Speaker numbers apply only to this recording.
The Fitchburg Board of Public Works met on April 6, 2026, at the Francis Huntley Cooper Council Chambers. The meeting included approvals of minutes, project updates, an ordinance amending finance processes, and several resolutions for street resurfacing, equipment purchases, and budget adjustments. All items were approved unanimously.
Director of Public Works Project Updates: Tim Volker reported on the 2026 street resurfacing project (low bid $1.3 million from Payne and Dolan; public information meeting April 23), the 2026 sidewalk replacement project (bids to be advertised April 10), utility improvement projects (Crescent Road stormwater, Belmar and Tower Hill water mains; ~$2 million in bids opened), Tower D water main testing, Goose Island stormwater design, and Fitch Rona Road reconstruction advertisement. Board members Don, Kim, and Bill discussed property condemnation, traffic impacts, cost‑sharing with the Town of Verona, and future CIP priorities.
Ordinance 202606 (Finance Process Amendments): Misty presented amendments to multiple city code sections covering budget, capital improvements plan, purchasing, and public works contracts. Key changes include clarifying the CIP as a 10‑year plan, maintaining statutory requirements for public construction bidding, streamlining non‑public construction approvals by delegating to staff, raising the pre‑approval threshold from $5,000 to $10,000, and allowing staff other than the city clerk to open bids. Board members asked about oversight, contract signature language, budget compliance, and reporting. The ordinance was approved.
Resolution R7726 (Highway MM Underpass Budget Amendment): The board approved moving ~$9,458 from capital grant match funding to the bike underpass project for geotechnical borings. Discussion included design alignment adjustments to reduce costs, coordination with adjacent developments, and the project’s total budget of $770,000 with a 60% grant. The resolution passed.
Resolution R6526 (Bobcat T7070 Purchase): Approved the purchase of a Bobcat T7070 for parks ($83,000), with trade‑in of the existing unit for at least $40,000. The old machine had 1,892 hours over nine years (≈210 hours/year). Board noted the versatility of attachments and reliability. The resolution passed.
Resolution R7326 (2026 Street Resurfacing Bid Acceptance): Accepted the $1.3 million bid from Payne and Dolan for resurfacing 2.6 miles of roadway. A budget amendment of $8,000 for the Clayton Park basketball court was included. Board discussed contingency levels (10% on streets, higher fixed amounts for water/sewer due to valve boxes), underbid items, and the challenge of keeping pace with the 30‑year road lifecycle. The resolution passed.
Resolution R7626 (LED Street Light Replacements): Approved purchasing 171 LED street light fixtures using a $49,938 carbon reduction grant (total $62,422). City staff will install the fixtures; MGE will coordinate power shutoffs. Board questioned installation cost, staff capability, and compatibility with existing maintenance processes. The resolution passed.
Resolution R8126 (Orchard Point Subdivision Improvements): Approved the standard subdivision improvements agreement for 180 multifamily units on Lot 11 of the Plat of Orchard Point. The resolution passed.
Get connected, Fitchburg. We're launching Fitchburg Connect, the city's new monthly e-newsletter that keeps you informed about all the events, services, and updates that matter to you. Get it in your inbox once a month. Our first edition is live now. Sign up today to get Fitchburg Connect. Hi, I'm Jeremy Crosby. And I'm Nick Bouchet. We're your hosts for the program that's all about your city, Talking Fitchburg. Every weekday, we pull together the news, events, and information you need to stay on top of what's happening in the city of Fitchburg. Find Talking Fitchburg on Cable TV, Roku, Amazon Fire, Apple TV, and our live stream on the web. Plus, you can find all our headlines and stories on Facebook, YouTube, and our video on demand service. This is your city. Keep up with Talking Fitchburg and the issues affecting you and your neighbors. Call to order this meeting of the Fitchburg Board of Public Works for April 6th, 2022 2026, held here in the Francis Huntley Cooper Council Chambers. Public appearances for non-agenda items. We do not have any anyone registered, so that takes us to uh item three alpha approval of March 23rd meeting minutes. Do we have a motion to approve? Motion approved. Moved by Don. Do we have a second? Second. Second by Alder Jets, sir. Questions, corrections, additions to them to the minutes. Everyone shaking no. Then we'll call the vote. All in favor of approval of the March 23rd meeting minutes signified by saying aye. Aye. The minutes are approved. Next we have the reward of our director of public works, Mr. Tim Volker, PE. Thank you. A couple project updates for this evening, the 2026 street resurfacing project. Uh bids were opened back on March 10th, 2026. Uh three bids were received with Payne and Dolan as the low bidder with a bid of 1.3 million dollars. And the award of that contract is on tonight's agenda. And then we would look to take that to council next week, Tuesday, for approval. And then we would look to have a public information meeting for that project on Thursday, April 23rd, 2026 at 5 30 p.m. in the council chambers. And then our 2026 sidewalk replacement project. We're looking to advertise that project this Friday, April 10th, 2026. And then if we do advertise on Friday, we'd look to most likely open it towards the end of this month. And then our utility improvement project. That's our Crescent Road stormwater improvement project. Uh we had some water main up in the Belmar neighborhood, and then also some water main improvements in the Tower Hill neighborhood.