• The 2013 curb and gutter project is starting to increase in size. A single petition to do Fifth Street between Second Avenue and Third Avenue has now grown to Fifth Street from Railroad Avenue to Fourth Avenue. A public hearing will be held January 7 to create a curb and gutter district where the cost would be assessed against the property and paid back over time. If the entire project is approved, Fifth Street from Fourth Avenue to Railroad Avenue would be scarified, rebuilt and chip and seal put down in 2014. There is no need to dig out the whole street in this part of town because the soil conditions are much better. The motion was passed on a 5-1 vote with Councilman Eddy Opp voting no.
• Meanwhile a contract was approved with Clark Engineering to survey west of Broadway for the start of the west side street project. Terry Herron, city supervisor, said "There will be a lot of underground work that needs to be done," he said. "We already found three fire hydrants that need to be moved." The cost of the engineering work is capped at $25,000 and is an hourly contract.
• During the approval of the bills, the council was pleasantly surprised at the Clark Engineering bill for the west ditch survey, which came in at $9,500. The original proposal was $20,000. The reason for the deduction was that the area was mowed and the creek was dry resulting in a quicker survey.

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