BLAND — The city of Bland’s long-planned street improvement project could move into the bidding process later this fall as officials continue working through engineering and Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) requirements.

During the Sept. 14 Bland Board of Aldermen meeting, officials said curb work being completed by city crews near the post office is part of the city’s in-kind contribution toward the project. Engineering plans were expected to be completed soon and then submitted for CDBG review.

Officials discussed potentially being ready to advertise for bids around November, and possibly returned in December. Actual road work would likely extend into the spring because hot-mix asphalt would not be available during the winter months. Officials discussed April or May as a possible timeframe for paving.

Cost remains an uncertainty.

“We got a certain amount of money here. We don’t know until we get the bids back on how close we are, how far away we are,” Public Works Director Rodney Turner said.

Officials said the city will not know whether available funding is sufficient until bids are received. One possible cost-saving measure discussed was eliminating a proposed Americans with Disabilities Act ramp near City Hall, but no decision was made to remove the ramp from the project.

Officials stressed they did not want to reduce the quality of the street work simply to remain within the available funding.

“One thing I do not want to do is cut any of the project out,” Turner said.

The project has been in development for approximately two years.

In a separate street matter, aldermen agreed to consult the city attorney about potentially abandoning an unopened portion of Kansas City Avenue after Cody Krause, a property owner, asked the city to address a platted street that apparently has never been developed.

The property owner said he owns lots on both sides of the platted right-of-way and would like either access through the property or the ability to combine the lots and clear the heavily overgrown area.

“I would either love to have a road in there, or if there’s any way to have that where I can get that deeded over to me in between there,” Krause said.

Although the property is identified as a street on city maps, participants said no roadway had actually been constructed there. The terrain also presents difficulties, including a significant drop farther into the property.

Aldermen expressed support for exploring abandonment of the unused right-of-way.

“I’d be in favor of us abandoning that street altogether,” Alderman Rex Ridenhour said.

The board discussed whether the property could be transferred to the adjoining property owner for a nominal amount but stopped short of taking action.

No vote was taken. Officials said they would contact the city attorney to determine the proper procedure before returning to the issue.

The discussion also revealed discrepancies between older and newer city maps concerning property and city-limit lines. The property owner said the land had not been surveyed when he purchased it.

Earlier in the meeting, another resident raised concerns about deteriorating road conditions near Highway 28 in the city.

A city official agreed with the resident’s assessment.

“Yes, it does. It’s really bad because I go through there. It’s terrible,” Mayor Merrilee Spurgeon said.

Officials discussed seeking county or grant assistance and possible future repairs, including chip-and-seal work. Returning severely deteriorated portions to gravel was also discussed as a possible last resort.

No project or expenditure for that road was approved.