Committee Minutes

MINUTES/PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE
Monday, September 28, 1998 – 4:00 p.m.

Members present: Bakken, Bouley, Martinson.

1. Request from Forks Fighters Youth Athletic Club for refund
of temporary restaurant license.
Moved by Bouley and Martinson to approve the request for refund of temporary restaurant license fee ($65.00). Motion carried.

2. Request from Community Violence Intervention Center (CVIC)
to hold walk – “Take Back the Night” on Thursday, October
15, starting at 7:00 p.m.
Edie Dahlen, CVIC, stated she was here to request approval of the “Take Back the Night” march starting at University Memorial Union (map had been enclosed showing route). Chief Packett stated that they would support the request for the walk and Neighborhood Resource Officers were planning on partici-pating with it as well. Moved by Bouley and Martinson to approve the request. Motion carried.

3. Consideration of bids for purchase of radar machines for
police department.
Capt. Kjelstrom presented tabulation of bids, that low bidder was Decatur Electronics for regular standard radar units, and recommended purchase of the 7 Genesis I units, with trade-in of 7 units, for $7,875.00. Moved by Martinson and Bouley to authorize purchase from Decatur Electronics of 7 Genesis I radar units. Motion carried. (Committee only)

4. Matter of contract with ND Dept. of Health for laboratory
services.
Wally Helland, health department, reported that for past 20 years have been sending samples to the State Lab. and now wish to formalize that in form of a contract, contract was sent to the city attorney for review, no additional expense and have money budgeted every year. Moved by Bouley and Martinson to approve the contract contingent upon review of the contract by the city attorney. Motion carried.

5. Matter of yellow flashing lights at Ben Franklin School on
11th Avenue South.
John Thompson, traffic engineer, presented recommendation to take equipment used at the temporary Belmont School and install post-mounted yellow flashing beacons on 11th Ave. S. at the South 21st Street crossing at cost of $2500, that he met with the prin-
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September 28, 1998 – Page 2

cipal today and that was acceptable to her and will continue working on some site changes and their educational program in the next month of so. He reported he looked at the intersection of 11th Ave.S. and S. 20th St. but traffic there is such that it’s about 4 or 5 to 1 on S. 20th St. compared to 11th and would be considerable amount of dely for motorists going through there if put up 4-way stop, that it’s a 24-hour traffic control compared to what’s there now and do have yellow lights. Mr. Thompson stated he would be looking for recommendation and approval to spend up to $2500 on relocating equipment to different location; and Ron’s Electric, City’s elec. assistance contractor, could do in the next two weeks.

Capt. Kjelstrom reported that NRO for that area has been working with School and will continue to do so in regards to education and other issues and bring to John Thompson.

Moved by Martinson and Bouley to approve and authorize installa-tion on 11th and 21st at est. cost of $2500.00 Motion carried.

6. Matter of request from Happy Harry’s Bottle Shops, Inc. for
left-hand protected signal at N. Columbia Road and Gateway
Drive intersection.
Hal Gershman, Happy Harry’s, reported that since they’ve moved to new location, has become much more aware of the traffic patterns at that corner and talked to Mr. Thompson, that there is some danger when people are trying to do a left-hand turn, and will have 7 to 9 businesses at the center (5 signed up now), and will generate even more traffic. He stated that traffic at their store will be more than 150,000 cars this year and not all use lights, some use frontage road, but shifted a lot of traffic to that corner and will get busier, and would appreciate con-sideration of this from a service and safety issue.

Kirk Sand, H.E.Everson Co., stated he is on same frontage road as Happy Harry’s and have seen same problems and is concerned about safety.

Committee stated they may have more businesses there on south-side of the road; Mr. Thompson stated they need to define improvements and come up with estimate – look at realigning the left turn lanes, removal of median, probably widening the north approach between Happy Harry’s and the cemetary, that the radius

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September 28, 1998 – Page 3

is rather tight for truck movements, did attempt to realign the left turn lanes using pavement markings, etc. and immediately
got complaints from semi drivers that were going to Valley or other businesses over there. He stated that it’s a considerable amount of money, in the $2-400,000 range just for a quick fix and probably similar to 32nd and Columbia if want to do a 20-year fix up in the million dollar range. Committee suggested looking at long range because that area should be growing. Mr. Thompson stated that in defining improvements, getting Hwy. Dept. approval, because State highway, to get that done in a timely fashion before doing the next CIP process, sometime in January send next list of projects, go before council and be a priority; there’s a substantial list of projects to present to the council but this is one that will be considered, that there is a 32nd Ave.S. and Columbia Rd. corridor study being conducted by the MPO and that will also lay out a number of projects, this one included, and then be before council for the next CIP process.

Committee asked if they could consider a temporary left-hand signal light there because to do entire intersection, looking at long time down the road. Mr. Thompson stated that the problem is that there aren’t enough lanes on the north side and left turn lane isn’t aligned. He stated that the other part of that is that the mast arms on traffic signals aren’t long enough and they’re in the $50,000 amount and doing on temporary basis to last one or two years until do have a project would be maybe necessary. He also reported that DOT’s out there now doing traffic counts, and that usually means that it’s on a high accident location and will receive that information later this year.

Committee asked if there could be any possibility to get started in the spring with State involved and do permanently. Bakken stated that if University Village takes off, that should be part of the plan for that corner also.

Martinson moved that we instruct enginering department to do a study and proceed with permanent solution at the intersection, and also to look at intermim signals with used equipment at a reasonable cost; Bouley seconded the motion. Mr. Thompson
stated they would include with other projects to be programmed and go for the 20-year type of improvement.


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Bouley asked that it be done as expediently as possible. Mr. Thompson reported that at Columbia and 32nd used old mast arms from Washington Street (hasn’t checked to see if have any) and that might be way to save some money and do a short-term fix,
that project cost in the range of $30,000. Martinson and Bouley included in their motion to also look at interim signals with used equipment at a reasonable cost. Motion carried.

7. Budget amendments.
a) Police Department - $39,600.00
b) Police Department - $15,400.00
Chief Packett reviewed the budget amendments which are related to the recent Memorandum of Understanding that committee and council approved on the automated fingerprint identification system, have signed agreement with the County where they are the pass-through agency for about $45,000, with $39,000 coming from Bureau of Criminal Investigation through their agency and $15,400 is from cash carry-over out of their buget and will culminate with the City purchasing the equipment which will be placed in the County Corrections Department and as people booked in they will be automatically fingerprinted through this system, go to Bismack and then nationally, and City will not be charged for the book-ins for this function.

Moved by Martinson and Bouley to approve the budget amendments. Motion carried.

8. Monthly report – matter of substandard buildings, blighted
structures.
Mr. Helland reported they have been continuing to work with Inspections and Fire Departments on assessing abandoned struc-tures in the city after the flood, that on the commercial side they contacted 14 property owners, most of them downtown and of those 14 buildings, 3 purchased by the City, 5 negotiating with the City to be purchased, 3 are in process of closing with the City and 3 are being remodeled; he stated that the City has purchased bad ones or in the process of purchasing, and others cleaned up, and satisfied with the commercial buildings. He reported that on the residential buildings - sent out 81 letters and 35 of those houses have been demolished, purchased by the City or in process of closing with the City; 7 of those are being lived in or being remodeled, 12 have been cleaned and sanitized, and about 20 still working on; Inspec-tions trying to set up inspections on those properties. He stated they will
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continue to work on these. He also stated that some of the remaining buildings are holding out for buyout or various reasons why have not sold out to the City, some are insurance issues, but Inspections is pursuing those. He stated they have
one where denied access and maybe have to go through legal process. Information.

9. Applications for gaming permits:
a) Knights of Columbus Council #7176 – raffle on 12/13/98
The application had been reviewed and approved by the city attorney. Moved by Bouley and Martinson to approve the application. Motion carried.
b) Altru Auxiliary – raffle on 11/17/98
The application had been reviewed and approved by the city attorney. Moved by Martinson and Bouley to approve the application. Motion carried.
c) Red River Snowmobile Club – site auth. on 12/22/98
The application for site auth. had been reviewed and approved by the city attorney. Moved by Bouley and Martinson to approve the application. Motion carried.

d) Delta Gamma Sorority – raffle
e) St. Michael’s Men’s Club – site auth. for year ending
6/30/99.
The applications had not been reviewed by the city attorney. Moved by Martinson and Bouley to approve the applications pending review and approval by the city attorney. Motion carried. (Comm. only)

Bouley thanked police department for taking care of problem with dirt pile at Lewis Blvd. and N. 3rd Street.

Moved by Martinson and Bouley to adjourn; meeting adjourned at 4:30 p.m.

Alice Fontaine
City Clerk

Dated: 9/29/98.