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PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE 2014/10/22 MinutesPUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE MEETING WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2014 – 6:00 P.M. MUNICIPAL SERVICES BUILDING – 800 N. FIELD DRIVE MS TRAINING ROOM MEETING MINUTES I. ROLL CALL/CALL TO ORDER: Chairman Cathy Waldeck called the meeting order at 6:15 p.m. Alderman Moreno was present. City staff in attendance included Robert Ells, Superintendent of Engineering; Brian Joyce, Engineering Supervisor; Dan Martin, Superintendent of Public Works; Robert Kiely, City Manager; Michael Thomas, Director of Public Works; Charlie Douglas, Assistant Chief Water Plant Operator; John Gulledge, Chief Water Plant Operator; and Donna Dunn, Assistant to the Director of Public Works. Other attendees included Mark Phipps, Baxter & Woodman; Brian Hackman, Strand Associates; and members of the public, Charlie Kohlmeyer and Walter Hamann. II. APPROVAL OF THE SEPTEMBER 10, 2014 PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES: Alderman Moreno moved to approve the minutes of the September 10, 2014 Public Works Committee Meeting as written. Chairman Waldeck seconded the motion, which carried unanimously. III. COMMUNITY RATING SYSTEM: This item was listed as Agenda Item IV, but discussed as Item III during the meeting. Superintendent Robert Ells introduced Engineering Supervisor Brian Joyce. The Committee viewed a FEMA video, which summarized the community rating system. Supervisor Joyce explained that communities within the voluntary program receive discounted flood insurance premiums. Based on the credit points earned, The City of Lake Forest receives a Class 7 discount, which varies between the 100-year flood zone and the 500-year flood zone. The Committee asked how many residents fall into each of the 100- and 500- year flood zone categories. Supervisor Joyce replied that there are approximately 70 structures, including homes and garages, within the 100-year flood zone. As of now, only 19 of those have flood insurance policies. The Committee questioned if there is a way to better the rating even further. Supervisor Joyce explained that staff can go through the process again. As of now, the points the City has been awarded will not increase if the process is completed again. The next step is to update the building codes, which will earn more points during a future review. Public Works Committee Meeting Minutes from October 22, 2014 Page 2 of 8 The Committee inquired about how homeowners are informed about flood zones. Supervisor Joyce replied that part of the real estate agent’s responsibility to the potential buyer is relaying information about flood zones. The Committee discussed how this flood insurance premium reduction will be communicated to members of the community. Supervisor Joyce noted that any communication with the community will result in additional points, and therefore further discounted rates, during future program reviews. Educating the community, residents within flood zones, and real estate agents will be part of the communication for this new program. Additionally, an article was published in the Dialogue and there will be flyers available at the upcoming Town Hall Meeting. No action was required. IV. STORM WATER STUDY: This item was listed as Agenda Item III, but was discussed as Item IV during the meeting. Director of Public Works Michael Thomas introduced Mark Phipps from Baxter & Woodman, and provided a brief overview of the history of the stormwater drainage study. Mr. Phipps explained to the Committee that he utilized City GIS data to build a storm sewer model of the entire City, including pipes 15” and larger, as well as supplemental data provided by City staff. Flooding reports from two substantial storms were used to calibrate the model. From this, ten (10) areas for more detailed study were identified, and recommended improvements were then prioritized. Mr. Phipps noted that flooding can always occur as a result of substantial storms, but infrastructure can reduce the potential for flooding. The model he used for the analysis was based on a 10-year storm. Mr. Phipps reviewed the recommendations with the Committee. 1. Arbor and Windridge – This project has already been completed. It was the easiest to address of the recommended improvements. The storm sewers have sufficient capacity, but they found that the drainage structures have restrictors which reduced the flow of water into the storm sewer system. The restrictors have since been removed, which reduces the flood depths by as much as 17“. Superintendent Ells noted that the restrictors were not meant to act as restrictors, but instead were something commonly installed 30 – 40 years ago to prevent debris from getting into the pipes. Staff sees no issue with those being removed. 2. West Fork and Hackberry – The proposed improvements for West Fork and Hackberry can be broken into three separate projects: Bowling Green, Farm and Wilson, and West Fork. The work would reduce flood depths as much as 23”. Public Works Committee Meeting Minutes from October 22, 2014 Page 3 of 8 3. Telegraph and White Oak – This location can also be broken into two separate projects, one on Telegraph and the remainder of the work on Wild Rose and White Oak. Mr. Phipps explained that there is no storm sewer on one side of Telegraph Road. The ditch would be filled in and replaced with a storm sewer. For the second project on Wild Rose, he explained that the bottleneck in the system actually occurs in a different location than where the flooding occurs. Increasing the size or quantity of the inlets will help address the flooding that occurs in this area. The Committee asked about other ditches and swales within Lake Forest. Mr. Phipps explained that ditches are a good option when safety is not a concern. These projects would reduce flood depths by as much as 8”. 4. West Westminster – Again, this area would be divided into two projects. The west end of Westminster would be one project, and the east end another. Mr. Phipps explained that increasing the inlet is easier than installing a new storm sewer. These projects would reduce flood depths by as much as 8”. 5. Green Bay and Old Elm – Mr. Phipps noted that the bottleneck in the system is in a different location than flooding occurs. An increase in size of the storm sewer pipe is recommended on Old Elm between Timber and Green Bay, and will reduce flood depths as much as 8”. 6. Burr Oak – This area’s improvements would consist of two projects, one east of Western Avenue and one west of Western Avenue. One of the goals of the proposed improvements is that the recommendation won’t move water from one problem area and to another. These projects would reduce flood depths as much as 7”. 7. Hunter and Saddle – Mr. Phipps noted that improvements at this location would be handled in two phases. Saddle and Hunter would be one project and Bridle would be a separate project. Improvements involve increasing the size of the culvert under the railroad tracks and ditch grading. The flood depths would be reduced as much as 13”. 8. Western and Onwentsia – There is one proposed storm sewer project for this area that would reduce flood depths as much as 8”. 9. King Muir – The proposed project for King Muir would increase size of storm sewers in order to get the stormwater to a detention pond, reducing flood depths as much as 10”. 10. Ahwahnee and North Ridge – Mr. Phipps noted that this project is the most expensive of all the study areas, and is further down on the priority list. The Public Works Committee Meeting Minutes from October 22, 2014 Page 4 of 8 proposed improvements by IDOT at Route 41 and Deerpath were taken into consideration in a second model. While the IDOT improvements resolve localized problems, other changes would have to be made. This area would consist of three projects (the northeast, east, and west), reducing flood depths as much as 18”. Mr. Phipps reviewed the prioritized list of storm sewer improvements. Multiple projects for each area were listed and prioritized separately. The cost of the project was taken into consideration in prioritizing the list of proposed improvements. Additionally, a weighted prioritization was used with the highest priority given to structure (home) flooding, second was for street flooding, and the lowest to yard flooding. Other factors that were considered included resident concerns and other infrastructure projects scheduled in the area. An example of this method was Bowling Green. Reconstruction of Bowling Green was already scheduled so the priority of the stormwater improvements was moved up to avoid redoing road construction work in the future. There were areas in which residents are impacted every time it rains, raising the priority of the proposed work. City Manager Robert Kiely noted that staff’s policy has been to prioritize projects based on structure (home) flooding first, followed by street flooding, and then yard flooding. The Committee agreed that these priorities should remain as they have been in the past. Director Thomas noted that Council members will see these projects during the November 5 Budget Meeting, as all of these projects (one per year) have been added to the Capital Plan. Chairman Waldeck asked if all stormwater issues will be addressed upon completion of prioritized list. Superintendent Ells explained that there is the potential for additional isolated problem areas in the future after these focus areas are addressed. No was action required. V. REQUEST TO PURCHASE THREE (3) SIDEWALK SNOW BLOWERS: Director Thomas discussed the sidewalk snow plowing survey that was released to residents in February 2014. The 30-day survey resulted in 765 responses, which he reviewed with the Committee. Survey results were initially reviewed by the Committee last spring, and as a result, the Committee recommended that sidewalks within ¼- mile of schools and sidewalks along main roads be cleared with a snow blower. The remaining sidewalks will continue to be plowed as they have been. This recommendation will result in 55% of sidewalks being blown and 45% being plowed. Director Thomas displayed a map of the areas that will be cleared with blowers placed on Toolcats®. Director Thomas requested approval from the Public Works Committee to purchase three (3) blowers for the Toolcats in the amount of $17,178. The Committee asked if these blowers are new or if staff has considered purchasing Public Works Committee Meeting Minutes from October 22, 2014 Page 5 of 8 used/reconditioned units. Director Thomas explained that these are new units that are attachments for existing pieces of equipment. The Committee asked if the blowers will make a significant difference in terms of quality. Director Thomas replied that the v-plows that have been used for sidewalk plowing has a specific height; therefore, when the snow piles on each side of the walkway get to the point where they are too high, the snow falls behind the sidewalk plow. With the blower, the snow can be blown at a greater distance to one side or the other, which will improve quality significantly. It should also reduce the number of people walking in the street. The Committee asked if there is a discount for purchasing multiple blowers at once. Director Thomas was uncertain and will follow-up with the vendor. The Committee asked if the blowers can be received in separate months. He replied that they cannot because then they will not be able to use them for the sidewalk clearing program if they were received throughout the winter. Director Thomas added that if approved, staff would like to present the topic of sidewalk snow blowing to the residents at an upcoming Town Hall meeting and via the “Dialogue!”. He said he would like the residents to know that the City issued a survey, listened to the results, and via the snow blowers, is attempting to resolve the common complaint regarding quality of the City sidewalks during the winter months. The Committee asked about the lifespan of the blowers. Director Thomas replied that they should last approximately 8 – 10 years. He also confirmed that there is a warranty with each blower. Chairman Waldeck motioned to approve the purchase of three blowers from Bobcat in the amount of $17,178. Alderman Moreno seconded the motion, which carried unanimously. VI. WATER TREATMENT PLANT MASTER PLAN UPDATE: Brian Hackman from Strand Associates provided the Committee with a status update on the master plan. Since the last meeting, Strand Associates received and evaluated two proposals from AquaSource, requested clarifications and updates from the other membrane system integrators, developed and evaluated probable costs associated with the membrane system and Water Plant needs, and identified monetary and non-monetary cost impacts. The Committee asked if one of the proposals from AquaSource was a “no cost” option to the City. Mr. Hackman said there was not a “no-cost” proposal; the base proposal from AquaSource was $2.6 million. Chairman Waldeck stated that the letter from AquaSource notifying the City that they would no longer produce the modules we use at the Plant stated that they would retrofit the Plant at no additional cost to the City. Therefore, there should be a proposal by Public Works Committee Meeting Minutes from October 22, 2014 Page 6 of 8 AquaSource that provides a solution at no extra cost to the City. Prior to receiving the letter in May from AquaSource, the City was not considering retrofitting the Plant to achieve 14MGD. The Committee would like clarification on the options from AquaSource, to include retrofitting the Plant at its current MGD capability with the replacement modules at no cost. Mr. Hackman reviewed the potential to reuse existing equipment where appropriate with the four remaining manufacturers. Pre-filters, membrane skids, first floor expansion, membrane controls, backwash pumps and tanks, clean-in place process, ancillary equipment, and raw water pumps were all evaluated for possible reuse of existing equipment. After reviewing and evaluating the proposals from the four manufacturers, the average total probable cost of capital improvements to the Plant were an average of $9.3 million. The variance between all four manufacturers was +/- $150,000. The total probable cost included an average cost of the membrane system equipment, the installation of required systems by the contractor, and contingency and technical services. The Committee asked how much of the total probable cost is for the purchase of the replacement modules. Mr. Hackman replied that the modules are approximately 1/9th of the $9.3 million average, equating to roughly $1 million for replacement modules. The remaining costs are other capital improvements that are required for the retrofit. City Manager Kiely clarified that the outstanding question that needs to be answered is what the least costly alternative is in order to keep the Water Plant functioning and the doors open. He said that currently, the City Council has no other option on the table than to spend $9.3 million on the Water Plant. The Council needs to understand what the options are and what the least costly option is to keep the Plant functioning as-is. Once they have that information, the Council can then decide if they want to spent more money to increase the capacity at the Plant. Additionally, Finance Director Elizabeth Holleb will need to determine what impact the costs will have on water rates. The Committee agreed with City Manager Kiely’s comments. Committee members asked Mr. Hackman what other communities that chose AquaSource are doing to retrofit their Water Treatment Plants. Mr. Hackman indicated that communities were polled originally, but can be polled again to see what progress has been made at each location, if any. The Committee agreed that the three manufacturers other than AquaSource should also be given the opportunity to submit costs based on current MGD capability. Additionally, the Committee felt that staff needs to demand clarification on the statement in the letter stating that there would be no Public Works Committee Meeting Minutes from October 22, 2014 Page 7 of 8 additional cost and determine if legal action is necessary. Mr. Hackman noted that there is a timeline restriction in that it is unknown how long the membranes that the City has on-hand will last. It’s important to work at a pace that everyone is comfortable with, but it is approximately a five-year process. Between now and the March budget meeting, the Committee would like to review information from the Water Treatment Plants in California and elsewhere in the United States that currently utilize AquaSource membranes and the base cost to keep the Plant functioning at its current capacity. Mr. Hackman indicated that the turnaround time for the base cost should be quick and could potentially have information for the Committee to review at the November 19 meeting. Mr. Hackman clarified that the non -membrane costs are spread out over a 20- year period. These are costs that are recurring and would occur with or without the retrofit. Staff requested to proceed with the bid for the pre-algae screen project in November. The proposed pre-algae system will work with any membrane system and takes one of the two major capacity issues off the table. The construction is scheduled to be completed before May when demand begins to increase. The Committee agreed to proceed with the pre-algae system project. VII. OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC COMMENT: None. VIII. OTHER (NOT ON THE AGENDA): Superintendent Ells updated the Committee on the proposed improvements at the Deerpath and Route 41 intersection. IDOT completed a traffic study and determined that the traffic at this intersection warrants a traffic signal. The City needs to consider this option and how it will impact traffic on Deerpath. IDOT had the storm water lift station project funded in their 5-year program and anticipated a total cost of $4.8 million. The total project cost is actually $8 million. IDOT has proposed that they will pay the $8 million for the project, and in return, the City would take ownership of the pump station. The traffic signals would fall under the same agreement that the City has with the State for the other traffic signals on State roadways. The City will receive a letter from IDOT outlining their proposal and requesting a “Letter of Intent”, which is not binding. Detailed design will not begin until IDOT receives a Letter of Intent from the City. Superintendent Ells added that this project will not occur until FY18 or FY19. The Committee agreed that the City needs to determine what the capitalization/amortization over the useful life is and factor in annual operating costs. Director Thomas added that he would like to ensure that Water Plant Public Works Committee Meeting Minutes from October 22, 2014 Page 8 of 8 employees are involved in the design of the pump station. Superintendent Ells noted that Water Plant staff would be involved in the design. The Committee asked that staff prepare pros, cons, and costs associated with this project. Once the letter is received, City Manager Kiely noted that it will be City Council that signs off on the Letter of Intent. The Committee added that the hospital should also weigh in on the proposed improvement by incorporating their updated traffic information based on the new hospital. No action was required. IX. NEXT MEETING: Director Thomas proposed that the next Public Works Committee Meeting be held on November 19, 2014 at 6:00 p.m. He will confirm this date and time via email. X. ADJOURNMENT: Alderman Moreno motioned to adjourn the meeting at 8:45 p.m. Chairman Waldeck seconded the motion, which carried unanimously. Respectfully submitted, Donna Dunn Assistant to the Director of Public Works