City Council Committee: Appointments

Public Works/Library Committee Meeting August 14, 2019, 6:00 pm Attendees Present: Mayor Boudreau Council Members: Beaton, Brocksmith, Hudson, Hulst, Moberg, Molenaar Staff Members: Public Works – Bell, Chesterfield, Christen; Library – Huffman; Project Development Manager – Donovan; Finance Director – Volesky 1. Approval of Public Works Committee Minutes: Councilmember Hulst moved to approve the minutes from July 14, 2019; Seconded by Councilmember Beaton; Carried by all. 2. Library Committee – Isaac Huffman a) Library Card Sign Up Month A leading indicator of overall growth in a library is the number of new cards issued. New card signs ups are up 47 cards over this time last year, including 20 cards applied for via the new online application process. This year the September promotional theme is “Back to the Library” from the eighties. Library growth is typically influenced by five things; Policy, Atmosphere, Awareness, Community, and Economy. The overall goal is to be up 100 cards by years end. b) Summer Reading Wrap Up The summer reading program is wrapping up. Several events were held which included: Space quest camp (including virtual reality, robots, and an electrical coil); Son of Reptile Man (with 150 attendees); Apollo 11 (about 50 people came and made lava lamps, ate moon pies, and relived history); “Get Your Groot On” (planted baby Groot in cups); and a teen model rocket event. These events included STEM/reading combo, math, science, and engineering through hands on activities. c) Monthly Updates Upcoming library events include: “Dig Into Fall”, an urban farming series with the Library and WSU Skagit Master Gardeners partnering to present fall classes on backyard sustainability and free-range food; a Downtown Abbey Celebration; the celebration of Latino Heritage Month; and an upcoming art show. 3. Program Coordination Division – Blaine Chesterfield a) Maddox Creek Culvert Removal There is an Interlocal Cooperative Agreement with Skagit County on the City Council agenda tonight that would allow for design and construction of the Maddox Creek culvert removal and stream enhancement project. This project would remove approximately 210 feet of culvert (installed in the 1970s) and open up two plus miles of Maddox Creek to salmon near August 14, 2019, Public Works/Library Committee Minutes Page 1 of 3  Bonnie Rae Park. The project is grant funded by the Washington State Department of Ecology in the amount of $450,647; the City’s match is $75,000. b) Kulshan Pump Station Debris Removal System The Kulshan Pump Station debris removal system became operational this morning. Committee was shown a brief video of the rake in action. The system includes a hydraulic rake that will keep the Kulshan bar screen clean of debris. The contractor is currently fine tuning the rake controls and should be finished in September. 4. Project Updates – Esco Bell and Darin Christen a) 2019 Sanitary and Storm Sewer Bid Award The City opened bids on July 23, 2019, with a low bid of $699,406.77 by Insituform Technologies. This project includes lining more than 5,000 lineal feet including areas under Manito (a collapsing pipe between Division and Comanche), Roosevelt (a 3/8” steel pipe installed in 1956 that goes under the railroad), and some storm sewer on Riverside Drive. Staff will be asking Council to award the bid at the City Council session tonight. b) 2018 Curb Ramp Improvements Project Acceptance Staff is requesting Council accept the 2018 Curb Ramp Improvement project at Council session tonight. The physical completion of this project was December 2018; however, final acceptance was delayed by L&I investigation of a subcontractor. Final project contract amount is $312,596.28. c) College Way & Riverside Drive Corridor Signal Improvement All but two or three of the curb ramps have been removed at 12 intersections on the College Way and Riverside Drive corridors. As this is a federally funded project, all ramps must be modernized to current ADA standards. During the next few weeks ramps and pedestrian equipment will be installed. The final step will be to install flashing left turn arrows at most of the signals. All work is expected to be completed by November 2019. Traffic disruptions are anticipated to be relatively minor as most of the work will be completed off the roadway. d) BNSF Agreement for 4th Street N / Riverside Drive BNSF RR Crossing The City is working with BNSF and its contractor to install safety improvements at the railroad crossing on Riverside Drive. Work will be coordinated with BNSF; main rail replacements will begin after the Labor Day holiday and will include a five day road closure during rail replacement. Traffic will be detoured onto Shop and Alder Lanes, electronic message boards will be used to inform the public. Access to affected businesses will be provided throughout the project and all feasible efforts will be made to minimize traffic impacts. e) College Way Widening Under I-5 More than half of the finished concrete wall work underneath the interstate has been completed and signal bases and drainage work have been installed. A large storm drain pipe along Freeway Drive is being fused together this week and installation of the pipe along that road will occur in September. Although traffic lanes under the interstate may be narrowed during construction, any actual closures must be done during nighttime hours; the contractor will utilize reader boards if necessary to keep the public informed. August 14, 2019, Public Works/Library Committee Minutes Page 2 of 3  f) 2019 Complete Streets Award Tonight’s City Council agenda includes an award of $350,000 by the Transportation Improvement Board to make curb ramp improvements on Laventure and Division Street. This project includes updating curb ramps to meet current requirements for slope, minimum widths, and clearances. Any project that includes alterations of any kind to the curb ramps must include fixing all deficiencies to meet current ADA standards. 5. Public Works Director Comments – Esco Bell / Erin Keator a) Big Ditch/Maddox Creek Drainage Improvements Investigation Briefing WSDOT and Drainage District 17 are currently investigating the “Big Ditch/Maddox Creek Drainage Improvement” project as part of WSDOT’s mandated efforts to fix several culverts under I-5 to restore fish habitat. The project may provide drainage and environmental benefits to the Maddox Creek Drainage basin on the south side of Mount Vernon. As the majority of this project is outside of Mount Vernon city limits, the City does not have an active role in this project. Project cost is estimated at $10 million. A public outreach meeting is expected to occur in upcoming weeks. b) Outstanding Performance Award for Wastewater Treatment Plant The City has received another Outstanding Performance Award for its Wastewater Treatment Plant. The award recognizes perfect permit compliance for the year of 2018. This is now the City’s 9th consecutive year receiving this award. 6. Traffic Safety Committee (TSC) Update – Esco Bell The last Traffic Safety Committee was on Tuesday, June 18, 2019. The next Traffic Safety Committee is on Tuesday, August 20, 2019. 7. Miscellaneous / For the Good of the Order Councilmember Brocksmith asked for additional details on what to expect on the College Way Widening under I-5 project. The project must keep daylight traffic flowing; if anything requires working in the travel lane, that work will be conducted during nighttime only. The biggest disruption will entail the pipeline work on Freeway Drive; the contractor will work to maintain minimal disruption to traffic. The sidewalk work under I-5 will require narrowing the lanes to 10 feet; however, the travel lanes will remain open to traffic. When the project is complete, the new outside lanes will dip down slightly to accommodate clearance standards for height requirements. Esco reminded Committee that the City’s website is a great tool for the community to be able to look at project updates, including a live camera for the College Way widening under I-5 project. Meeting adjourned at 6:43 pm Sherri Pritchard Sherri Pritchard Public Works Department August 14, 2019, Public Works/Library Committee Minutes Page 3 of 3