Committee Minutes

MINUTES/FLOOD RESPONSE COMMITTEE
Wednesday, July 2, 1997 - 6:00 p.m.

I. Call to order:
Members present: Hafner, Glassheim, Bakken, Polovitz.

II. Matter of bids for flood-related projects:
Charles Grotte, asst. dir./public works, presented tabulation of bids on behalf of M.A.Mortenson, who have reviewed bids.

a) Senior Citizens' Center elevator refurbishment
Mr. Grotte reported they were recommending the low bid of Advanced Elevator in the amount of $17,100. Moved by Glassheim and Polovitz to accept the low bid as presented. Motion carried. (comm. only) (council to be provided with listing of expenditures approved by committee)

b) Abuse Center Building dehumidification
Mr. Grotte reported low bidder was HazTran in the amount of $11,600 (this is at their new location in City Center Mall). Moved by Polovitz and Glassheim to accept low bid as presented. Motion carried. (comm. only)

c) City Hall general construction
Mr. Grotte reported that Mortenson's received bid on Tuesday, received only one bid and are reviewing the project to come up with an estimate so have basis for comparison, whether this is accept-able or not. Held until Monday, July 7, at 6:30 p.m.

d) Water Plant telephone system
Charlie Vein, Advanced Eng., and Dave Hangslaben, Reliance, were present. Bakken stated that this was referred back from council because they were informed that they are having problems with same system in the police department. Mr. Vein stated he was not familiar with that situation, that they are having problems getting telephone system into the water plant, even on a temporary basis, that they had called Reliance during emergency and got temp. system installed and worked out very well on temporary basis. Reps. from Reliance stated if had problem weren't aware and would like to address that; and noted that is not their system in the police bldg. (Toshiba system plus PSAP has 911 system) but have done repair work there, that no one has notified them there is a problem there. Hazel Fetters-Sletten, water supt., stated she had called Carpenter after bid was pulled and he said it was temp. system used at auditing office, called and was told that response time was slow but when got there could do job; she stated they have worked with Reliance for number of years and response time never been an issue for them. Mr. Schmisek stated it was his understanding that it was more of a timing problem but were able to do job, and not something he would consider major. Reliance reps. stated they were not aware of a problem with response time and asked that they let them know.

Polovitz moved to accept the bid of Reliance Telephone Company for $27,860.00. Motion carried. (Comm. only)
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III. Matter of alternative flood mitigation projects - study.
Mr. Vein stated that on June 26 they had joint meeting with East Grand Forks and that the memorandum that was issued stated "...that furthermore we recommend that our cities obtain joint technical assistance to work along side the Corps throughout the feasibility study. In particular this assistance should review the Corps' criteria for benefit/cost analysis and also consider socio- economic factors in determining both benefits and costs." He stated they have distributed a copy of some literature from EQE International, firm that has been working as part of the HUD team in helping with some of the management issues the City had in tasking and presentation made earlier. He stated they have provided him with some of the expertise they have specific to the area of determining benefit/cost ratios for projects. He stated they are working with HUD as far as possible to incorporate this as an additional part to their contract, but that has not been determined yet but will pursue, but thinks it's an essential task that the City needs to undertake in hiring a consultant to proceed with this type of analysis based on the comments of public, council, etc. He stated that there was letter included in the packet which discussed the objectives and tasks involved, where they would review and gather existing standards, guidelines, related data, review alternative designs, review existing benefit/cost analysis, make recommendations and report and provide project management liaison. He introduced Dr. Charles Scawthorn of EQE International who has submitted proposal, including credentials of the firm, and looking at timeframe of doing this within next month (by the end of July).

Dr. Scawthorn stated they were comfortable with the timeframe if received authorization by this week. He stated they have done benefit cost analysis on alternative designs, but have not done critique of Corps benefit/cost analysis. He stated that in benefit/cost the Corps requires that a project have a ratio greater than one, that there are two sides to that equation, benefit and cost; that the cost is usually better known that the benefits, and usually questions come in on the benefit side; that they describe how they will look into and includes reviewing how they arrived at their costs, and then depending on how satisfied they are with their costs, are prepared to go out to construction firms. He stated that on the benefit side, which is usually more uncertain and questionable, and in this case the big part of the benefit is the variation in damage between different alternatives that would be incurred by homes if designs overtopped; so that kind of regional loss estimation they are very strong in, and thinks they can look at that very carefully. He stated he has not worked with the Corps before but others in the firm have. He also noted that attached to their proposal is a listing of projects he personally has been involved in and also description of projects that others in the firm have been involved in, many for the State of California, Office of Emergency Services. He also noted that two
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members of the firm have PHD's in benefit/cost analysis. He stated they have done benefit/cost analysis in Persian Gulf for the repairs of a large L & G processing plant.

Council Member Hagness stated he has received letters from two people re. ideas on diversion on west side of river; he stated he had one comment to leave with them - that a levee gives a false sense of security; and would like them to look at diversion and cost/benefit ratio and if feasible to go in that direction.

Moved by Bakken and Polovitz to accept proposal of EQE International for review of benefit/cost analysis re. flood mitigation alternatives for the City of Grand Forks.

Mr. Vein stated that specific recommendation by staff did not say east side or west side, that EQE International will critique what Corps has completed to date, and any look at west side diversion has already been given to the Corps of Engrs. specifically through Sen. Conrad's office as a separate task, but this is going to be looking at benefits and looking at cost of what Corps has done and critique that. The committee asked how this was different than first consultant. Mr. Vein stated that first consultant worked at less than 40 hours and identified that the fact that more effort should go into looking at the benefit ratio, and now having that analyzed to see whether concur with the approach used by the Corps; haven't received bill for that but thinks about $5,000. Hagness questioned if take Corps figures, how get anything different that what Corps has given us, and would like to see this consultant give benefit/cost ratio of apples to apples and not just what Corps is going to fund. Dr. Scawthorn stated that the Corps has certain formulas and first of all they will make analysis within those formulas and then outside those formulas, and secondly, their intent is to look very carefully at the Corps' numbers, basis for those, they stated they did this very quickly, that by being there and asking questions will be exposing amount of engineering detail that went into that, and if inadequacies will be identifying those and trying to improve on those in the sense of going out and getting better cost data and that on the benefit side the major part of the benefit is the reduced damage, which is calculated on the probablistic fashion.

Hal Gershman stated that the benefits were pre-1997 flood so quite a bit of room to add, and 2) heard at presentation today that Missouri people did not have benefit/cost ratio in line for their levee that hey will start soon, and Rep. Gebhardt went in to Congress and put down historic districts, that you can't put a dollar value on and it went through, and he will be getting that information to Rep. Pomeroy.

Upon call for the question, the motion carried.

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IV. Matter of agreement to provide professional disaster grants
management service.
Mr. Schmisek stated this was more for information as they will be bringing this back at their meeting on Monday; that they are finding as they go through damage survey reports and workload that's involved, think it would be wise for the City to enter into an agreement to hire a professional disaster grants management services team, someone who has been involved in these things throughout the country. He stated he visited with Sarah Hellickson who works with these along with our office and she is in full agreement, and she stated she was about to come in and ask for assistance. He stated the goal is to maximize the state and federal funds they will receive and by hiring a company such as this, they know different approvals that have received in other disasters, waivers, etc., that Mr. Swanson has copy of the draft agreement with David M. Griffiths & Associates, the same company that is working with UND so have people in the community already. He stated that scope of services would include assisting in com-pletion of federal and/or state disaster assistance application, review federal and/or state damage survey reports for eligibility appeals, establish disaster project files and compile with City assistance disaster project costs, determine timing and amounts of requests for advance of federal and/or state funds, etc. He stated he wantedo make committee aware of this and will bring back on Monday. Held until Monday, July 7.

V. Other business: - report from subcommittee.
Polovitz reported that subcommittee met this morning and purpose of committee was to look into what help is available for those who sustained major damage and are outside 100-year flood plain. He stated this was brainstorming session, that they will re-emphasize to Mr. O'Leary that the subcommittee would like him to come up with proposals for this committee to consider.

The committee will meet on Monday, July 7, at 6:30 p.m. and
will hold regular meeting on Wednesday, July 9, at 5:00 p.m.

Moved by Polovitz and Bakken to adjourn; meeting adjourned at 6:40 p.m.

Alice Fontaine
City Clerk

Dated: 7/05/97.