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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPublic Works Committee Minutes 11.12.2002 MINUTES PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE NOVEMBER 12, 2002 5:00 PM CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS MEMBERS PRESENT: OTHERS PRESENT: Chairman Gay Easton Mark Mace John Oakes Dan Mears Marvin Carter Ed Steffans Bill Staudinger David Siljestrom Steve Klotz Rick Musson Cheryll Lurid Proposed School Zone Speed Limit Steve Klotz spoke regarding the proposed changes to the ordinance. The present ordinance needs to be cleaned up and clarified with clear and correct wording. Steve passed out the proposed changes (see attached). The first clarification will be where the signs will be placed designating the start of the school zone. This will be done with specifications fxom the 2000 Uniform Traffic Control Devices manual. This will bring it into universal standard with towns around the United States. Steve read through every item of the proposed changes. Discussion by commi~ee. The committee would like to see flashing lights be placed within every school zone in Laurel as it is done in Billings. Control of the devices would be programmed according to the start and stop times of the school day. There will be some times when there axe school functions in the evenings or on the weekends. Those times would have to be addressed as they come up, as to who would be designated to turn the lights on and off. Rick Musson spoke and stated that ideally their needs to be flashing lights placed at each school in Laurel. The flashing lights are expensive and in the past the city has considered purchasing them but haven't been able to due to budget constraints. Matt Erekson, City Attorney, stated that the wording of the ordinance and the signage is crucial. At this time the speed limit is posted 8:00 am to 5:00 pm with no clarification as to specific days. The police can write tickets on days school is not in session as long as it is within the hours of 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. Rick Musson would like to have a portable sign that could be put out in different areas of town that has a radar gun indicating driver's speeds, to give drivers a heads up to the speed they are going. John Oalces agrees that sometimes you need to do something to get people's attention as far as automobile safety is concerned. Suggestion by Smoky Staudinger that a stop sign be placed on the road that hms behind the high school off ofE. 8th Street where the delivery tracks stop. Rick stated that the road is a school issue because it's on private property and not an official city road. Motion by Marvin Carter, second by Dave Siljestrom, to recommend the proposed changes to Chapter 10.20.010, as written. Motion carried. City Shop Yard Signage Steve Klotz stated that he wanted the committee to be made aware that there will be signs posted on the gates at the City Shop area due to liability issues when the public enters the yard. It will state that only authorized city employees are allowed on the property. Miscellaneous Smoky Staudinger would like to have the council change the bus stop on W. Main to the south side of the street between 3rd and 4th Avenues in front of the Eagles new parking lot. He would also like bus stop signs to be placed. He feels this is a safety issue. Steve Klotz stated that Smoky has brought this issue to his attention, along with a request for a crosswalk. Steve has contacted the state in regards to this issue because it is state highway. The state would have to do a traffic study before a sidewalk could be placed. The city has requested that the state do the traffic study. The state told Steve that they are concerned about the buses parking on the south side of W. Main due to the poor base of the road. The state told Steve that some base work needs to be done before busses can park in that area. Steve would not recommend going to the city council with an ordinance that the state does not agree with as this could jeopardize the city's relationship with the state. John Oakes suggested that the committee recommend to the city council that flashing lights and a radar speed sign be put into the budget. Mark Mace stated that the flashing sign and the signs are figured into the 8th Avenue project that the State and city are involved in. 2 David Siljestrom said he will get some prices for those types of signs and bring it back to the committee 0meeting. Gay suggested that the PTA be contacted about trying to get funding for a flashing light. Rick Musson stated that the PTA was instrumental in getting the school board to approve the funding for the crossing guards at each school. Rick thinks it could be done faster if the PTA's from ail schools were involved. Steve Klotz stated that the time frame for the 8th Avenue project is set for 2004, and that date could be pushed to a further date if the water and sewer line conflicts on the project are not resolved. The meeting was adjourned at 5:55 pm. Respectfully submitted, Cheryll Lurid, Secretary ORDINANCE NO. ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 10.20.10 OF THE LAUREL MUNICIPAL CODE RELATIING TO SCHOOL ZONE. WHEREAS, changes have been recommended to bring the Laurel City Code into compliance with state laws; and WHEREAS, it is in the best interests of the residents of the City of Laurel to pass such an ordinance; IT IS HEREBY ORDAINED by the City Council of the City of Laurel, Montana, that the LAUREL MUNICIPAL CODE is hereby amended as is set £orth below. Chapter 10.20.10 shall be amended as follows: 10.20.10 Speed limit. B. Where no special hazard exists that requires lower speed for compliance with subsection A of this section, the following speed limits shall apply to streets in the city. Street signs posting speed limits shall be placed as per the most current manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices. 1. Fifteen miles per hour in any of the following zones. a. School Zone: For the purpose of this section, "school zone" shall mean that part of any street which runs directly adjacent to any public school property. Speed limit shall be enforced from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm when school is in session. b. City Alleys: c. Construction Zones 2. Twenty-five miles per hour in any business or residential district. 3. Delete 4..Delete 5. Renumber to 3 6. Renumber to 4 7. Renumber to 5 This ordinance shall become effective thirty (30) days after final passage by the City Council and approved by the Mayor. Introduced and passed on first reading at a regular meeting of~he city Council on ., 2002, by Alderman PASSED and ADOPTED by the Laurel City Council on second reading this ,2002, upon motion by Alderman APPROVED BY THE MAYOR this day of ,2002. John E. Johnson, Jr., Mayor ATTEST: day of Mary K. Embleton, Clerk-Treasurer APPROVED AS TO FORM: Matthew Erekson, City Attorney 10.20.010 Chapter 10.20 S]~E~D RE~'rRICi1ONS Sections: 10.20.010 10.20.020 10.20.030 10.20.040 10.20.050 Speed limits. F. xceptions. Minimum speed limitatioll& permission to held speed contest when. Requirements for charging violations. 1020.010 Speed ltmit$. (MCA §§ 614-303, 614-306) A. A pe~son operating or ~g a vc- ~cle of ~y eh~a~er on a pubic highway Of thin d~ shall ~ve it ~ a ~e~ ~d p~dent manner, md at sram of speed no ~eamr ~ ~ ~e~on~lc or proper~der ~e ~n~fion ~g at ~e poMt of oper- afiom ta~ng ~to a~t ~e ~o~t ~d ch~a~r of ~c, eon~don of wei~t of ve~cle, ~de ~d ~d~ effi- gy, ~n~fion of s~ace, ~d ~eedom of obs~on to ~ew ~ead, ~d he s~ ~ve it so ~ not m ~d~yor ~e~onably end.get ~c ~e, ~b, prope~ or o~er ~ of a p~on entitled to the use of ~e s~ect or ~y. B. ~cre no sp~ h~d e~m ~at req~s lower speed for ~mp~ ~ s~se~on A oft~s semen, the foQo~g speed ~imi~ sh~ a~ty m s~ee~ ~ the L F~een ~ per ho~ ~ any school zone For the pu~ose of ~s se~o~ "school zone" sh~ me~ ~at p~ of ~y s~eet w~ ~ ~e~ly adja~nt to ~y pu0~c ~chool b~g. ~e s~eet ~i~s 202 posting this speed limit shall be placed no closer than one-half block to the begin- ning of the school zone; 2. Twenty-five miles per hour in any 3. Thirty-five mile~ per hour on any streets under construction or repaJx; 4. Fifty-five miles per hour in other Io- cations during the nighttime, except that the nighttime speed limit on completed sections of interstate highways is sixty-five miles per hour; "Daytime" means from a half-hour be- fore sum/se to a half-hour after met. "Nighttime" means at any other hour. 5. Whenever the city .qhall determine, upon the basis of an cng/hOOting and traf- fic investigation, that auy speed provided in this sect/on is greater or .less than is reasonable or safe under the conditions found to exist upon a highway or part of a highway, the city may determine and de- dare a reasonable and safe speed limit thereat which, when appropriate signs giv- ing notice thereof a.re erected, shall be effe~'dve at all times or during hours of daylight er darkness or at such other times as may be determined for such highways or parts of highways; 6. No alteration of any state speed lim- its declared by the c/ty shall be effective unless such alteration is authorized by MCA § 61-8410; 7. The driver of every vehicle shall be consistent with the reqnirement~ of sub- section B.i of this sechon, drive at an appropriate reaueed speed when ap- proaching and crossing an mrersection or :miway grade c:ossmg, when approaching a h/il crest, when traveling upon any nar- row or wmdiug roadway, and when special ORDEgANCE ,.NO. 002-34 ORDh-Y.&N-CE A3'IZiNDliYG C'~4~PTEt>, 10.20.10 OF TH-E LAUREL MIJ.,-NICIP.~L CODE R.ELAT~G TO $CE[OOL ZOiN-E. WHEREA~5, Changes have been recommended to bring the Laurel City Code into compliance with state laws; and W-HEREAS, it is in the best interests of the residents of the City of Laurel to pass such an ordinance; IT IS ~FREBY OKD~D by the City Council of the City of Laurel, Montana, that the LAUXEL MU'NICI~AL CODE is hereby amended as is set fonk below. Chapter 10.20.10 shall be a~ended as follows: 10.20.10 !. $choolzoae. Fifteen m/les per hour in any schooI zone. ~For the purpose of tk/s sect/on, "school zone" sAall menu tlmr part of any street which runs adjacent to auy public school bu/ld/ng, aad shalI include al/adjacent a/.I~s and parking lots. The "school zone" shall sta.r~ one-half block prior To the block on which the school is located and shall extend one-half block beyond the block on Whic& the school is located. The "school zone" speed limit shall be in effect ali year, including Saturdays, Sundays, amd during summer vacatmn amd or. her times even if school is not in sessior~ Tkis ordinance she.Il become effective thin7 (.30) days a~er final passage by the City Council and approved by the Mayor. - [ntroduced and passed on first reading at a regular meeting of the City Council on 2002, by .~derman P,~,SED and ADOPTED by the Laurel Ci~ Council on second reading th/s ,2002, upon motion of Alderman day of '_4-PPROVED BY ~-~ MAYOR th/s day of John E. Johnson, Jr., Mayor Matrnew £rexson..£ky .~-nornev Page 7B-6 December 2000 Figure 7B-1. Typical Signing for School Area Traffic Control OR OR ~ OR OR Sect 7B,09 Jane 200l