Special Meeting, Standing Committee

SPECIAL MEETING, STANDING COMMITTEE City Hall, 220 Clay Street January 30, 2023 The meeting of the Standing Committee met at City Hall at 6:00 p.m. on January 30, 2023, with the following Committee persons in attendance: Councilmembers Susan deBuhr, Kelly Dunn, Simon Harding, Daryl Kruse via videoconference, Dustin Ganfield, Gil Schultz and Dave Sires. Staff members from all City Departments and members of the community attended in person. Public Works Committee: Chair Schultz called the meeting to order and introduced the only item on the Public Works Committee, 6th & Main Intersection and introduced Public Works Director, Chase Schrage. Director Schrage gave the history of council action pertaining to the 6th & Main Street intersection. Director Schrage introduced Aaron Moniza, Foth Senior Client Manager. Mr. Moniza displayed the current design of the traffic signal at 6th & Main Street; then gave a review of the 4-leg roundabout and 3-leg roundabout concepts and options. Mr. Moniza showed examples of 145’ diameter and an 86’ diameter roundabout. Mr. Moniza displayed the level of service, the life cycle cost comparison for the three options and additional construction costs, right-of-way parcels impacted, user cost savings, and loss of Library parking stalls. Mr. Moniza stated the consultant’s recommendation is still the 4- leg roundabout that includes improved safety, better traffic operation, user cost savings, no impact to access and minimal loss of parking. Mr. Moniza concluded with the cost to implement the new intersection design that included redesign costs, right-of-way acquisitions, existing right-of-way agreements, schedule impacts and contractor costs. Councilmembers discussed the redesign that included 500 hours; it was stated there are hundreds of documents to update in the plans, these hours would only be for the Foth team to update and doesn’t include the other entities in this project. Councilmembers also discussed Library access, railroad tracks, cost of switching to a roundabout when the signal was moving forward as voted on and concerns with roundabouts. Chair Schultz called for public comments. Lexi Heath on behalf of Farmers State Bank, discussed concerns with the roundabout. Susan Whitson on behalf of First Bank, discussed concerns with the roundabout. Kelly Stern on behalf of the Cedar Falls Library, discussed concerns with the roundabout. Bob Manning, 2908 West 3rd Street, discussed concerns on the cost, construction timeline, councils review after approval in January 2022, and taxpayer money. Councilmember Harding read correspondence from Casey’s, stating their concerns with the roundabout. It was motioned by Harding and seconded by Dunn to continue the 6th & Main Street Intersection as planned with the traffic signal. The motion was put to vote. Ave: deBuhr, Dunn, Ganfield, Harding, Shultz, and Sires; Nay: Kruse. Meeting adjourned at 6:56 p.m. Minutes by Kim Kerr, CMC, Administrative Supervisor