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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPublic Works Committee Minutes 02.07.2000 MINUTES PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE FEBRUARY 7, 2000 7:00 P.M. COUNCIL CHAMBERS MEMBERS PRESENT: Chairman Gay Easton Gary Temple Ed Steffans Mark Mace Lorraine Craig OTHERS PRESENT: Larry McCann Chuck Rodgers Brenda Legard Matthew Legard Jeanette Koch Duke Nieskens Steven (C J) Jensen Mike Reichman Matthew and Brenda Legard, 2614 Topeka Drive: Adiustment of sewer charges. The Legards had a mobile home set at 2614 Topeka Drive on September 10, 1999. Because they had a pipe break under the trailer and a faulty toilet inside the trailer, they requested a sewer adjustment for the pipe leak and a possible adjustment to their summer sewer average for both problems. Their average consumption at their previous address was between eight and ten. Their October consumption was eight, but their consumption for November through January was 14, 37, and 28. Since the summer average begins in April, Gay stated that the summer average could be deterrrdned by their usage during the next three months. Motion by Gary Temple to adjust the water and sewer rates for the Legards, seconded by Ed Steffans. Motion carded. Jennifer Darkenwald~ 2701 Lackawanna: Adiustment of water and sewer charges. Jennifer Darkenwald did not attend the meeting. Jeanette Koch explained that a broken water line under this mobile home has been repaired. While her normal winter water consumption average is six, her water consumption in November, December and lanuary was 13, 17, and 28. She is requesting a sewer adjustment and that her summer sewer average be adjusted to six. Motion by Marvin Carter to adjust the sewer charges and the summer sewer average for Jennifer Darkenwald, seconded by Gary Temple. Motion carried. Annual service fee for all water users. The Montana Department of Environmental Quality assessed the City of Laurel fees for funding of the Public Water Supply Program for the 2000 fiscal year. The City of Laurel can bill its water customers to cover the $2.00 fee. This needs to be approved by resolution at the council meeting on February 15~h. Motion by Gary Temple to assess the $2.00 fee on the February water bills, seconded by Lorraine Craig. Motion carried. Public Works Committee minutes of February 7, 2000 Mike Reichman - Streetlight upgrade presentation. Mike Reichman, of Montana Power Company, presented a map of the City of Laurel that showed where new streetlights should be placed. The Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) standards are used to determine the foot-candle level needed throughout the light district. Mike mentioned that well- lit streets reduce a city's liability. There are currently 285 existing streetlights in the city, with 68 streetlights in the commercial area, nine streetlights in the downtown alleys, and 208 streetlights in the citywide lighting district. The monthly cost for the current lights is $2,731.03, and the annual cost for the current lights is $32,772.36. To light to standard, there should be a street light every 150 feet and there should be three lights on a 300-foot city block. It is acceptable to place two lights at each intersection and another light in the middle of each block. Mike presented a master lighting plan that would keep the existing lights and add 331 additional lights on wood poles with overhead wire in the main part of town, at an estimated total cost of $43,135.92 per year. In the newer sections of town, 248 streetlights with steel poles and underground wire would be installed, at an estimated total cost of $72,822.72 per year. The total cost per year for the 579 additional streetlights would be $115,958.64. Currently, the average cost per streetlight per month is $9.58. With the additional lights, the average cost would be $16.69 per streetlight per month. The costs of lighting are divided into three areas: the cost of the energy, the operations and maintenance charge, and the ownership charge. It would cost $800 per light to install each new streetlight, and the total project cost for the 579 new lights would be $681,750.00. Several assumptions were made to project the cost of the project. These included: $25,000 for engineering and easements; 200 feet of wire for each light with overhead feed; 300 feet of wire for each light with underground feed; 200 feet of trenching for each light with underground feed; and 200 feet of 1" red conduit for each light with underground feed. Montana Power would carry the full cost of installing the lights, and then the City of Laurel would be charged based on the rate schedule. The committee discussed the street light issue at length. Gay stated that the boundaries needed to be determined before the project could be started. Motion by Marvin Carter to recommend that the council consider a citywide street lighting project, seconded by Gary Temple. Motion carried. Jason Rittal~ Double-Tree: Garbage rate increase. Jason Rittal did not attend the meeting. Larry McCann distributed copies of the two options that Jason recommended for consideration for a garbage rate increase. The City of Billings now owns a scale and has begun charging by the ton for garbage. Larry recommended that the committee should recommend the second option for the garbage rate increase. Option 2 stated: a 15% increase on garbage collection fees equals $62,545.50 increased revenue to offset the increase in principal and interest on debt service and add one-half full-time employee; increase the haul rates for roll-off containers from $93 to $125 plus the landfill charge to help with maintenance and capitalization of replacement or new containers; charge a daily rent on roll-off containers of $10 to allow for capitalization to obtain new containers and fund one-half full-time employee; review revenues and expenses annually to ensure that the fund is self maintaining. Motion by Gary Temple to recommend option two to the council as stated in the recommendations/suggestions report from Larry McCarm, seconded by Mark Mace. Public Works Committee minutes of February 7, 2000 There was discussion about whether the formula rate would work with the new computer system. Lar~y also explained that the garbage rate for a new business would be determined at the time the application is filed. A vote was taken on the motion. Motion carried, with Marvin Carter voting nay. Garbage use by residents outside the City of Laurel. Larry presented a proposal that Mayor Rodgers suggested should be used in an effort to control abuse of the solid waste system in the City of Laurel. The proposal stated that a letter should be developed that will be sent to individuals whose license plates are turned in to the Police Dispatch. With cooperation of the Laurel Outlook, an article would be developed outlining the procedure for residents to use when they observe a vehicle being unloaded into a city dumpster. The following process would be followed: Any resident observing a vehicle unloading trash into a city dumpster should attempt to get the license number and report the number to the Laurel Police Dispatch. The dispatch will determine ownership of the license plate and mail out a letter from the Police Chie£ If the dispatch determines that it is the second time for illegal dumping, the letter will be filled out and "second time" noted on the letter, and they will forward it to the City Attorney. Ed Steffans suggested that decals should be placed on the containers so that non-residents are warned not to use city containers. Steven Jensen - Proposal for petting zoo at Riverside Park. Mr. Jensen presented a proposal for a petting zoo, a craft fair, an information center, and an animal shelter to be located at Riverside Park. As a recovered cancer patient himself, he desires to help many of the 30,000 cancer outpatients who travel to Billings each month. Hospitality houses that house outpatients around the country are generally full and fulfill both a lodging need and an emotional need. Mr. Jensen is also working to provide a humor room, an outpatient library, an outpatient lodge and an information center. His organization, Humor Works, is devoted solely to bringing encouragement to those coping with serious illness and to educating the public about the benefits and healing factors in humor and laughter. They will be working with hospitals, nursing homes and the business community. Mr. Jensen stated that he wanted to work with the City of Laurel to develop these ideas in Riverside Park, and he needed a commitment for a location before he could provide specifics. He emphasized that this proposal would contribute to the revitalization project developing in the city. Gary Temple voiced concerns regarding setting precedence for organizations to be located on city property. Mr. Jensen stated that he wants to work with the city as a partner, not as an independent agent. Gary said that the information available was inadequate to allow use of Riverside Park for this project. Gay stated that this is a dedicated park and the legal issues would have to be considered. Bond for park requirements at Village Subdivision: Ken Tolliver. Since the required water system was not installed in this park, Mr. Tolliver has agreed that the City of Laurel should keep $500 of the original $5,000 bond. The money would be used to fence in the area in order to keep vehicles and trash out. Public Works Committee minutes of February 7, 2000 Motion by Mark Mace to hold $500.00 of the original $5,000 bond, seconded by Gary Temple. Motion carried. Fee and form changes: street opening, plumbing permit, demolition permit, shelter reservation permit and beer permit. The Public Works Department has been working on fee and form changes for permits for street openings, demolition, construction of access approaches, shelter reservations, beer permits and plumbing permits. Larry distributed copies of the forms to the committee. Joe Leckie had added some legal wording in the Permit to Work in the Public Right-of-Way form. The fee for a paved street opening has been raised from $65 to $75, and a gravel street opening changed from $55 to $65. This cost was determined by the actual time that is spent at each site, and this form would apply to commercial businesses such as US West, etc. The fees on the Demolition Permit Application are based on the building permit schedule. Legal wording was also added to this form. The word "caped" needs to be corrected to read "capped". The form for Permit to Work in the Public Right-of-Way, Construction of Access Approach/Sidewalk/Curb and Gutter, applies to residents who want to do their own work. The Laurel City Park Reserved Space Permit and/or Beer Permit will be used to schedule space at the Thomson Park Shelter and the new shelter at South Pond. The fee to reserve space is $10, and there is no fee for the Beer Permit. The Beer Permit now requires Police Department Approval instead of Chief of Police approval. The hours on the form need to be corrected from "between 6 am to 12 pm" to "between 6 am to 10 pm". The state fees have been removed from the Plumbing Permit and Application form. According to the State of Montana, only a licensed plumber is permitted to do plumbing work. However, residents are permitted to do plumbing or electrical work in their own residence, as long as the work meets code requirements. On advisement of the State of Montana, the Building Permit will be changed to a Construction Permit. Legislation is being proposed that would exempt cities of less than 1~t class out of the required rules and regulations. Motion by Gary_ Temple to recommend to the council to accept the fee and form changes presented by the Public Works Department, subject to the two corrections, seconded by Mark Mace. Motion carried. Update on Internet connection to Yellowstone County through the State of Montana summit net. The Public Works Department computers are now hooked into the computer mainframe with "read- only" capability available for the budget and finance programs. They are also hooked into the Internet through the State of Montana's summit net program, which allowed the city a T1 connection to Yellowstone County and the State of Montana. The Police Department is already hooked into two 56KB telephone lines, and the two buildings could be hooked together. This would also allow the FAP to have "read-only" access to the financial 4 Public Works Committee minutes of February 7, 2000 records. A T1 line from City Hall to the FAP building would cost $210 per month. The Police Department currently pays $280 per month to the State of Montana for access into the summit net program. Ace Electric would charge $6,356 to bore under and run the conduit, and TeleData Systems would charge $2,626.42 to run the fiber optics through the conduit. The total cost to run our own line would be $8,982.42, which would pay for itself in 42 months if divided by the estimated $210 cost per month. The fiber optics as proposed would handle the communications need between City Hall and the FAP Complex for twenty years or more. This line would be used for mapping purposes, for video arraignments for the City Judge, and to allow access to records of Yellowstone County and the State of Montana. This would have to be a budgeted item. Motion by Marvin Carter to approve the data connection between City Hall and the FAP Complex, seconded by Gary Temple. Motion carried. Grant Writer Request for Proposals. There is adequate time to RFP for a grant writer to apply for another grant for the intake project. Three proposals are required. Engineering Request for Proposals. The engineering RFP will include the street program, the inflow and infiltration study, and the intake project and advertising will be done. Corps of Engineers: Report on thewater intake. Larry distributed copies of the Evaluation of the Sediment Deposition Problems Along the Yellowstone Kiver that was prepared by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Roger Perkins is presently evaluating the report. A meeting with the Corps of Engineers is scheduled for Wednesday, February 23rd, at 10:00 a.m. upstairs in City Hall. Update on mediation request from the Water Plant contractor, Dick Grover. Dick Grover has withdrawn the mediation request that he previously filed with the American Mediator's Association. A meeting is scheduled with Larry, Duke, Morrison-Maierle, Joe Leckie and Dick Grover on Thursday, March 16th, at 3:00 p.m. in the City Attorney's office. The disputed $12,000 is regarding several issues that have been paid and for which he accepted the original check. Update on curb and gutter situation at Casa Linda Circle. Mark Mace reported that the Casa Linda Circle residents have agreed to have the City of Laurel become involved in changing their driveway approaches to full approaches. They agreed to have the costs added to their taxes. Joe Leckie informed Larry that each individual property owner would need to inform the city that they are not going to fix the approach themselves, thereby allowing the city to do so. The City of Laurel would contract with one contractor to do all of the approaches. Each property owner would be required to obtain a permit fee. 5 Public Works Committee minutes of February 7, 2000 Swimmin~ oool. Duke Nieskens stated that the pool needed to be sandblasted in order to determine its true condition. Duke explained the proposals that were received for sandblasting of the swimming pool. Industrial Refinishing in Sheridan, Wyoming, has submitted a proposal of $13,986.00 to sandblast to the bare concrete and sandblast the cracks out. Wyoming Sandblasting and Painting in Cody, Wyoming, estimated a cost of $16,000.00 to remove the current coating and sandblast the pool surface. Industrial Refinishing submitted a proposal of $11,486.00 just to paint the concrete, with the cracks and rotten concrete spots considered as a change order. The committee discussed the pool situation at length. If the council were to decide not to put additional money into the pool after the sandblasting is completed, it would be impossible to open the pool this summer. A stainless steel liner would cost about $250,000, but Duke stated that the condition of the pool needed to be determined anyway. It would cost about $5,000 to patch the pool to prepare it for the summer. Motion by Gary Temple to recommend that the Budget/Finance Committee consider the swimming pool issue, seconded by Marvin Carter. Marvin Carter said that this is the appropriate time for the school district and the City of Laurel to consider the possibility of a joint venture to build a new pool. A vote was taken on the motion. Motion carried. Unscheduled. Bureau of Mines study. Bureau of Mines completed their underground study of the City of Laurel and has asked the city to apply for a $100,000 Department of Natural Resources Grant. The Bureau of Mines is doing the technical work on the grant and would provide recommendations for water control below the ground. Urban Pilot Program. If our proposal is in to the Urban Highway Pilot Improvement Program by February 18th, we will be in the first round. George McArthur, an engineer in Stillwater County, is assisting with this document. This would apply to three areas: the boulevard, sidewalks, and curb and gutter on Railroad Street from First Avenue to South Pond; Main Street from First Avenue to 8*; and to straighten out the 90-degree comer by the airport. The meeting adjourned at 9:24 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Cindy Allen Council Secretary 6