Committee Minutes

Grand Forks City Council Service/Safety Standby Committee
Tuesday, November 3, 2009 - 4:30 p.m.____________________

The Service/Safety Standby Committee met on Tuesday, November 3, 2009 at 4:30 p.m. in Room A101 in City Hall with Member Bakken presiding. Present at roll call were Bakken, Bjerke.

Others present included: Emily Fossen, Chief Packett, Todd Feland, Al Grasser, Jane Williams, Don Shields, Nancy Ellis.

Al Grasser, city engineer, asked to add an additional item to the agenda, Granitoid Pavement, State Historical Society action, update.

1. Discussion on 2011 to 2014 Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP)
Al Grasser, city engineering, presented information re. timeline for Federal Aid requests on Transportation Enhancement and Safe Routes to School, are going to ask for action from the committee today for approval of our recommended projects, go to COW on the 9th and council on November 16. On the Federal Aid Urban and Regional Projects is information of update and seek input; on November 16 bring it back for recommendation for approval, go to COW on 23rd and December 7 council action - from there MPO and Executive Comm. have to take action before they submit it back to the DOT by December 16. That is outline of our schedule of events.

Jane Williams, traffic engineer, presented information (staff report) re. recommended Safe Routes to School and Transportation Enhancement projects which will be going to the next COW, and then to MPO TAC, to city council and then to Executive Comm. of MPO; from there submitted to the State. An attachment to the draft staff report itemizing the items that they will be submitting, basically sidewalks and some improvements to our flashing beacon system, traffic signals and some solar radar signs - these were submitted last year and previous year but not funded, and now asking for funding on these again; and are asking for committee's approval. Mr. Grasser stated that the Schools also make some direct applications beyond ours. Williams stated that the Safe Routes to School is the request for the sidewalks and the TE application is the bikepaths which goes to the drainway.

Bjerke moved a motion to approve sending report to the committee of the whole, seconded by Bakken. Motion carried.

Mr. Grasser presented information on Urban Road Program Requests listing project location, proposed year of construction and estimated cost by federal, state or city match; no action on this. He stated they get about $2 to $2.5 million/year from the State and can apply funds where needed in our system, non-competitive, and because of bids they received on our stimulus projects, were carrying over Cherry Street and have been able to add 13th Ave.S. onto our list of projects as 2010 projects. He stated they were able to stretch those dollars, other projects are a repeat from previous report, and some of the 2014 projects are newer projects added to the list. He stated difficult to determine whether we have enough dollars to do these with the DOT, and that he doesn't expect the DOT to approve this list but kick some of them back. He noted they are having some problems developing re. traffic backup in area by Kohl's and Target, etc. Buffalo Wild Wings going in there and if Olive Garden goes in on the other side, will be some intersection needs. He also stated they did move back construction on the 42nd Street ramp and moved that to 2016 with idea would like to do reconinisense study and refine some of the costs (42nd Street connection with 32nd Ave.S.) - refiguring interchange. List is for information and review.

He presented list of Regional Program projects coming from State Engineer in the District, no comments, similar list as previous list. Rehabbing of DeMers Avenue from the fire station to 5th Street still in the mix depending on funding and that finishes that section of DeMers Ave., have overlay downtown, skyway is done and this would take us to Washington Street. He stated they are looking at doing some signing upgrades and signal upgrade and coordination's on Gateway Drive and Washington Street, and are waitin0g for some info. re. dollar amounts from the Dist. Eng. He stated they have coordinated where there is some urban money and see construction of 42nd ramps in 2016; Kennedy Bridge is up for deck replacement and painting in 2016, and Sorlie at 2018. He stated they do not have the Merrifield interchange included as there is still some resistance from State, that they want to get the interchange and bridge in at the same time and with the Kennedy and Sorlie Bridges coming up with DOT, only so much money for Grand Forks and current bridges take priority.

He also reviewed lists - Safe Routes to School - project for 2011 and TE Projects noting that getting some stimulus project on the bikepath on 42nd to Alerus Drive ; on Regional Program programmed by District Engineer. looking for landscaping improvements with Transportation Enhancement money along Highway 2 for 2011; and moving this to MPO, some minor city costs on Regional TE projects.

Mr. Grasser stated that gas tax income down at federal level and need to consider approaching the State Legislature at next session to see if way of developing a state program to help replace declining federal dollars - not increasing to keep up with inflation, and getting less work done for the money we are getting, will be a problem. We received $170 million of capacity issue and another $50 million of repair and rehab and probably do tenth of that in the next 10 years; and making choice of what we do is critical. He stated they will be coming in two weeks for approval of Urban lists.

3. Granitoid pavement update.
Jane Williams, traffic engineer, presented memo with attached minutes for committee to review. She stated a study was done that was commissioned by the State Historical Preservation Office and their recommendation that was approved was sent to National Historic Preservation is to reduce the granitoid pavement that is in the National Register to specific areas shown on the map, remainder is being removed from the Register, and they acknowledged that we would need to revisit and rework the current maintenance and operation agreement. Grasser stated that current agreement is restrictive as to what can be done in those areas, streets have deteriorated over the last 10 or 15 years, and have been working with Council Member Glassheim on this as he has an interest as a councilmember and a legislator; layman's view of what is acceptable condition is different than how the State Historical Society rates it; they tried to challenge another section or two of streets but decided if the technical person is recommending deleting these specific streets and local Society is supportive of that, thought it best that the City support that so can move up the chain to the state and federal as consensus. There are some areas on certain streets that get very little traffic and have better opportunity to do some maintenance on those and preservation that gets us into more reasonable length of streets to deal with. The City would make some extra efforts in those they are maintaining as goof faith effort to maintain important piece of our history.

It was noted there was one block on 4th Ave.S. and it was brought up at the hearing that was a very heavily traveled road and was not going to hold up very well, and they acknowledged that.

Grasser stated they will be dealing with that in their Memorandum of Understanding and also when they get into Minnesota and 4th Ave.S., urban projects didn't go out that far when dealing with issues with MN/4th about 2016 in longer range plan and need to start development PCR's and figuring out what mitigations are. Bjerke asked if on streets with granitoid if have to maintain after repair or as they are now - Williams stated that was not determined. Grasser stated they would have to go back in and evaluate some of the remaining streets, some in pretty good shape and if get authorization to go in and do some repair (seal cracks, etc. to prevent further deterioration) and if do patches or repairs, can do some similar type stamping, etc. haven't actually reviewed what they should or could be doing.

Nancy Ellis, MPO, part of the study was that not only the granitoid but also the neighborhood was part of the Register, and lot of contacts and solutions that were added to it were based on the fact that it was a historic neighborhood, and rather than doing mitigation and putting concrete in one block, asking if could put in regular street concrete through MN/4th - as tradeoff - may not be able to preserve concrete but mitigate it with regular concrete but as historic presence on the neighborhood and preserve those areas - whole point of report was to keep that open so that integrity of the concrete on 4th may not be an option for it and when a new MOA might be able to develop something where they can preserve those that are off the beaten track and take that corridor and do some more contact sensitive stuff and put on straight concrete - some options and wanted to address both Historic Preservation's on this and have given us a little bit to pursue other than just stamped concrete or preservation on that corridor.

Grasser stated on MN/4th one of the historical features of that are the trees and will be dealing with the trees even if pavement is lifted, MN will continue to be a unique project and have more options now and won't be as rigidly controlled and can come up with more practical solutions. He stated our problem with the timeline is money, but if moving it up to 2013 or 2014 would have to take out some work on Columbia Road or 47th Ave.S. and has hard time balancing those two- touch choice if try to move it up.

2. Discussion regarding 2009 project updates and 2010 project outlooks.
Mr. Grasser reported list shows what is left in 2009 and coming up in 2010, and reviewed the items on the listing:
*42nd Street underpass - project started 5 years ago and some discussions going on re. this project and how to build that out as it relates to the Alerus, key consideration is what they plan for the underpass - goal is to bring PCR in and select an option, even though no funding identified for it - so can plan around one alternative. Any assessment project is protestable.
*Bus garage paving repair/rehab - have some federal dollars and will do some repair and rehab., asphalt is falling apart and will put in concrete - next step Plans & Specs.
*Energy Services Group - will come in with process and financing review, and select buildings.
*Frost damaged streets - 4 sections identified that survived poorly last winter - got check from State for $1.5 million for damaged streets caused by 2008/09 winter, figuring on reconstruction and have 80 or 90% cost share as would be outside our budgeting process.
*DeMers/Washington Beautification - do as local project, talk to Park Dist., do plans and specs. and do work next spring, get plantings, etc.
*S. 34th St paving/storm sewer - would like to extend 34th through the park, and use trunk infrastructure funding, need cooperation of Park Dist. for R/W, will be an area of growth.
*Granitoid pavement - working with Historical Soc. re. agreement.
*CIP updates - might need work session and should update our CIP policy re. cost sharings, etc.
* Storm Sewer ordinances - have new permit from the State and have to follow up with ordinance, which has been drafted and need to bring in for adoption.
*Storm Master Plan - need to figure out post development BMP's (Best Management Practices), lot of holding ponds, etc. and how to build, finance and maintain - and have small group assigned to assist engineering (2 council members (chairs of Service and Finance), 2 from P & Z, and determine how to bring that program together.
*Scoping Report on 42nd St. connection to 32nd Ave.S./I-29 - would like to do scoping report on that and refine costs.
*Projection of 1 year loss of urban funding - had meeting in Minot and DOT was taking money from one pot and putting it into another to make sure that our urban program would be funded for at least one year should base funding go awry; Congress passed a law where can't transfer out of that account towards local funds, some efforts in Congress to overturn that ruling, but if don't do that and the way the laws are in effect, can't transfer money that is in that pot and that equivalent to losing about 1 year's worth of our urban funding.
*48th St. construction - next year's project, have to go through land acquisition process but trying to get street and drainway in 2010, but sees possibility that switch to a 2011 project.
*Cherry St. reconstruction - have that project for urban funding for next year (17th to 25th)
*Cherry St. Rehab - stimulus funding, no specials, in 2010..
*13th Ave.S. rehab.- stimulus project in 2010.
*Signage replacement - stimulus project in 2010.
*2009 ongoing construction - carrying over is sanitary lift on 48th, and storm lift on 32nd Ave.S.
*2009DFIRM - some areas on southside at 32nd Ave.S west of Interstate, that were put in the 100 yr. floodplain where we are taking exception of, had couple technical meetings and id'd several technical problems with their analysis, and to get that addressed would be to make an official appeal from the City to FEMA on DFIRM, and that appeal would come back to city council. They will keep Congressional people informed, Pete Haga will be going to Washington within next couple weeks and will get an update to him on that so Congressional people are aware.

*Flood Control Project closeout )
*Normal Maintenance Reports. )
The last two items will be working even through the flood protection project is done but still have some close outs to do on that. There is about $2.5 million that came through Congress which should help us close things out, some money in escrow that needs to come back to the City, and will have to go through an audit . The Normal Maintenance Project - didn't list smaller type items, street repairs, concrete/asphalt, sidewalk, CDBG funding coming through. Last flood protection assessment will be next year. Will close out Greenway Betterment funds, flood protection betterment and greenway betterment and will be covered under our maintenance fees

Motion by Bjerke and Bakken to adjourn, motion carried. (Meeting adjourned at 5:25 p.m)

Alice Fontaine, City Clerk