PRIEST RIVER — The city is gearing up for downtown improvements as the project heads to bid for construction.

“We did have a pre-bid meeting that was very encouraging,” said Matt Gillis with Welch Comer Engineers. “We had quite a few potential prime contractors, which is always a good sign. That means there is interest, so we are encouraged.”

Gillis gave an update on the bid process during the March 18 City Council meeting.

The project is slated to begin after the Fourth of July, and crews will have 65 working days per the construction contract. If they go beyond that, Gillis said, they will be charged a certain amount per day in compensation to the city.

“We’ll add days due to surprises, a lot of times due to rain where they can’t work — and we don’t want them in there making a muddy mess,” Gillis said.

The base bid, estimated at $1,487,200, for construction, covers High Street from just east of Wisconsin to Cedar, and Main Street from just south of Highway 2 to just south of the dentist’s office. Some of the improvements include colorful foliage and updated lighting, and expanding the sidewalks. The utility lines along High Street will be moved underground during the project as well.

Engineers from Welch Comer will be on the ground daily throughout the project, visiting businesses and doing their best to minimize impact, Gillis said. Visitors will have access at all times through an ADA compliant route, he said.

“I don’t believe at any point we will be restricting access to businesses,” Gillis said. “If we do, it might be a couple of hours here or there as concrete is curing or something.”

The contractor will have the ability to close the street to through traffic, he said. There will be off-street parking available for the public and access to those lots will be maintained. Work crews will not be allowed to park in the public lots, as they will have to find a staging area elsewhere, Gillis said.

Also during the March 18 City Council meeting, Priest River Police Chief Drew McLain noted, as per a citizen request for an update, that the city’s new recreational vehicle ordinance will be enforced with the onset of spring.

The ordinance, which passed in December, makes it unlawful for any landowner to have an occupied RV on their property for more than seven consecutive days. In addition, occupied RVs are not allowed on city right of way for any length of time. Enforcement of the occupied RV ordinance will be complaint-driven and code enforcement officers will then take action, McLain said.

Council also reviewed a draft letter last week in response to a request to waive or discount a $7,500 water and sewer connection fee for 7Brews and May’s Catering. Property owner Chris Yount made the request in December, maintaining that because the businesses are using an existing private line, and because there was no expenditure by the city for material or labor, the fee should be waived.

In the draft letter, Mayor Jim Martin concurred, saying since there was previously a structure and utility connection on the property, no additional connection fee is required based on the city’s utility ordinance. The utility ordinance is being reviewed by the administrative committee to address open utility connections.

Mary Malone can be reached by email at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter @MaryDailyBee.