Work Session

Mayor and Council Work Session and Executive Session November 4, 2014 Agenda "A diverse, business-friendly, and sustainable community with clean, safe and strong neighborhoods." "Providing the most efficient and highest-quality services as the municipal location of choice for all customers." 4:00 PM WORK SESSION 4:00 PM 1. Proclamation: Commemoration of the 150th Anniversary of Emancipation 4:10 PM 2. Hagerstown Housing Authority's McCleary Hill Project - Mayor and City Council Discussion 4:30 PM 3. Catalyst Project #1 – RFQ for Developer/Partner for Office Development and Recruitment Project 4:50 PM 4. City Center Dollars 2.0 5:00 PM 5. Snow Operations Procedures 5:10 PM 6. Public Works Operations Review 5:30 PM 7. Street and Alley Lighting Updates 5:40 PM 8. Utilities Department Update CITY ADMINISTRATOR'S COMMENTS MAYOR AND COUNCIL COMMENTS ADJOURN  REQUIRED MOTION MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL HAGERSTOWN, MARYLAND Topic: Proclamation: Commemoration of the 150th Anniversary of Emancipation Mayor and City Council Action Required: Discussion: Financial Impact: Recommendation: Motion: Action Dates:  REQUIRED MOTION MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL HAGERSTOWN, MARYLAND Topic: Hagerstown Housing Authority's McCleary Hill Project - Mayor and City Council Discussion Mayor and City Council Action Required: Discussion: Financial Impact: Recommendation: Motion: Action Dates: ATTACHMENTS: File Name Description Hagerstown_Housing_Authority_s_McCleary_Hill_Project.pdf McCleary Hill memo  REQUIRED MOTION MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL HAGERSTOWN, MARYLAND Topic: Catalyst Project #1 – RFQ for Developer/Partner for Office Development and Recruitment Project Mayor and City Council Action Required: Staff will be present at the Mayor and City Council meeting on November 4th to begin review of the details of the draft Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for a developer/partner for Catalyst Project #1 – Office Development and Recruitment. We anticipate reviewing the RFQ may require a second work session meeting with the Mayor and City Council on 11/18/14. Discussion: Why an RFQ? As briefed on October 21st, staff have worked with Urban Partners on the attached RFQ to assist the City in selecting a developer/partner for Catalyst Project #1. The reason Urban Partners recommended an RFQ rather than a Request for Proposals (RFP) for this project is that we generally know what we want to have happen with Catalyst Project #1, but what we need is a process to identify a partner with sufficient qualifications to undertake the project to our satisfaction. Once the City is satisfied regarding the qualifications of a potential developer/partner, we would then negotiate on the proposed path forward on how the project will be undertaken with the highest ranked candidate. A summary of the details of the draft RFQ are attached to facilitate the discussion on November 4th. Selection Process The proposed selection process anticipates an interview of a short list of developers with the Mayor and City Council. Once authorized to proceed, staff would negotiate terms with the highest ranked candidate. If terms cannot be reached, the City would proceed to enter negotiations with an alternative candidate. As described in the RFQ, it is anticipated that if the selected developer does not perform to certain expectations within the initial five (5) year period of the partnership that the City has the option to terminate the arrangement. Distribution of RFQ Provided we gain authorization to proceed with the RFQ in November, staff plan to immediately forward the RFQ to interested developers and post the RFQ to various web sites and appropriate media outlets likely to attract the attention of qualified developers for the project. To provide sufficient time around the holidays, we propose a deadline for submittal of responses of March 1, 2015. This should allow for selection of the developer/partner in the 2nd quarter of CY 2015. Financial Impact: Recommendation: Motion: Action Dates: November 4th - Discussion November 18th - 2nd Discussion? ATTACHMENTS: File Name Description Catalyst_Project_#1_-_RFQ_for_Developer- Catalyst Project #1 Partner_for_Office_Development_and_Recruitment_Project.pdf RFQ Memo  REQUIRED MOTION MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL HAGERSTOWN, MARYLAND Topic: City Center Dollars 2.0 Mayor and City Council Action Required: Discussion: Financial Impact: Recommendation: Motion: Action Dates: ATTACHMENTS: File Name Description City_Center_Dollars_2.0.pdf City Center Dollars 2.0  CITY OF HAGERSTOWN, MARYLAND Department of Community & Economic Development TO: Bruce Zimmerman FROM: Andrew H. Sargent DATE: October 30, 2014 RE: City Center Dollars 2.0 The goal of the City Center Dollar program is to encourage private money to be spent with the various merchants of downtown Hagerstown. Staff seek an opportunity to update the Mayor and City Council on the status of the existing City Center Dollars program and plans for the future of the program. When the City Center Dollars program was started in time for the holiday season of 2012, $4,175 was spent to purchase the certificates. In 2013, $30,075 was spent through the program. Amazingly, in 2014 we are on track to sell more than $60,000 in City Center Dollars- all money that has been and will be spent with downtown merchants. The DCED’s holiday incentive promotion of this program helps the effort. During the months of November and December, for every $20 spent on City Center Dollars, the City subsidizes and additional $5. This program helped to drive the sale of the City Center Dollars for two reasons: it was a very good deal for the customers and the merchants helped to promote this fact to their own customers. All this success has come at a cost. With the increase in number of certificates sold, a significant increase in both staff time and merchant time is spent processing those certificates. Since the merchants are seeing more certificates come through their doors, they are stockpiling a greater amount of money for reimbursement. And that reimbursement happens on a monthly basis. On the staff-end of the process, there is a far greater number of certificates to count, justify and verify before reimbursement is sent to the merchant. In short, the program has become a success beyond what our processes can efficiently handle. Staff would like to introduce City Center Dollars 2.0. After extensive research of various programs, we have found a system that accomplishes the goals City Center Dollars while accommodating efficient expansion of the program. Through a vendor called GiftLocal Association (a subsidiary of GiftCards.com), a closed merchant loop will be created using the Discover network. The Discover network is the only credit card that allows their cards to be used at designated merchants and not others. After designating those participating merchants, the GiftLocal Association offers the following attributes: • City Center Dollars 2.0 is a gift-card product that is customized and branded as “City Center Dollars.” • The cards are run through the merchant’s credit card processing machine on the Discover card network. ______________________________________________________________________________ 14 N. Potomac Street, Suite 200A Hagerstown, MD 21740  • The merchant gets paid back as quickly as they do with every other credit card reimbursement- usually within 24 hours, depending on their agreement with their credit card processor. • The gift cards are ordered online, can be personalized with the name of the recipient and are quickly shipped to the customer from PA. They do come with a shipping/handling charge depending on the amount of the card, starting at $2.95. • The City Center Dollar Cards will come in amounts starting at $20. • The GiftLocal Association allows the City to incentivize the program by covering the cost of the shipping/handling, adding money to the cards at a certain price-points or both, which replicates the existing incentivizing opportunities. • On the GiftCards.com website, the landing page for City Center Dollars will be customized to be branded like the cards with all the participating merchants advertised as well. • An annual fee of $495 is charged for the program, which will be paid out of the Economic Development budget. Staff believe this is an appropriate next step to the City Center Dollars program. This upgrade to the program was introduced to the Downtown Alliance and there few questions and no concerns. We look to roll out this program by the middle of November and in time for the holiday shopping season.  REQUIRED MOTION MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL HAGERSTOWN, MARYLAND Topic: Snow Operations Procedures Mayor and City Council Action Required: The Department of Public Works will present to the Mayor and Council a review the current procedures of the city’s snow plowing and snow removal operations. Staff request that any changes or recommendations be discussed now so said changes can be incorporated into the snow operation procedures. Discussion: INTRODUCTION The clearing of snow from our streets and sidewalks is an important service provided by the City of Hagerstown. Streets need to be made passable first for emergency vehicles and second for the day-to-day business of our citizens. Sidewalks also need to be cleared for the safety and welfare of our citizens. The following is the city’s snow removal policy overseen by the Department of Public Works. Of course, each storm is different and the operations will be modified as necessary to accommodate the changing weather conditions. MANPOWER, EQUIPMENT AND MATERIAL Public Works currently requires every employee within the department to work during snow events. If the forecast predicts the snow will last less than 12 hours or drop less than 4 inches of snow, the department will handle the event during one shift. However, a forecast that shows the storm lasting more than 12 hours or that more than 4 inches of snow will fall, the department will go into 12 hour shifts to ensure enough manpower is available to handle the event. Personnel from other departments will assist during the bigger snow events. Equipment within Public Works includes eight single axle dump trucks equipped with road salt spreaders and snow blades; three smaller 1-ton stake body dump trucks equipped with road salt spreaders and snow blades; and several pickup trucks and stake body trucks equipped with snow blades. The fleet also includes two backhoes and two small, garden tractors. A backhoe is utilized to load the trucks. A loader can also be borrowed from another department or rented from an outside source as necessary. The garden tractors are equipped with snow blades or blowers to clear sidewalks. Manual tools such as shovels, ice scrapers and walk-behind snow blowers are also used. The city uses a variety of chemicals to battle snow and ice. The road salt used is sodium chloride and is typically purchased through a state contract. A potassium based product is used to melt snow on concrete sidewalks while a calcium chloride product is used on the brick sidewalks. The calcium chloride product is less harsh on the brick and does not leave as much of a residue to be tracked by foot traffic. While the chemicals used to melt snow on the sidewalks claim to work to temperatures of minus 25° Fahrenheit, the melting process is hindered by lower temperatures. The road salt typically becomes much less effective below temperatures of 20° - 22° Fahrenheit. Should storms become extreme, outside contractors can be contacted to assist with clean-up and snow removal. This has not been necessary for many years including during the blizzard of 2009/2010. SNOW FIGHTING GUIDELINES Each of the larger dump trucks has been assigned to a pre-determined route. Smaller trucks are assigned to assist with the routes depending upon the weather conditions. See attached maps. Two of the 1-ton trucks are also assigned to pre-determined routes which include streets that are too narrow for the larger trucks. These units also assist in clearing the city owned parking lots. The snow fighting procedure to be followed in combating any storm will depend upon the humidity, temperature, time of day or night, the condition of the pavement, the nature of the precipitation and the forecast at the start of the storm. The following are five (5) typical storm scenarios: Condition #1 Temperature - Near 30° F Precipitation - Snow, sleet, freezing rain Road surface - Wet If snow or sleet, apply salt at 500 pounds per mile. If snow or sleet continues and accumulates, plow and salt simultaneously. If freezing rain, apply salt at 200 pounds per mile. If rain continues to freeze, apply salt until roadway surface is clear. Condition #2 Temperature - Below 30° F Precipitation - Snow, sleet, freezing rain Road surface - Wet or sticky Apply salt at 500 pounds per mile. As snowfall continues and accumulates, plow and repeat salt application. If freezing rain, continually apply salt until road surface is clear. Condition #3 Temperature - Below 20° F and falling Precipitation - Dry Snow Road Surface - Dry Plow as soon as possible. Salt treatment of entire road surface is not applied. Continue to plow and patrol to check for wet, packed or icy spots. Treat these spots with heavy salt applications. Condition #4 Temperature - Below 20° F Precipitation - Snow Road Surface - Wet Plow as soon as possible. Salt is not to be applied until temperatures rise above 20 degrees. Continue clearing streets under safe pavement is obtained. Condition #5 Temperature - Below 10° F Precipitation - Snow Road Surface - Accumulations of packed snow or ice Plow as required. Treat packed or icy spots with heavy applications of salt. PRIORITIES The city’s streets are divided into two main categories: primary streets and secondary streets. Examples of primary streets are Washington, Franklin, Potomac, Prospect, Wesel, Burhans, Eastern and Wilson whereas they carry the main flow of traffic; typically have higher vehicle speed limits posted; and connect the main areas of the city. Secondary streets are the smaller, lower speed limit streets that serve many of the residential areas. Examples would be Spruce, Guilford, Devonshire, Alexander, Country Club Road and Vale Streets. The primary streets are given priority and plowed first. The secondary streets are then addressed. If snow continues to accumulate, the focus is on clearing the primary streets until the storm subsides and trucks can be diverted to the secondary streets. Priority is also given to the state highway routes (Washington and Franklin) and the downtown business district. The city is responsible for maintaining these streets per an agreement with the State of Maryland from 1954. Sidewalks are usually not handled until after the storm subsides. This, too, is dependent upon the nature of the storm. As in the winter of 2003/04, ice was a recurring issue. Sidewalks were addressed quickly for the sake of safety. The city owned buildings downtown including City Hall, the Roslyn Building, the Elizabeth Hager Center, 60 W. Washington, 53 W. Washington, 170 W. Washington, 38 – 40 N. Potomac and the Market House are overseen by the custodial crews. The other city owned sidewalks are handled by the street crew. The street crew begins the sidewalk detail downtown in the square. Since the square is quite large, paths are created for the pedestrians to use. As time allows, the crew will return at a later date to further open up the area. The sidewalk crews then works its way outward from the downtown ensuring sidewalks in the business district area are completed first. The crew then makes their way to school crossings and sidewalks. The remainder of the city owned sidewalks are then cleared. A four foot wide walking path is initially cleared in each quadrant of the square. Staff will then return after the storm to clear the square of the remaining snow. The clearing of sidewalks for businesses and residents is an issue for Code Compliance. The rules for snow removal can be found in the Chapter 64, Attachment 3, Section 302, Exterior Property Areas. ALLEYS & DRIVEWAYS The question of clearing alleys is asked every year. For years, the policy has been that alleys are not plowed within the city. In most cases, there is no place to push the snow due to the close proximity of the buildings. If the snow is pushed to the street, there typically is no place for the additional snow. The other option is to remove the snow from the alley which is a labor intensive process. What we can do is heavily salt the alleys to aid in the melting of the snow. This works well most of the time. Salt is not recommended in the gravel alleys that are not paved with asphalt or concrete. In the gravel alleys, the melting snow softens the soil of the alley. The vehicular traffic then creates ruts and destroys the surface area. There are exceptions to the alley policy. There are a handful of residents whose homes face an alley and not a street. These are plowed as if they are a street. The alleys to the parking decks will also be kept open. The city did purchase a “V-blade” snow plow to assist in the cleaning of these alleys. The blade is mounted on a pick-up truck so as to maneuver within the alleys. Unfortunately, the plowing of streets creates a problem for alleys and driveways. Plowing leaves a windrow of snow along each side of street. Property owners are responsible for clearing the snow left in front of their driveways. Our goal is to open the public rights-of-way and the clearing all the private driveways by our workforce is simply impractical. PRIVATE STREETS From time to time, the city is asked to plow privately maintained streets. The current policy is that private streets are not plowed with city resources. Most private streets have not been constructed per the city’s construction standards and are planned that way from the initial design phase. These streets are maintained by the developer or by a homeowners association with the full knowledge that maintenance is their responsibility. These developments can also have multiple parking lots and parking spaces that would require many hours of labor to clear. GENERAL ISSUES There are several general issues that may or may not ever be resolved. Plowing involves the process of pushing the snow out of the main flow of traffic. It is not a snow removal process whereas the snow is hauled to another location. Plowed snow is typically pushed to the sides of a street into parking spaces, onto sidewalks and across the openings of alleys. In the mist of a storm, the clear priority is to open the streets for vehicular traffic. The issue becomes what to do with the snow pushed into the parking spaces, alleys and sidewalks. Residents and businesses, especially downtown, sometimes push the snow back into the street. What ensues is a never ending battle about where to place the snow. The snow plowed from the street and the snow shoveled from the sidewalks can end up along the curb line. This creates a pedestrian obstacle in the downtown business district and along metered parking. Patrons to the downtown have to navigate over the piles to feed the meters or enter/exit their vehicles. Total snow removal is usually the only answer to this problem. SNOW REMOVAL The majority of this memorandum has dealt with the snow plowing operations. The following involves snow removal. Unlike snow plowing, this procedure involves the collection and removal of the snow form one area to the disposal of the material to another. This procedure is usually only taken under extreme circumstances due to its costs and inconvenience. Streets have to be closed and vehicles moved for this operation to be efficient and effective. Any vehicular traffic slows the process down. Parked vehicles obviously block the ability of the crew to effectively remove the snow. Both scenarios also raise our risk of damaging vehicles. The best time for snow removal operations is at night. Most businesses are closed and vehicular traffic is almost non-existent. Operations can commence with little disruption to the normal, daily routine of the city. A press release is usually forwarded to the Public Relations office to inform the public as to the time snow removal operations will commence. The street is then posted for “No Parking” giving everyone time to find parking elsewhere. Support crews in vehicles then block the street where the operation will take place. Backhoes and loaders are then used to collect the snow and load it into dump trucks. The snow is then hauled to the city owned lot at South Potomac Street, the Fairgrounds parking lot, vacant property next to the Church St. lot or the Municipal Stadium parking lot A discussion with the Mayor and Council in 2004 revealed that staff was to focus more attention to snow removal in the downtown area. This is due to a healthier business dist Staff made some adjustments in the winter of 2004/05 to keep parking spaces open but to keep costs in check. The clearing of these spaces was accomplished by pushing the snow to the furthest parking space within a group of spaces or piled in the Central Parking Lot. Removal of snow begins in the downtown area to keep restaurants, businesses and government offices operational. The snow removal operations continue to radiate out from the downtown focusing on streets with limited street parking and off-street parking. Financial Impact: COSTS As you may already know, snow plowing and snow removal are very costly operations. These procedures involve numerous employees, equipment and materials. On many occasions, overtime is involved. The current fiscal year budget for snow operations is $358,900. However, the costs can widely vary depending on when a storm occurs such as holidays and weekends which inflate labor costs. Attached is a screen shot from the financial system of the budgets and actual costs for the previous four years. It is due to these high costs that snow removal operations are always carefully considered. If the forecasts call for a warming trend, the removal of snow is typically put on hold. Removal of snow becomes more likely if the snow is significant and temperatures are forecasted to be cold and stay cold. If it is early in the snow season and it appears overall costs will be high, snow removal may occur. Should it be later in the season and there is a good handle on the budget costs, there is more likely a possibility that snow removal will occur. Whatever the situation, the options are discussed between the Director of Public Works and the City Administrator. As many factors as possible are considered before a decision is made. Recommendation: Motion: Action Dates: ATTACHMENTS: File Name Description Snow Operaton Snow_Operation_Procedures_2014.pdf Procedures  REQUIRED MOTION MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL HAGERSTOWN, MARYLAND Topic: Public Works Operations Review Mayor and City Council Action Required: Action Requested No action on the part of the Mayor and Council is requested at this time. The following is simply an update of projects and operations in the near future for Public Works. Overall, Public Works leans heavily towards maintenance operations and not too much into new construction or projects. Public Works can be divided into five areas of responsibility. These include Streets, Building Maintenance, Traffic Control, Fleet Maintenance and Parking. The department operates with a full time staff of 24 field personnel, 2 support staff and 5 command staff. An additional dozen or so part-time and seasonal staff also supports the operations. Operating costs, less the Parking System, is approximately $3.2 million dollars. Public Works currently has five vacant positions with the longest vacancy being six years. The department does not have an assistant director of operations. That position was vacated in the year 2000. Discussion: Street Trees Engineering has entered into a contract to plant an additional 500 trees throughout the city. Of those, approximately 200 will be planted in the public right-of-way in sidewalks. This will bring the total number of street trees to over 2,400 trees. Staff oversees the trimming and pruning of many of these trees and works with the engineering staff to repair sidewalks damaged by street trees. The emerald ash borer has invaded the area and affected many of these trees. A plan of action will need to be determined for the few street trees that are ash. The hope is to save many of the ash trees through insecticide treatment. A review of the trees and their health will have to be conducted in the spring before treatment begins. Storm Drains There are currently over 4,000 storm drains throughout the city. Many are older structures that require reconstruction of a portion of the drain. Typically, work is completed on those drains that impact the street overlay program. Street Sweeping The street sweeping operations is an important function for the city. The intent is to run two street sweepers on a continual basis Monday through Friday. A large portion of the downtown is swept weekly through a program of permanently posted streets. Sweeping streets is important to not only rid the streets of obvious trash and litter but to also clear the streets of grit and debris not easily visible. The operations help with the appearance of the city and keep debris from entering the waterways. In the autumn, the street sweeper’s primary function is to clear leaves from the streets. City code does not allow residents to place leaves in the street but plenty still fall and blow onto the roadways Property Management/Building Maintenance Public Works oversees the maintenance of several structures in the downtown. Those properties include City Hall, 36 – 40 North Potomac St., 14 North Potomac St., 53 West Washington St., 60 West Washington St., 170 West Washington St., Roslyn Building, Market House and the Central Equipment Building. Our tenants include the following: - City staff (including elected officials, administration and Fire) - Maryland Occupational Safety and Health - Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation - Convention and Visitors Bureau - City Ballet - Potomac Bead - University System of Maryland in Hagerstown - Various Market vendors - Spickler’s Market - Thai Zap - Residential apartments - Auxiliary Police Work on most of the properties is a matter of maintaining the facilities. Staff is working closely with DCED to modify the Market House to relocate several tenants and to remodel the back room portion of the facility. Additional work will be needed as future plans for the building come online. Offices will be remodeled later this year or early next year on the fourth floor of City Hall. The work is mostly painting and new floor coverings. The work is to expand offices for the additional code enforcement officers that will be hired in the near future. The plan for fiscal year 2016 is to paint the clock tower at City Hall and install a separate air conditioning system for the council chambers. The clock tower portion has not been painted for over 15 years and is in need of a facelift. The air conditioning for the council chambers is a shared system with the first floor of the building. A budget of $100,000 has been set for these two projects. Traffic Control No major projects are currently in the works for traffic control. Work continues on maintaining the system of thousands of signs and 131 signalized intersections. This staff will focus on installing the lights and decorations for Christmas much of which will occur in November. Staff works closely with Engineering on the timing of the traffic signals. Changing the timing of an intersection typically involves more than just one intersection. Many intersections affect and are affected by the intersection in which they intersect. For example, Washington St. and Franklin St. work from a Master Control that works to sync many of the signals along these streets. In turn, the streets that intersect Washington and Franklin have to be carefully manipulated to effectively coincide with these two main thoroughfares. Fleet Maintenance A staff of 4 mechanics oversees the maintenance of the city’s fleet of over 300 vehicles and pieces of equipment. The Central Maintenance Garage is space that is rented from the City Light Department at 425 E. Baltimore St. Work has been progressing for several months on the installation of a new fuel management system. The current system, manufactured by Gasboy, is being upgraded and replaced with a new Gasboy system known as Islander Plus. The system upgrades the hardware and software for the system bringing the system into the 21st century. This system is also being modified so that Washington County Government can utilize our facility. Early next year, the fuel pumps at the Washington County Highway Department located on Northern Blvd. will be replacing their fuel island. The site is too small to set up a temporary fueling station. The city was asked to assist with supplying fuel. Washington County uses a different fuel access system that utilizes key fobs. The Islander Plus system will be able to accommodate the needs of the county. Staff will track fuel costs and the city will be reimbursed for fuel used by Washington County. The next project will be the replacement of the emergency generator designed to temporarily power the fuel pumps. The existing generator is thirty plus years old and needs to replaced to provide a reliable backup source of power. The budget is currently programmed to replace a large dump truck (unit #20), a smaller dump truck (unit #25), a pickup truck (unit #94) and several smaller items such as trailers. The estimated cost is $301,000 which is mostly bond financing. FY16 is programmed for an additional $260,000 in vehicle replacements and $210,000 is the estimated vehicle replacement cost for FY17. Parking System Two full time and eight part time staff manage the parking system. Parking consists of 2 parking decks, 11 parking lots and on-street parking. Some of the parking lots are residential lots that serve specific neighborhood needs and are neither metered nor permitted. Parking enforcement falls under the responsibility of the Hagerstown Police Department. The parking system is an enterprise fund that operates from the monies received from the users of the system. Funding is not from direct tax dollars. There is some indirect tax dollars paid into the system through departmental charges for parking. Operating revenues are in the range of $900,000 and are projected to be around $950,000 in FY15. Expenses run in the $750,000 to $800,000 range. There is a planned focus on the repair and maintenance of the system over the next five years. An amount of $60,000 is scheduled for FY16 to make improvements to the Central Lot that would include pavement preservation, new lighting and sidewalk improvements. After that, $30,000 a year through FY 18 is budgeted for the Market House Lot and Rochester Lot for similar improvements. The parking decks will also continue to receive refurbishments and improvements as needed. Funds in the amount of $30,000 per year have been budgeted through FY19 to cover issues in both parking decks. There will continue to be a focus on the possibility of constructing a third parking deck. Data continues to be collected on occupancy rates for the current decks. Currently, peak hours in the decks range from 60% to 70% but only for short periods of time. The average occupancy of both decks through a normal work week is in the 55% to 60% range overall. Weekends for the University District Parking Deck drop to 10% occupancy overall while the Arts & Entertainment District Deck peak to 80% to 100% on weekend evenings. The construction of new office space could also expedite the construction of other parking facilities as described in the Urban Planners report of 2014. Staff will work in conjunction with other city departments to determine when the timing is right to move forward on such a project. Financial Impact: None. Presentation for informational purposes only. Recommendation: None. Motion: None. Action Dates: None. ATTACHMENTS: File Name Description Public Works Operations_Summary_2014.pdf Operations Review  CITY OF HAGERSTOWN, MARYLAND Public Works Department (301)739-8577 ext. 178 October 31, 2014 To: Bruce Zimmerman, City Administrator From: Eric B. Deike, Director of Public Works Re: Operations Review Action Requested No action on the part of the Mayor and Council is requested at this time. The following is simply an update of projects and operations in the near future for Public Works. Overall, Public Works leans heavily towards maintenance operations and not too much into new construction or projects. Public Works can be divided into five areas of responsibility. These include Streets, Building Maintenance, Traffic Control, Fleet Maintenance and Parking. The department operates with a full time staff of 24 field personnel, 2 support staff and 5 command staff. An additional dozen or so part-time and seasonal staff also supports the operations. Operating costs, less the Parking System, is approximately $3.2 million dollars. Public Works currently has five vacant positions with the longest vacancy being six years. The department does not have an assistant director of operations. That position was vacated in the year 2000. Street Trees Engineering has entered into a contract to plant an additional 500 trees throughout the city. Of those, approximately 200 will be planted in the public right-of-way in sidewalks. This will bring the total number of street trees to over 2,400 trees. Staff oversees the trimming and pruning of many of these trees and works with the engineering staff to repair sidewalks damaged by street trees. The emerald ash borer has invaded the area and affected many of these trees. A plan of action will need to be determined for the few street trees that are ash. The hope is to save many of the ash trees through insecticide treatment. A review of the trees and their health will have to be conducted in the spring before treatment begins. Storm Drains There are currently over 4,000 storm drains throughout the city. Many are older structures that require reconstruction of a portion of the drain. Typically, work is completed on those drains that impact the street overlay program. Street Sweeping The street sweeping operations is an important function for the city. The intent is to run two street sweepers on a continual basis Monday through Friday. A large portion of the 51 W. Memorial Blvd. · Hagerstown, MD 21740 FAX (301)791-6761 downtown is swept weekly through a program of permanently posted streets. Sweeping streets is important to not only rid the streets of obvious trash and litter but to also clear the streets of grit and debris not easily visible. The operations help with the appearance of the city and keep debris from entering the waterways. In the autumn, the street sweeper’s primary function is to clear leaves from the streets. City code does not allow residents to place leaves in the street but plenty still fall and blow onto the roadways Property Management/Building Maintenance Public Works oversees the maintenance of several structures in the downtown. Those properties include City Hall, 36 – 40 North Potomac St., 14 North Potomac St., 53 West Washington St., 60 West Washington St., 170 West Washington St., Roslyn Building, Market House and the Central Equipment Building. Our tenants include the following: - City staff (including elected officials, administration and Fire) - Maryland Occupational Safety and Health - Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation - Convention and Visitors Bureau - City Ballet - Potomac Bead - University System of Maryland in Hagerstown - Various Market vendors - Spickler’s Market - Thai Zap - Residential apartments - Auxiliary Police Work on most of the properties is a matter of maintaining the facilities. Staff is working closely with DCED to modify the Market House to relocate several tenants and to remodel the back room portion of the facility. Additional work will be needed as future plans for the building come online. Offices will be remodeled later this year or early next year on the fourth floor of City Hall. The work is mostly painting and new floor coverings. The work is to expand offices for the additional code enforcement officers that will be hired in the near future. The plan for fiscal year 2016 is to paint the clock tower at City Hall and install a separate air conditioning system for the council chambers. The clock tower portion has not been painted for over 15 years and is in need of a facelift. The air conditioning for the council chambers is a shared system with the first floor of the building. A budget of $100,000 has been set for these two projects. 51 W. Memorial Blvd. · Hagerstown, MD 21740 FAX (301)791-6761 Traffic Control No major projects are currently in the works for traffic control. Work continues on maintaining the system of thousands of signs and 131 signalized intersections. This staff will focus on installing the lights and decorations for Christmas much of which will occur in November. Staff works closely with Engineering on the timing of the traffic signals. Changing the timing of an intersection typically involves more than just one intersection. Many intersections affect and are affected by the intersection in which they intersect. For example, Washington St. and Franklin St. work from a Master Control that works to sync many of the signals along these streets. In turn, the streets that intersect Washington and Franklin have to be carefully manipulated to effectively coincide with these two main thoroughfares. Fleet Maintenance A staff of 4 mechanics oversees the maintenance of the city’s fleet of over 300 vehicles and pieces of equipment. The Central Maintenance Garage is space that is rented from the City Light Department at 425 E. Baltimore St. Work has been progressing for several months on the installation of a new fuel management system. The current system, manufactured by Gasboy, is being upgraded and replaced with a new Gasboy system known as Islander Plus. The system upgrades the hardware and software for the system bringing the system into the 21st century. This system is also being modified so that Washington County Government can utilize our facility. Early next year, the fuel pumps at the Washington County Highway Department located on Northern Blvd. will be replacing their fuel island. The site is too small to set up a temporary fueling station. The city was asked to assist with supplying fuel. Washington County uses a different fuel access system that utilizes key fobs. The Islander Plus system will be able to accommodate the needs of the county. Staff will track fuel costs and the city will be reimbursed for fuel used by Washington County. The next project will be the replacement of the emergency generator designed to temporarily power the fuel pumps. The existing generator is thirty plus years old and needs to replaced to provide a reliable backup source of power. The budget is currently programmed to replace a large dump truck (unit #20), a smaller dump truck (unit #25), a pickup truck (unit #94) and several smaller items such as trailers. The estimated cost is $301,000 which is mostly bond financing. FY16 is programmed for an additional $260,000 in vehicle replacements and $210,000 is the estimated vehicle replacement cost for FY17. Parking System Two full time and eight part time staff manage the parking system. Parking consists of 2 parking decks, 11 parking lots and on-street parking. Some of the parking lots are residential lots that serve specific neighborhood needs and are neither metered nor permitted. Parking enforcement falls under the responsibility of the Hagerstown Police Department. 51 W. Memorial Blvd. · Hagerstown, MD 21740 FAX (301)791-6761 The parking system is an enterprise fund that operates from the monies received from the users of the system. Funding is not from direct tax dollars. There is some indirect tax dollars paid into the system through departmental charges for parking. Operating revenues are in the range of $900,000 and are projected to be around $950,000 in FY15. Expenses run in the $750,000 to $800,000 range. There is a planned focus on the repair and maintenance of the system over the next five years. An amount of $60,000 is scheduled for FY16 to make improvements to the Central Lot that would include pavement preservation, new lighting and sidewalk improvements. After that, $30,000 a year through FY 18 is budgeted for the Market House Lot and Rochester Lot for similar improvements. The parking decks will also continue to receive refurbishments and improvements as needed. Funds in the amount of $30,000 per year have been budgeted through FY19 to cover issues in both parking decks. There will continue to be a focus on the possibility of constructing a third parking deck. Data continues to be collected on occupancy rates for the current decks. Currently, peak hours in the decks range from 60% to 70% but only for short periods of time. The average occupancy of both decks through a normal work week is in the 55% to 60% range overall. Weekends for the University District Parking Deck drop to 10% occupancy overall while the Arts & Entertainment District Deck peak to 80% to 100% on weekend evenings. The construction of new office space could also expedite the construction of other parking facilities as described in the Urban Planners report of 2014. Staff will work in conjunction with other city departments to determine when the timing is right to move forward on such a project. Staff will be available at the November 4th council meeting to review this information. 51 W. Memorial Blvd. · Hagerstown, MD 21740 FAX (301)791-6761  REQUIRED MOTION MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL HAGERSTOWN, MARYLAND Topic: Street and Alley Lighting Updates Mayor and City Council Action Required: Discussion: Financial Impact: Recommendation: Motion: Action Dates: ATTACHMENTS: File Name Description Memo_for_HLD_Street_Lighting_Requests_2014.pdf Street and Alley Lighting Updates Memo  City of Hagerstown Department of Utilities 425 East Baltimore Street 1 Clean Water Circle 51 West Memorial Blvd Hagerstown, MD 21740-6105 Hagerstown, MD 21740-6848 Hagerstown, MD 21740-6848 October 24, 2014 TO: Bruce Zimmerman, City Administrator FROM: Michael S. Spiker, Director of Utilities Nathan Fridinger, Electric Operations Manager SUBJECT: Alley Lighting Request ACTION: Discussion follow up to October 7 meeting HLD Staff has prepared the following points regarding the October 7 Mayor and Council discussion regarding alley lighting: • Motion Detection o The light fixtures used by the HLD are of the HID (high intensity discharge) type. These fixtures do not provide an instant-on solution. Moving forward with a motion detection lighting system would require a new fixture type, such as LED, halogen, or incandescent. o Lighting manufacturers do not offer motion detection devices for a “streetlight” application. o There are devices called “occupancy sensors” that are most commonly used in indoor applications to save energy when buildings or parking decks are unoccupied by dimming the fixture down to a user specific level. • One manufacturer provides for a an “occupancy sensor”-like device that is made to be applied in pedestrian zones and parks that will provide a dimming level down to 20% of the fixture’s rated output. This device is designed to be installed between 12 and 16 feet from ground level. • Design o To achieve a standard average horizontal lumen rating of 0.2 and an average-to-minimum ratio of 8:1 assuming a 25’ mounting height, the spacing of HLD’s stock 100 Watt HPS (high pressure sodium) fixtures is approximately 240 feet, which is achieved in most cases. o In most residential alleyways, HLD relies on the existing wood pole distribution system for lighting. o The mounting height of streetlight installation relies on the NESC (National Electrical Safety Code) to consider clearance distances over driveways and street crossings (taking into consideration the type of vehicular traffic) and communication conductors. Depending on pole space available in alleyways, lights are typically mounted between 20 to 30 feet. Page 1  • Usage/Billing o The General Fund is billed monthly for cumulative electric usage of streetlights on the HLD system based on annual averages. Light fixtures that are partially on or dimmed during certain times of the night will make it difficult to predict usage for appropriate monthly billing. o Achieving an accurate billing system requires the installation of a dedicated and metered streetlight circuit in each alley or determining an agreed upon percentage of the current billing practice. o A dedicated circuit requires the installation of a new, isolated overhead cable from the first light to the last considering distance and voltage drop. Also required is the installation of a weather- head and meter in the alley (most meters are read from the alley, so the read schedule should not be disturbed). • LED Lights o Depending on the manufacturer’s claim, an LED fixture has a rating of 50,000 hours, which equates to over 11 years of operation, including a 5 year warranty. o With the rapid evolution of LED streetlight fixtures, to include optics, color temperature, efficiency, and drivers, there is a high possibility that appearance, light distribution, and color will not match with replacement fixtures. • Recommendation o New equipment increases the Electric Fund’s asset account; however, a decrease in usage from the streetlight account (HLD’s #1 in FY2014) depletes the revenue stream. o Considering the Streetlight Account in the General Fund, citizens may not find it just and reasonable to provide upgraded light fixtures and components in alleyways for specific parts of the City and not others. A complete City-wide upgrade requires funding, staffing levels, priority, and time. o HLD’s responsibility to the City is to maintain appropriate average light levels over streets and alleyways. Security Lighting should be considered Public Safety. City residents are free to install and maintain lights on their own property for security purposes. Motion sensing lighting can focus on particular areas of concern to minimize electric usage on a customer’s account. To put cost into perspective:
a 240 Watt Halogen flood light costs in the ballpark of $25. If a similar fixture is on one fourth of the night (about 3 hours), on average, the monthly energy cost will be approximately $1.70/month.
a 22 Watt Led Flood costs in the ballpark of $100. Using the same circumstances as above, the monthly energy cost will be approximately $0.15/month. o Utilizing a program budgeted through the General Fund, the Neighborhoods First groups can effectively address concerns on an individual basis by providing private security lighting on a case-by-case basis. o HLD staff would suggest the utilization of HPD installed mobile, battery operated camera/security lighting in alleyways designated as areas of concerns. These cameras/security lights are installed approximately 10-12 feet above the road way and are capable of instantaneous lighting/camera shots that are downloaded to retrieve the movement within the alley. The lighting function (in certain models) of the battery operated security lighting can be set to remain on for a specified amount of time. Page 2 Phone 301.739.8577 ext. 143 Electric Fax 301.739.7958 TDD 301.797.6617 Phone 301.739.8577 ext. 650 W/WW Fax 301.733.2873 TDD 301.797.6617  REQUIRED MOTION MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL HAGERSTOWN, MARYLAND Topic: Utilities Department Update Mayor and City Council Action Required: Information update Discussion: The administrative staff of the Utilities Department has listed for discussion, updates on FY15 projects and major priorities for FY16 projects. The lists are not all inclusive and detail the highlights of the Water, Wastewater and Electric Divisions CIP. Water 1. R.C. Willson Phase IV Plant Improvements – The primary focus of this project is a major chemical upgrade to achieve compliance with the Stage 2 Disinfectant By-Product Rule. Also included in this project is the completion of the SCADA upgrade. The current SCADA system hardware and software was obsolete and no longer supported by the manufacturer. The project budget submitted for funding approval is $13,664,964. 2. Water Distribution System Meter Replacement Program – This project will result in the replacement and/or upgrade to a radio read meter system. There are approximately 28,400 meters in the water system and to date 25,200 meters have been replaced or upgraded. There are approximately 3,200 meters still requiring replacement – the meters and radio transceivers for this project have been purchased and the work is currently underway. Once this work is completed, all unmetered fire lines will be evaluated – in the event of unauthorized usage of the fire line, a meter will be installed. All work is done in-house by Water Distribution personnel. Annual cost is approximately $0.5 million. 3. Water Distribution System Main Replacement Program – This project replaces approximately 0.25 miles of water distribution mains annually. The project currently underway is in the Burford/Ewell area adjacent to Virginia Avenue between Hagerstown and Williamsport. Also included in this program is the rehabilitation or replacement of fire hydrants. Annually, approximately 20 hydrants are replaced. All work is done in-house by Water Distribution personnel. Annual cost is approximately $1.5 million.  Page 1 4. Edgemont Reservoir – Beginning in 2007, Maryland Department of the Environment Dam Safety Division (MDE) has required continuous monitoring of the reservoir embankment toe and spillway for seepage. Also required was monitoring wells, a geotechnical evaluation, vegetation removal, toe drain replacement and extension, and seepage monitoring. To date, the repair work has proven to be unsuccessful. The historical seepage continues to pose a problem and new seepage locations have developed. MDE has initiated conversation regarding the issuance of a Consent Agreement to either make significant capital improvements to the reservoir and consideration for the identification of an alternate source. Triad Engineering has been and continues to be the Engineer of Record for the ongoing work at Edgemont. Once a determination is made on the viability of reliable source water, the Breichner Plant will have to be upgraded for compliance with the Stage 2 regulations referenced in number 1 above. 5. Major Water Division projects for Fiscal Year 2015/2016 include major update to the Risk Management Plan and OSHA PSM for Highly Hazardous Chemicals. Additionally, the Water Master Plan is now nine years old and will need to be updated for future long term planning. Wastewater 1. Wastewater Treatment Plant Improvements – The plant will purchase and install new liquid polymer mixing system for sludge thickening process. The competitive bids have been solicited as of 10/17/14 and staff will be evaluating the bids for completeness and will determine lowest qualified bidder. Additionally on this project, Wastewater maintenance staff will review the installation requirements and determine how much of the installation can be done with our own workforce before soliciting final pricing from outside Contractors. 2. Synagro Upgrades Phase I – Sludge Storage and Thickening Improvements – This is a design/build project being managed by Synagro staff, per our current contract. The project  scope is to complete modifications to an existing tank currently not in service which will then serve as a second thickened sludge holding tank. Synagro completed the cleaning of thickened sludge storage tank #1. The completely plugged air header was repaired and cleaned out by plant maintenance staff with assistance from Collections personnel, utilizing the Jet/Vac truck. The 60% design review meeting is scheduled for 10/29/14 with Synagro, GHD and Johnston Construction. GHD will be submitting a report on sludge thickening options utilizing the existing fermenter tank. 3. Collections Systems – Pump Station 12 at First Data was taken off line and the building was demolished. The Collections crews completed installation of approximately 600 feet of 12” gravity sewer needed to eliminate the pump station. The crews also completed a project for the Engineering Department at City Park involving the removal of roots and debris from the 24” storm drain parallel to Virginia Avenue. Additionally, we also cleaned scum overflow lines for the lake and all of the storm drain lines were then televised to document their condition. 4. Major Wastewater Division project for Fiscal Year 2015/2016 include Synagro Phase 2 upgrades to major components of the Pelletizing facility, the creation of a permanent storage and pumping facility for magnesium oxide (this will replace the temporary tank/pumps adjacent to the primary clarifiers), Pump Station 8 pump replacements, Pump Station 6 replacement, and the elimination of Pump Station 15. Electric 1. Vehicle Replacement – Staff is anticipating the approval of a new 40’ bucket truck to be constructed and delivered by the end of FY15. Unit #135 is overdue for replacement due to aging and obsolescence. The replacement of unit #121 is scheduled in FY16. This one of our 50’ material handling bucket trucks due for replacement because of similar issues as Unit #135. Page 2 2. Telemetry Equipment – HLD Planning has begun the process required to install fiber optic  cable between the Plant Substation and Wesel Substation for the purposes of SCADA and security. The planned completion date is at the end of FY15. The goal by end of FY16 is to complete fiber optic installation between Fairgrounds Substation and Mitchell Substation. 3. Building and Site Improvements – The installation of a staged roof replacement at the HLD office has been delayed in FY15 so that the full installation of all three sections can be completed in FY16. Bond funding will be requested for the FY16 improvement. 4. Substation Spare Regulators – The last of the GE units at the Frederick Street Substation are scheduled to be refurbished in FY15. Refurbishing the regulator units at Mitchell Substation are planned to begin in FY16 and end in FY17. Additionally, wildlife protection within the substation will continue. This improvement has been a great asset to our equipment maintenance program and in the reduction of substation related outages which affect large blocks of customers. 5. Distribution Feeder Coordination/ System Improvement – FY15 and FY16 goals are to review and improve fuse coordination to prevent unnecessary outages on the system. With the high fault currents experienced on the distribution system, this project will likely require the installation of non-typical HLD system equipment. The HLD FY15 goal is to complete the installation of the 34.5kV future sub/transmission crossing and distribution feeders located at the CSX rail yard on Burhans Boulevard. 6. Attached for discussion is the alleyway lighting update. Engineering 1. Wastewater CIP/Operating Projects – The Engineering Division in house projects include: the Wastewater Treatment Plant polymer blending and delivery systems, the sludge holding tank design, the stormwater permit process and the associated 5 year best management program for the treatment plant. For the Collections group, projects will include the Pump Station 15 gravity interceptor, the Pump Station 6 replacement, the spoil disposal site recertification, wastewater cleanout violation certifications, and future Inflow/Infiltration contract administration and investigations. 2. Water CIP/Operating Projects – The Engineering Division in house projects include: the Doub Meadow as-built plan review, the Edgemont Reservoir monitoring project, the Smithsburg water tank mixing/aeration system, the Mack Truck/Orchard Hills water tank rehabilitation projects, the Breichner Plant treatment process upgrade and the future transmission system 36 inch main replacement project.  3. Administrative Projects – Staff continues to work on the Standards and Specification Manual updates, the Water Conservation Plan update, and our internal Consolidated Policy documentation. Staff will be available at the November 4 Work Session to discuss the information listed above. HLD Staff has prepared the following points regarding the October 7 Mayor and Council discussion regarding alley lighting: Motion Detection The light fixtures used by the HLD are of the HID (high intensity discharge) type. These fixtures do not provide an instant-on solution. Moving forward with a motion detection lighting system would require a new fixture type, such as LED, halogen, or incandescent. Lighting manufacturers do not offer motion detection devices for a “streetlight” application. There are devices called “occupancy sensors” that are most commonly used in indoor applications to save energy when buildings or parking decks are unoccupied by dimming the fixture down to a user specific level. One manufacturer provides for a an “occupancy sensor”-like device that is made to be applied in pedestrian zones and parks that will provide a dimming level down to 20% of the fixture’s rated output. This device is designed to be installed between 12 and 16 feet from ground level. Design To achieve a standard average horizontal lumen rating of 0.2 and an average-to- minimum ratio of 8:1 assuming a 25’ mounting height, the spacing of HLD’s stock 100 Watt HPS (high pressure sodium) fixtures is approximately 240 feet, which is achieved in most cases. In most residential alleyways, HLD relies on the existing wood pole distribution system for lighting. The mounting height of streetlight installation relies on the NESC (National Electrical Safety Code) to consider clearance distances over driveways and street crossings (taking into consideration the type of vehicular traffic) and communication conductors. Depending on pole space available in alleyways, lights are typically mounted between 20 to 30 feet. Page 1 Usage/Billing The General Fund is billed monthly for cumulative electric usage of streetlights on the HLD system based on annual averages. Light fixtures that are partially on or dimmed during certain times of the night will make it difficult to predict usage for appropriate monthly billing. Achieving an accurate billing system requires the installation of a dedicated and  metered streetlight circuit in each alley or determining an agreed upon percentage of the current billing practice. A dedicated circuit requires the installation of a new, isolated overhead cable from the first light to the last considering distance and voltage drop. Also required is the installation of a weather-head and meter in the alley (most meters are read from the alley, so the read schedule should not be disturbed). LED Lights Depending on the manufacturer’s claim, an LED fixture has a rating of 50,000 hours, which equates to over 11 years of operation, including a 5 year warranty. With the rapid evolution of LED streetlight fixtures, to include optics, color temperature, efficiency, and drivers, there is a high possibility that appearance, light distribution, and color will not match with replacement fixtures. Recommendation New equipment increases the Electric Fund’s asset account; however, a decrease in usage from the streetlight account (HLD’s #1 in FY2014) depletes the revenue stream. Considering the Streetlight Account in the General Fund, citizens may not find it just and reasonable to provide upgraded light fixtures and components in alleyways for specific parts of the City and not others. A complete City-wide upgrade requires funding, staffing levels, priority, and time. HLD’s responsibility to the City is to maintain appropriate average light levels over streets and alleyways. Privately owned motion sensing lighting can focus on particular areas of concern to minimize electric usage on a customer’s account. To put cost into perspective: a 240 Watt Halogen flood light costs in the ballpark of $25. If a similar fixture is on one fourth of the night (about 3 hours), on average, the monthly energy cost will be approximately $1.70/month. a 22 Watt Led Flood costs in the ballpark of $100. Using the same circumstances as above, the monthly energy cost will be approximately $0.15/month. In order to address alleyway concerns, HLD staff would suggest the utilization of third party installed mobile, battery operated camera/security lighting in alleyways designated as areas of concerns under the direction of the HPD. These cameras/security lights are installed approximately 10-12 feet above the road way and are capable of instantaneous lighting/camera shots that are downloaded to retrieve the movement within the alley. The lighting function (in certain models) of the battery operated security lighting can be set to remain on for a specified amount of time. Financial Impact: Approved in FY 15 Recommendation: Information update Motion: Action Dates: November 4, 2014 Work Session ATTACHMENTS: File Name Description Memo_for_Utilities_Update_110414.doc Memo for Utilities Update 110414 Memo for HLD Street Memo_for_Utilities_Update_110414.doc Lighting Requests 2014  City of Hagerstown Department of Utilities 425 East Baltimore Street 1 Clean Water Circle Hagerstown, MD 21740-6105 Hagerstown, MD 21740-6848 November 4, 2014 TO: Bruce Zimmerman, City Administrator FROM: Michael S. Spiker, Director of Utilities SUBJECT: Utilities Department Update ACTION: Information The administrative staff of the Utilities Department has listed for discussion, updates on FY15 projects and major priorities for FY16 projects. The lists are not all inclusive and detail the highlights of the Water, Wastewater and Electric Divisions CIP. Water 1. R.C. Willson Phase IV Plant Improvements – The primary focus of this project is a major chemical upgrade to achieve compliance with the Stage 2 Disinfectant By-Product Rule. Also included in this project is the completion of the SCADA upgrade. The current SCADA system hardware and software was obsolete and no longer supported by the manufacturer. The project budget submitted for funding approval is $13,664,964. 2. Water Distribution System Meter Replacement Program – This project will result in the replacement and/or upgrade to a radio read meter system. There are approximately 28,400 meters in the water system and to date 25,200 meters have been replaced or upgraded. There are approximately 3,200 meters still requiring replacement – the meters and radio transceivers for this project have been purchased and the work is currently underway. Once this work is completed, all unmetered fire lines will be evaluated – in the event of unauthorized usage of the fire line, a meter will be installed. All work is done in-house by Water Distribution personnel. Annual cost is approximately $0.5 million. 3. Water Distribution System Main Replacement Program – This project replaces approximately 0.25 miles of water distribution mains annually. The project currently underway is in the Burford/Ewell area adjacent to Virginia Avenue between Hagerstown and Williamsport. Also included in this program is the rehabilitation or replacement of fire hydrants. Annually, approximately 20 hydrants are replaced. All work is done in-house by Water Distribution personnel. Annual cost is approximately $1.5 million. Page 1 4. Edgemont Reservoir – Beginning in 2007, Maryland Department of the Environment Dam Safety Division (MDE) has required continuous monitoring of the reservoir embankment toe and spillway for seepage. Also required was monitoring wells, a geotechnical evaluation, vegetation removal, toe drain replacement and extension, and seepage monitoring. To date, the repair work has proven to be unsuccessful. The historical seepage continues to pose a problem and new seepage locations have developed. MDE has initiated conversation regarding the issuance of a Consent Agreement to either make significant capital improvements to the reservoir and consideration for the identification of an alternate source. Triad Engineering has been and continues to be the Engineer of Record for the ongoing work at Edgemont. Once a determination is made on the viability of reliable source water, the Breichner Plant will have to be upgraded for compliance with the Stage 2 regulations referenced in number 1 above. 5. Major Water Division projects for Fiscal Year 2015/2016 include major update to the Risk Management Plan and OSHA PSM for Highly Hazardous Chemicals. Additionally, the Water Master Plan is now nine years old and will need to be updated for future long term planning. Wastewater 1. Wastewater Treatment Plant Improvements – The plant will purchase and install new liquid polymer mixing system for sludge thickening process. The competitive bids have been solicited as of 10/17/14 and staff will be evaluating the bids for completeness and will determine lowest qualified bidder. Additionally on this project, Wastewater maintenance staff will review the installation requirements and determine how much of the installation can be done with our own workforce before soliciting final pricing from outside Contractors. 2. Synagro Upgrades Phase I – Sludge Storage and Thickening Improvements – This is a design/build project being managed by Synagro staff, per our current contract. The project scope is to complete modifications to an existing tank currently not in service which will then serve as a second thickened sludge holding tank. Synagro completed the cleaning of thickened sludge storage tank #1. The completely plugged air header was repaired and cleaned out by plant maintenance staff with assistance from Collections personnel, utilizing the Jet/Vac truck. The 60% design review meeting is scheduled for 10/29/14 with Synagro, GHD and Johnston Construction. GHD will be submitting a report on sludge thickening options utilizing the existing fermenter tank. 3. Collections Systems – Pump Station 12 at First Data was taken off line and the building was demolished. The Collections crews completed installation of approximately 600 feet of 12” gravity sewer needed to eliminate the pump station. The crews also completed a project for the Engineering Department at City Park involving the removal of roots and debris from the 24” storm drain parallel to Virginia Avenue. Additionally, we also cleaned scum overflow lines for the lake and all of the storm drain lines were then televised to document their condition. 4. Major Wastewater Division project for Fiscal Year 2015/2016 include Synagro Phase 2 upgrades to major components of the Pelletizing facility, the creation of a permanent storage and pumping facility for magnesium oxide (this will replace the temporary tank/pumps adjacent to the primary clarifiers), Pump Station 8 pump replacements, Pump Station 6 replacement, and the elimination of Pump Station 15. Electric 1. Vehicle Replacement – Staff is anticipating the approval of a new 40’ bucket truck to be constructed and delivered by the end of FY15. Unit #135 is overdue for replacement due to aging and obsolescence. The replacement of unit #121 is scheduled in FY16. This one of our 50’ material handling bucket trucks due for replacement because of similar issues as Unit #135. Page 2  2. Telemetry Equipment – HLD Planning has begun the process required to install fiber optic cable between the Plant Substation and Wesel Substation for the purposes of SCADA and security. The planned completion date is at the end of FY15. The goal by end of FY16 is to complete fiber optic installation between Fairgrounds Substation and Mitchell Substation. 3. Building and Site Improvements – The installation of a staged roof replacement at the HLD office has been delayed in FY15 so that the full installation of all three sections can be completed in FY16. Bond funding will be requested for the FY16 improvement. 4. Substation Spare Regulators – The last of the GE units at the Frederick Street Substation are scheduled to be refurbished in FY15. Refurbishing the regulator units at Mitchell Substation are planned to begin in FY16 and end in FY17. Additionally, wildlife protection within the substation will continue. This improvement has been a great asset to our equipment maintenance program and in the reduction of substation related outages which affect large blocks of customers. 5. Distribution Feeder Coordination/ System Improvement – FY15 and FY16 goals are to review and improve fuse coordination to prevent unnecessary outages on the system. With the high fault currents experienced on the distribution system, this project will likely require the installation of non-typical HLD system equipment. The HLD FY15 goal is to complete the installation of the 34.5kV future sub/transmission crossing and distribution feeders located at the CSX rail yard on Burhans Boulevard. 6. Attached for discussion is the alleyway lighting update. Engineering 1. Wastewater CIP/Operating Projects – The Engineering Division in house projects include: the Wastewater Treatment Plant polymer blending and delivery systems, the sludge holding tank design, the stormwater permit process and the associated 5 year best management program for the treatment plant. For the Collections group, projects will include the Pump Station 15 gravity interceptor, the Pump Station 6 replacement, the spoil disposal site recertification, wastewater cleanout violation certifications, and future Inflow/Infiltration contract administration and investigations. 2. Water CIP/Operating Projects – The Engineering Division in house projects include: the Doub Meadow as-built plan review, the Edgemont Reservoir monitoring project, the Smithsburg water tank mixing/aeration system, the Mack Truck/Orchard Hills water tank rehabilitation projects, the Breichner Plant treatment process upgrade and the future transmission system 36 inch main replacement project. 3. Administrative Projects – Staff continues to work on the Standards and Specification Manual updates, the Water Conservation Plan update, and our internal Consolidated Policy documentation. Staff will be available at the November 4 Work Session to discuss the information listed above. Page 3 Phone 301.739.8577 ext. 143 Electric Fax 301.739.7958 TDD 301.797.6617 Phone 301.739.8577 ext. 650 W/WW Fax 301.733.2873 TDD 301.797.6617  City of Hagerstown Department of Utilities 425 East Baltimore Street 1 Clean Water Circle Hagerstown, MD 21740-6105 Hagerstown, MD 21740-6848 November, 2014 TO: Bruce Zimmerman, City Administrator FROM: Michael S. Spiker, Director of Utilities SUBJECT: Utilities Department Update ACTION: Information The administrative staff of the Utilities Department has listed for discussion, updates on FY15 projects and major priorities for FY16 projects. The lists are not all inclusive and detail the highlights of the Water, Wastewater and Electric Divisions CIP. Water 1. R.C. Willson Phase IV Plant Improvements – The primary focus of this project is a major chemical upgrade to achieve compliance with the Stage 2 Disinfectant By-Product Rule. Also included in this project is the completion of the SCADA upgrade. The current SCADA system hardware and software was obsolete and no longer supported by the manufacturer. The project budget submitted for funding approval is $13,664,964. 2. Water Distribution System Meter Replacement Program – This project will result in the replacement and/or upgrade to a radio read meter system. There are approximately 28,400 meters in the water system and to date 25,200 meters have been replaced or upgraded. There are approximately 3,200 meters still requiring replacement – the meters and radio transceivers for this project have been purchased and the work is currently underway. Once this work is completed, all unmetered fire lines will be evaluated – in the event of unauthorized usage of the fire line, a meter will be installed. All work is done in-house by Water Distribution personnel. Annual cost is approximately $0.5 million. 3. Water Distribution System Main Replacement Program – This project replaces approximately 0.25 miles of water distribution mains annually. The project currently underway is in the Burford/Ewell area adjacent to Virginia Avenue between Hagerstown and Williamsport. Also included in this program is the rehabilitation or replacement of fire hydrants. Annually, approximately 20 hydrants are replaced. All work is done in-house by Water Distribution personnel. Annual cost is approximately $1.5 million. Page 1 4. Edgemont Reservoir – Beginning in 2007, Maryland Department of the Environment Dam Safety Division (MDE) has required continuous monitoring of the reservoir embankment toe and spillway for seepage. Also required was monitoring wells, a geotechnical evaluation, vegetation removal, toe drain replacement and extension, and seepage monitoring. To date, the repair work has proven to be unsuccessful. The historical seepage continues to pose a problem and new seepage locations have developed. MDE has initiated conversation regarding the issuance of a Consent Agreement to either make significant capital improvements to the reservoir and consideration for the identification of an alternate source. Triad Engineering has been and continues to be the Engineer of Record for the ongoing work at Edgemont. Once a determination is made on the viability of reliable source water, the Breichner Plant will have to be upgraded for compliance with the Stage 2 regulations referenced in number 1 above. 5. Major Water Division projects for Fiscal Year 2015/2016 include major update to the Risk Management Plan and OSHA PSM for Highly Hazardous Chemicals. Additionally, the Water Master Plan is now nine years old and will need to be updated for future long term planning. Wastewater 1. Wastewater Treatment Plant Improvements – The plant will purchase and install new liquid polymer mixing system for sludge thickening process. The competitive bids have been solicited as of 10/17/14 and staff will be evaluating the bids for completeness and will determine lowest qualified bidder. Additionally on this project, Wastewater maintenance staff will review the installation requirements and determine how much of the installation can be done with our own workforce before soliciting final pricing from outside Contractors. 2. Synagro Upgrades Phase I – Sludge Storage and Thickening Improvements – This is a design/build project being managed by Synagro staff, per our current contract. The project scope is to complete modifications to an existing tank currently not in service which will then serve as a second thickened sludge holding tank. Synagro completed the cleaning of thickened sludge storage tank #1. The completely plugged air header was repaired and cleaned out by plant maintenance staff with assistance from Collections personnel, utilizing the Jet/Vac truck. The 60% design review meeting is scheduled for 10/29/14 with Synagro, GHD and Johnston Construction. GHD will be submitting a report on sludge thickening options utilizing the existing fermenter tank. 3. Collections Systems – Pump Station 12 at First Data was taken off line and the building was demolished. The Collections crews completed installation of approximately 600 feet of 12” gravity sewer needed to eliminate the pump station. The crews also completed a project for the Engineering Department at City Park involving the removal of roots and debris from the 24” storm drain parallel to Virginia Avenue. Additionally, we also cleaned scum overflow lines for the lake and all of the storm drain lines were then televised to document their condition. 4. Major Wastewater Division project for Fiscal Year 2015/2016 include Synagro Phase 2 upgrades to major components of the Pelletizing facility, the creation of a permanent storage and pumping facility for magnesium oxide (this will replace the temporary tank/pumps adjacent to the primary clarifiers), Pump Station 8 pump replacements, Pump Station 6 replacement, and the elimination of Pump Station 15. Electric 1. Vehicle Replacement – Staff is anticipating the approval of a new 40’ bucket truck to be constructed and delivered by the end of FY15. Unit #135 is overdue for replacement due to aging and obsolescence. The replacement of unit #121 is scheduled in FY16. This one of our 50’ material handling bucket trucks due for replacement because of similar issues as Unit #135. Page 2  2. Telemetry Equipment – HLD Planning has begun the process required to install fiber optic cable between the Plant Substation and Wesel Substation for the purposes of SCADA and security. The planned completion date is at the end of FY15. The goal by end of FY16 is to complete fiber optic installation between Fairgrounds Substation and Mitchell Substation. 3. Building and Site Improvements – The installation of a staged roof replacement at the HLD office has been delayed in FY15 so that the full installation of all three sections can be completed in FY16. Bond funding will be requested for the FY16 improvement. 4. Substation Spare Regulators – The last of the GE units at the Frederick Street Substation are scheduled to be refurbished in FY15. Refurbishing the regulator units at Mitchell Substation are planned to begin in FY16 and end in FY17. Additionally, wildlife protection within the substation will continue. This improvement has been a great asset to our equipment maintenance program and in the reduction of substation related outages which affect large blocks of customers. 5. Distribution Feeder Coordination/ System Improvement – FY15 and FY16 goals are to review and improve fuse coordination to prevent unnecessary outages on the system. With the high fault currents experienced on the distribution system, this project will likely require the installation of non-typical HLD system equipment. The HLD FY15 goal is to complete the installation of the 34.5kV future sub/transmission crossing and distribution feeders located at the CSX rail yard on Burhans Boulevard. 6. Attached for discussion is the alleyway lighting update. Engineering 1. Wastewater CIP/Operating Projects – The Engineering Division in house projects include: the Wastewater Treatment Plant polymer blending and delivery systems, the sludge holding tank design, the stormwater permit process and the associated 5 year best management program for the treatment plant. For the Collections group, projects will include the Pump Station 15 gravity interceptor, the Pump Station 6 replacement, the spoil disposal site recertification, wastewater cleanout violation certifications, and future Inflow/Infiltration contract administration and investigations. 2. Water CIP/Operating Projects – The Engineering Division in house projects include: the Doub Meadow as-built plan review, the Edgemont Reservoir monitoring project, the Smithsburg water tank mixing/aeration system, the Mack Truck/Orchard Hills water tank rehabilitation projects, the Breichner Plant treatment process upgrade and the future transmission system 36 inch main replacement project. 3. Administrative Projects – Staff continues to work on the Standards and Specification Manual updates, the Water Conservation Plan update, and our internal Consolidated Policy documentation. Staff will be available at the November 4 Work Session to discuss the information listed above. Page 3 Phone 301.739.8577 ext. 143 Electric Fax 301.739.7958 TDD 301.797.6617 Phone 301.739.8577 ext. 650 W/WW Fax 301.733.2873 TDD 301.797.6617