Council Minutes

Minutes of Grand Forks City Council/Committee of the Whole
Monday, October 12, 2009 - 5:30 p.m._________________ __

The City Council met as the Committee of the Whole on Monday, October 12, 2009 at 5:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers in City Hall with Mayor Brown presiding. Present at roll call were Council Members Bjerke, Glassheim, Gershman, Christensen, Bakken, Kreun - 6; absent: Council Member McNamara - 1.

Mayor Brown commented on various items during the past week and upcoming events:
Fall leaf pickup will begin Monday, October 19, with two full passes through town.
October 10 commemorates the 40th year that Davis Orchards, Inc. has been serving Grand Forks community and the Oregon Apple Man has shown great respect for our community and its citizens and they will be at the K-Mart parking lot tomorrow.
The City is performing traffic signal coordination around town to expedite traffic flow, have done this on 32nd Avenue South and are now proceeding with Columbia Road; the Metropolitan Planning Organization is holding an open house this coming Wednesday from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the council chambers for residents to provide comments and learn more about this project.
Reminder to council that this Sunday will be first joint meeting between city council and UND Student Senate at Memorial Union at 4:30 p.m.

2.1 Amendment to Grand Forks City Code.
Council Member Bjerke asked if this is the program (Neighborhood Stabilization Program) where the City would be buying a house, repairing it and selling it for less than what we spent to buy it and repair it. Greg Hoover stated that was correct.

2.2 Project Concept Report for Project No. 6476, Shared Use Path on 42nd St., Federal Project No. STM-TEU-6-986(100)104.
Council Member Bjerke stated he is not in favor of the funding source, and reported that the City will be putting in a bikepath that ends next to a farmer's field directly opposite of a bikepath.

2.3 Acquisition of remaining property (right of way) necessary for construction of Project No. 6101, paving S. 48th St. from 16th Ave.S. to 32nd Ave.S._________
Council Member Gershman asked what the cost is for the City. Mark Walker, asst. city engineer, stated they were not sure of exact cost for the land acquisition but that the appraised value of $589,000 and of that the federal government will participate in 31% and the remainder of the cost is City share.

2.4 Change Order No. 1 for Project No. 6349, 2009 Asphalt Street Repairs.
Council Member Bjerke stated that the City is fixing greenway trails, and why not use the Flood Control Project Account to redo those trails. Mr. Walker stated that is a possibility but that maintenance of the flood protection system would be handled out of the Greenway/Flood Protection Maint. Account that was established and have used maintenance money. Bjerke stated that staff report shows that they will be taking some of the funds out of Stormwater Enterprise Fund and if already beginning to repair the trails on the greenway before the project is finished, that funding is $1.15/mo. residential plus commercial, and concerned if going into other accounts, will we be able to maintain this as it is currently funded.

Council Member Christensen stated they will be able to fund greenway repairs and maintenance out of the current Greenway Fund, to take money out of excess money from the construction of the dike would require that we special assess the citizens, but in favor of using the money from the $1.15/mo. and would like an update from Mr. Feland as to how much of that money is being used for repair and maintenance and how much is going into salaries. Have a better handle on it when we get into the budget cycle for next year as done with the project and see what the CIP will be for the greenway.

Council Member Kreun asked what fund that came out of as there are several funds. The city auditor stated the money $1.15 is charged on the utility bills and goes to Stormwater Fund and that is where the accounting for the greenway as well as the flood protection project maintenance is accounted for - two separate departments.

Mr. Walker reported these were sections of trails that were constructed in Phase I and some of the earliest sections of trail that were constructed - Elmwood, Lincoln Drive and short piece in the downtown area.

2.5 North 51st Street parking and truck route.
It was noted that there was discussion at Service/Safety Comm. on this issue but individuals who are at tonight's meeting were not at the committee meeting and it was asked that they give their information and concerns. There were representatives from several businesses in the area, including Ron Reiger, RBB Electric; Craig Johnson, White Water Truck Wash; Joe Bushee, A & L Trucking; and Forks Equipment.

The question was asked of how many semi's on average go down 51st to University from Gateway. Mr. Reiger stated less than one per day; that at a previous Service/Safety meeting Mr. Bakken stated they had created a problem, let you in but not out, and illegal for a semi to back up in the street, that if you take the parking away and the truck route away, what is next. He stated they were told at that meeting that once the street project was finished they would have a one-way truck route for trucks to get out, and were also told that they would be able to keep their on-street parking the same way it has been - that now taking parking away and truck route away. It was noted that most semi's are able to get in and turn around and go out to Gateway but on occasion trucks come in and are unfamiliar with the area, nowhere to go and can't back a semi out to Highway 2 and those are the trucks that go all the way to University, etc. Representatives stated that their trucks do not go south on 51st Street; favored status quo and deal with semi's on an individual basis because at most only one a day.

Council Member Bjerke stated that now trying to meet the middle ground - that council needs to make a decision and noted section that states it is illegal to park a semi on a public road. Residents concerned with safety, that if park semi's next to driveways, obstructs view of on-coming traffic, etc., that Code says no parking on the street.

Mr. Kreun stated that during discussion at Service/Safety meeting lot of these points were brought up that trucks are not supposed to park there, cannot dolly their trailers, no overnight parking and truck traffic ends at 10th Avenue North - that originally some of those businesses were there before residents - they asked engineering department to look at weight restrictions of streets beyond 10th, our recommendation was to leave truck traffic up to 10th which creates the problem of turning around and access, and if do get stopped, most of the time police dept. will help you out of that area. Relative to parking, if we do change it and create a parking area, 25 ft. back from approach on the driveway and determine which side or no side to park on - there are two things we should have - weight limit restriction from 10th to University and if there is to be parking, which side and safest side to put it on and if could have that information by next week to help make the decision.
Council Member Bakken agreed that he didn't want to designate anything past 10th as a truck route, because it would give all trucks discretion to run through there, and would propose short term daylight parking for now.

Mr. Gershman suggested something that wouldn't be done this fall and will cost some money but if we took 10th and changed the radius on 3 of the corners so that trucks could get out there, will impact fewer people. Mr. Walker stated that 10th Avenue and comes into a T intersection and goes around and changing radius at 3 corners and easier for trucks to get out and may have to special assess - that next year engineering staff can give us better handle on that suggestion. If left as status quo and then put that into place, if that were to work and cost, might be a solution. Mr. Walker stated that 10th Avenue is a 31 ft. wide residential street, whereas 51st is a wider street, and may come with some problems of narrow street and may have to restrict parking on both sides - Mr. Bushee stated there is 4 way stop at 6th Avenue N. and that intersection has the ability of trucks turning without any construction.

Mr. Kreun stated parking is a separate issue from truck route issue and if make a truck route up to 10th and later on analyze Mr. Gershman's suggestion but maybe have that information next Monday to see if that would work as a solution for the parking, which would be daylight hours.

Al Grasser, city engineer, stated are we dealing with this as a rare exception or dealing with this as routine occurrence - that if a routine occurrence need to figure out a way of solving it and figuring out which is the least problematic solution which would be a truck route - if dealing with it as a rare occurrence is that deal with it as a rare occurrence, don't generally write rules and ordinances and law for something that occurs on a very rare basis - his suggestion is to clarify how you want to deal with it because no matter where we create the truck route to legitimize it, whether on 10th or 6th or University, that becomes a route that any vehicle can travel. The problem we are having is that there are a number of different opinions and views as to if we do that, will the situation change - doesn't know the answer to that but if only getting one truck per day that is getting lost on this street and make it a truck route, that number will increase. He stated his suggestion before next week is to clarify that whether you want to treat this as a rare occurrence, in which you leave well enough alone, or a recurring thing that we need to deal with. He stated re. parking - that if parking on the east side those vehicles are facing north, and only way you are going to get in there as a truck is to becoming either in and going north or else doing some sort of turn around on the street and that is not the best thing either - that they can develop some of the information between now and council and give you some of those points to think about.

2.6 LOGOS Digital Imaging System specifications and sole source request.
There were no comments.

2.7 Northrop Grumman Radio Control Assembly for F6A Andros Robot.
There were no comments.

2.8 ICOR Technology MK3-Caliber® EOD Robot System and accessories.
There were no comments.

2.9 Consideration of bids for Project No. 6449, Wastewater Treatment Plan MBF Inlet Improvements.__
There were no comments.

2.10 Bid summary for water meter, electronic remote read (ERT).
Council Member Bjerke asked who installs equipment. Hazel Sletten, water supt., stated they plan to do this in-house with meter division staff; that they have about 14,000 installed meters, these are being purchased with money that is left over in the meter budget for 2009 and do the same with left over funds in that budget in 2010, working on phasing over a period of time.

2.11 2010 CDBG and HOME Programs.
Council Member Bjerke stated under Bricks & Mortar a request for the parking ramp of $240,000 ended getting $49,500 and asked where the other money is going to come from. Mr. Hoover stated they have $112,000 left over from a previous project that they would apply to this, and have a gap of $75,000 for the entire project; and would hope to gain some economies by bids this winter and some of the work they had previously planned such as sealing of the cracks, etc. would do in-house.

Mr. Bjerke also questioned how much money the Homeless Shelter has received under Bricks & Mortar from 2000 on, and that we are in Phase III of the CIP and where going to end that; would rather spend this money on infrastructure in LMI areas so see savings for everybody.

An application had been submitted from engineering for some infrastructure work in the Near Southside for some street lights using some of the money known as Eliot's money had been discussed and doing that for the first year phasing that in, engineering department and urban development will be getting together this winter to put together a CIP of projects that are in LMI areas that could be considered. That application did not make the list.

Mr. Christensen stated he would like to know what we could do with infrastructure in the LMI areas for 2010; the committee has made a recommendation and now council will decide if we want to follow the recommendation or if want to use some of the CDBG money for infrastructure in our LMI area. Mr. Hoover stated that under Bricks & Mortar the Grand Forks Engineering Dept. downtown lighting project, $186,714 is the only LMI project for which application was made that received no funding recommended.

Mr. Glassheim stated so that they can look at the competitive nature of the funds for the other project, $100,000 of Eliot's money, and if do this project, what won't we be doing, what other project might be put forward that would also be infrastructure in the LMI area but not proposed by engineering dept. so they can weigh something against something. Mr. Hoover stated they would consult with engineering. Mr. Christensen asked how much of Eliot's money is left that could be used for the lighting project; Mr. Hoover stated they have used all the money from prior years and should have $100,000 in 2010 - money would come from Highway Users Fund and goes to LMI area match.

3. INFORMATION ITEMS

3.1 Portfolio Management/Summary for period ending September 30, 2009.
Information only.

COMMENTS BY MAYOR & COUNCIL:

1) Council Member Bjerke asked to refer to Inspections matter of vacant lots in Promenade area off North 55th Street with large amounts of dirt piled on them that have been sitting there for over a year, and is an organization that owns it and gets funding from the City, needs to be cleaned up. That he is asking the finance committee to move forward with meeting with Alerus Commission and Mr. Swanson in reference to the VenuWorks contracts so can get a definitive answer to questions he has previously asked.

2) Council Member Glassheim reported he had received complaint re. trucks of Associated Potatoes using North 6th Street, which is a residential street; and asked if police department could do a check to see if large semi's using residential streets.

ADJOURN

It was moved by Council Member Bakken and seconded by Council Member Kreun that we adjourn. Carried 6 votes affirmative.

Respectfully submitted,



Saroj Jerath
City Auditor