Fargo City Commission - December 2, 2019 Minutes
The Regular Meeting of the Board of City Commissioners of the City of Fargo, North Dakota, was held in the City Commission Chambers at City Hall at 5:00 o'clock p.m., Monday, December 2, 2019.
The Commissioners present or absent were as shown following:
Present: Gehrig (via conference call), Grindberg, Piepkorn, Strand, Mahoney.
Absent: None.
Mayor Mahoney presiding.
Members of Boy Scout Troop 229 led the Pledge of Allegiance.
The Mayor read a message with the following information: The City has hired a full time Code Enforcement Inspector; upcoming Library events include the “Classic Nutcracker,” “Star Wars” light saber craft session, gingerbread house decorating and a family holiday concert; the Mayor and Police Chief David Todd made guest appearances last week at Fargo North High School’s “25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” play; the Police and Fire Departments will participate in the Salvation Army Kettle Bell Law Enforcement Day and the Police Department is also helping with a sock drive for the homeless; the Planning and Development Department is seeking input from the community on Fargo’s highest needs as they develop the City’s 5-Year Community Development Plan; and videos were shown featuring the Block 9 Topping Out celebration, City Hall West parking lot opening and an update on road construction.
Order of Agenda Approved:
Commissioner Grindberg moved the Order of the Agenda be approved moving Item No. “14” from the Consent Agenda to the Regular Agenda and adding an extra item to the end of the Consent Agenda to award the bid for the purchase of one Spartan Fire Pumper Truck.
Second by Piepkorn. All the Commissioners voted aye and the motion was declared carried.
Minutes Approved:
Commissioner Strand moved that the Minutes of the Regular Meeting of the Board held on November 18, 2019 be approved as read.
Second by Grindberg. All the Commissioners voted aye and the motion was declared carried.
Consent Agenda Approved:
Commissioner Grindberg moved the Consent Agenda be approved as follows:
1. 1st reading of an Ordinance Amending Section 01-0305 of Article 01-03 of Chapter 01 of the Fargo Municipal Code Relating to Classification of Ordinance Violations.
2. 2nd reading and final adoption of the following Ordinances; 1st reading 11/18/19:
a. Amending Sections 13-1002 and 13-1008 of Article 13-10 of Chapter 13 of the Fargo Municipal Code Relating to Recreational Aquatic Facilities.
b. Rezoning a Certain Parcel of Land Lying in Harwood’s First Addition to the City of Fargo, Cass County, North Dakota.
3. Applications for Games of Chance:
a. NDSU Saddle and Sirloin Club for a raffle on 2/15/20.
b. Outdoor Adventure Foundation for a raffle and raffle board on 3/14/20.
c. Fargo Air Museum for a calendar raffle from 1/1/20 to 4/30/20.
d. F5 Project for a raffle on 1/12/20.
e. Knights of Columbus Council 11930 for a raffle on 5/21/20.
f. NDSU Livestock, Dairy and Meats Judging Club for a raffle on 2/19/20.
4. Reimbursement and Cost Share Agreements with Kilbourne Group, LLC.
5. Final Balancing Change Order No. 1 for an increase of $4,973.68 for Project No. PR-19-A1.
6. Agreement Regarding Special Assessments with Kelmar Property 6, LLC.
7. Resolutions Authorizing the Issuance of Refunding Improvement Bonds, Series 2019C and 2019D and North Dakota State Revolving Fund Program Loan Agreement North Dakota Public Finance Authority (Attachments “A-D”).
8. Agreement for Services with Annie Wood.
9. Agreement for Services with Gia Rassier.
10. Agreement for Services with AE2S Communications.
11. Position Evaluation Committee Recommendations:
Police
Request to reclassify the following:
One Police Officer (Grade P12) to Police Lieutenant (Grade P17). Annual cost of request $29,423.00.
One Police Support Specialist (Grade 8) to Evidence Property Assistant (Grade 10). Annual cost of request $2,621.00.
PEC recommends approval of the requests effective 1/1/20.
Transit
Request to reclassify the following:
Two Transit Reservationists (Grade 6) to (Grade 7).
One Lead Reservationist (Grade 8) to Operations Supervisor (Grade 10).
Annual cost of the combined request is $11,550.00. Retroactive to August 1, 2019 would be approximately $2,611.76.
PEC recommends approval of the requests effective upon approval.
12. Employment Definitions Policy (200-004), Military Leave Policy (500-007) and the Holidays Policy (500-009) to be effective 12/2/19.
13. Interstate Parking to lease parking spaces in the old Police and Health buildings for $70/month per parking space and install the necessary signage.
14. Bid award for Consulting Services for Core Neighborhoods Master Plan (RFP19130) (moved to the Regular Agenda).
15. Parking rates for 2020 and 2021 as recommended by the Parking Commission.
16. Change of the parking time zone along 5th Avenue North between 11th and 12th Streets North and along 11th Street North between 4th and 5th Avenues North from 90 minute to 4-hour parking.
17. Bid award to Tactical Products and Services Inc. d/b/a On Site in the amount of $65,600.00 for ballistic helmets and headsets (RFP19180).
18. Exercising the option to piggyback on the contract with Northern Truck Equipment Corporation for the purchase of one snowplow, box and wing (PBCRFP19171).
19. Resolution Prescribing Rates and Charges for Solid Waste Services (Attachment “E”).
20. Amendment to Recycling Agreement with Minnkota Enviroservices, Inc. d/b/a Minnkota Recycling.
21. Chemical bid awards for the Water Treatment Plant for 2020, as presented (AFB19175).
22. Chemical bid awards for the Wastewater Treatment Plant for 2020, as presented (AFB19176).
23. Bills in the amount of $15,190,913.18.
Second by Strand. On call of the roll Commissioners Grindberg, Strand, Gehrig, Piepkorn and Mahoney voted aye.
No Commissioner being absent and none voting nay, the motion was declared carried.
Change Order No. 3 for Improvement District No. BN-18-F2 Approved:
Commissioner Grindberg moved Change Order No. 3 for an increase of $4,325.40 for Improvement District No. BN-18-F2 be approved.
Second by Strand. On call of the roll Commissioners Grindberg, Strand, Gehrig, Piepkorn and Mahoney voted aye.
No Commissioner being absent and none voting nay, the motion was declared carried.
Change Order No. 8 for Improvement District No. BN-17-A1 Approved:
Commissioner Grindberg moved Change Order No. 8 for an increase of $28,461.00 for Improvement District No. BN-17-A1 be approved.
Second by Strand. On call of the roll Commissioners Grindberg, Strand, Gehrig, Piepkorn and Mahoney voted aye.
No Commissioner being absent and none voting nay, the motion was declared carried.
Change Order No. 5 and Time Extension for Improvement District No. DN-18-A1 Approved:
Commissioner Grindberg moved Change Order No. 5 for an increase of $10,100.00 and a time extension to December 7, 2019 for Improvement District No. DN-18-A1 be approved.
Second by Strand. On call of the roll Commissioners Grindberg, Strand, Gehrig, Piepkorn and Mahoney voted aye.
No Commissioner being absent and none voting nay, the motion was declared carried.
Change Order No. 1 for a time extension for Improvement District No. PN-18-B1 Approved:
Commissioner Grindberg moved Change Order No.1 for a time extension to June 15, 2020 for Improvement District No. PN-18-B1 be approved.
Second by Strand. On call of the roll Commissioners Grindberg, Strand, Gehrig, Piepkorn and Mahoney voted aye.
No Commissioner being absent and none voting nay, the motion was declared carried.
Final Balancing Change Order No. 4 for Improvement District No. FM-17-C1 Approved:
Commissioner Grindberg moved Final Balancing Change Order No. 4 for an increase of $77,345.57 for Improvement District No. FM-17-C1 be approved.
Second by Strand. On call of the roll Commissioners Grindberg, Strand, Gehrig, Piepkorn and Mahoney voted aye.
No Commissioner being absent and none voting nay, the motion was declared carried.
Negative Final Balancing Change Order No. 2 for Improvement District No. BN-19-E1 Approved:
Commissioner Grindberg moved Negative Final Balancing Change Order No. 2 in the amount of -$12,136.24 for Improvement District No. BN-19-E1 be approved.
Second by Strand. On call of the roll Commissioners Grindberg, Strand, Gehrig, Piepkorn and Mahoney voted aye.
No Commissioner being absent and none voting nay, the motion was declared carried.
Negative Final Balancing Change Order No. 4 for Improvement District No. NN-18-A1 Approved:
Commissioner Grindberg moved Negative Final Balancing Change Order No. 4 in the amount of -$3,706.96 for Improvement District No. NN-18-A1 be approved.
Second by Strand. On call of the roll Commissioners Grindberg, Strand, Gehrig, Piepkorn and Mahoney voted aye.
No Commissioner being absent and none voting nay, the motion was declared carried.
Purchase of One Spartan Fire Pumper Truck from Sourcewell Approved:
Commissioner Grindberg moved the purchase of one Spartan Fire Pumper Truck from Sourcewell in the amount of $493,163.00 be approved.
Second by Strand. On call of the roll Commissioners Grindberg, Strand, Gehrig, Piepkorn and Mahoney voted aye.
No Commissioner being absent and none voting nay, the motion was declared carried.
Use of the LinkFM for Special Events Approved:
Assistant Transit Director Matthew Peterson said the MAT Coordinating Board recommended Public Hearings to obtain citizen input about the possible elimination of LinkFM and the continuance of LinkFM during Downtown community events effective January 2, 2020. On November 18, 2019, he said, the City Commission held a Public Hearing to eliminate the LinkFM as of January 1, 2020. He said during the discussion, staff was asked to review options for special event service only and for reduced/alternate service hours. Staff reviewed all the Downtown events for the past 12 months and broke them out by month, he said, with July having the most event numbers. The estimated cost to run LinkFM for all these events is about $71,000.00, he said and costs are split with Moorhead. He said staff looked at large bus options, alternate hour options and small bus options and came to the conclusion that the most effective way of operating this service would be a consistent schedule such as Thursday/Friday/Saturday or a Friday/Saturday year round if the service is to be kept. The hours of 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. would cover the majority of the events, he said, and if not part of a regular scheduled service, there would be increased costs through the contractor.
In response to a question from Commissioner Piepkorn about costs for the Street Fair only, Mr. Peterson said for three days and three buses running, it could be nearly $5,000.00. According to the FTA, he said, as long as no fare is charged for the route or donations accepted for operations, it is not a charter service and would be allowed. Whether or not Moorhead would participate would be entirely up to them, he stated.
Mayor Mahoney said he has had conversations with Moorhead Mayor Johnathan Judd, who is curious what Fargo will do before Moorhead addresses it. LinkFM is not in their budget either, he said.
In response to a question from Commissioner Strand on Moorhead’s viewpoint, Moorhead Transit Manager Lori Van Beek said Moorhead did express interest in having some service continue and would like to see some special event transportation.
Commissioner Grindberg said he is open to discussion on service for the Street Fair; however, beyond that he is not convinced the service is widely used.
In response to a question from Commissioner Strand asking how soon autonomous vehicles will be running these routes, Ms. Van Beek said they are currently being tested in bigger communities to make sure they are safe.
Mr. Peterson said much of the information he sees indicates that autonomous vehicles are limited to about a two-mile radius, so it could be a couple decades out before there would be a fully autonomous type system. He said some implementation could happen in the next five to seven years in some areas.
Commissioner Piepkorn said he rode in an autonomous bus in San Antonio and he feels it could happen sooner than 10 years. He said this route would be perfect for autonomous transportation due to it being an auxiliary route.
Commissioner Strand said it is important to prioritize needs such as was done for the recent salary increase for drivers and adding service to the Industrial Park. He said Sunday service is also coming.
Mr. Peterson said Sunday service comes with a price tag, the last update estimated around a half million dollars to operate the extra 52 days, mainly due to facility and staffing expansions needed. Sunday service continues to be in the plans, he said, it is a matter of when and if the City is able to fund it.
Commissioner Piepkorn said he would support Option One “Moorhead and Fargo Downtown Events” as shown in Table Three in the presentation.
Commissioner Piepkorn moved the use of LinkFM for special events be approved, with Fargo’s share being $9,484.00.
Second by Strand. On call of the roll Commissioners Piepkorn, Strand, Gehrig, Grindberg and Mahoney voted aye.
No Commissioner being absent and none voting nay, the motion was declared carried.
Resolution Adopted Approving a Plat of BLU Water Creek 5th Addition, a Replat of Lot 2, Block 1, BLU Water Creek 4th Addition, including a Vacation of Right of Way at Northeast Corner of the Intersection of 47th Street South and 33rd Avenue South (4609 33rd Avenue South):
A Hearing had been set for November 18, 2019 on a Resolution approving a Plat of BLU Water Creek 5th Addition, a Replat of Lot 2, Block 1, BLU Water Creek 4th Addition, including a Vacation of Right of Way at Northeast Corner of the Intersection of 47th Street South and 33rd Avenue South.
At the November 18, 2019 Regular Meeting the Hearing was continued to this day and hour.
Planning Coordinator Donald Kress showed photos of the property and said there is no change in zoning and the Conditional Overlay provides some additional design standards, particularly in this case, regarding pedestrians. He said the Plat divides the property into six lots, and one road is not a dedicated public street, it is a private drive. Staff is very conscious of private drives being able to serve the purpose of a street for access and protection of the pedestrian realm, he said. The City Attorney and staff will review the covenants on the property related to easements which are created by a private agreement and not a dedication to the City, he said, and staff is working with the applicant on finalizing a contingency that the Plat will not be recorded until the covenant is finalized.
In response to a question from Commissioner Strand asking if there is an expectation on how long the private drive will remain private, Mr. Kress said the idea is that the covenants will continue to maintain it as a private drive far into the future, there is not a sunset that would dedicate it to the City.
In response to a question from Commissioner Gehrig asking how the Fire Chief feels about the private drive, Mr. Kress said one covenant requested is for “no parking” signage to maintain a fire lane at all times.
Fire Chief Steve Dirksen said an issue with private drives is snow removal, how cars are parked and narrow streets creating issues with buses or fire trucks. He said he is not a fan of private drives and while they may work in a commercial area, he will never support them in a residential neighborhood.
Commissioner Grindberg offered the Resolution and moved its adoption:
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF CITY COMMISSIONERS OF THE CITY OF FARGO:
WHEREAS, A Plat has been filed in the office of the City Auditor entitled "BLU Water Creek 5th Addition" containing 6 Lots, 1 Block and 13.42 acres of land more or less, located at 4609 33rd Avenue South; and
WHEREAS, The Plat includes the vacation of Right of Way at the northeast corner of the intersection of 47th Street South and 33rd Avenue South to the City of Fargo, Cass County, North Dakota; and
WHEREAS, A Hearing was held July 2, 2019 by the Fargo Planning Commission, and notice of such Hearing had been published, as required by law, and said Plat had been approved by the Fargo Planning Commission and by the City Engineer; and
WHEREAS, The City Auditor's Office published a Notice of Hearing on said Plat in the official newspaper for the City of Fargo on October 14, 21, 28 and November 4, 2019 that a Hearing would be held in the Commission Chambers, City Hall, Fargo, North Dakota at 5:15 p.m., November 18, 2019 at which time said Plat would be considered and all interested persons would be heard. At the November 18, 2019 City Commission meeting the Hearing was continued to December 2, 2019 at which time said Plat would be considered and all interested persons would be heard.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the findings and recommendations of staff and the Planning Commission be accepted and the Plat entitled "BLU Water Creek 5th Addition" be and the same is hereby in all things affirmed and approved on the basis that it complies with the Standards of Article 20-06, all other applicable requirements of the Land Development Code, and the Standards of Chapter 40-39 of the North Dakota Century Code, and that the Mayor of the City of Fargo and the appropriate City Officials are hereby directed to endorse their approval on the Plat and then direct Petitioner to file same for record in the Office of the Recorder of Cass County, North Dakota.
Second by Piepkorn. On the vote being taken on the question of the adoption of the Resolution Commissioners Grindberg, Piepkorn, Gehrig, Strand and Mahoney voted aye.
No Commissioner being absent and none voting nay, the Resolution was adopted.
Application Filed by Pixeled Brewing Company d/b/a Pixeled Brewing Company for a Change in Alcoholic Beverage License to a Class “C-M” Alcoholic Beverage License Approved:
A Hearing had been set for this day and hour on the application filed by Pixeled Brewing Company d/b/a Pixeled Brewing Company to change from a Class "Y" Alcoholic Beverage License to a Class “C-M” Alcoholic Beverage License at 1100 NP Avenue, Suite 101, notice of which had been duly published in the official newspaper for the City of Fargo.
No written protest or objection to the granting of the application has been received or filed in the office of the City Auditor, and said application has been approved by the Police Department as to the character of the applicant.
The Board determined that no person is present at this Hearing to protest or offer objection to the granting of the application.
City Auditor Steven Sprague said Pixeled Brewing has requested a change from a Class “Y” to a Class “C-M” Alcoholic Beverage License, which will allow them to continue brewing and selling their beer in addition to selling other companies beers.
Commissioner Piepkorn moved the application be approved.
Second by Grindberg. On call of the roll Commissioners Piepkorn, Grindberg, Gehrig, Strand and Mahoney voted aye.
No Commissioner being absent and none voting nay, the motion was declared carried.
Application to Transfer the Class “H” Alcoholic Beverage License from Mars Restaurant Group, LLC d/b/a Pancheros Mexican Grill Located at 4760 13th Avenue South to 4360 13th Avenue South, Suite C Approved:
A Hearing had been set for this day and hour on an application to transfer the Class “H” Alcoholic Beverage License from Mars Restaurant Group, LLC d/b/a Pancheros Mexican Grill currently located at 4761 13th Avenue South to 4360 13th Avenue South, Suite C notice of which had been duly published in the official newspaper for the City of Fargo.
No written protest or objection to the granting of the application has been received or filed in the office of the City Auditor, and said application has been approved by the Police Department as to the character of the applicant.
The Board determined that no person is present at this Hearing to protest or offer objection to the granting of the application.
Commissioner Piepkorn moved the application be approved.
Second by Grindberg. On call of the roll Commissioners Piepkorn, Grindberg, Gehrig, Strand and Mahoney voted aye.
No Commissioner being absent and none voting nay, the motion was declared carried.
Application to Transfer the Class “B” Alcoholic Beverage License from Steve’s Package Store, Inc. d/b/a Steve’s Package Store at 524 4th Street North to Steve’s Package Store, Inc. d/b/a Royal Liquors Village West at 4101 13th Avenue South Approved.
A Hearing had been set for this day and hour on an application to transfer the Class “B” Alcoholic Beverage License from Steve’s Package Store, Inc. d/b/a Steve’s Package Store at 524 4th Street North to Steve’s Package Store, Inc. d/b/a Royal Liquors Village West at 4101 13th Avenue South notice of which had been duly published in the official newspaper for the City of Fargo.
No written protest or objection to the granting of the application has been received or filed in the office of the City Auditor, and said application has been approved by the Police Department as to the character of the applicant.
The Board determined that no person is present at this Hearing to protest or offer objection to the granting of the application.
Commissioner Piepkorn said he feels the move from the current area will be an improvement and that the redevelopment in that area will be a positive for the City.
Mayor Mahoney thanked Commissioner Piepkorn for his work with the owner and said it looks like a good outcome.
Commissioner Piepkorn moved the application be approved.
Second by Grindberg. On call of the roll Commissioners Piepkorn, Grindberg, Gehrig, Strand and Mahoney voted aye.
No Commissioner being absent and none voting nay, the motion was declared carried.
Application to Transfer the Class “FA” Alcoholic Beverage License from Grazies Pasta Company ND LLC d/b/a Grazies Pasta Company at 2400 44th Street South to Plaza Azteca Fargo, Inc. d/b/a Plaza Azteca Restaurantes Mexicanos at 5505 28th Avenue South Approved.
A Hearing had been set for this day and hour on an application to transfer the Class “FA” Alcoholic Beverage License from Grazies Pasta Company ND LLC d/b/a Grazies Pasta Company at 2400 44th Street South to Plaza Azteca Fargo, Inc. d/b/a Plaza Azteca Restaurantes Mexicanos at 5505 28th Avenue South notice of which had been duly published in the official newspaper for the City of Fargo.
No written protest or objection to the granting of the application has been received or filed in the office of the City Auditor, and said application has been approved by the Police Department as to the character of the applicant.
The Board determined that no person is present at this Hearing to protest or offer objection to the granting of the application.
Commissioner Piepkorn moved the application be approved.
Second by Grindberg. On call of the roll Commissioners Piepkorn, Grindberg, Gehrig, Strand and Mahoney voted aye.
No Commissioner being absent and none voting nay, the motion was declared carried.
Application to Transfer the Class “F” Alcoholic Beverage License from Osaka Fargo ND Inc. d/b/a Osaka Sushi and Hibachi at 1111 38th Street South (Ownership Change) Approved:
A Hearing had been set for this day and hour on an application to transfer the Class “F” Alcoholic Beverage License from Osaka Fargo ND Inc. d/b/a Osaka Sushi and Hibachi at 1111 38th Street South (ownership change) notice of which had been duly published in the official newspaper for the City of Fargo.
No written protest or objection to the granting of the application has been received or filed in the office of the City Auditor, and said application has been approved by the Police Department as to the character of the applicant.
The Board determined that no person is present at this Hearing to protest or offer objection to the granting of the application.
Commissioner Piepkorn moved the application be approved.
Second by Grindberg. On call of the roll Commissioners Piepkorn, Grindberg, Gehrig, Strand and Mahoney voted aye.
No Commissioner being absent and none voting nay, the motion was declared carried.
Applications for Property Tax Exemptions for Improvements Made to Buildings Approved:
a. Jagila M. Wesley, 3017 37th Avenue South (3 year).
b. Daniel R. and Jaclyn B. Shultis, 157 35th Avenue Northeast (5 year).
c. Megan J. and Sean M. Dunlap, 1646 2nd Street North (5 year).
d. Rodney D. Dahl, 92 16th Avenue North (5 year).
e. Alan L. and Tara M. Kohn, 830-832 11th Avenue North (5 year).
f. Dakota J. and Vicki L. Draper, 1021 2nd Street North (5 year).
g. David C. and Christine A. Maxfield, 1026 27th Street North (5 year).
h. Matthew and Julie F. Jacques, 2507 9th Street South (5 year).
i. Kathryn J. Peterson, 1446 Broadway North (5 year).
Commissioner Piepkorn moved the applications be approved.
Second by Grindberg. On call of the roll Commissioners Piepkorn, Grindberg, Gehrig, Strand and Mahoney voted aye.
No Commissioner being absent and none voting nay, the motion was declared carried.
Proposed 4-year Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) and Comprehensive 2020 CIP Report Received and Filed:
City Engineer Brenda Derrig presented the 2020 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) Report and proposed 4-year CIP and said she would like to receive and file the report, allowing the next two weeks to answer any remaining questions and make any necessary adjustments and then come back at the next meeting with a request for approval. She said staff will be requesting approval of only those listed under Federal Aid, Water Main and Street Reconstruction and Arterial Roadway categories in the 4-year CIP which allows for earlier communication with Fargo citizens impacted by the projects. She said the City has more than 500 miles of water mains, 70% are PVC, 17% are asbestos cement and 13% are cast iron or ductile iron. The pavement network consists of nearly 1,400 land miles of pavement; 55% of which is asphalt and 45% is concrete, she said, and the City maintains 10 million square yards of pavement. She reviewed the CIP history for the last four years broken down into categories. She said new developments, alley and flood projects are removed from the totals. New developments are completely based on developer requests and alleys are petitioned in, so the City does not have control, she said, and the flood projects are part of the FM Diversion and paid for by flood sales tax. The proposed 2020-2023 CIP is again in the low to mid $60 million annually, with 2022 in mid $48 million. She shared a summation of the funding mechanisms for the CIP. She said on average, annually for the next four years there are about $29.67 million in special assessments, $12.41 million in the State Prairie Dog funding, $7 million in street sales tax and $41.67 million other funds, she said, averaging about $90 million in total costs.
Assistant City Engineer Thomas Knakmuhs shared how available funds are maximized and prioritized. He said it is important to make improvements that benefit the most people and to replace infrastructure to support redevelopment and/or reduce maintenance costs, typically water main replacement and street reconstruction projects. A number of factors are involved, he said, including the Pavement Condition Index, age of infrastructure, street light and traffic signal needs, flood control needs and coordination with the Public Works and Planning Departments. He outlined the pavement preservation program and how pavement life can be extended through the application of timely rehabilitation activities.
Ms. Derrig said Federal Aid projects typically come out of the Long Range Transportation Plan completed every 5 years by MetroCOG. She reviewed the federal funding categories, arterial roadway projects, flood protection projects, storm sewer utility projects, traffic signal and street light projects, new development project infrastructure, alley paving projects, sidewalk projects and miscellaneous projects. She highlighted the Federal Aid, water main and street reconstruction and arterial roadway projects for each of the years 2021, 2022 and 2023.
In response to a question from Commissioner Piepkorn asking where most of the issues are with water main break history, Mr. Knakmuhs said most of the asbestos cement and iron pipes are up north and in the Downtown and core neighborhood area. He said cast iron is prioritized and about two and a half miles is being replaced each year with about 44 miles of cast iron water main remaining.
Commissioner Piepkorn said the slide in the presentation summarizing all the projects is good information for the public to know the projects that are coming in the future.
In response to a question from Commissioner Grindberg about when full disclosure of all sources of payment will be deployed, Ms. Derrig said in 2020 new notices will be sent out that talk about all the funding mechanisms and estimated costs, incorporating the suggestions from the Taskforce into the notices for this coming year’s projects. She said typically property owners would receive an estimated assessment; however, now additional items will be included such as total project cost and funding sources.
In response to a question from Commissioner Strand about whether there will be more or less concrete roads in the future and whether there are things to be done to improve pavement lifespans, Mr. Knakmuhs said most local roadways are asphalt, collectors are a mix of asphalt and concrete, and most arterials are concrete. He said many factors go in to what material is selected including long-term life cycle costs and what local contractors are capable of doing. Salting and brining do play a role in pavement life, he said, and Public Works is conscious to apply it at appropriate rates. Most roadway damage happens with spring loads, which is restricted, he said.
In response to a question from Commissioner Strand about public risk with old infrastructure such as cast iron pipes, Mr. Knakmuhs said iron and lead are issues; however, Water Treatment Plant staff is constantly looking at that. Samples are tested from households that have lead service, he said, and the pH level of water is kept at an alkaline level to create a barrier for cast iron and lead services.
Commissioner Grindberg moved the 4-year Capital Improvement Plan and Comprehensive CIP Report be received and filed as presented.
Second by Piepkorn. On call of the roll Commissioners Grindberg, Piepkorn, Strand, Gehrig and Mahoney voted aye.
No Commissioner being absent and none voting nay, the motion was declared carried.
Bid Award for Consulting Services for Core Neighborhoods Master Plan Approved (RFP19130) (Moved from the Consent Agenda):
Planning Director Nicole Crutchfield said the request is for approval of the consultant contract for the Core Neighborhoods Master Plan with czb, LLC for consulting services. The contract has a budget not to exceed $288,900.00 allocated from the Planning Department’s planning services budget, she said. The project is anticipated to be completed in approximately 12 months, she said, once work is underway. There were about 13 applications for the consulting services and three firms were interviewed. The scope of work will have a strong housing focus with a parcel-by-parcel citywide residential survey and analysis for a baseline of information to compare and look for trends. She said this company had a wide spectrum of stakeholder involvement. There will be four primary committees and north side, mid and south side areas subcommittees involving 50-60 volunteers.
Commissioner Grindberg said this is an important topic and he is excited about all the involvement. There was rigorous debate on the selection, he said; however, he is pleased with the firm selected and expects good things to come. He said wrapping this up before the next legislative session will be beneficial to citizens.
Commissioner Strand moved the Consulting Agreement with czb, LLC for Consulting Services for the Core Neighborhoods Master Plan be approved.
Second by Grindberg. On call of the roll Commissioners Strand, Grindberg, Gehrig, Piepkorn and Mahoney voted aye.
No Commissioner being absent and none voting nay, the motion was declared carried.
Snow Removal Update:
Mayor Mahoney said the City was hammered this weekend with more than 9 inches of snow and Public Works staff have been working for 72 hours with plans to clean Downtown tonight.
Public Works Director of Operations Ben Dow said preparations began a week ago and a brine treatment was done to the roads anticipating the storm might move in Thursday night; however, it delayed until Saturday morning. Plowing was underway all day Saturday into Sunday morning, he said, and with the 33 mph winds, it looked like nothing was done Saturday night even though crews fought to keep roads open during the overnight. Plowing residential areas began at 7:00 a.m. Sunday, he said, there are about 500 miles of residential roads and about 197 miles of arterial roads to clear. He said with 22-24 pieces of equipment, it is about 30-33 miles in each of 15 zones. Some of the challenges were the temperatures being right at freezing so that ice bond slowed equipment down and the snow was heavy, he said. He said they struggled and every piece of equipment was in use Sunday.
Commissioner Strand said Mr. Dow does a great job interacting with the public.
Mr. Dow said he and Assistant City Attorney Nancy Morris are working on drafting an Ordinance that would restrict parking on streets when there is 4 or more inches of snow, based on a declaration made by the Mayor. It would involve a fine for cars parked on streets, he said, as there is not the capacity to tow all the vehicles. This is change, he said, and will take time. An Ordinance will come to the Board in a month or so, he said, and work will continue with parking regulations as the year goes on. He said it will be similar to Minneapolis/St. Paul’s Ordinances.
In response to a question from Commissioner Grindberg asking whether the change to get rid of the congestion would help the speed of getting the streets cleared, Mr. Dow said with different times and different events it is hard to put a number on that. He said it definitely would have shaved time off some of the events that happened last year. He said every event last year involved two or three accidents such as crews bumping parked cars.
Commissioner Piepkorn moved that the Board adjourn to 5:00 p.m., Monday, December 16, 2019.
Second by Grindberg. All the Commissioners voted aye and the motion was declared carried.
The time at adjournment was 6:14 p.m.