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HomeMy WebLinkAboutDepartment Head Meetings Minutes 10.09.2007 MINUTES DEPARTMENT HEAD MEETING OCTOBER 9, 2007 3:00 P.M. COUNCIL CHAMBERS PRESENT: Mayor Ken Olson Sam Painter Rick Musson Mary Embleton Jan Faught Scott Wilm James Caniglia Gay Easton Council Workshop Agenda - October 9, 2007 Executive review: · Draft resolution of intent establishing the TIF District The TIFD will include commercial and industrial areas and no residential areas. · Resolution - Agreement and Small Services Contract for Engineering end/or Surveying Services with Engineering, Inc. for reconstruction of the parking lot at the library The resolution will be presented at tonight's meeting. · Resolution- Laurel Airport Road Easement Mayor Olson stated that the county has requested the easement in order to remove the ninety degree tm in the road. · Resolution- Laurel Cemetery Regulations The resolution will be presented at toni~oht's meeting. Mayor Oison stated that a resolution and small services contract with James Huertas will also be presented at tonight's council workshop. Jim has submitted a proposal for services at a very competitive rate to update and maintain the city's website. He will contact depashuent heads regarding the website. Jim will complete the work on the website before he goes to the police academy in January. Review ofdraf~ council agenda for October 16, 2007 · Public Hearing: Ordinance No. O07-10: Ordinance amending certain sections of the "Laurel Zoning Ordinance" located at Chapter 17 of the Laurel Municipal Code. (First reading-09/18/2007) Ordinance No. O07-10 addresses the temporary use permit. There was discussion regarding the draft annexation ordinance, which hms been circulated for comments by department heads. Sam and Kurt will review the ~ ordinance. Mayor Olson stated that one section of the job description for the public works director needs to be reviewed before it is presented to the council. Kurt asked regarding Chuck Dickerson's weed complaint. Mayor Olson stated that the question had been enswercd at a laior council meeting. Deoartment Reports: Ambulance Service · AMR contract discussion Jan has not heard anything regarding the AMR contract. The contract expired on August 19t~ and the city is not paying for intercepts now. AMR's contracts to Worden and Joliet have not been signed. Department ~ Meeting Minut~ of O~tob~r 9, 2007 Jan stated that a crew member had a needle stick recently. Workers' comp covered the cost of the initial blood draw for the ergw member, but MMIA will not cover subsextuent blood draws unless the attendant tests positive for HIV or hepatitis. Since it can take up to one y~ar to prove positive, Jan questioned why MMIA would not cover the cost of n~re blood draws. There was a lengthy discussion. Blood draws cost about $20 and San thinks the city should cover the costs. Jan stated that Wal-Mart will present $3,000 checks to the fire, ambulance, and police departments at the grand opening on Wednesday, October 24t~. Scott, Rick, and Jan need to be at Wal-Mart at 7:00 a.m. that day to receive the checks. Jan was advised that the departments need to apply for the grants every year. Wal-Mart's fiscal year ends January 31st. On Saturday, October 27th, there will be a Child Salty Seat Clinic at Wal-Mart. Six Laurel Ambulance attendants have completed a Child Safety Seat class and will participate in the clinic. Safe Kids Coalition wants to make the Laurel Ambulance Service a fitting station for child safety seats. A sign would be posted with the phone number to call Clinics are held three to four times each year. Jan asked regarding an item that was removed from the ambulance budget. Mayor Olson and Jan will discuss it further. Jan needs to schedule a HIPAA class for the new emergency responders and employees. Scott stated that the fire hall could be used for the class. Mayor Olson stated that the new code enforcement inspector and the public works director should be included in the class. City Council President Gay mentioned an article in the newspaper regarding regulation of electronic signs in Billings. There are new electronic signs at the high school, Ricci's Express, and Jan's IGA. Gay asked that the entryway zoning ordinance and the sign code be reviewed regarding these, as there are safety concerns with the flashing lights. James stated that there was discussion regarding the benefits of banning electronic signs during a zoning presentation at the League meeting. There was further discussion regarding permits, the grandfather clause, and the flashing lights on the signs. Clerk/Treasurer · Quarterly Budget Report - October 30t~ The report will be on the council workshop agenda on October 30th. Mayor Olson asked that the department heads have an opportunity to review the report before it is presented to the council. Mary reported on the League of Cities and Towns meeting in Bozeman last week. She mentioned that the performance contracting presentation went well, and several people from the City of Billings attended. The TIFD presentation was very educational. Mayor Olson mentioned that Mary was reelected as the president for the Montana Municipal Clerks, Treasurers, and Finance Officers Association and the secretary-treasurer for the Montana League of Cities and Towns. Bob Worthington, the CEO of MMI~ plans to retire next year and a replacement needs to be hired. Jane Jelinski, of the Local Government Center, will also retire soon. Fire Department · Tender truck 2 Department Head Meeting Minutes of Ootober 9, 2007 Scott stated that the department is still looking for a tender truck. $130,000. The tank should sell for about $30,000. New tender trucks cost about · Cenex contract update Scott will contact Doug Poehis regarding the Cenex contract. · Siren update Scott stated that a new siren would cost $12,000. repaired, and Scott will pursue this. Mayor Olson asked if the existing siren could be · USDA grant/loan update o Facility plan The engineers are working on the design. o Brush truck There was no discussion. Scott stated that the motion sensors that Johnson Controls installed in the fire bays are not working. This should be reported to Craig Wright. This is Fire Prevention Week and the open house at the fire department is scheduled on Wednesday from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. Scott asked regarding how to update the Schedule of Fees and Charges. Department heads will review the schedule and submit requests so the schedule can be updated at one time. A ladder inspector recently contacted Scott about inspecting the fire department's ladders to ISO and NFPA standards. The inspector will submit a proposal to inspect the department's ladders, which has not been done for over eighteen years. The cost is $2.00 to $3.00 per foot. Library · Parking lot progress There was no discussion. Police Denartment · Dispatcher hiring progress Rick stated that the background check is being done. Chief St. John contacted Rick regarding attendance at the Yellowstone County Criminal Justice Coordinating Council Rick will begin attending the meetings on Wednesday at 7:00 a.m. This is the central planning body for the juvenile justice system. · Website progress Mayor Oison mentioned that James Huertas submitted a proposal to update and maintain the city's website. Pubhc Utilities · Report on fire hydrants at Wood's Powr-Cn'ip Gary is working on this. Depar~mmt ~ Meeting Minutes of October 9, 2007 · Update on water line in Russell Subdivision Kurt stated that the water line is in Sheets Subdivision, not Russell Subdivision. Dan McGee, who completed the surveying, recently asked Kurt regarding the city's triangle of property at the end of Yellowstone Avenue by the interstate. The city needs to keep the ~angle to provide a turning radius for the garbage trucks. The information will be given to Sam for review. Kurt stated that a utility maintenance worker resigned. The job opening was posted today, and the union has five days to bid the job before it is advertised to the public. Public Works · Report on progress with South Laurel Business SID Kurt contacted Chad Hanson regarding the cost estimates for the asphalt and storm water projects. A meeting will be scheduled on Tuesday, October 23'd, at 2:00 p.ra. with Chad Hanson, Mayor Olson, James, Kurt, and Mary asked to be included in the meeting. · Report on Main Street, 3'0 to 8a' Kurt stated that Chad Hanson is waiting to get the construction cost estimates fxom IVlDT. The boundaries for the project are included in the State's document. Kurt talked to Chad regarding grant administration, and Chad requested more information on the constmetion and design. There was a lengthy discussion regarding grant administration, construction and design, Morrison-Maierle's contmet with the City of Laurel, the city's new contmet with Great West Engineering, and the TSEP requirements for engineering. Mary stated that the design and construction are not included in the TSEP application task order with Morrison-Maierle. Scott Reiter, with the Laurel school system, contacted Kurt regarding the school's playground equipment. Kurt, who is a certified playground inspector, will not inspect the school's equipment but will show Scott the information needed to manage the school's playgrounds. Rick and Kurt will look at the crosswalks at the Laurel Middle School so the painting can get done. The Tree Board wants someone from the city to attend a meeting in Forsyth on Friday and Saturday. Kurt stated that the fee schedule lists the charge for frozen meters as the cost of meter replacement plus a percentage. He said that it was cheaper to swap out the old meters than it was to repair them. However, it might be cheaper to repair the new meters than to replace therr[ There was discussion regarding the need for the city to finish proper placement of the pit meters in Village Subdivision. Sam stated that the city should repair the rooters and the schedule of fees and charges could be updated next year. Kurt said that it will be a labor intensive process to complete installation of the pit meters. The city receives ten to twenty callouts a year for tk~zen meters. The public works department had a staff meeting this morning. The minutes will be distributed with these department head meeting minutes. Mayor Oison requested a copy of the minutes prior to the department head meeting on Tuesdays. Rick stated that the stop sign has been installed at SE 4th and Washington Avenue. Since the road is narrow, there may be parking issues. No parking signs should be installed and a stop sign needs to be installed at the exit of the Wal-Mart parking lot. 4 Departmmt Head Meeting Minutes of October 9, 2007 Kurt explained a situation with a property owner on the west end of Laurel. The annexation was approved without requiring installation of curb, gutter, and sidewalk. Now the property owner is requesting a curb and gutter elevation from the city so his driveway can be poured before the closing on his n~-vv house. There wes a lengthy discussion regarding the situation, the process needed to resolve the issue, and the need for continuity with planning issues brought to the council. James stated that the City of Billings has a checklist for Subdivision Improvement Agreements, and he is reviewing the list. After further discussion, it was agreed that a task order should be issued to Great West Engineering to do the curb and gutter elevation, and the task order will be presented to the council after the engineering is completed. Kurt stated that subdivision rules should be referenced as requirements for the annexation approval City Planner · Update on alley vacations James ha.q been investigating the alley vacations: The 11t~ Street curb and gutter between Montana Avenue and First Street has a storm drain outlet going into Nutting Drain. He will update the other two issues he is working on next week. The Cherry Hills Subdivision 3ra filing SIA does not meet current ADA requirements. He will meet with Sam to review content of SIA for compliance City Attorney · Truck route issue The draft ordinance was distributed to vendors, and a letter was sent out last week requesting comments by October 12°'. If no comments are received, the ordinance will be presented to the council. · Draft annexation ordinance The draft ordinance has been routed to department heads. Mayor Olson will give the Billings annexation policy to James. The ordinance will go forward to the council soon. Sam will draft an agreement and send it to Cable Montana. Mayor Olson · Safety Program update There has been no further progress. Mary and Cindy will compile materials for a notebook for the council members. Mayor Olson will put the appointment of the ADA Coordinator on the agenda~ The meeting adjourned at 4:55 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Cindy Allen Council Seerctary 5 Public Works Staff Meeting Tuesday, October 9, 2007 Kurt Markegard Gary Colley James Caniglia Rita Mus-Temp Public Works Gary has been on call this past week and Kurt will be on call this coming week. Streets: There are some issues that have come up with 3 lots on 13th street. They do not have gutters in and there is a homeowner who is supposed to close on Thursday of this week and can't because of lack of gutters. The properties appear to have been annexed without the engineering for tho street and gutters. Mr. Reeder has stated he will not pay for the gutter work. He was the original owner who annexed the properties. Further study will be needed to determine what will need to be done. There is a question about how it got annexed without the engineering on the gutters being included in the annexation. Walmart is pouring curbs today. Charley White is working on the curb cutout and approach to the alley. It will be blocked offto traffic for approximately 9 days( takes seven days to cure the concrete). The handicap spots have received new paint and all that is lei~ is for the new siguage to go up. They will cut out the old poles and put up new ones. Parks: The parks are still in the process of blowing out the sprinkler systems to winterize them. Kurt is working on finding volunteers to put the new playground equipment together and SoHdWuste: Gary will be talking to Walmart about the garbage pickup. If the building has been turned over from the construction company to Walmart they need to get the BFI dumpsters out ofthore and the city will replace them with a city dumpster. As long as construction has finished they need to be using city services. Water and Sewer systems: The waterline issue for Brant Milliren's property on Woodland is still being reviewed by the City Attorney. WWTP & WTP Kurt is still working on the wastewater discharge permit. This is an important item that has to be obtained before we can get federal funding for any project. Kurt is still working on setting up a tour of the WWTP and WTP plants that will be open to all city employees that want to be a pa~ of the tour. Cemetery: The cemetery crew needs to have filll dirt leveled in the fill area. Code Enforcement tllre: Gary, Kuxt and Rick Musson are reviewing the applications and plan on setting up questions next week. Interviews will be held later this month. Rick is in charge ofthe Building Department/Code Enforcement: Gary Walmart has a conditional use pea'aW to allow them to stock shelves and prepare the store for its opening. A final walkthrough will be scheduled shortly, when it is Gary will look at the utility cuts on Bernhart Road. They are planning on opening on the 24th. The lift station that Gary has been discussing with Jesse at Galloway Romero does not have power yet. Gary will be detailing Steve's SUV this weekend. Subdivisions: All departments need to be involved in ali subdivisions that involve city services or possible future city services to include water, sewer, fire, police and public works. pLgnnlng: James hns been in discussion with a home owner who wants to start a tree service business. This person has asked the planning board to grant a variance so he can plant trees on his property. James recommended against it but the planning board approved it. The landowner will be filing a variance for it. He is also working on the annexation by the school He is getting it going. There is a homeowner that says the contractor was supposed to pave tho street before his property. The location is on Dean Drive. It is not a city issue as the property is outside of city limits. The case is a civil one between the homeowner and the contractor. There is heat being applied over the Reeder annexation. Kurt has been in contact with the mayor. So far nothing has been found in tho annexation paperwork as to why the engineering was not done with the annexation. Further study is needed to figure out what to do about it and who dropped the ball on this problen~ There should have been a signoffon tho annexation. Rita Mus