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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCouncil Workshop Minutes 04.13.2010 MINUTES COUNCIL WORKSHOP APRIL 13, 2010 6:30 P.M. COUNCIL CHAMBERS A Council Workshop was held in the Council Chambers and called to order by Mayor Ken Olson at 6:30 p.m. on April 13, 2010. COUNCIL MEMBERS PRESENT: x_ Emelie Eaton _x_ Doug Poehls x Kate Hart _x_ Mark Mace _x_ Chuck Rodgers _x_ Chuck Dickerson (6:50 p.m.) _x_ Alex Wilkins Norm Stamper OTHERS PRESENT: Bill Sheridan James Caniglia Brooke Baracker Rick Musson Kurt Markegard Derek Yeager Jean Kerr Chris Shay Nancy Rohde Sheri Phillips Public Input (three- minute limit): Citizens may address the Council regarding any item of City business not on the agenda. The duration for an individual speaking under Public Input is limited to three minutes. While all comments are welcome, the Council will not take action on any item not on the agenda. There was no public input. General items • Great West Engineering presentation on SID for rebuild of streets damaged during water line replacement Kurt Markegard stated that last fall's water improvements project included replacement of old water mains on the east side of First Avenue in the City of Laurel. This was part of the $625,000 grant for water line replacement and upgrades at the Water Treatment Plant. The streets were already in poor condition and the construction activity degraded them more. There are now some major issues at the site and residents and the school district are unhappy because the streets are basically mud. Pictures of the pre - construction condition of the streets were distributed. One picture showed where asphalt was paved right over the dirt and another picture showed the alligator cracking on the streets prior to the project. The city has been discussing how to assess and fix the streets in that area. Kurt explained that the project included the 12 -foot trench restoration, not rebuilding the street. Under the direction of Mayor Olson and Bill Sheridan, he has looked at an SID for the entire neighborhood. If the streets are repaved, the corners would have to be upgraded with handicapped ramps. There are storm water pipe and culverts underneath the streets, so the intersections would have to be brought down to get the proper grade off the curb and gutter. Chad and Kurt are working on solutions to temporarily repair the streets. Kurt stated that the proposed SID costs are pretty high. He asked Chad to explain the SID details. Council Workshop Minutes of April 13, 2010 Chad Hanson, Great West Engineering, stated that Laurel has a lot of streets with an inch or two of asphalt right over clay that was mostly compacted. The streets were in poor shape and the additional traffic from construction caused further degrading. Millings could be used to temporarily address some of the mud issues. Bill has talked to the contractors about an overlay, which would be a band - aid fix. The alligator cracking would come back through within a few years. Chad tried to keep costs as low as possible by using the existing curb except where it is heaved and needs to be replaced. They would install ADA corners, valley gutters, excavate eighteen inches, and then lay fabric, twelve inches of sub -base, three inches of base course, and three inches of asphalt. They would salvage as much of the trench as possible. With the valley gutters, they would blend the intersections and reuse as much as possible. The cost estimates total just over $3 million, which is fairly substantial. Chad took the footages off the actual plats for the neighborhood to make sure it was estimated accurately. There is no easy answer with streets, as they are very expensive and grant funding sources are not available to help offset the costs like with water and sewer. Chad stated the need for direction from the council. Kurt stated that, if the city fixes the streets without addressing the water lines, then the water lines break and ruin the streets. If the water lines are fixed, the streets are destroyed, so it is a two -edged sword. He wishes there were a funding mechanism to replace water and sewer lines, address the ADA corners, and pave the streets. Without participation from the citizens of Laurel, that will not happen. Water line replacement can be addressed through grants, such as the $625,000 TSEP Grant and the $100,000 DNRC Grant. The city is trying to address the infrastructure, but there are no easy answers for streets. Kurt uses the pavement management programs for preventive and maintenance, but the infrastructure has to be replaced at a certain point. The streets are at the end of their lifespan and it will be expensive to replace them. Mayor Olson asked regarding the next step in the process to go forward. Chad stated that the engineers would work with legal counsel and the bond counsel, Dorsey & Whitney. Notices would be sent to all impacted property owners, public hearings would be held, and a 30 -day public comment and protest period would start. If the property owners are in favor of it, the city can move forward with financing and construction. If they are not in favor, the SID would die at that point. Mayor Olson asked if the council had any questions or comments. He stated that the initial work has been done for the creation of an SID. Kate Hart stated that the SID is expensive, but the city does not know how important this is to the property owners in the area. The SID needs to be presented to the property owners, and then if there is no possibility, the city will try to find another solution. Doug Poehls asked regarding the yearly cost of $25.12 per foot of frontage. Chad explained that, by state statute, a corner lot is assessed by the average of the two sides. The school is a whole block and would be assessed like a corner lot. Chad stated that the proposal is to rebuild Montana, Colorado, Pennsylvania, and Wyoming, and the cross streets. The whole neighborhood would be new pavement from First, which is kind of an angle to 6 in between those from the north side of First to the south side of Sixth, from First Avenue to Wyoming. 2 Council Workshop Minutes of April 13, 2010 Mayor Olson stated that this would tie in with the East First Street project on the south. He asked how Sixth Street would be addressed. Chad explained that it would stop at the south edge of Sixth Street, which is a different classification of street with heavier traffic. Sixth Street would require more base course and a thicker asphalt to stand up to the buses, etc. Properties that do not front a street that would be replaced are excluded from the SID. Kurt spoke about the misconception that a contractor has to replace the street. If that were true, the contractors would raise the price for a waterline project. DNRC, TSEP, and SRF only require 12 -foot width trench restoration with a project, so the city is left with a quandary of how to pay for street replacement. Knowing the condition of the streets, it is almost impossible to rely on the contractors to be responsible to repair them. Chad stated that there are unavoidable impacts during construction. The contractor worked with the city and the project engineers to minimize the impacts. Kurt stated that the street by the old middle school is a muddy mess. The city crew will try to address the issue immediately Doug Poehls stated that he agreed with Kate that the process needs to continue. Chuck Dickerson arrived at the meeting at 6:50 p.m. Chad stated that the SID would be for 20 years. City Court: • DUI Court presentation - Judge Jean Kerr, Judge Mary Jane Knisely, Jeff Kushner of Montana Supreme Court Administration Mayor Olson asked Judge Jean Kerr to introduce the speakers. Judge Kerr has seen an increase in alcohol and drug- related issues in Laurel City Court. She and Nancy Rohde, the city's prosecutor, have discussed possible options. Judge Kerr has observed Judge Knisely's Drug and DUI Court in Billings, and it is exciting to see what has been done and how people are responding. Jeff Kushner, from the Montana Supreme Court Administration Office, attended the meeting to present information about Drug and DUI Courts. Mr. Kushner showed the council a portion of the DVD entitled "Cracking the Habit: Drug Courts in America." He stated that there are over 2,300 drug courts in the country. The DVD emphasized that: drug courts provide closer and more comprehensive supervision than other forms; drug courts save money; drug court client drug use is substantially lower; drug court clients have lower recidivism rates; drug court clients are employed; and drug court graduation rates remain high compared to other programs. Mr. Kushner provided additional information regarding DWI/Drug Courts. He stated that the 2007 Montana Legislature provided $1,345,000 for drug courts. There are also a variety of other revenue streams for funding. DWI Courts provide ongoing status hearings in the court, intensive treatment, wrap- around services, random biological drug testing, evidence -based sanctions /incentives, intensive supervision, mandatory attendance at self -help meetings, ways to address transportation issues, and surveillance. 3 Council Workshop Minutes of April 13, 2010 Judge Mary Jane Knisely presented an overview of how the Drug and DUI Courts in Billings were established and the ongoing process. Nancy Rohde presented statistics regarding alcohol - related offenses in Laurel in 2008, 2009, and 2010. From January to April 13 the Laurel Police Department has had 23 DUI's in Laurel, so there is definitely a problem that needs to be addressed. There was discussion regarding Drug, DWI, and DUI Courts. Council members indicated that Judge Kerr should pursue the initial grant to determine if this is a viable option for Laurel City Court. The grant application is due on April 30 If the city receives the grant, council approval will be needed to accept the grant. Mayor Olson thanked the participants for the presentation. He got the distinct impression that the council would support action that would lead to acquisition of the grants. Mayor Olson thanked them for their time and effort and applauded their service to the community. Chuck Dickerson asked Judge Kerr to keep the council informed of the progress. Public Works Department: • Randy Swenson's request to abandon sewer easement Kurt stated that the request is to abandon a public utility easement and then Randy would give the city another one in exchange. The final documents are not ready yet, but Kurt wanted to provide an update to the council. Randy Swenson stated that he presented this to the council about a year ago. There have been some issues with the utility easements. Sanderson - Stewart has drawn up the documents to move the right - of -way easement from the east side to the west side of his property. This would provide a way to access Valley Drive, and otherwise it just dead ends on his corner lot. Randy intends to add five additional resident rooms on the east side of his building at the lower part of the parking lot. The drawings are done and the engineering has been completed. Apparently, the submission papers were a draft copy. Randy will get Sanderson - Stewart to finalize the documents so he can work with the building department to get the actual construction plans approved. Site maps will be provided to the council soon. Randy will contact the affected utility companies to get them to sign off on this change. • Resolution — Millings for School District Kurt stated that the resolution is to provide millings that the city currently has stockpiled to the Laurel School District for handicapped parking spaces for the new stadium. The city will haul the millings and the school district will place them, roll them, compact them, and complete the handicap parking area next to the stadium. Kurt wants the district to do more fine grading there before the millings are delivered. This month's Arbor Day project will provide some trees for this location. The city has about 10,000 cubic yards of millings at this time. There are enough millings for this project, as well as the projects with the County on Alder, Fir, and East 8th • Presentation — Solar PV for the Water Treatment Plant Bill Sheridan and Mayor Olson met with a contractor that works with energy providers to put solar systems on municipal buildings. The contractor has provided a list of completed projects, and Bill will contact those communities. In the near future, a presentation will be scheduled regarding the 4 Council Workshop Minutes of April 13, 2010 possibility of a contract through a utility provider for improvements that will reduce energy use at the Water Treatment Plant. • Resolution — Engagement letter with Dorsey & Whitney- bond counsel for W. Main SID Kurt stated that Dorsey & Whitney is the bond counsel for the West Main SID. The project is a mill, overlay and curb, gutter, and sidewalk improvements on West Main Street. The bid date closed April 8 but Kurt has not yet received the contractor information. Notice of award of the contract will not be done for thirty days, but he will get preliminary numbers for the bond counsel. Kurt and Chad Hanson are trying to determine the footage cost for the improvements. The city's portion will use CTEP funds. Other costs will be covered by the SID for the lot owners. • Resolution — Award bid for West Main water line extension Kurt explained the resolution to award the bid for the West Main water line extension. The Laurel Urban Renewal Agency proposed installing water and sewer extensions prior to paving West Main. Bids closed on Monday, and the bid documents were distributed to the council. Kurt recently sent the sewer camera out to video the sewer lines behind KC Interiors and on Third Avenue. Service connections going to Laurel Furniture, or the old Hageman Grain Elevator, were found, so there is a 4 -inch service line there. They also videoed approximately 202 feet behind KC Interiors to the east side of Second Avenue and found another service connection that used to go to a building over there that was torn down into the basement. With that information, Chad Hanson wrote a letter recommending doing only Schedule 1, which would install a fire hydrant. Providing a fire hydrant connection line underneath the street prior to paving will keep Main Street from being torn up after the paving project is completed. There are two schedules. Schedule 1 was for the sewer on Third Avenue, but the service connections are already there. Kurt talked to LURA about it last Monday, and they were pleased that the sewer main lines do not have to be installed. The recommendation is to accept Castlerock Excavation's bid of $25,314 to install a fire hydrant. Castlerock Excavation was the low bid on both Schedule 1 and Schedule 2. Kurt is working with the DOT and the DEQ to finalize the permits to go forward. • Ordinance — 2009 Energy Code update Kurt stated that the State has adopted the 2009 edition of the International Energy Code. After the State adopts a code, building departments across the State of Montana have 90 days to comply with it. Ordinance No. 005 -15 allows the mayor to amend the Laurel Building Codes through an Administrative Order and it does not need to be an ordinance. The energy code update requires more R -value in homes. It will affect the community, but some local builders already meet this code. City Planner: • Discussion — Energy Grant James Caniglia stated that the DEQ energy audit has not been completed yet, so the city has not received a contract for the window replacement, boiler replacement, and temperature controls. Hopefully, the audit will be completed and the contract will be available for the next council workshop. • Report on Old Laurel Dump Site James applied for a grant a year ago to get a report done on the old Laurel dump. Great West Engineering in Helena worked on this issue and has submitted a report. James reviewed the site history, which consists of about four acres of land. The old dump was operated on until about 1955. In the late 1990's, a resident complained of broken glass and things falling out of the dump area into 5 Council Workshop Minutes of April 13, 2010 the river. The DEQ and the EPA looked into it. The EPA did soil testing on the dump because it was right on the river, and they decided that no further action was warranted at that time. Back then, the dump was burned every couple days so most of the oil or hazardous chemicals got burned off into the atmosphere. The DEQ has indicated that they might require a cleanup at some point in time because of glass and metals going into the river, but they have not been definitive about it. The EPA did not indicate in 1999 or since that they would require it. Great West did 26 test pits down there. The waste was mapped and documented, topographic maps were made, waste limits, property boundaries, surface water boundaries, and the areas that need to be rehabilitated were identified. The proposed plan is for stream bank stabilization and erosion mitigation, and the large portion of the plan includes rip -rap. Great West provided six alternatives, but they felt this was the best one, even though it is the most expensive one. It would cost $880,000 to put in the rip -rap, and the total cost would be $1.4 million. In order to fund this alternative, each household would pay an additional garbage rate charge of $30 per year for the next twenty years. James briefly explained the other alternatives, but stated that the most viable alternative is the $1.4 million project. The council will have to decide whether to move ahead with this project. Interest rates are low, so it might be a good time to do so. Some Army Corps of Engineer grants are available. James stated that only small quantities of glass and metal are going into the river right now and the soil is not highly contaminated, or the EPA would have required something to be done. In his opinion, it is not a major pollution problem. Mayor Olson stated that the council would be informed of any change or requirements from the State. Chief Administrative Officer: • Resolution — Accept bid for reroofing the Laurel Public Library Bill Sheridan stated that Great West Engineering helped the city hire an architect to help address replacement of the library roof. Five bids were received for a metal roof and for a 40 -year asphalt roof. The low bid was for $39,235 from Kirkness Roofing Company for removal and reconstruction of a 40 -year asphalt roof. The city will receive an insurance payment of $26,000, which leaves $13,235 for the city to pay. The architect will ensure that the roof, downspouts and gutters are installed properly. The project should be completed within two months. • Resolution — Contract for Ambulance Billing Services Derek Yeager explained that the resolution is for a contract with Healthcare Billing, Inc., of Missoula. This company bills patients directly and advises and consults on ambulance services and billing. Currently, the Deputy Clerk collects the ambulance trip reports, consults the Schedule of Fees and Charges, assembles a bill, and bills the patient directly and attempts to collect when the bills are not being paid. This contract establishes a third -party company to provide services as stated in the contract. The fee for the services will be 8 percent of the total collected per month. Over the last three years, the collections rate for the city is 62 percent. Of 1,000 calls, only 620 are actually returned in payment. Derek is hopeful that the number will increase to 70 to 80 percent range, which would increase by $100,000 to $150,000 in the future. Medical billing and medical services in general are becoming more and more complex and staff certified medical coders have to be hired. Coding of the specific care patients receive from the ambulance service change often. Healthcare Billing, Inc. has certified medical coders on staff to select and bill the correct code. The company can help consult to set a schedule of fees and knows the maximum allowable fees for Medicare and Medicaid and private insurance companies. In the next several years, the Federal government through the HIPAA regulations will mandate that all patient care reports and information be electronically recorded and encrypted. The city does not have the facilities to do that. It would mean that everything done in one year has to be electronically encrypted with its own individual password, 6 Council Workshop Minutes of April 13, 2010 which would be roughly 1,000 passwords a year, and be stored in a central database and mainframe. Derek stated that these things will get very complex in the near future, and this company can help by providing software and consulting. • Resolution — Contract extension with Covert Cleaning for janitorial services Bill Sheridan stated that the contract for janitorial services needs to be renewed. The contract with Covert Cleaning, Inc. will be $2,875.00 per month or $34,500 per year. • Resolution — Budget amendment to increase appropriations for Enhanced 9 -1 -1 equipment upgrade purchase Rick Musson stated that the cost of the 19 -1 -1 service is expensive, but phone users pay for it. There is $83,000 in the E -911 Fund. The E -911 project started in 1997 and is now enhanced. The Phase 2 project will add cellular information. When dispatchers receive 911 calls from cell phones, the last four digits on the dispatch screen are 0000. With E -911, it will give the phone number and the longitude and latitude of the caller's location. The next project will be mapping. There will be maps in the cars and fire trucks to provide the route to a certain location. Rick will present the service contract with Industrial Communication soon. The police department recently received two computers for cars through a grant with a 12.5 match of $595 per unit. The E -911 Fund will pay for the city's portion of the cost. Executive Review: • Council Issues: o Update regarding project in Murray Park (Chuck Dickerson) Kurt stated that the project in Murray Park is ongoing, and the street repairs and grass issues will be addressed soon. Kurt will find a way to cover the generator in order to keep soccer balls and kites, etc. out of there. o Update regarding the underpass intersection (Mark Mace) Mayor Olson stated that Stefan Streeter has been contacted regarding the status of the intersection. Mayor Olson suggested using caution tape to rope off the area to keep pedestrians on the other side of the street. MDT will be contacted again. Other items Mayor Olson mentioned that the City of Billings recently approved a resolution requesting the County Commissioners to levy an additional mill for the planning jurisdiction. The last time Laurel met with the County Commissioners, it was suggested that the City of Laurel present a resolution for its request for additional funding. The proper request needs to be determined Review of draft council agenda for April 20, 2010 • Ordinance No. 010 -02: An ordinance amending Section 5.08.040 of the Laurel Municipal Code titled "Contractor's License and Bond Requirements" located at Chapter 5 of the Laurel Municipal Code. (First reading — 03/16/2010; PH — 04/06/2010; Second reading — 04/20/2010) The ordinance will be on the April 20 council agenda. Attendance at the April 20, 2010 council meeting All council members present will attend. 7 Council Workshop Minutes of April 13, 2010 Announcements Mark Mace stated that the Public Works Committee discussed the dangerous sidewalk conditions on the 100 block of East Main Street, particularly from the old Meadowlark Gallery building to Montana Avenue. Mark asked that the issue be discussed at the April 27 council workshop. He would like information on how to address the issue. Emelie Eaton requested an update regarding the Asphalt Supply Plant at the April 27 council workshop. Emelie stated that the Public Works Committee also discussed annexation of properties. There are several properties in town that could potentially be annexed. She stated that the discussion on sidewalks molded into this, and the committee would like clarification as to why some properties have not been annexed. Emelie stated that Judge Kerr brought Shakespeare in the Park to Laurel the past two years. Jean contacted Emelie this year, as she is the chair of the Heritage Committee. Jean has personally done fundraising of about $1,500 every year for this event. Emelie forewarned the council that she would be looking for financial support for this year's Shakespeare in the Park event. Emelie stated that the City of Laurel will celebrate Arbor Day on Friday, April 30 at 1:30 p.m. in Thomson Park. It will be ceremonial only, and the theme will honor the mayor and council members. The high school choir will provide music at the celebration. Chuck Dickerson requested that the water standpipe be discussed at the council workshop on April 27 The new bulk water rates become effective on June 1St Mayor Olson stated that Great West has prepared a cost estimate for the city to consider at the April 27 council workshop and the wheels are in motion for a site presentation. Mayor Olson stated that the clerk/treasurer position has been advertised on the Job Service website, the Clerk's website, the Laurel Outlook and the Billings Gazette. Mayor Olson expects the position to be filled by June 1St The council workshop adjourned at 9:07 p.m. Respectfully submitted, 6_41.,d,y_ a A- Cindy Allen Council Secretary NOTE: This meeting is open to the public. This meeting is for information and discussion of the Council for the listed workshop agenda items. 8