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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPublic Works Committee Minutes 03.10.2003MEMBERS PRESENT: OTHERS PRESENT: MINUTES PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE MARCH 10, 2003, 5:00 PM COUNCIL CHAMBERS Chairman Gay Easton Mark Mace John Oakes Dan Mears Marvin Carter Lorraine Craig Bill Staudinger David Siljestrom Steve Klotz Ken Olson Fred Jensen Cheryll Lund Keith Thompson Bus Stop Issue: There are 3 bus lines that serve the Laurel area. The council, a few years back, designated an area on W. Main for a bus stop. The problem is that the designated area usually has vehicles parked in it and the busses have to double park along W. Main making a dangerous unsafe situation for both passengers on the busses and people driving on W. Main. An option and possible solution is to enforce the existing ordinance and use the designated bus stop. There are some other options that have also been suggested. It has been proposed, by the Eagles Lodge, that the busses should park on the south side of W. Main along the sidewalk beside their new parking lot. The issue with having them park and unload on the south side is that there is no crosswalk to take them safely across to the north side where the bus depot is located. A request was made to the state to put in a crosswalk. This cannot be done unless there is curb and sidewalk put in on the property owned by the Millers, directly across from H & R Block. Smoky Staudinger wants the city to put up the signs on the south side of W. Main designating a bus stop to pressure the state highway department into putting in a crosswalk. The City feels that the issue of liability needs to be addressed before taking a chance and installing the signs and crosswalk. The City cannot place a crosswalk in that area because it is a state highway. The state is also not willing to put in a sidewalk in an area without doing a traffic study. Keith Thompson and the Fred Jensen representing the bus depot and Greyhound both agree that the present bus stop is not the best situation because it is not accessible without the bus double parking or having to back into the designated bus stop. Both agreed that if the bus stop were put on the south side of W. Main a crosswalk would have to be put in. Fred Jensen, Greyhound representative, stated that if the City wants the bus to stop in Laurel the City needs to provide a safe place for them to park, or enforce the existing ordinances that allows them a designated spot on the north side. Steve Klotz states that the issue of liability is very important. He suggests that we get back with the state and request a crosswalk placement. Keith Thompson stated that the ideal spot would be right up from 3~a Avenue. They would need approximately 50 feet from the comer. The bus driver's would be less prone to double park at an intersection. David Siljestrom suggests that for the time being the city police enforce the existing designated bus stop parking area until a better solution can be worked out with all involved parties. There is some confusion as to the amount of space the city council designated for the bus stop. Steve will review the ordinance and/or resolution and make sure the signs are placed, as they should be. Motion by Dave Sjelstrom, second by Dan Mears, to ask the police department to start enforcing the bus stop parldng, to have Steve verify the mount of space designated for the bus stop and adjust the signs if they need to be. Motion carded 6-1. Marvin Carter wanted to go on record and thank the Eagles Lodge for putting in the parldng lot on the south side of W. Main. 2. Miscellaneous Marvin Carter stated that he is disappointed in the lack of snow and ice removal done by the city. He is concerned about the amount of water still next to the curb that the city is not addressing. He also wonders if bid openings could be held the same night as the meeting for things dealing with the Public Works committee. He was disappointed that last month he got a letter that there was no meeting but asking for the committee to approve buying a garbage track that they never had any input on. The group never voted on the purchase as a committee. He feels that if they are going to approve the purchases then why aren't they privileged to be a part of making a decision. When people in town ask Marvin why the committee purchased a garbage truck he has no answer. Gay stated that the decision came out of a council workshop. Marvin stated that there are 4 councilmen on the committee and the rest of the cormnittee sits at the meetings dumb and in the dark. Gay stated that he will take Marvin's concern to the council workshop. Dan Mears stated.that he also is disappointed in the sanding and snow removal. He feels that the sanding is lax. He knows that the crew doesn't start sanding until 7:00 am and it should be done before that. Steve Klotz states that the crew starts sanding at 5:00 am so that the town is all sanded by 7:00 am when people start headed out to work. If it snows throughout the night the sanding truck does not continue sanding, but then is called back out at 5:00 am so that the whole town is sanded by 7:00 am. The crew is also called out to sand around 3:00 pm, sanding the schools and primary routes first, so that the sand is on the intersections at 5:00 pm when everyone is beginning to head home. This is also done on the weekends. The snowplow was causing damage to valves and things sticking up in the roads so the crew built 5" high shims on the plow that stops that damage. There has to be quite an accumulation of snow for the plows to do any good. This past weekend there was no plowing being done because the snow was light and it packed down fast. The designated Public Works person on call over the weekends determines whether or not the plow should be called out. Steve doesn't believe we have the means to make the storm drainage and run off any Iess than what it is. Marvin stated that the grader should be brought out when things begin to melt and that would at least open up the storm drains. Gay stated that if anyone feels that this is a problem then it needs to be put on the agenda for discussion at a future meeting. The meeting was adjourned at 5:55 pm. Respectfully submitted, cheryll Lund, Secretary