84-008 RES RESOLUTION 84- 8
A RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING ROAD STANDARDS
AND ROAD MAINTENANCE POLICIES
WHEREAS , the City Council is often times confronted with a variety of
different situations involving road construction standards
and road maintenance; and,
WHEREAS , in order to assist the City Council in having a consistant
approach to situations within the City of Elk River, the
City Council has deemed it desireable to adopt a series of
road standards and maintenance policies .
NOW, THEREFORE , BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council , the City of Elk
River that the following policies and standards regarding
road construction and maintenance are hereby adopted.
I. General Intent
a. It shall be the intent of the City Council to
build and maintain roads within the City of
Elk River that protect the public health , safety ,
and welfare. The City Council ' s intent is to have
hard surfaced roads wherever practical or feasible
• in the City of Elk River, and not to accept for
maintenance purposes , new gravel roads .
II. Newly Constructed Roads
a. It is the City Council ' s intent to approve and
accept for maintenance purposes any newly con-
structed road which is built to the City ' s con-
struction standard and approved by the City ' s
Engineer , and which is constructed of concrete
or bituminous surfacing. It is the City Council ' s
intent to have roads in the rural area constructed
to a standard of 24 feet of hard surface , with
3 foot shoulders and urban section roads con-
structed to the standard of 30 feet of hard sur-
face roadway. The City Council will consider
a lesser standard in either the urban or the
rural areas , not to be less than 20 feet of hard
surface with 2 foot shoulders. Criteria which
the City Council will consider in allowing a
reduced standard for hard surfacing will include ,
but not be limited to , proposed density , physical
characteristics of the area , average daily trips
generated for the roadway, and extension or
expansion possibilities for the roadway.
b . The City Council will not approve any private roads
in areas to be platted within the City of Elk River.
!II c. The City Council will approve, but will not accept
for maintenance purposes , private roads in areas
created by administrative subdivision or roadways to
service existing lots of record without adequate
public access . Private roads in this situation
shall have a private road agreement which meets
all of the requirements of the City ' s Subdivision
Ordinance in Section 1008 . 14 , Subsection 5-0 .
III. Existing Private Roads
a. It shall be the City Council ' s intent that all
existing private roads enter into a private road
agreement as specified in the City ' s Subdivision
Ordinance , Section 1008 . 14 , Subsection 5-0 .
b. It is the City Council ' s intent that all existing
substandard private roads be upgraded to a minimum
standard as determined by the City in it ' s sole
discretion. The standards selected by the City
Council may be reduced from the City' s standard
for new road construction sited above, but not to
be reduced below a 24 foot surface for gravel roads
Resolution 84-8 .
Page Two
or a 20 foot hard surface road with 2 foot
shoulders in any situation. Criteria to be
considered by the City Council will include ,
but not be limited to , those listed for re-
ducing newly constructed road standards above .
c . For existing private road situations , when a
petition of 51% of the residents requesting
improvement of the road is received by the
City Council , the City Council 's intent is to
consider making the improvements requested, and
assessing any improvement costs which may re-
sult back to the benefited parties . Upon
improvement of an existing substandard road to
an appropriate City standard, the road will then
become approved by, and accepted for maintenance,
by, the City of Elk River. The road standards
selected by the City Council may vary depending
upon the situation, and may be reduced from the
City ' s new road construction standards cited
above. The City Council ' s criteria for reducing
a road standard below requirements , will be the
same as for those considered in new road con-
struction. Notwithstanding the provisions of Sec-
tion I , the City Council will allow gravel roads
to be accepted for maintenance when pursuant to
• this section, improvements have been made and the
road was in existence on January 1 , 1978 and
serves more than two homes.
IV. Existing Substandard Public Roads
a. For existing substandard roads which are currently
maintained by the City of Elk River, it is the
City Council ' s intent to upgrade all such roads
to a certain minimum standard appropriate for
each particular situation. The City Council may
elect to upgrade a road to a standard less than
that required for new road construction, but not
to be reduced below a 24 foot gravel surface or
a 20 foot hard top surface with 2 foot shoulders .
The criteria for selecting a reduced road stand-
ard will be the same as those listed in the new
road construction section of this resolution.
Where no previous road assessment has been paid,
and an existing substandard is to be upgraded,
the City Council may elect to assess all , or a
portion of the cost, against benefited properties
of the affected substandard roadway. It will
not be the City Council 's intent to assess for
maintenance, but rather for road construction
activities which amount to a substantial rebuilding
411 of a particular roadway. It is also the City
Council 's intent that assessments will be con-
sidered for rebuilding of gravel roadways , when
it is apparent that such roadway will be used on
a long term basis as a gravel surface , and will
not be upgraded to a blacktop surface .
Passed and adopted this 7th day of ray 1984 .
R. chard Hinkle, Mayor
ATTEST:
Robert C . Mi daugh, ty Administrator