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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPublic Works Committee Minutes 05.10.1999 MINUTES JOINT PARKS, PUBLIC UTILITIES, STREET AND ALLEY COMMITTEES MAY 10, 1999 7:00 P.M. COUNCIL CHAMBERS PRESENT: Bill Staudinger Gay Easton Ken Olson Miles Walton Larry McCann Jeanette Koch Mark Mace Chuck Rodgers Mud Jacking City Hall. Larry McCann received a bid from Mud Jacking Construction Company in Billings. Using a helical coil, they twist the rod down into the ground at many points around the perimeter of the building. The amount of resistance encountered determines where they stop, and the building is jacked up and stabilized. Mud Jacking Construction bid $34,000 to $37,000 for the project. They will make it as level as possible, but the condition of the building will not allow it to be brought back up to grade. Larry has asked Merle Cherry to give a bid on repairing the building. Merle would contract with Mud Jacking Construction to jack up the slabs. Similar work done by Cherry Construction in several of the buildings around town has been successful. The condition of the building has continued to deteriorate and the engineer from Mud Jacking Construction Company suggested that the problem was caused by moisture. Since the project would take a considerable amount of time to complete, the court offices and the council meetings would need to be moved to another location. The project would only include the building which houses the court offices and the council chambers. Fixing the cracks, painting, carpeting and any other necessary work would be additional costs. Larry mentioned that gutting and remodeling the inside of the building might also be a possibility. As the building moved a considerable amount last year, a decision needs to be made soon regarding the best way to repair it. Solid Waste Rate Study. This year's budget included $7,500.00 for a solid waste rate study and two proposals have been received. Double-Tree bid $3,500 to do a study that would consider the commercial rates, residential rates, operation expenses, and equipment expenses. From this information, they will determine what the rates should be. For $3,500, they would provide a written document, but would not conduct a public hearing or present a report to the council. Morrison-Maierle, Inc. bid $7,500 to do the rate study. They will look at the same issues, make a presentation to the council and conduct all the public hearings necessary if the rates are raised. Larry will contact Double-Tree to see what their bid would be to include the public hearings and a presentation to the council. Larry will also discuss this with Joe Leckie. Management Audit Proposal for the Public Works Department. Ken Haag Consulting is available to do a Management Audit on the Public Works Department. Mr. Hang will consider such things as organization, personnel management, planning, finance, risk management, communication, records, emergency management, safety, and technical operations. Technical operations include engineering, street maintenance, solid waste, water, wastewater, storm water, parks, maintenance, equipment, building maintenance, and traffic operations. These ideas are included in the American Public Works Association Management Practices. Mr. Haag is proposing to conduct an initial review of the department and give a verbal presentation for $500.00. A written presentation would cost an additional $250.00. Mr. Haag completed a similar study for the City of Columbus, and Larry will get a copy of their study. Larry discussed the need for direction in the selection of a consultant for major projects such as the intake. Ken Haag would be willing to be the consultant at a fee of $70.00 an hour and $31.5 per mile. He has done some similar projects where he basically became the city engineer. If we had hired him as our city engineer on the water plant project, there would have been continuity throughout the project. The committee discussed the need for having continuity and direction from an independent person from the beginning to the end of a large project. Both Gay and Miles expressed their approval of using Mr. Ha,ag for these purposes. Motion by Gay Easton to approve the Management Audit for the Public Works Department for $750.00 and hiring of Mr. Haag for consulting at the intake pier, seconded by Ken Olson. Motion carried. Update of paving project. After JTL completed the paving project, they submitted a bill for an extra $3,000 because of the condition of the ditch where the pipe is located. Larry forwarded the bill to Morrison-Maierle and told them to forward it to Gray Construction with the stipulation that 2 the city has no intention of paying the bill. We will take it out of the $11,000 that is being held from Gray Construction. Larry said that it is their problem, not ours. This summer, JTL will be doing the chip sealing on the streets they contracted from the Highway Department, and they told Larry that the city could tie on to that work for chip sealing. Larry will bring it to the committee when JTL submits a bid. The committee discussed the possibility of having JTL or the city crew complete the chip sealing this summer. Larry explained that the crew has a lot of work to do this summer, including flushing the water system. It has been several years since the system has been flushed and the chlorine residuals have ali been taken off the main line. Flushing the water system will not be cheap, easy, or quick. In the residential neighborhoods, it will have to be done at night when people are not using the water. Parking requirements. Larry explained that he wants to offer the downtown businesses a one-year moratorium on requiring the installation of drainage if business owners will pave their parking spaces. Video Library currently has the only parking lot with an underground drainage system. Several months ago, the council gave Larry the authority to decide the parking issues, mainly the number of spaces per business. He is now requiting one parking space for every 400 square feet of business space and anticipates that this will work until someone decides to build something such as a theatre in town. Larry's main goal in offering a one-year moratorium of the drainage requirement is to get the business owners to pave their parking lots, which will improve the overall appearance of the City of Laurel. A one-year moratorium will not be offered for any other parking requirements. Larry will need to define specific boundaries for the area involved. Miles said that there has been some confusion regarding parking requirements at the City- County Planning Board meetings as some individuals think there is a moratorium on all parking requirements. Miles stated that the issues should be resolved so the requirements are specific. Larry explained that he has allowed the parking requirements to be one space for every 400 square feet of business space, instead of one space for every 200 square feet. He said that the new Ricci's store would be required to provide 2,500 parking spaces if he went by the original requirement, and that number of parking spaces would be unnecessary. Motion by Miles Walton to recommend that the council approve a one-year moratorium on the drainage requirements for paving of parking lots with the specific downtown area boundaries identified, seconded by Bill Staudinger. Motion carried. 3 Electrical at Thomson Park. Ace Electric's price for installation of permanent electrical wiring at Thomson Park is $3,500, but they have not submitted a bid for temporary electrical work. This issue will have to be discussed at the next meeting on June 7th. Unscheduled items. Some citizens have expressed concern about the 70 M.P.H. speed limit sign that is posted on Yard Office Road. Only a nighttime speed limit was posted on that road previously. Since the 70 M.P.H. speed limit is not safe for that area, the state is going to reconsider it. According to the maps, the north half of the boundaries from Aider Avenue to Locust Avenue are in the city limits and the south half is out of the city limits. This presents a jurisdictional problem with the Police Department. From Locust Avenue down to the end of Alder Ridge Trailer Court, the boundary of the city limits is both north and south of the highway. The boundary needs to be either on the north or the south side, and the Highway Department is going to review it. A traffic study will be done on Airport Road soon. The stop sign at the alley exit from the high school was removed and needs to be replaced. The Thomson Park bathrooms were vandalized last week, and there was also some vandalism done at the batting cage. The meeting was adjourned at 8:03 p.m. Respecffally submitted, Cindy Allen City Council Secretary 4 Cotmcil Minutes of May 18, 1999 Bud Johnson read a "History of South Pood" as told by Councilman Gay Easton. "The original site of the currem South Pond was called the Robertus Pond. The pood and the area surrounding it were purchased from Hank Robertus for the right-of-way of Interstate 90. The area of the pood was used as barrow in construction of the roadbed of 1-90. Peter Kewitt and Sons was contractor for the 1-90 project. After the highway was completed, the pood area was offered for sale. Gay Easton became well acquainted with the Peter Kewitt foreman while making freight deliveries to the site. The foreman offered to sell the site to him. The liability prevented Gay from purchasing the property; however, he informed the Laurel Rod and Gun Club of the availability of the pond and the surrounding property. They might sponsor a project to use the site as a fishery. Pletcher Newby, District Manager for the Montana Fish and Game Department, and Clint Bishop, Fish Biologist, became involved. Mr. Bishop tested the water and stated it would be suitable to plato fish; however, it would help if the pood were deeper to prevent "winter kill" of the fish. The Laurel Rod and Gun Club decided to proceed with the project of acquiring the land to create a fishery. Gay informed the contractor the Rod and Gun Club was interested in purchasing the property. The contractor indicated the pond would be dredged at the south end to make it deep enough to winter fish. Peter Kewitt stated they would sell this pond and the pond to the west of the intemhunge for $2,500.00. Mr. Newhy stated the Montana Fish and Game Department might help with the purchase. Gay was a committee of one ~ appear before the Montana State Fish and Game Commission during their regular megt'mg in Helena. After Gay's presantation, the Montana Fish and Game Commission agreed to sponsor one-half the cost for the pond. The work began with Peter Kewitt dredging the bcntom, using the removed material to build the northern part of the property for use as a pask area. The club presented a proposal to create a fishery and park to the City of Laurel. The City Council accepted the proposal and on February 16, 1968, the City became the owner of South Pond. The Montana Fish and Game Departraant proceeded with the planting of fish from the Fromberg hatchery. Charley McManus and E. H. Ebemviller were the overseers of the planting offish. The pond has been very successful as a fishezy providing many hours of entartainmunt for the youth and elderly. It is also used for SCUBA and cold water rescue lrainiag. The pond is responsible for lowering the water table in the area, thus keeping water from seeping into local basements. Although the north pond located at the west interchange of 1-90 was too salty to support a fishery, the Laurel Rod and Gun Club did take possession. The Laurel Rod and Gan Club gave control of the north pood to the City of Laurel to be used as future drainage control. Since 1968, the pond has provided an opportunity for many hours of recreation well within the reach of the majority of aitizens of Laurel and a great place for many beginners to try their hand at fishing. The area is also used annually by classes from local schools to test their homemade vessels, pmviding a great learning experience, along with entertainment for the group of anxious parents watching the action. Now there is even occasional conversation of a fishing derby. The product of the foresight ora few is providing ongoing opportunities for a great many." A vote was taken on the motion to approve Resolution R99-5. All seven aldermen present voted aye. Motion carried 7-0. Joint Parks, Public Utilities, Street and Alley Committee minutes of May 10, 1999. This item was separated out of the consent agenda for further discussion. Motion by Alderman Temple to change the word "contxact" to "contact" in the second paragraph of the Joint Parks, Public Utilities, Street and Alley Committee minutes of May 10, 1999, seconded by Aim Easten. Motion carded 7-0. Council Minutes of May 18, 1999 Motion by Alderman Johnson to approve the Joint Parks, Public Utilities, and Street and Alley Committee minutes of May 10, 1999, as corrected, seconded by Alderman Orr. Motion carded 7-0. Resolution No. 1109-20: A resolution approving agreement between thc City of Laurel and Laurel Airport Authority, said agreement relating to fire protection. RESOLUTION NO. R99-20 A RESOLUTION APPROVING AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF LAUREL AND LAUREL AIRPORT AUTHORITY, SAID AGREEMENT RELATING TO FIRE PROTECTION. This item was separated out of the consent agenda for further discussimr Motion by Alderman Temple to approve Resolution No. R99-20, seconded by Alderman Kroll. Gavj Temple questioned the contract price for the Laurel Airport Authority fire agreement. He pointed out that the contract price of $600.00 would not cover the cost of one fire call, which is $450.00 for the first hour, as stated by Fire Chief Jim Stevens. Gary Temple remembered that there was a study done which said that the base cost to send two fire trucks would be $900.00. In one contract period, Gary said we should expect to send three trucks to a call, at a cost of $1,350.00. A vote was taken on the motion to approve Resolution No. R99-20. Motion carded 7-0. UNSCHEDULED MA l-ltiRS: Mayor Rodgem informed the council that he has asked Larry McCaun to prepare an advertisement for the Code Enforcement Inspector position. There being no further business to come before the council at this time, the meeting was adjourned at 7:20 p.m. Cindy Allenfrgecretary Approved by the Mayor and passed by the City Council of the City of Lamel, Montana, this 1st day of June, 1999. Charles Rodgers, Mayor Attest: Mary K. Embleton, Clerk-Treasurer