UTILITY COMMITTEE
The Utility Committee Meeting was held on January 24, 2005, at 5:45 p.m. with Chairman Carey presiding. Members present were Mr. Ruane, Mr. Sadusky, Mr. Cregar, and Mr. Snaman. Members of Council present were Mr. Slavin, Mr. Ritter, Mr. Hogan, Mr. Salters, and Council President Williams (arrived at 5:58). Mayor Speed was also present (arrived at 5:58).
AGENDA ADDITIONS/DELETIONS
Mr. Sadusky moved for approval of the agenda, seconded by Mr. Snaman and unanimously carried.
Revised Proposed Ordinance Amendments - Street Widths
During their Regular Meeting of December 13, 2004, members considered a proposed ordinance amendment to Appendix A - Land Subdivision Regulations, Article VI - Subdivision-General Requirements and Design Standards, Section A-Streets, Subsection 13. Mr. Galvin advised members that the Planning Commission recommended approval of the proposed amendments. After considerable discussion, the committee deferred action with the understanding that the revised ordinance would be provided to members at their next meeting for review in sufficient form after having been reviewed by all appropriate parties so that a final recommendation can be formulated and forwarded to Council later that evening.
Mr. Galvin stated that the proposed ordinance submitted to the committee on January 10, 2005, addressed the four primary concerns discussed during the December 13, 2004 meeting as follows: 1) changing the street designation from minor to local; 2) acknowledging and planning for a Local Commercial street; 3) adjusting turning radii requirements to meet the demands of emergency vehicles; and 4) provide an incentive for the creation of alleys in residential subdivisions.
Mr. Galvin reviewed the proposed amendments and advised members that a new section 13.9 is being proposed to address the demand for clear space for emergency responses to townhouse communities, which are relatively dense. He noted that a 50-foot turning radius, as previously discussed, would be excessive for residential streets and would allow for greater traffic speed. Mr. Galvin suggested maintaining a 25-foot turning radius with a review by the City Engineer, paying close attention to the center medians and layout of the subdivision entrances.
Mr. Ritter expressed concern with staff not investigating the appropriate radius to accommodate the largest fire truck. He also suggested changing the proposed 24 foot roads (local for all residential areas, cul-de-sac and dead ends, and marginal access) to 26 feet.
Responding, it was Mr. Ruane’s feeling that Chief Bashista would not have approved of the 25-foot radius and 24-foot street recommendations if they would present a problem for the Fire Department.
Mr. DePrima advised members that he spoke with Fire Chief Bashista and he indicated that he was satisfied with the proposed amendments. He also noted that the proposed amendments related to alleys provide incentive for one and two family developments while maintaining strict requirements for multiplexes and townhouses.
Mr. Snaman moved to recommend approval of the proposed ordinance amendments (Attachment #1), seconded by Mr. Sadusky and unanimously carried. (City Clerk’s Office Note: Since this is an amendment to the Land Subdivision Regulations, a public hearing is required, which has been scheduled for January 24, 2005 at 7:30 p.m. Final action by Council will take place during the Section Reading of the ordinance on February 14, 2005.)
Water Quality Evaluation Program & Consulting Services/CIP Amendment
The Department of Public Works has requested, received and evaluated a proposal from Black & Veatch to perform a Water Quality Evaluation for the City of Dover. The overall objective of the proposed work plan is to accurately identify the source of the brown water problems and propose solutions to minimize and eventually eliminate the problem. Staff requested an amendment to the Capital Investments Plan (CIP) that would allow staff to defer the Cast Iron Main Replacement/Lining Project and the Southeast Water Loop Project for one fiscal year. The funds originally set aside for this work would be used to fund the Water Quality Evaluation in the amount of $90,000 ($50,000 from the Cast Iron Main Replacement/Lining Project and $40,000 from the Southeast Water Loop Project). Design proposals were received from the consulting engineer in late 2004 for the Southeast Water Loop Project and that effort yielded a design proposal of $72,000, which exceeds the current year’s budget for the project. In addition, staff has not derived enough information to date to identify the segments of the water distribution system that are most in need of replacement and/or relining.
The Water Quality Evaluation will be segmented into three (3) specific tasks (data evaluation, testing and consulting) in addition to an allowance for on-call services. The highlights of the work will include a corrosion evaluation, coupon testing, lead/copper rule compliance, impact of pending regulations and a technical memorandum which will outline a rehabilitation/replacement program based upon generally accepted practices to prioritize rehabilitation to best manage the City’s distribution system assets.
Mr. DePrima reminded members that this item was on the last agenda; however, it was removed due to concerns with an outstanding contract with Black & Veatch. He noted that the City’s utility attorney feels comfortable moving forward with the contract, with the stipulation that he be involved in writing the acceptance letter so that he can express his point of view of the implications of the existing contract.
Responding to Mr. Ruane, Mr. Koenig stated that there are issues in the industry regarding lead and copper rule compliance. He noted that staff has been performing lead testing in compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act, which have had favorable results; however, there are proposed changes to the federal regulations which staff needs to prepare for when moving forward.
Mr. Koenig advised members that he did not anticipate that the Water Quality Evaluation would result in recommendations for large scale capital projects. He also noted that the current Capital Investment Plan proposal includes $100,000 under Cast Iron Main Replacement/Lining and the rebudgeting of the design cost for the Southeast Water Loop project for FY2006.
Staff recommended approval of the requested amendment to the CIP to defer the Cast Iron Main Replacement/Lining Project and the Southeast Water Loop Project for one fiscal year to move forward with the Water Quality Evaluation and to authorize staff to execute the consulting agreement with Black & Veatch to perform the Water Quality Evaluation in the amount of $90,000.
Mr. Ruane moved to recommend approval of staff’s recommendation, with the understanding that the acceptance letter be provided to the utility lawyer for inclusion of his view of the implications of the existing contract. The motion was seconded by Mr. Sadusky and unanimously carried.
Mr. Snaman moved for adjournment, seconded by Mr. Sadusky and unanimously carried.
Meeting Adjourned at 6:24 P.M.
Respectfully submitted,
Carleton E. Carey, Sr.
Chairman
CEC/jg/tm
S:ClerksOfficeAgendas&MinutesCommittee-Minutes20051-24-2005 Utility.wpd
Attachment
Attachment #1 - Proposed Ordinance Amendments - Street Widths