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Home My WebLink AboutMINUTES Public Safety, Utilities, and Public Works Committee 2010-08-12RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Town of Estes Park, Larimer County, Colorado, August 12, 2010 Minutes of a Regular Meeting of the PUBLIC SAFETY/UTILITIES/PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE of the Town of Estes Park, Larimer County, Colorado. Meeting held in the Town Hall in said Town of Estes Park on the 12' day of August, 2010. Committee: Attending: Also Attending: Chair Blackhurst, Trustees Ericson and Koenig Chair Blackhurst, Trustees Ericson and Koenig Deputy Town Administrator Richardson, Chief Kufeld, Dir. Goehring, Dir. Zurn, and Deputy Town Clerk Deats Absent: Town Administrator Halburnt Chair Blackhurst called the meeting to order at 8:00 a.m. PUBLIC COMMENT. None PUBLIC SAFETY. NORTHERN COLORADO REGIONAL HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN. In December 2009, Erik Nilsson, Larimer County Emergency Manager, attended the Public Safety Committee meeting to present and explain the Northern Colorado Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan. In January 2010, the Town Board passed a resolution to allow Larimer County to include Estes Park in the Plan. In addition to Larimer County and Estes Park, the other participating jurisdictions are Fort Collins, Loveland, Wellington, and Berthoud. Through a collaborative effort, a regional approach to hazard mitigation was developed to address hazards or disasters that could potentially occur in Larimer County. The Plan is formatted as a general statement of the hazards residents in the county may face. The Plan provides historical information related to past hazardous situations, how they were handled at the time and, in general terms, outlines strategies about how to mitigate hazards in the future. The Plan has been approved by the Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA) and adoption of the Plan will make the participating jurisdictions eligible for FEMA funding assistance in the event of a disaster. Chairman Blackhurst commented that hazard mitigation involves all Town departments and asked the department heads if they had any concerns about the Plan. Dir. Goehring, Chief Kufeld and Chief Dorman all stated they supported the Plan and were familiar with the information it contained. The Committee recommends approval of the Northern Colorado Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan as a consent item at the August 24, 2010, Town Board meeting. REPORTS. Reports provided for informational purposes and made a part of the proceedings. 1. Estes Valley Victim Advocates Six -Month Update — Mary Mesropian presented a summary of the activities of the Estes Valley Victim Advocates (EVVA) over the past six months which included the receipt of grants for upgrades to My Sister's Place and the hiring of personnel. She outlined the types of services provided by EVVA and reported that 265 contacts were made January through June 2010. 2. Second Quarter Statistics — Call totals have decreased when compared to 2009 totals, which may be due to the transfer of code enforcement duties from the Police Department to the Community Development Department. 3. Estes Valley Fire Protection District 2nd Quarter/YTD Incident Report — Chief Dorman reported on the total number, type, and location of calls responded to by the fire department during the second quarter of 2010. He said work continues on the fire code, and the training and recruitment of volunteer firefighters. RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Public Safety/Utilities/Public Works Committee — August 12, 2010 — Page 2 UTILITIES. COST OF SERVICES ANALYSES FOR LIGHT & POWER AND WATER. Dir. Goehring requested approval for HDR Engineering to provide a Cost of Services Analysis for both the Light & Power and Water utilities to ensure customers pay a fair rate for the services being provided to them. A Cost of Services Analysis is performed every five to ten years by dividing costs between each customer class and aligning them to the rates customers pay for the types of services they receive. Staff recommends contracting with HDR Engineering for this study in order to provide consistency in reporting methods throughout the financial planning process for the utilities. The water study will also include a Tap Fee Report, which was last updated in 2007. If approved, the findings of the Cost of Services Analyses would be available in late November, subsequent to the outcome of the November election. The November ballot contains proposed legislation that, if passed, may impact utility rates. The Committee recommends approval of a contract with HDR Engineering for a Cost of Services Analysis for Light & Power at a cost of $24,715 from account #502- 6501-560-22-01, budgeted; and a Cost of Services Analysis and Tap Fee Study for Water at a cost of $19,390 from account #503-6500-560-22-89, budgeted. REPORTS. Reports provided for informational purposes and made a part of the proceedings. 1. Distribution System Upgrades — Prospect Avenue and Peak View upgrades are complete and came in at 80% and 95% of expected constructions costs respectively. Beaver Point circuit upgrades should be completed in the next few weeks, and the Fish Creek upgrades are underway and expected to be completed in October. 2. Helicopter Pole Set — A helicopter was utilized to set poles in rugged terrain located within the Beaver Point distribution area and Dir. Goehring presented a video that was taken during the pole -setting operation. The Committee suggested the video be aired on the Town government TV channel. PUBLIC WORKS. APPROPRIATION OF MATCHING FUNDS FOR TRANSPORTATION HUB GRANT. The Town was awarded $956,000 in federal funds through the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) to put towards the construction of a transportation hub to help in reducing pollution in the upper Front Range. Acceptance of the grant from the Upper Front Range Congestion Mitigation Air Quality Fund (CMAQ) requires the Town of Estes Park to commit matching funds to the project in the amount of 25%, or $250,000, bringing the project total to $1.206 million. Staff is requesting approval of the reallocation of $250,000 from the Community Reinvestment Fund to the CDOT CMAQ grant. The reallocation will be made in the 2010 budget with the entire projected cost of construction to be accounted for in the 2011 budget. Dir. Zurn stated that the design of the transportation hub is 90% complete. The Committee requested the appropriation of matching funds for the transportation hub move forward as an action item to the August 24, 2010, Town Board meeting, and asked Dir. Zurn to prepare information for a presentation to the Board at that time. STREET SWEEPER REPLACEMENT. The Vehicle Replacement Fund includes $185,000 to replace the 1996 3-wheel Pelican Street Sweeper. The average operating costs for the sweeper over the past four years has been almost $40/hour, which is well above the normal expected operating costs of $18 - $21 per hour. The following two quotes were received: MacDonald Equipment Company, Commerce City, CO 2010 Allianz 3000-MX $149,012 Faris Machinery, Commerce City, CO 2010 Elgin Pelican NP* $152,560 * Does not meet all bid specifications including engine size, stainless steel hopper, hopper disable function, and lighting. RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Public Safety/Utilities/Public Works Committee — August 12, 2010 — Page 3 Staff recommends purchasing the Allianz street sweeper from MacDonald Equipment Company. This type of equipment benefits the Town by reducing air and water pollution from sand and gravel and by keeping the streets and downtown area looking good. The Committee recommends purchasing a 2010 Allianz 3000-MX Street Sweeper from MacDonald Equipment Company at a cost of $149,012, from account #635-7000- 4365-34-42, budgeted. REPORTS. Reports provided for informational purposes and made a part of the proceedings. 1. West Elkhorn Pedestrian Crosswalk (Water Wheel) — At the July 8, 2010 Public Safety, Utilities, and Public Works (PUP) Committee meeting, Town resident Charley Dickey presented a proposal to relocate the crosswalk on West Elkhorn Avenue approximately 65 feet west of its current location. After researching the crosswalk staff found the current location to be a safe crossing with no accident history within the last five years; and found that relocating the crosswalk would result in reduced visibility of pedestrians and a reduction in the stopping sight distance for both east and west -bound traffic. Therefore, staff determined the proposed relocation would reduce pedestrian and vehicle safety. CDOT's traffic engineering department concurred with these findings. 2. Prospect Avenue Update — Although weather, subgrade soil stabilization, and the replacement of a gas main caused project delays, construction is 95% complete on the 2600 ft. of concrete roadway. Due to unacceptable surface rideability, the contractor, LaFarge, will be grinding the surface of the roadway on August 16 and 17. Public Works staff will re-evaluate the work at that time including the rideability of the surface and the integrity of the concrete. Upon completion of the project a ribbon -cutting ceremony will be planned. Staff commended the residents in the area for their cooperation and patience during the reconstruction. There being no further business, Chair Blackhurst adjourned the meeting at 10:08 a.m. CCyna Deats, Deputy Town Clerk