City Council Committee Agendas

Public Works/Library Committee Meeting July 10, 2019, 6:00 pm Attendees Present: Mayor Boudreau Council Members: Beaton, Hudson, Hulst, Moberg, Molenaar Staff Members: Public Works – Bell, Chesterfield; City Attorney – Rogerson; Library – Huffman; HR Director Keator; Police Lieutenant – Cammock; Project Development Manager – Donovan; Finance Director – Volesky 1. Approval of Public Works Committee Minutes: Councilmember Beaton moved to approve the minutes from June 12, 2019; Seconded by Councilmember Moberg; Carried by all. 2. Library Committee – Isaac Huffman a) Tween/Teen Programming Successes in the tween/teen arena and the upcoming goals in reaching out to the teenage population of Mount Vernon were highlighted. Project based programming works best for teens. Recent events included; teen tie dye event, ozobots, and book folding (unique stem programs to engage the kids). b) Better Library Card Sign Up Efforts are being made to facilitate access to library cards, including on-line applications available beginning July 8, 2019. The online applications integrate with the existing catalog program. c) Quick Updates Upcoming library events, include; a space suit event in conjunction with the 50 th anniversary of the moon landing, a book launch “When the Dust Rises”, search and rescue dog story time, and family movie night (environmental films for kids to learn about saving the planet). In addition, library staff is beginning to create displays to help show the character and ambiance of the library. 3. Program Coordination Division – Blaine Chesterfield a) 2019-21 Municipal Stormwater Capacity Grant The City will receive a $95,000 Stormwater Capacity grant from the Washington State Department of Ecology to assist in implementing stormwater permit requirements. Funds are for the 2019-21 Biennial Municipal Stormwater Capacity Grant Program and will assist with NPDES (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System) permit implementation activities. The amount of the grant will be $50,000 plus an additional $45,000 issued to hardship communities. Staff will bring the agreement to Council in an upcoming Council session. b) Kulshan Pump Station Debris Removal System On July 1, 2019, Harbor Pacific Contractors, Inc., started work on the Kulshan Pump Station Debris Removal System project. Blaine explained the project includes a screen with an automated rake to keep the screen clean via manual and automated control systems. This project should improve the surface water flow in the creek which is already affected by a lack of slope along the channel. The project is scheduled for completion in September 2019. July 10, 2019, Public Works/Library Committee Minutes Page 1 of 3  c) Municipal Stormwater General Permit Reissuance The Washington State Department of Ecology has reissued the Phase II stormwater permit as of July 1, 2019; the new permit will become effective on August 1, 2019. New requirements highlighted include Comprehensive Stormwater Planning, Community Based Social Marketing, Low Impact Development education, and increased inspections / reporting. This also includes adopting the 2019 Stormwater Management Manual on or before December 31, 2021. 4. Project Updates – Esco Bell Esco informed Committee that the City’s website is a great tool for the community to be able to look at project updates. a) College Way & Riverside Drive Corridor Signal Improvement The City has awarded this bid to Colacurcio Brothers with an approximate construction cost of $1.6 million. The contractor is preparing to proceed with the construction phase. Work will begin in upcoming weeks and include yellow flashing left turn signals, LED street light upgrades, pedestrian accessibility improvements, and count down signal heads to 12 signals within the system. Work is planned to be completed by November; traffic disruptions should be relatively minor as a majority of the work will be completed off the roadway. b) College Way 30th Street Signal The City has awarded this bid to Larry Brown Construction with an approximate construction cost of $950,000. Due to the long lead time for signal components, field work will begin closer to delivery date of the signal mast and associated supplies, which is several months out at this time. c) BNSF Agreement for 4th Street N / Riverside Drive BNSF RR Crossing This project includes construction of pedestrian facilities on Riverside Drive at the railroad crossing and improvements to the mainline and spur railroad crossings on Riverside Drive. Construction should begin in approximately one month with completion anticipated by October. Work involving BNSF and city contractors will require a shutdown of Riverside Drive for 3-5 days in order to perform the railroad work. All efforts will be made to get the road back to normal operations as soon as feasible. Workers will keep access to local businesses open as well as keeping the businesses updated with project progress. Kevin Rogerson noted a resolution will be required as construction is not going through the regular bid process for the BNSF portion of the work. This project is funded completely by grant funds. d) College Way Widening Under I-5 Work to add two lanes on College Way beneath Interstate 5 is progressing well. The structural support of the slopes is complete and the finished concrete wall portion of the work is under construction along with storm drainage work and some of the new signal foundations. e) 2018 Sanitary and Storm Sewer Lining Project This year’s sanitary and storm sewer lining project is currently advertised for a bid opening of July 23, 2019. Work includes more than 5,000 feet of pipe to be lined and rehabilitated at an estimated cost of $800,000. 5. Public Works Director Comments – Esco Bell / Erin Keator a) Job Description to City Engineer/Capital Program Manager There was a short discussion on the Capital Programs Manager/City Engineer position the City is now recruiting to fill. Erin completed a study of comparable size cities and found that two currently vacant positions should be reclassified. The reclassification of Assistant PW Director to Capital Programs July 10, 2019, Public Works/Library Committee Minutes Page 2 of 3  Manager/City Engineer and the reclassification of the HR position recently vacated by Chelan. The HR position is more of an analyst position rather than the generalist position it has been to date; this is a necessary change in order to get qualified applicants. These reclassifications will be on agenda at the next council study session in order to move forward with the changes quickly and get the positions filled. b) Solid Waste Rate Increase (Tipping Fee Increase Pass Through) Esco provided information on Skagit County’s disposal fee increase from $88 per ton to $96 per ton. At a cost impact to the City of approximately $10,000 per month, Staff recommended passing through this disposal fee increase as soon as possible. The ordinance has already been published twice and is on the Council agenda later tonight. 6. Traffic Safety Committee (TSC) Update – Esco Bell The last Traffic Safety Committee was on Tuesday, June 18, 2019. The next Traffic Safety Committee is on Tuesday, August 20, 2019. 7. Miscellaneous / For the Good of the Order Esco informed Councilmembers about repairs made on Fir Street by the Street Department with their new paving machine. Repairs on Blackburn near the County line are not on this year’s list of street improvements; however, it is on the City’s radar and could potentially be something the crews can work on with the new paving machine. Blaine mentioned that the City did not get chosen this year for the Washington Conservation individual placement. This opportunity is available every three years, the next opportunity to apply will be in 2022. Mayor Boudreau briefed Committee members on a meeting held with the Police Department administration. She explained statistics are showing calls over the last three years have been lowering in the downtown area as well as decreasing in the vicinity of the Friendship House. Mayor Boudreau also noted that the Library Foundation has been meeting and she would like to invite a couple councilmembers to be present for an upcoming meeting so that accurate information can be relayed to the Foundation. Councilmembers Hudson and Hulst expressed interest in attending. Mayor Boudreau requested the Public Works Committee recess at 6:44 pm to reconvene after the regular City Council agenda. Committee reconvened at 8:02 pm Discussion was held regarding reclassification of the police chief position. Meeting adjourned at 8:23 pm Sherri Pritchard Sherri Pritchard Public Works Department July 10, 2019, Public Works/Library Committee Minutes Page 3 of 3