Elko New Market Council addresses street plans

Patrick Fisher, Staff Writer

The Elko New Market City Council continues work on plans for 2008 street work.

At its Thursday, Feb. 28, meeting, the council unanimously approved a resolution calling for bids on street work, including plans and specifications for streetscape improvements to Scott County Road 2 and Church Street. The county is making improvements to County Road 2 this summer, and the city is including work in the project.

Rich Revering of Bolton & Menk, Inc., the city's engineering firm, presented the resolution. Included in the requested work were bumpouts for electrical utility poles along County Road 2, which is also Main Street for the city. Revering noted the bumpouts were small, and with their addition, the city will only lose three parking spaces along the street, reducing the number from 22 to 19.

He added if the city can eventually move and bury the electric lines behind the buildings on Main Street, the bumpouts can easily be removed.

Council member Carolyn Miller said she thought the city was still looking at possible costs for relocating the electric lines behind Main Street and other possibilities for the poles.

City administrator Tom Terry said the council's February 14 meeting pointed toward finding solutions other than burying the lines because that work would be costly. In regard to the bumpouts, he added that if the city proceeded with larger bumpouts, more parking spaces would be lost.

I think this is better than what I was expecting