PUBLIC SERVICES COMMITTEE

 

AUGUST 13, 2007

 

The meeting was called to order by Chairman Gore at 7:00 p.m.

 

MEMBERS PRESENT:  John Gore, Dan Fogt, Mark Reams

 

OTHERS PRESENT:  Tracie Davies, Phil Roush, Kathy House, Brian Palmer, S. A. Martin, Ryan Horns (Journal Tribune)

 

AGENDA:

 

1.     East Side Stormwater Study

 

Copies of this study have been distributed to City Council Members and Administration.  Necessary projects are listed on pages 1 & 2, which total about $2M.  This is the second part of a three-part series, with Town Run being the first, this the second and northwest edge of town, west of Main, north of Collins.  Money is in the budget to do RFQ’s to hire a consultant. 

 

Mr. Fogt questioned the problem area parallel to Cherry St, north of 5th Street.  Is that actually north of 4th Street?  It amounts to $280,000.  Group will discuss later.

 

Mr. Fogt asked if funds could be taken out of the TIF Fund for the culvert repair at the bowling alley .  Ms. House stated there currently are no TIF funds available.  Once City receives TIF funds, the projects will have to be prioritized.  Mr. Roush wasn’t sure if culvert repair was eligible or not or whether that area is actually in the TIF area. 

 

2.     Traffic Study

 

Mr. Roush handed out copies of the Traffic Study.  An RFQ was done, consultants interviewed and one was selected.  A Scope of Services has been drafted.  Total amount is $152,526.00.  To update the traffic plan done in 2000 will cost $39,300 to update the Thoroughfare Plan, which includes a comparative assessment of the 2000 Plan compared to the current conditions and projected conditions.  Also includes a price to look at SR4 and Rt. 31 interchanges coming off of Rt. 33 to see if they can make them work better.  Cost for that is $28,500, which includes traffic data and turning movements.  City may be able to do some of the counts to help keep the price down.  Mr. Reams asked if those two intersections were ODOT’s responsibility.    Mr. Roush said when annexation occurred, the City agreed to do maintenance work, and ODOT would make major repairs.  If it’s decided that City can make it safer by reconfiguring the geometrics, it would have to be negotiated with ODOT. 

 

City asked consultant to look at SR4 and Milford Avenue where the school annexation occurred.  For $6,200, they would look at it.  The school is putting a left turn lane on Milford.  There will be two left turn lanes from Rt. 4 into the school, one at each entrance. 

 

Estimated $24,000 for Delaware Avenue Corridor Study.  City has requested them to look at tying in the traffic from the hospital area to help get to the east side easier.

 

Look at all traffic signals in town, timing and conditions.    It’s been seven years since the interconnect program.   A key intersection to look at is Watkins and 36. 

 

Also look at the potential for a one-way pair traffic study in town, possibly making 4th and 5th a one-way pair or 4th and 6th Streets. 

 

Mr. Gore suggested all City Council members receive a copy of this draft study then discuss it further at the September Public Services Committee meeting.

 

Mr. Fogt feels traffic signalization should be at the top of the list. 

 

3)     Ohio Public Works Commission Applications

 

Mr. Roush explained the first application approved was the Cherry/Ninth Street water lines then Collins Avenue was the second one, which were both in the beginning process this year.  Funding became available January 1, 2006, but was not funded until 2007. Notification of the Cherry/Ninth water lines came in April/May 2007 and signed the agreement with OPWC.   City just received letter on Collins on July 1st, so have entered into agreement with OPWC for the grant.  Plan to advertise for bids and enter into a contract to get Collins rebuilt this year.  May not get any work done this year, but it will be under contract this year.  Will get a $380,000 grant for that.  The water line is a 20-year, 0% loan - $700,000 loan money. 

 

These applications are for the funding from Round 22.  OPWC will be reviewing applications to determine which projects to fund.  The Round 22 money becomes available July 1, 2008.  City has submitted three projects, two projects for Round 22 and one for Round 23. 

 

Applications were made for the Scottslawn paving rehabilitation project, part of the JRS grant that didn’t get funded through the Ohio Department of Development, the K-mart pump station, North Main Street sewer project, where the pump station will be eliminated and sewer will be provided to the areas along North Main that don’t have it.  Also, for Round 23, which will be funded July 1, 2009, the Milford/Maple intersection project.

 

Met with the County last Thursday to rank all the project applications in the County, which includes six for this year; two Marysville projects, one in Milford Center, one in Richwood and two County projects.  The County review committee reviewed and ranked the projects.  Based on Mr. Stolte’s best guess and how many points were needed to meet the district level, he figured 80 points would be needed to make projects fundable.  Committee recommended a ranking system to include the Scottslawn Road project and two County projects to receive the bonus points and the probability that those three projects will be funded.  There is a possibility that the Marysville North Main Street/K-mart project could be funded because we’re asking for loan money.

 

In order to continue with the projects, City has to have supporting legislation from Council.  The Public Services Committee agreed to sponsor the legislation. 

 

3.     Job-Ready Site projects

 

Mr. Roush stated the Scottslawn road-widening project was a part of the Job-Ready Sites application, but it was not approved by the Ohio Department of Development.  Thus the reason why it was made a project for the Ohio Public Works Commission application.   In addition to that as part of the Job-Ready Sites, City has determined that consultants are needed to design the trunk sewer and the water line.  RFQ’s have been done and interviews have been conducted.  DLZ has been selected for the southwest trunk sewer,   ME Companies of Westerville has been selected for the Scottslawn Road project and Bird & Bull has been selected for the Ninth/Cherry Street water line project.  City is currently in the process of negotiating the scopes for the projects.  Received a scope from DLZ for the southwest trunk sewer design.  Ms. House added there is a time issue and the City felt it was important to design the whole trunk sewer, not just the portion needed for the JRS project.  Need to do the preliminary design for the entire southwest trunk from Industrial Parkway to Southard Road, but do at least the final plans for that phase for the JRS site, so it can be bid and we can go ahead and build it.  The design figure is $2.3M.  As part of the JRS figure, a total of $484,880 in design fees can be put towards sewer and water projects.  Would like to take the entire water design fee out of that and the other $300,000 use towards the design of the southwest trunk sewer.  Would then have to supplement the balance of that with funds from the sewer budget.   Ms. Davies said it was planned to be in next year’s capital improvement budget, but because of the timing of the grant, it has to be moved up to this year.  An appropriation will be needed.  Because it is a reimbursement grant, must have all the money up front.  This first section, about 4,000 feet, has to technically be in the ground by May of 2009.  Ms. House said City would like to do Weaver Road if possible, which be a little more than 4,000 feet. 

 

Mr. Fogt asked why it was necessary to do the whole thing at once.  Mr. Roush responded, to know the alignment and adapt the slopes.  They want to make sure it’s steep enough to take out the Southard Road lift station by gravity instead of having to keep it in service.  It’s also cheaper to do it now instead of doing it in phases.  Ms. Davies said this is the first phase of the southwest trunk sewer.  Phase 2 will be done later on, which will intercept the Honda flow; it doesn’t have to come back up to Schwartzkopf Park and come back, which will allow more capacity for this side of town. 

 

Mr. Fogt said he is skeptical about digging another deep line.  He thinks it’s a big mess and very expensive.  He’s been told that when you dig it that deep, 30’, and you leave a manhole, it’s not a straight-down manhole. He expressed concern for safety of the operators.   Mr. Roush stated it will be straight down.  There will be a shaft, instead of a manhole.  Ms. Davies said if you don’t go that deep, they won’t be able to intercept the Honda flow.  New lift stations will cost in the neighborhood of $10M because they would have to be so large.  Mr. Gore noted that the gravity flow at that depth is new technology and should be much more efficient operation.  Ms. Davies said they spend $180/day for chemicals to help with the odor.  The proposed process will eliminate that expense as well as the manpower to monitor the stations, plus additional maintenance of the pumps.  Mr. Roush said City has a very rigid safety program in place for confined space entry for the employees.

 

5.     East Fifth Street Railroad Crossing

 

Mr. Roush stated he has been in touch with Bob Rossman in Florida.  He is doing the design work for the gates and lights.  They are designing them based on a 24’ roadway with a 2’ berm on each side.  Joe Tracey will actually do the widening work within the first 50-100’ on each side of the tracks this fall.  Ms. Davies stated she will be coming to Council for an additional appropriation for this work.  CSX must have their work done by April 18, 2008.

 

6.     Shepard’s Landing water hydrants.

 

Ms. House stated she received platted easements for that subdivision from two of the residents.  They have been approved by the engineer’s office and are now with Mr. Eufinger, who will write up the easements on the plat.  It will then go to Planning Commission for their approval, then on to Council for acceptance of the dedication.  City will do what’s necessary to the hydrants once dedication is final. 

 

7.     Trunk line sewer

 

Mr. Fogt asked about the holes being dug along Industrial Parkway.  Mr. Roush explained that those are dewatering holes.  They are putting in well points so they can pump water out of the ground, so that when they put the shafts down, they’ll have a dry shaft to work on.  They are starting three shafts, one at the corner of Scottslawn and Industrial Parkway, one in front of Dennison and one in front of DCD.  Ms. House stated that when they start excavating the shafts and having a lot of personnel working out there, the speed limit will be lowered through the construction period to 35 mph from Scottslawn Road back into town.

 

8.     Reservoir bids

 

Still waiting on the bladder for the dam.  Meeting will be set up in the near future to sit down with all groups and plan a strategy.  May advertise for the reservoir itself, and then advertise for the two pipe line projects and the dam project later in the fall.  Need to get the reservoir under contract by this fall.  City will need an extension on the EPA permit.

 

9.     Goals

·        Continue working on the Town Run.  City is exploring the possibility of a Transportation Enhancement Grant to work on beautification of that.  Not certain it will qualify or not.  Mr. Reams asked who owns it.  Still unknown. 

·        Sidewalk maintenance discussion.  Three applications have been received to date, two have been processed, and one project is almost complete. 

·        Street paving.  Finished Weaver Road today.  Parking lots are half done.  Base repair yet to be done on Boerger Road.  Will then put top on that.  Should be done by the end of the week.  Park, Grand and Parkway will be a couple more weeks.  The street was completely removed.  New curbs and gutters are being installed. 

·        Water and sewer projects.  Ms. House showed the committee a letter from the engineers who have been working on the Water Master Plan.  One of the City’s goals in communicating with the EPA on the plant and distribution system has been the issue of the PHM’s and the chemical composition in the far reaches of the system.  Malcolm Pirnie has communicated with the EPA what the plan is and has explained why they feel it will be effective for the City, in hopes to buy the City some more time.

·        Explore a comprehensive impact fee.  Mr. Roush updated the Committee on the traffic signal at Amrine Mill and Maple Street.  The concrete base is in and the steel poles will be set within the next few days.  Hope that the signal will be in by the time school starts. 

 

ADJOURNMENT:  Meeting adjourned at 8:05 p.m.