Committee Minutes

Grand Forks City Council Service/Safety Standby Committee
Tuesday, March 1, 2011 - 5:30 p.m.____________________

The Service/Safety Standby Committee met on Tuesday, March 1, 2011 at 5:30 p.m. in the council chambers in City Hall with Council Member Bjerke presiding. Present at roll call were Bjerke, Grandstrand, Kreun.

Others present included: Al Grasser, Todd Feland, Dean Rau, Hazel Sletten, Don Tucker, Melanie Parvey, Chief Packett, Chief O'Neill, Emily Fossen.

1. Create special assessment district for Project No. 6631, Dist. 471, sanitary sewer on S. 11th Street (40th to 44th Aves.S.)
Dean Rau, asst. city engineer, reported they received request from the Park District in support of the first three items, this item is creating district for sanitary sewer along S. 11th Street from 40th to 44th Aves. S. and is adj. to the new Wellness Center, that Altru bought some property between S. Washington and 11th Sts. and are looking at developing that site and this utility will serve both properties. He reported they received additional letter and that both property owners are requesting that we waive the 50% upfront money for development, and the engineering department doesn't have any concerns re. the waiver. Total project cost including assessment fees is approx. $163,000 and looking at construction this coming season

Kreun noted that they are asking that the project be special assessed 100%, that they are aware that we have some legal and administrative costs, interim financing, etc. that they will be paying through the special assessment process. Our customary position would be that the developer would pay for 50% of the cost and special assess the balance, and they are asking to special assess the entire cost and that Altru Hospital and Park District will not default, land is worth more than the construction cost; engineering feels that is an option we could utilize. Motion by Bjerke/Grandstrand to approve and refer recommendation to city council. Motion carried.

2. Create special assessment district for Project No. 6689, Dist. 304, watermain on S. 11th Street (40th to 44th Aves.S.)
Mr. Rau stated this is request for watermain installation that will tie in with watermain on 40th Ave. and existing line near 44th Ave.S. and serve both properties under same conditions; total cost est. with assessment fees at $150,000 and property owners asking to special assess entire project cost 100% and asking for approval of engineer's report and create the assessment district and to prepare plans and specs. Motion by Grandstrand/Bjerke to approve and refer recommendation to city council. Motion carried.

3. Create special assessment district for Project No. 6712, Dist. 472, storm sewer on S. 11th Street (40th to 44th Aves.S.)
Mr. Rau reported same scenario, total est. cost of the project with assessment value at $146,000, that they will be installing the storm sewer in first because quite deep and this will allow settlement over the winter, paving will be done next year in 2012 and help everything to settle out and no cracking problems on the concrete. All three underground projects will be done this year and paving next year. Motion by Bjerke/Grandstrand to approve and refer recommendation to city council. Motion carried.

4. In-kind support for Energy and Environmental Research Center Pilot Project on converting wood waste into liquid fuels.
Melanie Parvey, public works, reported that John Hurley, EERC, would be presenting information re. pilot project that he presented to public works staff , and that he is asking for the City to assist him in this project for in-kind services; that they are interested in the project and
to bring that information to the committee.

John Hurley stated that the EERC is currently building a mobile indirect liquefaction system, that this is a system on a semi-trailer truck that can be moved to places where there are substantial amounts of cellulosic biomass wood waste or other types of waste and can take that waste and
convert it into a liquid fuel, either for use at a different site or possibly for sale. They are building the system but can see needed improvements and would like to request from the State of North Dakota State Renewable Energy Council for some funding to make these improvements and test the system - that they would like to do the tests in Grand Forks at the municipal waste processing facility using wood waste or other possible wastes (paper, cardboard, grass, etc.) and would like the City's support in preparing the proposal and in support letter and some in-kind costs for the work. He described the system to the committee.
He noted advantages of the system are that they can save on cost of disposal of both new waste, wood waste including paper, cardboard, etc., that this was originally designed for a situation where you might have a legacy piles of wood waste, and that a number of saw mills in MN and other areas of the country where there are thousands of tons of wood waste and grated so much that not good for mulch or other commercial use and this system could be used to convert that into liquid fuel. He stated they want to test it here because it could also be used for municipal waste processing facility. This would be revenue for waste producers, and makes sense to convert the biomass into a liquid fuel at the site of the biomass because transportation cost of biomass is very high; there is possible market advantage for green fuels and possible job creation in rural areas.
He stated what they are requesting from the City - need a place to site system (30 ft. x 70 ft.) and about 200 lbs. of chipped wood waste per hour and help in moving that wood, esp. in bringing it over and dumping it onto another trailer that has a walker/feeder that feeds it onto the conveyor; that they are interested in other types of cellulosic waste (grass or paper/cardboard resource) that could be used; and would like access to utilities (they would provide their own generator and not need to hook up to electrical) but will need some water (that there is a truck that can bring water to them, approx. 500 gal. and wastewater removal (as water contains some chemicals and intend to clean it up as need be) and hoping that level of chemicals with be low enough to be disposed of in municipal wastewater processing system. Operation time will be late next summer, possibly extending into the next spring, and not work out there over the winter and would like from the City in terms of in-kind costs are the items that he outlined (wood waste, place to site it, water analysis and water removal and if possible would like to get a letter of support that they could include with their application for funding, application due by May 1. He also stated this is not designed to be a commercial system but designed to test the technology.

Kreun stated that he didn't have problem with the request, of putting 200 lbs./hour using payloader to dump material into hopper (possibly once a day), have space available, and access to our water and wastewater is minimal - test pilot not too demanding on any resources.

Feland stated the wood pile is in the inert landfill where they grind the wood and where the trailer will be placed, will coordinate daily and work into landfill operations, and support UND and EERC in this pilot project. Wood waste is used for roads and cover material, that they wanted some cardboard and that we have sites around town that have cardboard and paper, and also have yardwaste, everything in the same area, and that they would write the letter of support, noting that Service/Safety Comm. reviewed this and made recommendation to city council and that the city council would make that recommendation with the letter of support. Motion by Grandstrand/Bjerke to approve recommendation and refer to city council. Motion carried.
5. Water meter and encoded receiver transmitter (ERT's) bids.
Hazel Sletten, water superintendent, reported they bid meters for new construction every year- and low bid of Fargo Water Equipment for meters and Mueller Systems for ERT's based on low combined total for meters and ERT's of $35,453.66 for new construction and balance of budget for ERT's only at bid price ($120,000 budgeted). They will be buying additional ERT's because batteries in the ERT's that were installed in 1998-2000 after the flood when they did the whole city are getting weak and will be doing that in-house towards end of the summer - bids are good for one year. Project will take approx. 5 years. (re: in-house she noted that several residents have called back with complimentary remarks for the install crew.) Motion by Bjerke/Grandstrand to approve recommendation and refer to city council. Motion carried.

6. Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) cationic polymer bid #2011-4)
Don Tucker, wastewater dept., reported that the low bid on the equipment is from Polydyne, Inc in the amount of $46,400, that Polydyne has been supplying the polymer for the last 4 to 5 years, and asked for permission to accept the low bid. Motion by Bjerke/ Grandstrand to approve recommendation and refer to city council. Motion carried.

7. Info. item.
Grandstrand questioned fence at community gardens and if that item will be brought back to committee. Melanie Parvey reported that she had discussed this with Amazing Grains, that they have some ideas and would like to go back and work something out with what was approved by council and then won't need to come back to committee - but if the group would like to come back, will support them and bring the issue forward.

AJOURN

Motion by Bjerke/Grandstrand to adjourn, motion carried. Meeting adjourned at 6:00 p.m.

Alice Fontaine
City Clerk