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PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE 2017/07/19 MinutesPUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE MEETING WEDNESDAY, JULY 19, 2017 – 6:00 P.M. CITY HALL – UPSTAIRS CONFERENCE ROOM I. ROLL CALL/CALL TO ORDER Chairman Stanford Tack called the meeting to order at 6:00 P.M. Aldermen Michelle Moreno and Melanie Rummel were in attendance. Staff in attendance included Michael Thomas, Director of Public Works; Dan Martin, Superintendent of Public Works; Bob Ells, Superintendent of Engineering and Jim Lockefeer, Management Analyst. II. APPROVAL OF THE JUNE 15, 2017 PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES Chairman Tack moved to approve the June 15, 2017 Public Works Committee meeting minutes. Alderman Moreno seconded the motion, which carried unanimously. III. REVIEW AND RECOMMENDATION TO CITY COUNCIL OF AN AWARD OF BID AND PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENTS FOR THE SOUTH BEACH ACCESS ROAD PROJECT – MICHAEL THOMAS & BOB ELLS Director of Public Works, Michael Thomas, explained that the bid opening for South Beach Access road occurred yesterday, July 18. Director Thomas explained that City staff was very pleased with the received bids for the project. He explained that all the bids received were from reputable contractors who have all completed work locally. All the contractors who submitted a bid attended the mandatory onsite pre-bid meeting at the South Beach Access Road to better understand the project. The low bid received for this project was from Lake County Grading. He explained that City staff does not have any reason to not select Lake County Grading for this project. They have completed many local excavating projects and have a lot of experience with large scale excavation work. He explained that staff recommends the bid is awarded to Lake County Grading for the South Beach Access Road Project. Director Thomas explained that City staff is also recommending executing an agreement with AECOM Engineering for professional inspection services. He explained that a City Engineering Assistant will oversee the project, however there will be times during the project when the new retaining wall will need to be inspected and tested by a qualified firm. Director Thomas explained that after Lake County Grading completes the project work, the bluff area will be appropriately seeded and blanketed. City staff has discussed internally how to replant the area. It was discussed that utilizing Cliff Miller, who designed and implemented the Forest Park Landscape Plan, would be the best option to replant the South Beach Access Road appropriately. Director Thomas explained that the service agreement to use Mariani Landscape is essentially for Cliff Miller services. Cliff Miller had sold his business to Mariani Landscape six months ago. He explained that Cliff Miller and Mariani just completed landscape design work for a ravine in Lake Bluff. Mr. Miller believes that using a design similar to the design utilized in Lake Bluff would benefit the South Beach Access Road area. The request to include Mariani brings the total budget total to $1,106,000. This amount is $117,000 under the estimated budget. Director Thomas explained that the full budgeted amount will still be requested. Those funds may be potentially utilized to go out to bid for the bluff to be replanted after the project work is completed and Cliff completes the landscape design. Director Thomas explained that these funds may also be utilized for some potential ComEd work that would need to be completed prior to the beginning of the project. He explained that ComEd has a large trunk line that goes under the South Beach Access Road. That line will need to be disconnected prior to any project work beginning. Director Thomas explained that ComEd still needs to locate the line and will most likely look to complete a design prior to making the disconnection. This potentially will take some time. Staff will continue to work with ComEd in order to get this completed by the project start date, September 5. Although ComEd will relocate this line, they will charge the City in order to do so. Therefore, some of the $117,000 may be needed to pay ComEd to move their line. Director Thomas explained that the City Attorney is also looking into the City’s franchise agreement with ComEd to see if there is a requirement to have to pay ComEd for this type of work. Alderman Moreno inquired about the choice to plant grass on the bluff. Director Thomas explained that it was necessary to plant a cover crop after the project work is completed to assist in the overall stabilization of the bluff. Knowing that the grass would not be sufficient, the decision was made to seek Cliff Miller and Mariani for a landscape design. They will be planting long rooted materials that fit their landscape design. Chairman Tack made a motion to recommend awarding the construction bid to Lake County Grading and the professional service agreements to AECOM and Mariani Landscape, for the South Beach Access Road Project. Alderman Moreno seconded the motion, which carried unanimously. IV. DISCUSSION OF FOOD SCRAP RECYCLING – DAN MARTIN Superintendent of Public Works, Dan Martin, explained that back in May, Lake Bluff and Highwood made some changes that gave their residents an opportunity to food scrap. Chairman Tack inquired about the reasoning behind implementing a food scrap program. Superintendent Martin explained that these programs are implemented with the goal to divert more solid waste from the landfill. Director Thomas explained that City staff is interested in obtaining real numbers from both Highwood and Lake Bluff to see if these communities are truly diverting more waste from their regular refuse and what the cost and / or savings are. Superintendent Martin explained that the City currently offers a way to at home compost. The City offers residents the opportunity to purchase home composting Earth Machines. There is very little, if any, City cost to implement these Earth Machines if a resident is interested in purchasing one. The Sanitation Section keeps the machines in stock and will deliver a machine to a resident’s home. He explained that the cost to purchase the Earth Machine through the City is $55. Home Depot is currently selling the machines for $100. To date, 148 Earth Machines have been purchased through the City. He explained that the Earth Machines are advertised on the City’s website and also through the City’s quarterly dialogue. These at home compost machines gives residents who are truly interested in food scraping, an opportunity to food scrap and compost at home. Superintendent Martin explained that according to City Sanitation employees and City administrative staff, there has not been much demand from residents for a more robust food scraping program. Superintendent Martin then explained Highwood and Lake Bluff’s food scraping program. He explained that Highwood has a designated food scrap cart for residents in addition to the regular refuse and recycle carts. This food scrap cart was purchased for each of Highwood home. He explained that this program was implemented as a pilot program back in May. As part of their food scrap program implementation, Highwood’s collection service fees increased 25%. He explained that different collection trucks are needed to collect the refuse, recycling, and the food scraps in order to keep everything separated. Superintendent Martin explained that Lake Bluff’s program is referred to as a ride along program. Lake Bluff’s program allows for their residents to put food scraps directly into yard waste bags. These food scraps need to mixed into a yard waste bag that contains yard waste materials. This allows for the food scraps to be collected with the yard waste. Lake Bluff collects the yard waste and food scraps once a week. He explained that one potential challenge with this program exists for homeowners who are under contract with a landscaping firm. These homeowners are not necessarily producing any yard waste bags and therefore would not be able to food scrap via the ride along program. He explained that this is also a pilot program and City staff is interested in reviewing Lake Bluff’s program data to see if their diversion rate has truly gone down. Director Thomas explained that if the City was to look to implement a ride along program, the City would first need to notify the IEPA. The City would also would have to work with the Compost Center contractor who currently is contracted to grind yard waste bags and the yard waste materials that the bags contain. The existing contractor may not want food scrap materials processed and grinded in his machine. Superintendent Martin explained that another potential issue, if the City were to implement a ride along program, would be dealing with potential rodents and other animals who may look to tear open the bags that are placed at the curb for collection and / or reside near the Compost Center and use it as a food source. Director Thomas explained that wet yard waste bags are another potential issue. If a bag becomes wet, a Sanitation employee looks to pick up the bag from the bottom to try to keep that bag intact. However, bags still do break. It’s not much of an issue when leaves, grass clippings, and sticks spill out on to road or driveway, but it may be a larger issue if those bags contain food scraps. Alde rman Moreno explained that yard waste bags containing food scraps, if not managed correctly by a resident, can become unsightly and also pose a health risk. Alderman Rummel inquired about food scrap material and if those materials are biodegrading at a refuse landfill already. Director Thomas explained that many of these materials will breakdown at a landfill. The reason these communities most likely implemented these programs is to bring down their refuse diversion rates. SWALCO has identified a reduction in community diversion rates as a goal for 2020. Director Thomas explained that staff is recommending to continue to monitor existing community food scrap programs. He explained that it is important to monitor and learn what challenges and benefits are received by implementing a food scrap collection program. He explained that the City will continue to advertise and offer the at home composting Earth Machines to residents at a reduced rate, and will continue to encourage recycling. Chairman Tack inquired if the Water Reclamation District has any issue in residents utilizing garbage disposals to dispose of some food scraps. Director Thomas explained that they have not in the past. The microorganisms that those materials attract help in managing the sludge. Alderman Moreno explained that she has actually purchased an Earth Machine and that her garbage that is produced at her home has gone down by 50%. Superintendent Martin explained that the City will continue to advertise the Earth Machines and hopefully residents interested in composting will look to purchase one. V. NEXT MEETING – WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20 OR 27, 2017 – 6 P.M. @ MS Director Thomas explained that he had a few other updates to bring to the Committee’s attention. Director Thomas explained that staff would like to bring the topic of Fire capital equipment to the next Public Works Committee meeting. Chairman Tack explained that there is a lot of information that needs to be reviewed by the Committee in order to have an effective conversation on Fire capital equipment. The Committee will have to examine the calls the Department is currently handling and take into consideration the future of the City’s Fire Department in order to determine a necessary capital equipment purchase. Alderman Rummel explained that there is organizational push at the County level to consolidate fire service. She explained that the Committee will need to have a very high level view of all the Fire Department conversations and issues when discussing the purchase of capital equipment. Director Thomas then provided the Committee with an update on the City’s Water Fund Revenue. Director Thomas explained that the City’s Finance Director, Elizabeth Holleb, put together a brief report for the Committee to review. He explained that water sales are down but revenue has increased a little due to the change in the water rate structure. Alderman Moreno inquired if staff had received any comments from residents in regards to the newly implemented pension fee that appears on a homeowner’s water bill. Director Thomas and Superintendent Martin explained that thy have not received any comments from residents. Alderman Rummel inquired about terminating a resident’s water service if a resident fails to pay the pension fee. Director Thomas explained that he would follow up with the City Attorney to find out the answer to Alderman Rummel’s question. Director Thomas then provided the Committee an update on stormwater fees. He explained the City Manager Kiely had a meeting with many other Lake County City Managers on this topic. City Manager Kiely learned that many other Lake County municipalities have implemented a stormwater fee. Chairman Tack asked staff to further explain stormwater fees. Superintendent of Engineering, Bob Ells, explained that it is similar to a resident’s water bill, in how revenue collected from that bill helps to maintain water infrastructure. He explained that stormwater utility fees generate revenues for municipalities to help maintain stormwater infrastructure. He explained that the City’s stormwater system does not have a dedicated funding source. Communities look to implement a stormwater fee in order to obtain a revenue stream to fund stormwater related projects. He explained that every year more and more communities in Lake and Cook County are beginning to implement this kind of utility fee. Superintendent Ells explained that implementing this type of fee does pose a challenge in determining the fee structure. He explained some communities utilize special formulas to account for property lot sizes and impervious surfaces. He explained that other communities utilize a flat fee. Chairman Tack explained that he felt as though the Committee would have to be very careful in discussing the creation of a new fee after City Council just approved the new pension fee. Alderman Moreno agreed and explained that she felt as though it would be a good idea to revisit this topic in the future. Alderman Rummel agreed with Chairman Tack’s and Alderman Moreno’s comments. Alderman Rummel then requested an update on the Beverly ComEd issue. Director Thomas explained that an onsite meeting with ComEd engineers was scheduled for this upcoming Friday. Alderman Rummel also requested that the previous meeting minutes be corrected in regards to the name of the resident who attended the last meeting. She explained that his first name should read J. instead of Joseph. VI. ADJOURNMENT Chairman Tack moved to adjourn the meeting of the Public Works Committee at 7:24 P.M. Alderman Moreno seconded the motion, which carried unanimously. Respectfully submitted, Jim Lockefeer Jr. Management Analyst