October 19, 2004
The Board of Commissioners of the City of Lawrence met in regular session at 6:35 p.m. in the City Commission Chambers in City Hall with Mayor Rundle presiding and members Dunfield, Highberger and Schauner present. Commissioner Hack was absent. Lawrence High School Student Representative Justin Isbell was present.
RECOGNITION/PROCLAMATION/PRESENTATION:
Jim Martin and Peggy Johnson presented a gift of $10,000 from the Rotary Clubs for the Rotary Arboretum.
Mayor Rundle recognized The League of American Bicyclist Bicycle Friendly Community.
Mayor Rundle proclaimed the week of October 24 – 30th as “Godzilla Week.”
CONSENT AGENDA
As part of the consent agenda, it was moved by Highberger, seconded by Schauner, to approve the City Commission meeting minutes of October 12, 2004. Motion carried unanimously.
As part of the consent agenda, it was moved by Highberger, seconded by Schauner, to receive the Public Transit Advisory Committee meeting minutes of September 16, 2004; the Board of Zoning Appeals meeting minutes of September 2, 2004; the Sign Code Board of Appeals meeting minutes of September 2, 2004; the Sister Cities Advisory Board meeting minutes of August 18, 2004 and September 8, 2004; the Public Health Board meeting minutes of August 16, 2004; the Mechanical Board of Appeals meeting minutes of July 28, 2004; the Practitioners Panel meeting minutes of July 1, 2004; the Library Board meeting minutes of September 20, 2004; and the Farmer’s Market Task Force meeting minutes of October 7, 2004. Motion carried unanimously.
As part of the consent agenda, it was moved by Highberger, seconded by Schauner, to approve claims to 345 vendors in the amount of $1,757,814.01 and payroll from October 3, 2004 – October 16, 2004 in the amount of $1,376,723.77. Motion carried unanimously.
As part of the consent agenda, it was moved by Highberger, seconded by Schauner, to approve the Drinking Establishment License for Jet Lag Lounge, 610 Florida. Motion carried unanimously.
The City Commission reviewed the bids for one breathing air compressor for the Fire/Medical Department. The bids were:
BIDDER TOTAL BID
Conrad Fire Equipment $36,202
Bauer Compressor $41,321
As part of the consent agenda, it was moved by Highberger, seconded by Schauner, to award the bid to Conrad Fire Equipment, in the amount of $36,202. Motion carried unanimously. (1)
As part of the consent agenda, it was moved by Highberger, seconded by Schauner, to set a bid opening date of November 9, 2004 for the Comprehensive Rehabilitation Program for 811 East 11th Street and 2236 East Drive. Motion carried unanimously. (2)
The City Commission reviewed the bids for the scrap and surplus sale for the Utilities Department. The bids were:
|
1 Scrap Copper & Brass |
|
|
Vendor |
Bid |
|
James Reiners |
$ 1,410.00 |
|
John Nichols |
1,305.00 |
|
Harold Starkebaum |
1,250.00 |
|
Lonnies Recycling, copper |
60 |
|
Lonnies Recycling, Brass |
35 |
|
#2 Miscellaneous Scrap Iron |
|
|
Vendor |
Bid |
|
Lonnies Recycling |
$ 278.78 |
|
John Nichols |
35.00 |
|
Harold Starkebaum |
20.00 |
|
#3 Obsolete Water Meters |
|
|
Vendor |
Bid |
|
Harold Starkebaum |
$ 2000.00 |
|
John Nichols |
1,850.00 |
|
James Reiners |
1,500.00 |
|
#4 2-3” Trash Pumps |
|
|
Vendor |
Bid |
|
John Nichols |
$ 25.00 |
|
#5 4’ X 6’ 2 Wheeled Trailer |
|
|
Vendor |
Bid |
|
Harold Starkebaum |
$ 100.00 |
|
#6 2 MSA Multigas Detectors |
NO BIDS |
|
#7 Laboratory Water System |
NO BIDS |
As part of the consent agenda, it was moved by Highberger, seconded by Schauner, to award the bid to the highest bidders. Motion carried unanimously. (3)
As part of the consent agenda, it was moved by Highberger, seconded by Schauner, to place on first reading, Ordinance No. 7832, rezoning (Z-08-30B-01) a tract of land approximately 20.0294 acres from A (Agricultural District) to PRD-2 (Planned Residential Development District). The property is generally described as being located north of West 6th Street along Congressional Drive. This rezoning was approved by the City Commission on October 23, 2001 subject to approval of a preliminary development plan and provision of a revised legal description. The City Commission approved the preliminary development plan for 6Wak Apartments on March 9, 2004. Staff recently received the revised legal description. Motion carried unanimously. (4) Ordinance No. 7835, annexing approximately 1 acre, generally located north of Riverridge Road and east of North Iowa (John Joyce tract), was read a second time. As part of the consent agenda, it was moved by Highberger, seconded by Schauner, to adopt the ordinance. Aye: Dunfield, Highberger, Rundle, and Schauner. Nay: None. Motion carried unanimously. (5)
Ordinance No. 7827, allowing possession and consumption of alcoholic beverages on certain city property pursuant to a Qdoba Mexican Grill Sidewalk Dining License, was read a second time. As part of the consent agenda, it was moved by Highberger, seconded by Schauner, to adopt the ordinance. Aye: Dunfield, Highberger, Rundle, and Schauner. Nay: None. Motion carried unanimously. (6)
CITY MANAGER’S REPORT:
During the City Manager’s Report, Mike Wildgen said the County had set the final assessment value and the property tax rate would be slightly lower.
Mayor Rundle asked about the change in the mill levy.
Wildgen said the mill levy was published in August at 27.882 mills for 2005, but with the new calculations of property values, the mill levy was 27.859 mills.
REGULAR AGENDA ITEMS:
Receive report from the Federal Emergency Management Agency Division of Water Resources on the City of Lawrence receiving a Class 8 rating on the Community Rating System on its application to the National Flood Insurance Program.
David Maurstad presented the report from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. He said effective October 1, 2004 the City of Lawrence had obtained the designation of a Class A on FEMA’s Communities Rating System (CRS). The objective of the Community Rating System was to reward communities that were accomplishing more than meeting the minimum of national flood insurance requirements to help their citizens prevent or reduce flood losses. The goal was to encourage, by the use of the flood insurance premium adjustments, community and state activities beyond those required by the NFIP and CRS recognized communities that exceeded NFIP Standards for Hazard Mitigation and receive reduced flood insurance rates accordingly for the community.
The cities with CRS status reflected significant on-going activities in reducing flood losses, promoting the awareness of flood insurance, and facilitating accurate insurance ratings.
He said Lawrence provided floodplain map information to interested parties, preserved open space in the floodplain, had higher regulatory standards of requiring no rise standards in the special flood hazard area, and maintained an effective stormwater management and drainage program which was a key to their program.
He said an Outreach Newsletter was sent to residents that lived in the floodplain areas to remind them of the location and the availability of flood insurance. He said the newsletter also promoted flood awareness along with protective measures that they could take in case of a flood.
Hazard mitigation was an issue that FEMA concentrated on. He said their agency liked when a community took actions that could prevent more damage in an event which was sure to happen.
He said there was currently $51,000,000 of flood insurance coverage in Lawrence. He said under the Community Rating System there was estimated $19,000 assistance with a premium savings which was a savings to the people who buy flood insurance.
He complemented Linda Finger, Planning Director, and staff who worked closely with the State and FEMA to make this issue happen.
He presented a plaque to the City Commission.
Vice Mayor Highberger asked if there was anything else that the City could do to further increase its ratings.
Maurstad said there were further activities that could take place. He suggested that the flood experts that were on hand answer the question.
Rhonda Montgomery, State Division of Water Resources, said the City of Lawrence could educate the public with a flood warning system, working with the Emergency Services Program; and work with Neighborhood Resources in working with the building code effectiveness grading schedule. She said this City had enough points to become a Class 7, but there were a few fine tunings that needed to happen.
Mayor Rundle asked who monitored the Building Code Effectiveness Rating System.
Montgomery said the Insurance Services Office monitored the rating system. She said they were also the entity that administered the Community Rating System for FEMA. She said there were four communities in Kansas that participated in the Community Rating System and over 1,000 communities nationwide which made Lawrence a unique group. She said there were approximately 20,000 communities that participated in the National Flood Insurance Program, but only approximately 1,000 that continue on and participate in the Community Rating System. (7)
Consider approving site plan (subject to conditions), SP-08-55-04: A site plan for Fire Station No. 5 to be constructed at the southeast corner of 19th and Iowa Streets. Submitted by Sabatini Architects, Inc. for the City of Lawrence. Kansas University Endowment Association is the property owner of record.
Jeff Tully, Planner, presented the staff report on the site plan (SP-08-55-04) for Fire Station No. 5, located at southeast corner of 19th and Iowa. He said on October 7, 2004, the Board of Zoning Appeals approved a variance to allow up to a 73 foot wide driveway for the station’s equipment bay. He said because of the code requirement that allowed up to a 30 foot wide driveway, they would need a variance to allow the equipment bay to be as wide as 73 feet to house 4 emergency vehicles which included the City’s HAZMAT truck. He said Planning Staff recommended approval of the site plan with the three conditions as identified in their report.
Dan Sabatini, Sabatini Architects, said his firm was in acceptance of the staff recommendations and would like to move forward with this project which would be out to bid in the next two or three weeks.
Commissioner Schauner asked if this design format would be replicated for future fire stations.
Chief McSwain said because this building would be their central station which would house more people, equipment, and administrative offices, this building would be larger than any station that would be anticipated for the future. He said Station No. 2 would be the prototype station for the design of future stations.
Commissioner Schauner asked how the new station would affect the use of the current station downtown and the area that was used for administrative offices.
McSwain said the current downtown station, in the 2006 Capital Improvement Plan, would be renovated to build individual rooms for the firefighters. He said part of the administrative office would be taken over by the Senior Center if that was the Commission’s direction.
Moved by Highberger, seconded by Dunfield, to approve the site plan (SP-08-55-04) for Fire Station No. 5 to be constructed at the southeast corner of 19th and Iowa, located at 8 East 6th, subject to the following conditions:
1. Execution of a site plan performance agreement per Section 20-1433;
2. Approval of site landscaping by City’s Landscape Supervisor;
3. Public improvement plans for the site’s storm drainage system must be submitted to the Public Works Department for review prior to release of the site plan to Neighborhood Resources; and a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWP3) must be provided for this project. This project will not be released for building permits until an approved SWP3 has been obtained. Construction activity, including soil disturbance or removal of vegetation shall not commence until an approved SWP3 has been obtained.
Motion carried unanimously. (8)
Receive Road Safety Audit from Kansas Department of Transportation.
Chuck Soules, Public Works Director, presented the staff report. He said the road safety audit for Douglas County was received two months ago from Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT). He said KDOT tried to be more proactive in order to determine what safety changes, if any, were needed on the State Highway System. The City of Lawrence contained 3 state highways which were US-40 (6th Street), US-59 (Iowa Street), and K-10 (23rd Street). These recommendations could be used to leverage federal funds. The recommendations were:
US-59
(This is consistent with the 85th percentile speeds being driven.)
(The “dilemma zone” is the red/yellow cycle lengths. This recommendation will involve staff verifying that the red/yellow cycle lengths are appropriate. Staff will complete this item.)
K-10
(This recommendation would require a considerable amount of widening and right-of-way acquisition. At this time staff is not recommending pursuing this project.)
(No action required.)
(Staff will complete this item.)
Staff is currently in the process of determining what work will be necessary in order to implement this. In 2004 the city submitted a geometric improvement project at 23rd and Harper to widen the south leg to provide a left turn lane. KDOT is reviewing this application. Additionally, the city has applied for safety funding at 23rd and Harper for intersection improvements.
US-40
Soules said, next year, 2005, the KLINK project would include milling and overlaying this section of US-40. If the Commission desired to pursue the re-striping of this section of highway to include a left turn lane, this would be the opportune time. Currently parking was not allowed on the north side of the street. There was sufficient room (width) to re-stripe with a left turn lane and retain the parking on the south side. Over the last three years (2001-2003) there have been 39 total accidents in this area of which 13 included injuries to at least one person. Using State averages of costs for accidents with property damage and injury, the cost of these accidents totals $679,250.
He said this same issue was brought to the City Commission in April 1999. At that time there was some objection to the idea of a left turn lane and removal of parking, and the adjacent neighborhoods had not had an opportunity to make comment. The City Commission decided to use the KLINK funds on another section of the highway (Iowa Street) and to collect input from adjacent neighborhoods. No further discussion of a turning lane was pursued.
In the September meeting of the Traffic Safety Commission, there was a recommendation to install the center turn lane. If the City Commission desired, staff would contact adjacent neighborhoods, receive public input, and bring this back for City Commission approval. If the City Commission was not interested, staff would proceed with completing the KLINK plans under the current lane configuration.
Mayor Rundle called for public comment.
After receiving no public comment, Mayor Rundle said the US 40/6th Street recommendation did raise concerns from the Pinckney and Old West Lawrence neighborhoods because of schools and proximity of traffic to older homes. He said he would like to look at this issue in terms of speeding traffic versus calming traffic.
He said perhaps this issue should be a separate agenda item for a future meeting.
Wildgen said this issue would also need to go to the Historic Resources Commission.
Commissioner Dunfield said he was trying to recall the meeting in 1999 and the discussion about a median in that area.
Wildgen said that discussion was with George Williams, former Public Works Director. He said there were concerns from the neighborhoods that more traffic would go through those streets in that area.
Commissioner Dunfield said the median would seem to make the neighbors’ problems getting in and out of their own area much harder.
Commissioner Schauner said another way to address this issue would be to make left turns not possible during the heaviest traffic volumes on those streets. He said there were enforcement issues and other pieces that went along with that idea, but it was not an uncommon method of addressing this type of issue.
He said his concern about making that a five lane road was that it would make it more difficult to make left turns onto that street from either, the north or south if there was yet one more lane of traffic to contend with and perhaps the stacking of people trying to make left hand turns.
Vice Mayor Highberger said it seemed it would work the other way because he had been in those neighborhoods quite a bit and trying to make a turn across a lane of traffic was a problem. He said when adding a fifth lane, traffic could go part of the way and wait for the other side to clear. He said it seemed that a fifth lane would facilitate movement in and out of the neighborhood for the residents.
Commissioner Schauner said unless there were cars stacked in that new lane waiting to make a left and that would block vision for the on-coming traffic.
Mayor Rundle said he had done that type of maneuvering further west on 6th Street. He asked if that type of maneuvering was legal, to pull out into the left turn lane and wait to merge into traffic.
David Corliss, said staff would check on that question.
Mayor Rundle said there was discussion about putting up no left turn signs during rush hour, 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. He had asked that staff identify the most appropriate place for a trial run which could be some stretch of 23rd Street. This procedure would need to go to the Traffic Safety Commission for recommendation and staff would need to educate the community to cooperate in this experiment.
He said many streets in Kansas City, Missouri and Johnson County, during their rush hours, move a lot of their traffic by not having people blocking movement with waiting to turn left.
Commissioner Schauner said that idea was worth an experiment to see if it would work. He said 23rd Street traffic was bad at that location during the busiest parts of the day. He said 23rd Street would be the ideal place to start some discussions.
Wildgen said one problem was that Tennessee went all the way through and people would tend to go all the way through and not be able to make left turns out of that area.
Commissioner Schauner said that was why this idea should be an experiment and not a final decision.
Mayor Rundle suggested identifying all of the potential places along that street.
Commissioner Schauner said there were some unknowable consequences which Wildgen identified. One consequence that might put more traffic on Massachusetts, might slow the left hand side movement onto Massachusetts from the westbound traffic.
Mayor Rundle said there would not be any solutions in terms of more traffic on east/west roads in the near future. He said traffic was probably going to steadily grow so if there was someway to keep things moving, it was in our best interest.
Wildgen suggested that the City Commission send this issue back to Traffic Safety Commission with that being the venue for public comment from the neighborhoods. He said this issue would also need to go back to the Historic Resources Commission because of the striping.
Commissioner Dunfield said this issue was buried in the audit. He said he thought it would be appropriate to make that issue a standalone agenda item for both the HRC and TSC so that the City Commission could receive some public input from the neighborhoods.
Mayor Rundle said if this no left turn experiment played into this idea, he did not know if the City Commission needed to wait until they did that experiment before it went to the HRC and TSC.
Wildgen said the KLINK project would not bid until spring so there would be time to see how that experiment worked on 23rd Street.
Commissioner Schauner said the KLINK project would not be affected by four hours of no left turn. He said that wouldn’t be a striping or resurfacing issue. He said it seemed that those were separate questions whether to re-stripe and/or sign no left turns for four hours a day.
Moved by Rundle, seconded by Dunfield, to receive the Road Safety Audit from the Kansas Department of Transportation and direct staff to send the road safety audit recommendation regarding US-40 re-striping to the Traffic Safety Commission and the Historic Resources Commission (and for the Traffic Safety Commission to consider the possibility of “NO LEFT TURN” signage on a temporary or “experimental” basis during peak traffic times of the day on certain stretches of 23rd Street or 6th Street); and further direct staff to initiate the process to change the posted speed on US-59 between Terrace Road to Harvard Road from 35 mph to 40 mph. Motion carried unanimously.
Mayor Rundle suggested that Soules contact Pinckney and Old West Neighborhoods so they could get word out in their newsletters on this issue and then schedule this meeting on an agenda.
Commissioner Schauner asked if there was any discussion about the impact on speed by having a fifth lane.
David Woosley, Traffic Engineer, said there were no studies that would show that impact, but one issue that might have an effect was if they do re-strip, those lanes would come down from 12 feet to 11 feet and the outside lanes would come down to 11 feet. The lane on the north side was presently 20 feet. The narrowing of the lanes could have a small change in reducing the speed.
Receive 2004 Intersection Improvement Priorities report.
Chuck Soules, Public Works Director, presented the staff report. He said the intersections were evaluated based on crashes, warrants, and volumes. He said staff’s comments were:
Priority No.1 and No.2: Wakarusa and Harvard, Inverness/Legends.
These two intersections should be evaluated for the appropriate improvement (roundabout/signal).
Priority No. 3: 15th Street (Bob Billings Parkway) and Wakarusa
This intersection has dedicated left turn lanes in all directions. Therefore, since the geometrics are complete, staff is recommending a signal at this location. The estimated construction cost for signal installation is $200,000.
Priority No. 4: 15th Street and Engel Road
This intersection is complicated due to the fact that sight distance is limited because it is located near the top of a hill. Additionally, pedestrian traffic is significant in the area. Improvements to the intersection would include the realignment/relocation of the intersection to improve sight distance. KU would need to be a partner in this project. However, KU recently reconstructed the south leg of the intersection and would probably not want to participate in another project. Therefore, this improvement may be several years into the future.
This intersection will require KTA participation, which is not available at this time.
Priority No. 6: Kasold Drive and Peterson Road
This is currently being designed as a benefit district project with City participation of 60% (based on traffic volumes). Estimated City cost will be approximately $180,000. A traffic signal was the determined improvement for this location. Total estimated project cost is $300,000.
Priority No. 7 and No. 8: 31st and Louisiana/Haskell
The County Commission is currently looking at improvements to both of these intersections.
Soules said the Traffic Safety Commission reviewed the priority list and recommended the design work for Bob Billings Parkway (15th) and Wakarusa along with the study and design of the intersections at Wakarusa and Harvard and Wakarusa and Inverness/Legends.
Commissioner Schauner said if a roundabout would be appropriate for Wakarusa/Legends why would it not be appropriate at 15th and Wakarusa.
Soules said staff looked at the costs of a roundabout at 15th and Wakarusa and concluded that a signal would be more economical because the geometrics were already complete.
Commissioner Schauner said so then the 15th and Wakarusa intersection recommendation was based on a cost issue and not a traffic control issue.
Soules said yes.
Commissioner Dunfield asked if volume of traffic was an issue with the decision of a roundabout versus a signal.
David Woosley said not at any of those intersections that were discussed. He said in some cases around the country a two lane roundabout could handle 60,000 cars a day. He said those intersections that had been discussed were nowhere close to the volumes of that type.
Mayor Rundle asked if the earliest that any of those intersections would have that level of traffic were several years down the road.
Woosley said not in the 20 year life of an intersection. He said staff did not even project that Bob Billings Parkway and Wakarusa Drive intersection would get up to 60,000 cars a day.
Mayor Rundle called for public comment.
Jason Boots, University of Kansas Student Senate, Community Affairs Director, commented on 15th & Engel. He said obviously the students and the University were looking out for student safety. In fact, the traffic island at that location was put in place by the Campus Safety Advisory Board which was run by students. He said he drove that route on occasion and agreed that there were still traffic issues even with the traffic island in place. He said luckily, by looking at the traffic crash diagram there were no pedestrian accidents that were the main purpose of the traffic island. He encouraged the City Commission to continue to look at options not only with administration, but also with the students as well.
Mayor Rundle said he had broader concerns in terms of those intersections that had met warrants for a considerable number of years and would not be improved for a few more years.
He said the City Commission’s action would be to direct staff to prepare necessary bonding resolutions for 15th and Wakarusa Drive intersection. He asked what staff wanted in terms of design direction.
Soules said at 15th and Wakarusa staff recommended signalization of that intersection.
Mayor Rundle asked if that intersection needed no geometric improvements.
Soules said that it would not need geometric improvements.
Mayor Rundle asked about the Wakarusa and Harvard and the Wakarusa and Inverness intersection.
Soules said he understood that $250,000 was placed in the Capital Improvement Plan. He said if there were funds available after bidding, staff would proceed with a study for the other two intersections and again, if funds were available, proceed with the design. He said the first step would be to start on the design for the construction of 15th and Bob Billings Parkway.
Mayor Rundle asked if this issue would be brought back at a future agenda to proceed with the evaluation.
Soules said yes.
Commissioner Schauner said he understood that at 15th Street at both Legends and Harvard Drives, there was a fair amount of right-of-way acquisition, if they constructed a two lane roundabout. He said that would take a considerable amount of ground that was currently in those intersections.
Woosley said there was already a considerable amount of right-of-way on Wakarusa Drive and depending on how the roundabout and roadway would fit in at that location, staff might not need to do anything accept acquire right-of-way or easements for the sidewalks around the outside. He said staff might be able to get the roadway within the existing right-of-way, but that would come out in the design of that intersection. He said they might need to acquire a small amount of right-of-way on the corner, or they might end up with easements for pedestrians.
Mayor Rundle asked if there were any options for cash financing of these types of projects.
Wildgen said there was no cash unless maintenance money was used for the capital side of those projects. He said traditionally those projects were bonded because it was a long term capital improvement.
Mayor Rundle asked, based on recent General Obligation Bonds, what was the cost of financing a million dollars.
Wildgen said they were receiving about a 4-5% interest rate on bids on a long term basis. He said in the first year $200,000 would be paid which was 10% plus a year’s worth of interest and the payment would go down as the debt was paid.
Mayor Rundle said the annual cost would be $40,000 to $50,000 based on that 4% to 5%. He asked what the interest income was on $80,000,000.
Wildgen said the interest rate was less than 3% on a long-term basis, but typically they did not do long-term financing. He said they typically finance approximately 18 months.
Mayor Rundle said at least with a couple of tens of thousands of dollars there might be a difference. He said the cash that he was thinking of was that the City had its policy of a 15% carry forward from the General Fund. He said they had exceeded that 15% and it seemed that there might be some cash.
Wildgen said he would look for cash and provide an update.
Commissioner Schauner asked, given the improvements to 6th and Wakarusa would it make sense to look at improvements at Harvard and Wakarusa sooner than even the other two intersections that had been discussed. He said the Harvard intersection would appear to take a sooner hit on traffic volume than the intersections further to the south. He said whatever developed on that 6th and Wakarusa corner was likely to add additional traffic and that Harvard intersection, which he traveled through twice a day, was more problematic than 15th and Wakarusa intersection.
Soules said that was a good question, but it was hard to answer that question until staff monitored how the traffic was affected with the improvements, when 6th Street opened up.
Wildgen said George Williams Way and 6th Street would be opening up at the same time and there might be a tendency for that traffic to go south and end up with less traffic at Harvard and Wakarusa and more at 15th and Wakarusa.
Commissioner Schauner said rather than speculating on what would happen, he asked would it make some sense to study what the professionals thought would happen with the Harvard intersection as opposed to guessing what impact George Williams Way would have on traffic impact.
He said it seemed that 15th Street was a priority because it was the cheapest.
Soules said no. He said 15th Street was ready. He said it was a number 1 priority by volume. He said the crash rating at that location was down, but prior to installing the 4 way stop the crashes were No. 1 on the list at 15th Street.
Woolsey said because of those crash experiences that was why four way stops were installed at each one of those intersections. He said there was a solution cost wise, but staff still needed to study the other two intersections to see what the most appropriate solution was. He said if $250,000 was bonded, staff could get the signal installed at 15th Street as well as the studies for the other two intersections and be ready to design those intersections so that with future funding, staff could start construction on those intersections.
Mayor Rundle asked if staff ever brought those proposed intersection improvements to the City Commission as a policy matter to ask the Commission how long did they want those projects to stay on a waiting list. He asked if there was some type of systematic approach for ranking those projects.
Wildgen said staff thought the ranking was systematic, but staff had not brought the concept of constructing two or three projects. He said staff tried to budget one project in each fiscal year.
Mayor Rundle asked if staff looked at certain traffic levels or length of time that those intersections met warrants. He asked staff to come back with some type of means of a systematic approach.
Commissioner Schauner said it seemed to make some sense to look at all three of the Wakarusa intersections as a project and use some cash and some bond to be able to finance all three of those intersections because those intersections worked in concert with one another. He said those intersections were all part of a very common traffic flow and he would like to see a plan with a deadline so staff could put together, considering there needed to be studies on two of those intersections, a mix of cash and bond financing to get all three of those intersections completed in a quicker and more orderly fashion.
Commissioner Dunfield suggested taking up the other questions at the early budget discussion that the City Commission was intending to have.
Vice Mayor Highberger suggested increasing the amount that the City Commission was authorizing to make sure that those studies were completed this year. He asked Commissioner Schauner if that idea would satisfy his concerns.
Commissioner Schauner said he was not crazy about bonding studies. He said that was not buying a capital good that would have a 20 year life. He said he would rather see the bond amount be sufficient to cover the estimated costs for Harvard, Inverness, and 15th Street, not to exceed that amount and figure out how staff would fund the studies.
Wildgen said the City Commission could come back with additional bonding. He said if the Commission wanted to the bonds for 15th and Wakarusa for the traffic signalization, staff could do that. If the Commission wanted to treat those other two projects in tandem, those projects would need more than a study. He said those projects would need a design in order to determine costs, especially if there were geometrics involved. He said if the City Commission wanted all 3 projects completed, then those two studies should be completed first and then combine all of those projects at one time.
Soules said staff could also begin on those studies along with proceeding with Bob Billings Parkway. He suggested performing a comprehensive study, not just two separate studies so the whole corridor could be looked at from 15th to 6th.
Commissioner Schauner said that idea made the most sense.
Soules said the design could be started on that intersection because that was the most economically efficient. He said it was good that the City Commission was supportive of all of those projects, but there were a lot of projects. He said there was also the Kasold project which was a 3.5 million dollar project. He said in 2005, staff had another $250,000 for intersection improvements. He said neither one of those two other projects would be constructed until next year.
Commissioner Schauner said he supported the signalization project on 15th Street (Bob Billings Parkway). He said he just wanted to make sure that the City Commission considered 6th to 23rd Street as one common flow of traffic either north or south. He said he would like to see the work on Inverness and Harvard Road to start as soon as possible.
Wildgen suggested bonding the 15th and Wakarusa project first and then he would find the cash for the corridor study for 6th through 23rd Streets. He said staff would bring back the bond authorization for 15th and Wakarusa and cash finance the corridor study and the work that was related to keeping that as one study area.
Moved by Schauner, seconded by Rundle, to receive the 2004 Intersection Improvement Priorities Report and directed staff to prepare the necessary bonding resolution for Bob Billings Parkway and Wakarusa Drive Intersection; and further directed staff to bring back a proposal to cash finance a study on intersection improvements on Wakarusa Drive from 6th Street to Clinton Parkway. (10)
PUBLIC COMMENT: None
Moved by Dunfield, seconded by Highberger, to adjourn at 7:45 p.m. Motion carried unanimously.
_____________________________
Mike Rundle, Mayor
ATTEST:
___________________________________
Frank S. Reeb, City Clerk
CITY COMMISSION MEETING OF OCTOBER 19, 2004
1. Bid – 1 Breathing Air Compressor for Fire/Medical Dept to Conrad Fire Equipment for $36,202.
2. Bid Date – Comprehensive Rehab Program on Nov 9 for 811 E 11th & 2236 E Dr.
3. Bid – Scrap & Surplus sale sold to highest bidders.
4. Ordinance No. 7832 – 1st Reading, Z-08-30B-01, 20.0294 acres, A to PRD-2, N of W 6th along Congressional.
5. Ordinance No. 7835 – 2nd Reading, Annex 1 acre, N of Riverridge & E of N Iowa.
6. Ordinance No. 7827 – 2nd Reading, allow alcohol beverages on certain City property for Qdoba.
7. Federal Emergency Mgmt Agency – National Flood Insurance.
8. Site Plan – SP-08-55-04, Fire Station No. , 19th & Iowa.
9. KDOT – Road safety audit.
10. 2004 Intersection Improvement Priorities Report.