PUBLIC WORKS & SAFETY COMMITTEE
June 1, 2005
The
meeting was called to order at 1:30 p.m.
Clm. Paul Skrede, Jon Monson, Public Works Supervisor Jerry Hudlow, Administrator Dana Young
Safety
Committee members Teresa Pendleton, Police Chief Virgil Gustafson and Owen
Fuglseth were also in attendance.
None
There
were no accidents to report for the month of May.
Dana
Young stated that he would like to postpone discussion on this issue until next
month. He stated that he has not heard
back from the Hennepin County Bridge Engineer on the impact of replacing the
south guardrail with some other type of material that is easier to see through.
Paul Skrede commented that the proposed contract from SafeAssure was unusual in that it was more of a listing of training sessions that an actual contract. He asked Jerry Hudlow if the Public Works crew was being given the type of training as indicated in the proposed contract. Jerry Hudlow stated that SafeAssure was providing his crew with the training sessions that are outlined in their contract.
The Committee recommended approval of the 2005 SafeAssure Contract in the amount of $2,025.00 on a motion by Paul Skrede, seconded by Jerry Hudlow. Motion declared carried.
Discussion
was held regarding an email that Peter Mooers, a resident at 18855 Park Avenue,
had sent to Teresa Pendleton about the excessive speed and “unnecessary
exhibitions of speed” on Park Avenue, several accidents at the intersection of
Park Avenue and St. Louis, and the excessive noise of vehicles.
Discussion
was held on the possibility of installing either a “hidden driveway” or “20 mph
curve” sign to address the accidents at the intersection of Park Avenue and St.
Louis. Police Chief Gustafson stated
that he was unaware of any accidents at this location. Further discussion was held on Mr. Mooers’s
complaints regarding the noise of vehicles on both Minnetonka Blvd and Park
Avenue. Police Chief Gustafson stated
that the City does not have an ordinance that restricts excessive vehicle noise
or specifically prohibits “unnecessary exhibitions of speed”. Police Chief Gustafson recommended placing
the traffic monitor at this section of Park Avenue to monitor the number and
speed of vehicles in this area.
The
Committee further discussed adding striping on Park Avenue from Deephaven
Avenue to Walden Shores to help control the speed of vehicles on this portion
of Park Avenue. Police Chief Gustafson
stated that he felt the striping of Park Avenue in this location would
effectively narrow the street and should help to lower the speed of
vehicles. The Committee recommended striping
Park Avenue from Deephaven Avenue to Walden Shores immediately prior to the
boating season and to stripe Carson’s Bay Bridge for public safety reasons on a
motion by Paul Skrede, seconded by Dana Young.
Motion declared carried 7-0.
Jon Monson stated that he felt that the City should adopt an ordinance that required homeowners to install a fence around their swimming pools. He stated that most other cities have this requirement and he thought that the City might be liable in the event of an accident. The Committee recommended that the City Council consider an ordinance requiring the construction of a fence around swimming pools on a motion by Paul Skrede, seconded by Virgil Gustafson. Motion declared carried 7-0.
Police
Chief Virgil Gustafson stated that his department held a bike rodeo the other
day and was concerned that the part-time public works crew were mowing in and
around the area in which the kids had congregated. Jerry Hudlow stated that he would talk to the
part-timers and instruct them to move to a different area of the park or to a
different park to get out of the way of a large public gathering. Paul Skrede stated that he would like to see
large groups register with City Hall prior to using a park.
The
Safety Committee meeting was adjourned at 2:35 p.m.
Owen Fuglseth stated that the control panels in each of the City’s nine lift stations are original panels dating back to the installation of the lift stations in 1972. He stated that they could no longer find replacement parts for the control panels due to their age.
The
Committee reviewed a quote from Quality Flow Systems, Inc. that offered to
install nine new lift station control panels in 2005 and bill the City for four
panels in 2005 and five panels in 2006 at the following prices:
·
USFilter 5 Hp Fastpack Control Panel (5 needed) - $13,865 each
·
USFilter 10 Hp Fastpack Control Panel (2 needed) - $14,044 each
·
USFilter 15 Hp Fastpack Control Panel (1 needed) - $15,950 each
·
USFilter 20 Hp Fastpack Control Panel (1 needed) - $16,350 each
Paul
Skrede noted that the control panels have not been budgeted in 2005 and that
the Capital Improvement Plan scheduled the purchase of three control panels per
year beginning in 2006. Jerry Hudlow
stated that he would prefer to purchase two or three of the control panels this
year due to the fact that there were no replacement parts available for the
older panels. Owen Fuglseth explained
that the parts for the old control panels in each of the nine lift stations are
interchangeable so purchasing several new control panels now would enable the
crew to salvage the additional parts necessary to repair the remaining lift
stations if needed. Dana Young stated
Quality Flow Systems offer does not take into account that the City is
prohibited from purchasing items that exceed $50,000 without going through
competitive bid requirements.
The
Committee recommended obtaining a second quote from a competitive vendor,
installing three lift station control panels in 2005 and pay for the three new
panels in January, 2006 on a motion by Paul Skrede, seconded by Jon
Monson. Motion declared carried 4-0.
The
Committee reviewed two quotes from Schoell & Madson and from Bolton &
Menk on providing feasibility reports on the following five storm water
projects:
·
Monaltrie Retention Pond
·
Rutledge/Park Avenue Storm Sewer Corridor
·
Montgomerie/Hamilton Drainage Correction
·
Deephaven Beach Erosion Problem
·
Amesbury Retention Pond
The
quotes received from the two engineering firms are as follows:
Schoell & Madson - $19,000
Bolton & Menk - $35,320
The
Committee recommended approval of the quote submitted by Schoell & Madson
in the amount of $19,000 for conducting feasibility reports on five storm water
projects on a motion by Jon Monson, seconded by Jerry Hudlow. Motion declared carried 4-0.
Dana Young stated that the City should develop a Sidewalk Improvement Policy on how to deal with sidewalks that need to be removed (St. Therese) and sidewalk that need to be repaired (Western Road). He stated that the majority of the sidewalk in Cottagewood had been installed in 2001 at the cost of the City.
Paul Skrede proposed that new sidewalks should be installed at City cost while the maintenance of existing sidewalks should be at the homeowner’s expense. The Committee felt that this was a reasonable Sidewalk Improvement Policy.
The Committee reviewed a 2004 Bridge Inspection Report on Northome Bridge that had been provided by the Hennepin County Transportation Department. The Committee recommended that Jerry Hudlow and Dana Young review Northome Bridge and implement the specific 2005 recommendations given by the County Bridge Engineer.
The Committee reviewed the 2006 Capital Improvement Plan for the Public Works Department.
Paul
Skrede stated that he would like to invite several residents on Montgomerie
Avenue and Hamilton Avenue who have been adversely impacted by storm water
runoff to a meeting to discuss their concerns and to let them know that the
City is supportive of efforts to try and find acceptable solutions to these
problems.
Brief
discussion was held on the repair of the brick pillars at the end of Azure
Road.
Motion to adjourn by Dana Young, seconded by Jerry Hudlow. Motion declared carried. The meeting adjourned at 4:40 p.m. The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Public Works & Safety Committee will be held on July 6, 2005.