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MINUTES/PUBLIC SERVICE COMMITTEE
Monday, December 28, 1998 - 7:00 p.m.

Members present: Hafner, Klave.

1. Matter of bids for 1999 water treatment chemicals.
Hazel Fetters-Sletten, supt. of water treatment plant, reviewed bids and reported they did an evaluation on carbon
and that she’s not picking low bid even though with same company as low bid product has some scaling problems, now have an addi-tive and will try that. She stated she recommended that on the cationic polymer to go with 4 barrel min. to tote option and found someone to get rid of the non-returnable totes and is 2/cents lb. which is $40/year (same vendor but less handling). She stated on the sodium aluminate is not going with low bid as it has tendency to crystallize in the container so doesn’t want more than 4 totes in inventory. Moved by Klave and Hafner to accept bids as recommended by the water treatment department. Motion carried.

2. Matter of request to call for bids for photocopy machine for
water treatment plant.
Mrs. Sletten reviewed specs for the copy machine, that current machine was purchased in March, 1992 and are spending considerable amounts on maintenance and would like to upgrade with duplex option feature, etc. She stated that monthly numbers vary, but do substantial amount for billing for wastewater and reports. Moved by Klave and Hafner to approve request to call for bids. Motion carried. (comm. action only)

3. Matter of bids for plow truck for street department.
Todd Feland, asst. dir. public works, reported they received only one bid from Sheehan Mack Sales & Equipment, Sioux Falls, SD; normally W.W.Wallwork, Fargo, would bid but didn’t submit bid on this equipment. The bid from Sheehan was $169,963.00; and the Street Dept. had $150,000 budgeted out of Highway Users so $19,000 below and company also had some safety options available, which if accepted would add onto the bid. Mr. Feland reported there is $30,000 cash carryover in Street department and would have to wait to end of the budget year. Committee stated concerns re. only one bidder and $19,000 over budget plus some safety options, and suggested rebidding the equipment (receive equipment 8 mo. rather than 6 mos.)

Moved by Klave and Hafner to deny bid and request rebidding of the equipment. Motion carried.

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There was some discussion whether companies being able to meet specs. and Mr. Feland stated that bid stated to send written letter if not able to meet specs. or if want equivalent specs. and didn’t receive any requests. Sheehan exceeded specs.

Mr. Feland stated he would have Gary Fish come back at next meeting to discuss further re. any concerns and also the safety options. Comm. asked if they were specking out any other machines and Mr. Feland stated they are following past practice, and Comm. stated they get stuck in rut doing same thing over and over.

Klave stated he has received questions re. use of plows added onto garbage trucks, capability, etc. and Mr. Feland stated he was not sure and whether this would be efficient. Mr. Feland stated there is a snow conference in Duluth in April, no one from Street Dept. has attended those recently and perhaps bene-ficial to attend.

4. Matter of request to write specs. for 1999 engineering/public
works department fleet vehicles:
Todd Feland, asst. dir. public works, reviewed specs. for the various vehicles and that this was just to review specs, would make changes, etc. and come back to committee. The committee suggested not over-specking vehicles.
a) 2 - four-wheel drive vehicles.
(wastewater and sanitation depts., replacement of vehicles driven by Dick Newman, which is old police dept. Explorer and Gary Goetz, both vehicles have number of miles - Mr. Goetz’s over 80,000. Vehicles used at landfill and lagoon.
b) 1 - one-ton four-wheel drive truck
(stormwater to haul new generator for back-up power for lift stations. Comm. suggested eliminating air-conditioning, auto-mataic transmission, etc. and also suggested buying used vehicle as not put any miles on it; Mr. Feland stated they would take option.
c) 1 - ¾ ton four-wheel drive truck
(sanitation department at landfill, transports between garage and landfill. Comm. suggested getting back to bare-bonds on vehicles (air-conditioning, sliding rear-windows, etc.; bedliner - and suggested spraying on system works just as well.)
d) 1 - ¾ ton two-wheel drive pickup
(Central Garage to haul large tires, parts, etc. and has similar options, Comm. stated same things should be evaluated.
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e) 2 - ½ ton four-wheel drive trucks
(street department and for treatment plant - used by foreman/supervisor and for treatment plant to go to booster station, and those have air-conditioning, etc.
f) 1 - compact, extended cab pickup
(electrical division, Comm. questioned use of hitch on vehicle and asked what towing, and if doing any substantial amount of towing asked if using right vehicle, perhaps not compact but half-ton vehicle. It was noted this vehicle used by Bruce Hanson, and as supervisor not lot of heavy-duty use.)
g) 1 - mid-size automobile
(public transit as replacement for current vehicle.)

Mr. Feland stated they are asking that on c) the ¾ ton four-wheel in sanitation not be a trade, that they have shortage of vehicles going back and forth and e) no trade-in of vehicles at this time because of use by summer part-time workers. Balance of vehicles have trade-ins.

There was some discussion re. concern with number of trips to Bismarck and back, vehicle for taking number of people at one time (van/suburban).

Mr. Feland stated his intent was to present specs. and come back in two weeks.

5. Matter of roadway and utility easement for southerly exten-
sion of S. 20th Street R/W.
Mr. Grasser reviewed map showing area, that this is piece of S. 20th Street R/W south of 40th Avenue S., area on east is being platted by Greenberg and other parcel owned by Gransberg and in order for City to install infrastructure for southend development (sanitary, storm and water) this will obtain necessary right of way to install those utilities. Moved by Klave and Hafner to approve and accept the easement. Motion carried.

6. Matter of geotechnical consultant for raw water intake and
transmission lines, City Proj. 4769.
Wayne Gerszewski, A/E, reported there was a letter to Charles Grotte, asst. dir. of public works, re. the selection process and recommendation for a geotechnical consultant for this project. He reported that in November he requested approval for advertisement
for a geotechnical consultant for this particular project, due to

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some of magnitude of construction of this project, different depths installation of pipelines underneath rivers, etc., the geotechnical for this project came to be a gray area for the project and need some assistance with this project as far as an expertise level. He stated that following approval by the city council went through an advertisement process, request for qualifications for a geotechnical engineering subconsultant, that on December 15 received six packets of qualifications from interested geotechnical consultants. He stated that after receiving those six packets a selection committee was put together and selection criteria was developed based on past performance, ability of professional personnel assigned to the project, location of the engineer’s office, knowledgeable conditions, understanding of the project and related experience on similar projects, and various points were assigned for those, and each of the six qualification packets reviewed by each of the three committee members (Mike Yavearow, public works dept., Steve Burian, A/E and himself), and following review, Shannon and Wilson, Seattle, WA was unanimous preferred consultant for the project. He stated it was a very impressive packet of information submitted from Shannon and Wilson, and they fit very well with this project; and requested approval of recommendation and to initiate negotiations with the consultant. Mr. Grasser reported the process they are to be using is to select professional based on their technical expertise, and after approval define scope of work and negotiate fees. Mr. Gerszewski stated that they would begin negotiations with consultant, develop scope of work and again negotiate fees.

Moved by Klave and Hafner to approve Shannon and Wilson as tech-nical consultant and enter into negotiations. Motion carried.

Mr. Gerszewski stated he has one more item to do with this pro-ject, No. 4769, that the City of Grand Forks and Advanced Engineering are currently in the process of putting together a loan application for the ND Drinking Water Revolving Fund Program
as a means of potential funding for the raw water intake and transmission lines project and as a requirement of that loan package that the resolution distributed is a suggested format for the resolution as it should read for their loan application and because it is a requirement they would request approval of the resolution.

It was moved by Klave and Hafner to approve adoption of the

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resolution. Motion carried.

7. Matter of authorization to request proposals for engineering
services for University Village infrastructure (CDBG).
Mr. Grasser reported they have asked the University if after receiving the $100 million from Mr. Engelstad if they still need and intend on following through on their initial request for the $1.6 million in CDBG funding and their answer is yes, their frankly unsure exactly what Mr. Engelstad is willing to spend that $100 million for, they feel he is definitely willing to pay for items related to his specific project but not necessarily other type developments; they are still working out a deal with both the Barnes & Noble and something with the rehab portion of the hospital, to tie it in with some of their rehab education and both of those two items they are expecting to fit in the Village. He stated they started looking at the arena and University Village which are going to be cross-impacts on the projects, and if pro-ceed with the University Village there are certain dollars figured in for the sewer, water and streets, (perhaps 31 ft. wide street may now need to be 45 ft. and overages or extra costs for building that street wider and putting in turn-lanes, or anything can identify with Engelstad are costs they feel could be contributed to Englestad would still be part of the University Village concept. He stated sharing cost of projects are things they need to explore and negotiate as things move on, one of the things need to do is get an engineer on board that can do some of those calculations, cost comparisons and find out where should split costs or where base cost and overage. This request will just give authorization to start advertising process, takes approx. 2 to 3 months to go through process and get someone on board. Hafner stated that he had heard that infrastructures and street for Barnes & Noble aren’t going to change; Mr. Grasser stated they met with UND and all of this is somewhat subject to change, and his understanding after meeting is that basic road configuration of Phase I of the University Village was going to remain essentially unchanged, but roads may have to be wider than first thought but as far as location, they pretty much match.

Klave stated that there are a few people on council who are wondering if that money should go back into CDBG funds after the $100 million dollars, and asked if someone should sit down and talk to Earl Strinden and find out what Engelstad’s feelings and impressions are about their project because if there’s a way they

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can fund that. Mr. Grasser stated his only suggestion is that because the selection process takes so long, to get started on it and they have basic structure in place to choose what want to do later on. He stated his best guess is that there’s going to be a number of things difficult to sell Mr. Engelstad on based on their preliminary look at the infrastructure out there, and has doubts whether old 10 in. watermain on Columbia Road is going to be sufficient to deliver firefighting capabilities needed for facility that large, and is also questioning when sanitary sewer lift station has enough capacity to take a facility like that, that when first looked at the Bronson property, they were planning on splitting the property and sending half to one lift station to the north and other half to lift station to the south, because both lift stations are pretty small and by splitting it could probably get by without adding a lift station, but if start adding a 12-14,000 seat facility, that maybe do something on site, holding tank to mitigate flows, and are questions need to work through. He stated they’ve told University that and brought to their attention and said that rather than the City doing these studies, are requesting that UND through Foundation do these studies and show to City’s satisfaction that can or can’t meet that and if upgrades needed, those that need to be identified to the structure, even though off-site someplace.

Moved by Klave and Hafner to approve request for proposal for engineering. Motion carried.

8. Matter of specifications for payloader for sanitation depart-
ment.
Mr. Feland reported that Dick Newman had brought this matter in two weeks ago for review of the specs. by the committee. Held for next meeting.

Meeting adjourned at 8:00 p.m.

Alice Fontaine
City Clerk

Dated: 12/29/98