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HomeMy WebLinkAbout02-09-2004CITY OF WASHINGTON CITY OF AUBURN PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE February 9, 2004 MINUTES I. CALL TO ORDER The meeting was called to order at 5:30 p.m. Those in attendance were Mayor Lewis, Committee Chairman Rich Wagner, Council/Committee member Gene Cerino, and Council/Committee member Roger Thordarson. Staff in attendance were Public Works Director Dennis Dowdy, City Engineer/Assistant Director Dennis Selle, Utilities Engineer Duane Huskey, Traffic Engineer Laura Philpot, Transportation Planner Joe Welsh, Senior Project Engineer Bill Helbig, Assistant Project Engineer Brian Coleman, Environmental Project Manager Eric Hagen, Planner Bill Mandeville, and Administrative Services Supervisor Pam Miller. II. CONSENT AGENDA A. APPROVAL OF MINUTES It was moved by Councilmember Cerino, seconded by Councilmember Thordarson, that the Committee approve the Public Works Committee minutes for January 26, 2004, as submitted. Motion carried. CONSULTANT AGREEMENT NO. AG-C-226 WITH KENNEDY/JENKS CONSULTANTS FOR DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION SERVICES RELATED TO PROJECT NO. C324A, WELL 5B EXPANSION It was moved by Councilmember Cerino, seconded by Councilmember Thordarson, that the Committee recommend Council approve Consultant Agreement No. AG-C-226. Motion carried. FINAL PAY ESTIMATE NO. 4 TO CONTRACT 03-03 WITH SCOTTY'S GENERAL CONSTRUCTION, INC., AND ACCEPT CONSTRUCTION OF PROJECT NO. C304A, K STREET SE STORM IMPROVEMENTS It was moved by Councilmember Cerino, seconded by Councilmember Thordarson, that the Committee recommend Council approve Final PaY Estimate No. 4 to Contract 03-03 and accept construction of Project No. C304A. Motion carried. III. ISSUES ORDINANCE NO. 5830 AMENDING AUBURN CITY CODE CHAPTER 10.36, SECTION 310, ENTITLED "PROHOBIITED PARKING AREAS - SOUTHEAST AUBURN" TO PROHIBIT PARKING ON A PORTION OF THE WEST SIDE OF D STREET SE BETWEEN 37TM STREET SE AND 41sT STREET SE Traffic Engineer Philpot explained that the management of Auburn Manor sent a letter to the City requesting that parking be restricted on the west side of D Street SE between 37th Street SE and 41st Street SE. She used photos of a portion of D Street SE to illustrate the condition of the shoulder area, which includes a drainage ditch. Cars parking in the area have created large Public Works Committee Minutes January 9, 2004 potholes and deteriorated the condition of the grass. In addition, the Auburn Police Department reported to the Traffic Division that numerous stolen and abandoned vehicles have been recovered from this area. Traffic Engineer Philpot stated that there are no driveways in that area, and that the management and residents of Auburn Manor have installed a new fence, and have been cleaning up the site by picking up litter, mowing, and weeding. It was noted by Councilmember Thordarson that Little League participants use this area for parking. Discussion ensued regarding parking and access to the athletic fields at Mt. Baker Middle School. The Committee asked staff to contact the Little League to advise them of the parking prohibition, and to contact the school district to explore parking opportunities at the school. The Committee also asked staff to install signage for alternative parking, and to look into the feasibility of modifying the ditch and paving the shoulder to allow for parking. It was moved by Cerino, seconded by Thordarson, that the Committee recommend Council adopt Ordinance No. 5830, provided that the prohibition be short term (approximately through next year), and that staff contact the Little League and the school district, provide signage for alternative parking, and investigate the feasibility of modifying the ditch and paving the shoulder to allow for parking. Motion carried. RESOLUTION NO. 3683 AUTHORIZING A COMMUTE TRIP REDUCTION ACT INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT WITH KING COUNTY FOR THE PURPOSE OF IMPLEMENTING THE WASHINGTON STATE COMMUTE TRIP REDUCTION ACT OF 1991 It was moved by Cerino, seconded by Thordarson, that the Committee recommend Council adopt Resolution No. 3683. Motion carried. IV. DISCUSSION AND INFORMATION A. UPDATE/REVIEW 2004 PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE AGENDA ISSUES The Committee reviewed the agenda issues slated to come before them in 2004, and the following discussion ensued. Transportation: City Engineer/Assistant Director Selle clarified that the reference to level of service standards shown on the list pertained to how well the City does things and what level of service is provided, rather than just the LOS (level of service) A, B, C, etc. used to rate traffic movement through corridors or intersections. Traffic Engineer Philpot explained corddor versus intersection LOS, and confirmed that the City intends to continue to use corridor LOS for analysis. City Engineer Selle stated that LOS and corridor end point methodology will be reviewed by the Committee during the Transportation Comprehensive Plan amendment process. Director Dowdy noted that the City now has a sidewalk crew, similar to the pothole crew, that goes out on a weekly basis to repair sidewalks. Water - City Engineer Selle stated that money has been budgeted in 2004 for a Vulnerability Assessment that will address the security of our water sources and facilities. Councilmember Cerino asked that staff disseminate information to the public about irrigation meters. He felt that the City does a good job of informing new developers, but that owners of existing buildings/developments may not be aware of the benefit of an irrigation (deduct) meter. Sewer- It was noted that the agreement with the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe for cost sharing of the Auburn Way South sewer project will be brought before the Committee at their next meeting. Page 2 Public Works Committee Minutes January 9,2004 Storm - Brief discussion was held on the NPDES general permit. Utilities Engineer Huskey stated that Phase II is complete and the City has applied for a general permit; however, the Department of Ecology is revising the permit and Won't have it finalized until 2005. He explained that the permit is applicable primarily to discharge, but that there are some percolation requirements. There are currently no requirements for groundwater monitoring. Chairman Wagner asked that rates be reviewed in the second quarter of this year, rather than the third quarter. Miscellaneous - The Committee expressed support for adoption of the Limited Small Works Process. B. CITIZEN REQUESTS FOR NEW LUMINAIRES Traffic Engineer Philpot distributed copies of a document related to individual requests to add lights on residential streets and neighborhood requests to add corridor street lighting. She briefed the Committee on the City's current process for handling individual requests and asked for policy direction on several issues. The Committee gave the following policy direction on individual street lighting requests: · Lights should be installed in the right-of-way, as needed, for the safety of pedestrians and traffic, particularly in school walking routes, but not to illuminate private property. · If PSE poles are not available, but a request for a light is deemed appropriate, the City should install a pole. · Regarding placing a limit on the number of lights added per year, look at past expenditure history and increase that figure by, perhaps, 20 percent, or budget $50,000 and if requests exceed that amount, the issue could be brought to Committee at that time. · Rather than requiring concurrence from adjacent property owners, a notification and appeal process should be put into place, with appeals going to the City Engineer or Public Works Director. Traffic Engineer Philpot briefed the Committee on two scenarios anticipated for receiving neighborhood street lighting modifications. One is through the City's neighborhood planning efforts, such as Terminal Park, and the other from neighborhoods that have not gone through a formal neighborhood planning effort. The Committee gave the following policy direction on corridor street lighting requests: · Regarding level of lighting standards in corridors, do what is necessary to meet minimal requirements, such as lights at intersections and mid-block. If that does not solve the problem, implement what is possible and then inform the residents of the LID process if they want further improvements. · If PSE poles are available, they should be used; however, if they are not available and lighting is needed, the City should install poles. · Rather than concurrence from residents, use the same appeal process as noted above for individual requests. A more comprehensive staff write up will be brought back to the Committee once staff completes a draft policy based on guidance from the Committee. C. SCHOOL ZONE SIGNAGE Traffic Engineer Philpot explained that the signs currently in place in school zones throughout the City state "20 mph when children present." Drivers ticketed for going over the speed limit in school zones have indicated that the language is confusing, as they interpret it to mean during school hours, even though children are often present on school grounds during the evenings or Page 3 Public Works Committee Minutes January 912004 on weekends. Guidance was requested from the Committee on how to clarify the language, and a number of suggestions were discussed, one of them being to set the speed limit in school zones at 20 mph at all times. Philpot reported that the City Attorney has stated that there is nothing in the law that would prohibit the City from setting a 20 mph speed limit in school zones at all times. In addition, the City can choose not to sign an area as a school zone, such as Auburn Way South at Chinook Elementary School, where all children are bussed to and from school. The state law also provides enough flexibility that a school zone can be signed 30 mph if the City so chooses. She reported that the Traffic Division has performed speed studies on 37th Street SE in front of Mt. Baker Middle School and Gildo Rey Elementary School. The speed studies were performed while children were present and the results were that the 85th percentile speed was 30 mph. Therefore, the City is installing flashing beacons timed to flash before and after school to draw drivers' attention to the school zone. Following discussion, it was the consensus of the Committee that an ordinance be brought forward to change the speed limit in school zones to 20 mph at all times, and to eliminate school zone designation in areas where children are not present. A map showing existing and potential school zone locations will be brought back to the Committee for further review. D. QWEST STREET CLOSURE REQUEST City Engineer Selle informed the Committee of Qwest's need to do an east/west underground crossing under Auburn Avenue, just north of Main Street at the alley adjacent to the Auburn Avenue Dinner Theater. It was the consensus of the Committee that Qwest do as much preparation work as possible ahead of time to keep the street closure to a minimum, and that the street closure and undergrounding work occur on a Saturday to minimize impacts to downtown traffic and the theater. City Engineer Selle stated that the City would coordinate with the Auburn Downtown Association and the theater. E. WETLAND ENHANCEMENT PROJECT Environmental Project Manager Eric Hagen stated that the Planning and Community Development Committee had just approved a motion recommending Council approve a Professional Services Agreement for the Auburn "Enhanced" Wetlands Project Phase 1 - Feasibility Study. The scope of work was included in the Public Works Committee agenda packet, and Eric asked if the Committee had any questions or comments. In response to a question from the Committee, Hagen stated that there will be a process for getting input on the project from the City and the public. Chairman Wagner expressed concern that the Storm Utility will be asked to pay for more of the project than the utility can afford, and asked that the issue of funding be kept on the table. The Mayor stated that the City will be looking for grant opportunities for this project, and that the potential for in-kind work and contributions will also be explored. He stated that ECOSS (Environmental Coalition of South Seattle) is a non-profit group that works well with bringing business communities and agencies to the table on projects such as this one. Hagen noted that this study is more for concept development and will not include a wetland delineation. The study will determine the feasibility of the project so that the City can decide whether or not the project should be implemented. Chairman Wagner encouraged the Mayor to ensure that the project has adequate oversight by Engineering staff. Page 4 Public Works Committee Minutes January 9,2004 F. CAPITAL PROJECT STATUS REPORT The following projects were briefly discussed: #8 - C1014, Auburn Way South Safety Improvements: Senior Project Engineer Helbig stated that the City is currently working on right-of-way (ROW) plans, is still in negotiation with U-Haul and Les Schwab, and that an agreement has been drafted. #14 - C303A, 41st Street SE to A Street SE Capacity Improvements: Senior Project Engineer Helbig reported that the City is currently negotiating with BNSF, and that the City Attorney has reviewed the issue and developed a preliminary strategy for acquiring the ROW. Traffic Engineer Philpot stated that the City will receive a huge benefit from this project, explaining that when C Street SW is reconstructed from 15th to 41st Street SE, and once Safeway develops, traffic in this area will increase, so both C and A Streets will experience congestion relief once an additional lane is added to 41st Street SE. #15 - C1006, 3rd Street SE/Cross Street Improvements: Senior Project Engineer Helbig noted, and Traffic Engineer Philpot concurred, that the project design is further along than the 50% noted on the Capital Project Spreadsheet. Currently, ROW is more of an issue than design in meeting the projected advertisement date of June 2004. #17 - C 315A, Downtown Li.qhting Analysis: The City has received the report from the consultant who did the analysis, and staff are investigating areas where deficiencies were noted. The City's arborist has identified trees that can be trimmed or removed to improve lighting. This work will be accomplished soon. Once some areas that were left out of the report have been included, the report will be brought to the Committee for review. #18 - C307A, City Wide ITS Improvements: The Committee asked to see design level and mid-course review, and expressed concern that design was only at 5%. The Mayor stated that although the federal government has approved the funds for the project, they have not yet approved the budget. Since these funds are the City's match, any money spent by the City on the project now would not be reimbursable from the grant funds. Traffic Engineer Philpot stated that City staff are doing as much work as possible internally, such as pulling record drawings and gathering data. Chair Wagner asked if the Committee could see, conceptually, how an ITS system works. The Mayor suggested that staff see if the City can get copies of tapes from another agency and mentioned that it might also be something that could be put on the City's TV channel. G. OTHER DISCUSSION Councilmember Thordarson asked about the status of the bus stop located at 3rd and Division, which has become a nuisance for the adjacent property owner. Traffic Engineer Philpot stated that the A Street Loop project should be in construction this year, and that once the loop is completed, the bus stop would be moved to the south side of 3rd Street. Since Metro only changes their routes twice a year, it could potentially be June of 2005 before the routes are changed and the bus stop relocated. In the interim, the Committee asked that a trash receptacle be placed at the bus stop, that signs be installed indicating private property or no sitting on the fence, and that ensure that the property owner is kept apprised of any interim measures implemented. Councilmember Cerino asked about the control the City has over tenants of the Parking Garage, and whether or not the tenants could be required to maintain their businesses so that they present a neat appearance to the public. The Mayor responded that the City does have that ability, and is currently working on this issue. Page 5 Public Works Committee Minutes Januaw 9,2004 In response to another question from Councilmember Cerino, Senior Project Engineer Helbig stated that the valves for the Coal Creek Springs Security Hatches Project (No. C306A) are expected to be shipped by April. V. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business to come before the Public Works Committee, the meeting was adjourned at 7:10 p.m. DRD/pm Submitted by Pam Miller, Administrative Services Supervisor. Approved by the Public Works Committee on ~:~'~Ch File: 17 (17.2) REF. H:\PWCAgendaMinutes/020904Minutes Page 6