festival street.” The block would function like a regular road, except the street and sidewalk would all be at the same level, making it easier to close temporarily for special events.

The council’s decision about the bond followed a discussion that lasted more than an hour with elected officials weighing the amount of the bond and the length of time it would take to repay it.

The council selected less expensive lighting and paving options for the Third Street plaza and the festival street, a move that cut about $2.5 million from the proposal.

The annual payments if the city were to repay the bond over 20 years are estimated at $1.8 million, about $400,000 more annually than the 30-year term the council chose.

The overall cost of principal and interest for a 20-year bond is estimated at $36 million, compared with $42 million for a 30-year bond.

While the 20-year term would cost less money overall, councilors opted for lower annual payments, partly to have more flexibility if unforeseen expenses surface in the future.

“It would give us some wiggle room,” Councilor Jessica Klein said.

Williams may be contacted at ewilliam@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2261.