What street projects should be next for the City of Decorah?

Work on the Short Street road project has taken up a good deal of the City of Decorah's road funds--not enough to make a shortage, but enough that city council members want to carefully plan which other road projects to do in the next few years.

On Tuesday night the city's Street Committee met to look over plans for the next five years.  City Engineer Lindsay Erdman presented the list of potential projects and said they could be done within the budget: "We're on the mark," he stated.

But there were some concerns voiced.  Street Commissioner Dave Tollefson said he would give the highest priority to widening Heivly Street from State Street west.  Erdman said city council members previously decided Short Street was more of a priority than Heivly.  But Erdman said space exists to take out trees along the street and put in a retaining wall that would allow for a wider street.

City council member John Franzen expressed concerns about having enough money in a reserve account for additional street projects.  Franzen noted that some street projects that the city had not had on its list sometimes come up as needed more urgent attention.  The road budget sets aside a $100,000 reserve--and Franzen said it would be important to keep the fund at that level.