CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS COMMITTEE

200 E. Wells Street City of Milwaukee Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202 Meeting Minutes CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS COMMITTEE ALD. ROBERT BAUMAN, CHAIR Ald. Nik Kovac, Ald. Michael Murphy, Ghassan Korban, Martin Matson, Mark Nicolini, and Mariano Schifalacqua Staff Assistant: Linda Elmer, 286-2231 Fax: 286-3456, lelmer@milwaukee.gov Fiscal Planning Specialist: Kathleen Brengosz, 286-3926, kbreng@milwaukee.gov Wednesday, June 25, 2014 9:00 AM City Hall, Room 301-B Meeting convened: 9:15 A.M. Members present: Ald. Kovac, Mr. Froh, Mr. Schifalacqua, Mr. Matson, Mr. Nicolini (arrived at 9:21) and Mr. Korban (arrived at 9:24) Members excused: Ald. Bauman 1. Review and approval of the minutes from the June 4, 2014 meeting. Mr. Matson moved for approval of the minutes. There were no objections. 2. Presentation of the Sewers Condition Report. Mr. Tim Thur discussed the condition of the City’s sewer system. He said that there are 2,461 miles of sewer. The central part of the city is served by combined sewers. The rest of the city is served by separate sanitary and storm sewers. He said that sanitary sewers tend to be smaller in diameter because they only convey the sewage coming from businesses and homes. Combined and storm sewers are much larger because they are designed to handle the storm water runoff. Ald. Kovac asked if the intercepting sewers were separate or combined. Mr. Thur said the intercepting sewers are in both the combined and the separate sewer area. Mr. Schifalacqua said the deep tunnel system takes overflows from both the separate and combined sewer areas. Mr. Froh asked if the City gave its large sanitary sewers to the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD). Mr. Thur said that the City turned over combined sewer overflows to MMSD in the late 1980s or early 1990s . He said the City still owns some large diameter sanitary sewers. He said MMSD is considering returning some sewers if they only serve one community. Mr. Thur said the City might object to taking some sewer segments back if they don’t fit the definition of a local sewer. The committee discussed a handout showing a breakdown of sewers by age. Ald. Kovac noted that a large portion inventory is nearly 90 years old. Mr. Thur said that only a small amount of sanitary sewers are over 90 years old because not much sanitary sewer was put in before the 1910s. Mr. Thur said the biggest surge in construction was the post WWII era. He said that the materials in that era were not as good as the older materials and the department is finding that the concrete pipe is failing at an earlier age. He said that the Milwaukee Water Works is having the same problem with its water mains. Ald. Kovac asked about the condition of pipe installed in the 1920s. Mr. Thur said a lot of it is concrete pipe with some of the larger sewers City of Milwaukee Page 1 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS Meeting Minutes June 25, 2014 COMMITTEE constructed using brick. He said it is starting to look old and porous with some cracking. He said they are typically good candidates for lining. He said that most of them are in a ring just outside the combined sewer area. Ald. Kovac asked if it was possible to chart how much sewer was constructed each year and how much of that construction remained. Mr. Thur said yes. Mr. Thur discussed the inspection process and schedule. He said the department uses a closed circuit TV camera to inspect the interior of the pipe. He said large diameter pipes can be physically inspected by crews. He said the department inspects about 145 miles per year and that sewers less than 50 years are not typically inspected unless there have been backwater complaints or it is scheduled for paving. He said the department always does an exam prior to paving. Mr. Thur said that sewer replacement has increased recently because the department has been doing more lining projects. He said that 2015 will probably have fewer miles because there are several larger diameter relay projects. He said that funding has been stable but the level of work varies from year to year by project type. Mr. Thur said the biggest challenge is about 15 years down the road when we will need to start replacing the sewers that were constructed in the 1940s and 1950s. He said that there are about 80 or miles of sewers that are still active for those years. He said that if the current investment rate can be maintained for the next 10 or 15 years the City should be in good condition. He said the department prioritizes replacement based on condition, not just age. He said that older sewers will be left in place until their condition warrants replacement. Mr. Thur discussed some of the projects being undertaken in 2014 and 2015. Mr. Nicolini asked for background on the Dineen Park project. Mr. Thur said that area around Dineen Park has flooded repeatedly over the years. He said the problem is largely caused by topography. He said that the area is far enough away from Lincoln Creek that it’s not a flood plain issue. The area just north of the park is bowl shaped and naturally collects water from the area. He said the sewers that were installed in the 1920s may be somewhat undersized, but that installing bigger sewers to move the water faster was not a good solution because it would cause flooding issues downstream. He said developing water storage was a better option but that there are few places large enough because the area is well developed. Mr. Thur said that a joint study done last year with the Sewerage District, the City and the County identified storage in Dineen Park as a good solution. The specifics of the project are still being discussed with the County and the local residents. He said that goal is to create something that will be beneficial for flooding but that is still of use to the neighborhood. Mr. Froh asked about the number of basement backups reported after the recent rains. Mr. Thur said that between Tuesday night and Wednesday morning the City had about 3” of rain and there were about 95 reported basement backups. He said the rain event in 2010 caused thousands of backups. Mr. Thur described the private property Inflow and Infiltration (I&I) program. He said MMSD provided funding for two sewer lateral lining projects, one in Cooper Park and one in the Clemens neighborhood (Capitol, w/o 36th Street). The Clemens project had 86% participation and lined 351 laterals. There was no cost to the property owner. Flow meters will allow the department to evaluate the project’s impact on the timing of the flow as well as the quantity. The Cooper Park project, which included sewer main lining, is showing about a 45% reduction in I&I. Additional work in the Cooper Park area includes the removal of foundation drains on 86th Street from Center to Chambers. There are 61 homes eligible for this project. It is a voluntary program and so far 30 of the 61 homes have signed up. The goal is 80% participation. The project is expected to go to contract in August. Participation may be lower because, unlike the lateral lining project, homeowners must provide access to the interior of their home. Mr. Thur said that there is no cost to the homeowner unless the home’s electrical service needs to be upgraded from 60 amps to 100 amps. Mr. Thur said that the average cost to disconnect a foundation drain and City of Milwaukee Page 2 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS Meeting Minutes June 25, 2014 COMMITTEE install a sump pump is between $6,000 and $7,000. The committee discussed lift station and by-pass pumps. Mr. Thur said there are 7 lift stations and 83 by-pass pumps. By-pass pumps are generally in low lying areas that have experienced backwaters and overflows in the past. Mr. Schifalacqua said by-pass pumps may also be needed in areas where soil conditions adversely affect drainage. Mr. Thur said the pumps typically only operate during heavy rain events. Mr. Nicolini asked how many of the by-pass pumps are in good condition. Mr. Thur said that most of them are in good condition. He said that most of the pumps were installed in the early 1970’s and have an overall useful life of about 20 years. He said that since 2007 many sites have had the pump or the manhole or both replaced. He said that the department is doing 6 major rehabs this year and 4 next year. Mr. Thur said that a private firm that inspects the pumps monthly. He said that during the first few years the inspectors found a lot of little issues. This year, one site needed some minor corrections. He said the department does an annual wet test which includes isolating the manhole and filling it with clear water to make sure that all the components are working. Ald. Kovac asked if the pumps created the liability for a recently settled lawsuit. Mr. Thur said it wasn’t the pumps themselves, it was the flap gates associated with some of the pumps which are intended to prevent surcharging water from getting back into the system. He said that the lawsuit claimed that the flap gates were not maintained well enough and that led to backwaters. He said that not all by-pass pumps have flap gates. Ald. Kovac asked if using the by-pass pumps was a violation of the City’s discharge permit. Mr. Thur said that the City does not want to have overflows, but given the choice between creating basement backups or creating an overflow, we go with the overflow. Use of the by-pass pumps during larger rain events should not be a problem for the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). If the pumps would operate in dry conditions or in small rain events, the DNR would be concerned. Mr. Schifalacqua asked if all the pumps are still necessary. Mr. Thur said that from an engineering standpoint, some pumps might no longer be needed. He said he could not recommend removal of any of the pumps because there is always a bigger storm than you anticipate and keeping water out of people’s basements is critical. Mr. Korban agreed. Mr. Thur estimated that the department spends about $500,000 each year to inspect and maintain the pumps. Ald. Kovac asked if there was record of when each pump operated. Mr. Thur said yes. He added that some pumps haven’t run in many years. The committee discussed water quality and green infrastructure. Mr. Thur said that the DNR is reviewing the amount of total suspended solids (TSS), phosphorus and bacteria that can be discharged into various bodies of water. The City should find out later this summer what reductions will be required. Some communities along the Fox River are being required to reduce TSS and phosphorus by 50% or 60%. He said the City will have 15 years to comply with the reductions. Mr. Nicolini asked if phosphorus was driven by agricultural activity. Mr. Thur said that agriculture does contribute a significant portion but that there are urban sources of phosphorus including pet waste and leaves. Mr. Thur said that the department is using a number of strategies to reduce TSS, phosphorus as well as the volume of storm water run-off. He said the department began employing these strategies in 2008. Mr. Thur said, that in 2014, bio-swales will installed as part of the state paving contract. He said that the bio-swales don’t qualify for the 80/20 cost sharing from the state so the City will have to pay for them. He added that combining the installation with the paving project is more efficient and reduces costs. Mr. Nicolini suggested that adding cost sharing for bio-swales would be a feasible item to propose for the legislative package. Ald. Kovac asked if all municipalities could be required to install bio-swales. Mr. Korban said that all municipalities are subject to the same DNR rules and that most have been implementing similar methods of capturing storm water within their infrastructure. Mr. Thur said the strategies communities use will depend on the type and density of development within the community. Mr. Nicolini said that the interceptor sewers facilitated the movement of many manufacturing jobs and the City of Milwaukee Page 3 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS Meeting Minutes June 25, 2014 COMMITTEE resulting development has created a lot of imperious area which has increased the demand on both interceptor and local sewers. Mr. Thur said that the City is also using various types of porous pavement on a small number of projects in parking lots, parking lanes, alleys and sidewalks. Mr. Nicolini asked if the high clay content in the soil that is typical in many areas will be problematic. Mr. Thur said that porous pavements are constructed on layer of gravel that is designed to hold a certain amount of water. He said that drains are installed to make sure that too much water doesn’t collect under the pavement. 3. Presentation of the Parking Condition Report. Cindy Angelos, Rich Stolhoff and Sean Sutton from the Department of Public Works came to the table. Ms. Angelos discussed the condition of the City’s parking facilities. She said that annual inspections are performed by parking personnel and structural engineers. She said the overall Facility Condition Index (FCI) was very good. She said there were no “poor” ratings and the “fair” ratings were being addressed in the capital plan. Ms. Angelos described projects at various parking structures. At 2nd & Plankinton, concrete repair and painting projects are on schedule. Next year, two elevators will be replaced. At 4th & Highland, a façade inspection found no problems. At 1000 N. Water, no significant projects are planned until 2016. At MacArthur Square, electrical and fan work is required. At Milwaukee & Michigan, a façade inspection was completed. Ald. Kovac asked for the revenue and expenditure history from each structure. Ms. Angelos she said that the department doesn’t budget expenditures separately for each structure. She provided the following revenue information for 2013; Mac Arthur Square, $3.5 million; 1000 N Water, $1.4 million; 2nd & Plankinton, $751,000; Milwaukee & Michigan, $572,000; 4th & Highland, $755,000. Ald. Kovac said the 4th & Highland structure was one of the lowest performing structures on a per space basis. Ms. Angelos said that the revenue was relatively low because there is very little daytime use. She said the City just signed a valet parking contract with A Loft so the revenue should increase. She also said that revenue was down because of the Bucks performance. Ald. Kovac asked if that could be documented. Mr. Korban said that the City is also working with the Moderne to lease space. Mr. Schifalacqua asked if the revenue figures include the leased restaurant space. Ms. Angelos said no. Ms. Angelos said that the department is repaving the tow lot which is in poor condition. She said one third of the lot will be paved each year to minimize the disruption to operations. She said the surface lot at Downer and Park will be resurfaced this summer because it is in bad shape. Ms. Angelos discussed the LUKE multi-space parking meters. She said that it is impossible to quantify how much more money the City has made because of its investment in LUKE meters but that on a per transaction basis, many people will max out whatever the time limit the meter has. Previously people would put in whatever change they had with them. Ms. Angelos said that later this year the department will install a pay by phone system which will work on all the spaces and that the department is testing single space credit card meters. The committee discussed the MacArthur Square structure. Ms. Angelos said that it is expensive to maintain because it is an older structure and because it is built into the ground. She said this causes issues with leaking, dampness and carbon monoxide. Ald. Kovac asked if was have there was enough capital maintenance required that the City might want to consider replacement. Ms. Angelos said the City was not behind in maintenance. Mr. Korban said that if a redevelopment plan for the MacArthur Square was proposed, the department would assess its expenditures accordingly. Ms. Brengosz asked for a list of the surface parking lots and their current condition. City of Milwaukee Page 4 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS Meeting Minutes June 25, 2014 COMMITTEE Ms. Angelos said she would provide one to the committee. Meeting adjourned: 10:39 A.M. This meeting can be viewed in its entirety through the City's Legislative Research Center at http://milwaukee.legistar.com/calendar. City of Milwaukee Page 5