Loading...
03-25-87 Public Works Comm Minutes%*- • March 25, 1987 PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE 4:00 P.M. Chairman Ruiz and Councilman Palmer in attendance. DPW Hammer, Attorney Neier, Surveyor Zavodny, Construction Inspector Van Dyke, Chief Stefanie and Calvin Beringer from Cavanaughs also present. BURLINGTON NORTHERN PARKING LOT - The minutes of the March 10 and February 11 Parking Commission meetings were referred to. The capacity of the lot was discussed - Chief Stefanie stated that they have been considering the capacity approximately 120 cars. In January 67 quarterly permits were sold, and 20 permits for the month of January only. In February 18 permits were sold for the month. In March 16 or 17 monthly permits were sold. These would be in addition to the 67 quarterlies sold. That would make usage in the 80-90 vehicle range. The second quarter is just starting, but Chief Stefanie anticipated that not nearly as many will be sold because with Ed Myers gone there would probably not be the follow-through there was before. C. Palmer questioned the opening of a new lot across the street when this lot was not to capacity. DPW Hammer said the only concern he had with the Mall Parking Lot, was that if the City was party to a lease with the Mall and there were no crosswalks across Main Street, and no proper signage instructing pedestrians to use -crosswalks there might be some liability to the City. Chief Stefanie, drawing from a recent study by his department on parking, said that the parking lots downtown are running approximately 60 - 70% occupancy (based upon a 4 day study). C. Palmer recommended bringing the BN lot into line with the arrangements for the other downtown lots, and if the arrangement is made gravel should be added • to the lot to make it easier for walking. Chief Stefanie asked about the street sweepings, but DPW Hammer said the material was not suitable for that type of use. The Committee recommended approving the Parking Commission suggestion to write to Jim Cook concerning a change in the lease arrangement. KALISPELL CENTER MALL PARKING LOT - The original proposal was for 65 spaces at the east end of the mall parking lot. DPW Hammer read the Parking Commission minutes concerning the proposed lot. Calvin Beringer stated the space in question is not used unless there is a major convention. He was not sure who had initiated the suggestion for leasing of the spaces. C. Palmer stated that at the last Parking Commission he attended it was mentioned that because there were so many people parking there (attorneys, financial people, etc.) it would be great if something could be worked out. He also said he didn't see that it would make any difference, because what was to keep people from parking elsewhere. He sees us fencing them out rather than fencing them in. Mr. Beringer said he has been keeping an eye on the area and those who were parking there before the newspaper article are no longer there, but they are also not in the Mall lot, so he wasn't sure where they went. C. Ruiz asked about the liability, and also asked what would stop the B&B and Sykes from requesting this same arrangement. C. Palmer explained that there were many lots with arrangements like this. The bank lots are partially customer parking and partially leased. Chief Stefanie confirmed this and gave examples. He went on to express his concern that even though more and more lots have been added there has been no addition to the enforcement personnel (meter maid), while at the same time there is more and more criticism that she is not getting the 2-hour on -street enforcement as well as she should. He said it creates a credibility problem. An additional meter maid was discussed, and Saturday enforcement. Attorney Neier was concerned about confusion. C. Palmer asked why, if Cavanaugh's was going to start issuing warning tickets, didn't they just sell permits to lease those spaces themselves. The Committee agreed to take it to the Council April 6 for discussion. PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE March 25, 1987 Page 2 PATCHING ORDINANCE and EQUIPMENT DAMAGE POLICY - DPW Hammer explained that he had drawn up an ordinance guideline dealing with contractors getting into the streets, as well as an equipment damage policy that he would like to make a policy in the Public Works Department regarding damage to City equipment. He asked that the Council take a look at them, and bring it up for discussion at the next meeting. JUSTICE CENTER APRONS AND CURBS - The Public Works Department received a letter from the County Commissioners concerning the City construction standards on the Justice Center. After a lot of disagreements what the letter is saying is that they plan to proceed with the alternate design proposed by the architect which deletes the radius curbs and replaces them with drop curbs, which is what we asked for, however, "asphalt will be taken through the sidewalk and terminate the curb as originally designed." Surveyor Zavodny explained the Commissioners proposal in detail. DPW Hammer said that originally they wanted to put asphalt where the sidewalks belong in the driveway, but backed down when the City insisted. They had four major problems, three have been aa'dressed, but this one remains. They are saying that the City approved the site plan so that is the way they are going to do it. Surveyor Zavodny explained that an example of what the City does NOT want is Taco Johns, and he said they had allowed that to see how it would work and are not happy with it. C. Palmer • asked what the problem was other than esthetically. Surveyor Zavodny said that the Standards had been changed after Taco Johns was done at the suggestion of some of the Council, because they felt that it was much better to delineate the sidewalk. The City Standards do not even allow what the Commission is saying they are going to do. Attorney Neier asked if there was another set of site plans, and DPW Hammer answered they were in the Building Department but they all showed this problem the same. The issue seems to be $4,000 - but at the City's prices it would be approximately $1,700. Construction Inspector Van Dyke said the Commissioners have been railroaded on many changes on the Justice Center and they were just saying no to everything. DPW Hammer said the Commissioners are saying that they don't know whose fault it is and they don't care, they are not going to have another change order. Architects Design Group is saying that the City approved this and so its too bad. Even if a mistake is made contrary to the ordinance it does not allow them to ignore the Standards. C. Ruiz stated that if that were the case the Construction Standards wouldn't mean anything. C. Palmer asked if it wasn't a problem to the contractor paving to do the job right. Surveyor Zavodny said we should ask ourselves whether we want breaks in the sidewalk for different materials. C. Palmer said the City had butted heads with the County once before on the Justice Center, and he feels that if the Committee is going to say "Do it" there should be a way to make sure it gets done. Surveyor Zavodny pointed out the problem of the small contractor pointing to the deviation from the Standards on the Justice Center job and using that to prove he shouldn't have to conform to the Standards either. C. Palmer also pointed out that with the sidewalk there it clearly delineates it as a pedestrain crossing - and if someone were to get hit there the liability to the City would be great if we had not • enforced our Standards. C. Ruiz asked what teeth the City has - the same as we had at Burger King? Surveyor Zavodny said the City would not issue a permit to work in the ROW unless the work was done right. C. Palmer said to start the letter to the Commissioners off by suggesting they remember that the City closed the street off for them, that we gave additional parking, that they are not meeting the parking requirements, that the City has cooperated in all PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE March 25, 1987 Page 3 these cases, but that the City cannot deviate from what we expect everyone else to do. Being a public right-of-way we expect them to do it. DPW Hammer said that Architects Design Group have our construction standards and they should not even have submitted this. C. Palmer suggested that be added to the letter, with the point that correct design is what the county pays them for. DPW Hammer said that if we can't make them do it, then perhaps we should use some Tax Increment monies to see that the job is done right. He gave examples of this and said that it needs to stop sooner or later - the people making the errors should pay rather than the taxpayers. If the City makes a mistake we take the blame and the credit - it should be the same for the contractors and engineers. This is another example. C. Palmer made a motion that the County be made to comply with the Standards. C. Ruiz agreed. 1ST INTERSTATE BANK REMODELING - DPW Hammer said the bank has requested permission to put in colored sidewalks (as aprt of their logo) and while it sounds pretty he plans to say no. If they want to go to the Council and over- ride him they will have to do that. If the City allows people to start -putting in designs and colored sidewalks it could be a disaster. EMPLOYEE CALLBACKS - DPW Hammer said that most employees are being called back in the next day or two, except Leonard Hogan. He stated that technically he should have been called back, but he will be going to Guard camp after working only a couple of days, and the City would have to pay for the three weeks at camp. So a letter was sent to him asking him to report for work after camp. If he accepts that we'll be ahead, and if he files a grievance we'll have to pay the three weeks anyway. Employees being recalled were all sent letters. ajg •