Public Works Standards and Specifications Manual Review

UPDATE: The 2023 edition of the manual went into effect January 1, 2023, so no further comments are being accepted. To see this latest manual version, visit the Public Works Standards and Specifications Manual web page. Comments and suggestions for subsequent editions will be accepted using the Comment Form located on the web page.

Updates for 2023 Edition

The Public Works & Mobility Department is in the process of updating the Missoula City Public Works Standards & Specifications Manual for 2023. We've made our updates, which have been written to align with Montana Public Works Standard Specifications (MPWSS), Seventh Edition, and address other issues that have been identified over the past year. We've also updated our standard drawings and Public Infrastructure Stage Review Process documents, and we would like your feedback. 

Proposed Missoula City Public Works Standards & Specifications Manual for 2023

Please use the Comments Form to submit your comments by November 21, 2022.

Future Updates

The Public Works Manual is a "living" document, so City staff are constantly working to improve it and will produce an updated version each year as needed. The following is a list of proposed changes they are currently working on. If you have suggestions or concerns about any of these sections, please use this Comments Form link.

Chapter 1 - General Provisions

City staff are still working on this chapter, which will include contract documents, City provisions, insurance requirements, and other front-end documentation typically used on City-funded capital improvements projects. This chapter is currently a placeholder and will not be ready for the 2023 version of the manual. 

Public Works Infrastructure Stage Process

City staff are working on automating the public works infrastructure stage process through the use of Accela Automation software, similar to how building permits are currently handled by the City. The rollout of this new process will likely include changes to Chapter 3 - Improvement Plans including Appendix 3-B - Stage Process Checklists and Appendix 3-D - Stage Process Roadmap.

Construction Inspection Requirements

The current Public Works Manual (Section 2.3.11.B) suggests that the engineer of record provide approximately 50% construction inspection time related to public infrastructure that is constructed as part of a privately funded project. This 50% is a loosely defined suggestion that an inspector should be on-site for half of the overall construction hours. More recently, City Engineering staff have been reevaluating this section with the idea of eliminating the defined time percentage suggestion and in its place requiring consultant inspectors to be present for critical moments of construction (e.g., thrust block pours, valve installation, sidewalk pours, asphalt testing, etc.).

Clarifications

• Improvement Agreements – All checks associated with Improvement Agreements must be sent to Brenda Maes, 1345 W. Broadway, Missoula MT 59802. Also, email a scanned copy of the check to Ida Sajor at sajori@ci.missoula.mt.us.
  
• Intent to Serve Letters – The City no longer requires developers to obtain Intent to Serve letters as part of Stage 1 to meet subdivision application requirements. These Intent to Serve letters are not required by the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and will only be provided if the developer or the developer's representative specifically asks for one for financing or other reasons. It is important to note that the City will still provide a Capacity letter at Stage 3 for the purpose of DEQ review.
• 5-Year Extended Warranties – In the past, the City agreed to extend the normal 2-year warranty to a 5-year warranty if sufficient construction photo documentation is not provided related to critical public works infrastructure, such as thrust clocks around water valves. Recently, the City learned that bonding companies are unable to provide 5-year warranty bonds, and as a result, the City will no longer agree to 5-year extended warranties as a remedy in cases of insufficient construction photos. Instead, the City will require the contractor to re-excavate the site to verify the presence of buried infrastructure.