Safety & Public Works Committee

SAFETY AND PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE MINUTES THURSDAY JUNE 6, 2024 8:00 AM VIA ZOOM MEETING Members Present: Anne Williams, Council Chair Nancy Moore, Council Member Jonathan Hren. Citizen Member James Sammon, Citizen Member Tennille Kaus, Council Member Sara Schiavoni, Citizen Member Kim Harris, Council Member Others Present: David Weiss, Mayor Jeri Chaikin, CAO Patrick Sweeney, Chief of Fire Jeffery Demuth, Interim Director of Public Works Christian Maier, Asst. Director of Infrastructure Wayne Hudson, Chief of Police Annette Amistadi, Mental Health Clinician Kara Hamley O’Donnell, Principal Planner Arielle Urich, Recording Assistant The meeting was called to order by Council Chair Anne Williams at 8:00 am. APPROVAL OF MAY 2, 2024 MEETING MINUTES Council Chair Williams requested a motion to approve the May 2, 2024 Safety and Public Works minutes. A motion was made by Council Member Nancy Moore, and seconded by Citizen Member Jonathan Hren. The motion carried. Authorization to enter into a shared service agreement with the City of University Heights to provide Fire Department Vehicle and Apparatus Mechanic Service Patrick Sweeney, Chief of Fire The Shaker Heights Fire Department is requesting that the Safety & Public Works Committee, support a service agreement with University Heights in which the Shaker Heights Fire Department mechanic, would provide all preventative maintenance and mechanical repairs to the University Heights Fire Department fleet. The SHFD historically maintained a part time mechanics position, responsible for the preventative maintenance and repairs on all fire department vehicles and small equipment. Due to the retirement of the part time mechanic, this position was advanced to full time. During discussions regarding the transition of this position from part-time to full-time, the concept of contracting out these mechanical services to a partnering Fire Department were discussed. Chief Sweeney stated that it is known from department to department, how hard it is to find a mechanic that has the special skills to work on these types of lifesaving vehicles. This sparked the interest of the University Heights Fire Dept. Quickly after hearing that they were interested, Chief Sweeney started working with the city’s law department and finance department to develop an agreement. While developing this agreement, the department conducted a financial analysis to determine the impact of moving the mechanic’s position from part-time to full-time; they figured the salary shortfall would be about $59,823.00. This type of fee for service agreement would allow the Shaker Heights Fire Department to offset the additional cost of the transition to full-time for this position. This collaborative service agreement would allow the two communities to enhance the service reliability of emergency fire vehicles in a cost-effective manner. Council Chair Williams opened the floor for any questions and or comments. Councilwoman Nancy Moore asked if University Heights has a Fire Mechanic. Chief Sweeney responded that at this time UH does not have a Fire Mechanic, they contract that service out. A motion to approve was made by Citizen Member James Sammon and was seconded by Council Member Nancy Moore. The motion was carried. A motion to approve was made by Citizen Member James Sammon and was seconded by Council Member Nancy Moore. The motion was carried. Appropriation of a donation from Heights Christian Church for the First CALL (Crisis Assistance and Local Linkage) Program Annette Amistadi, Mental Health Clinician The Shaker Heights Police and Fire Departments are seeking authorization for appropriation of a donation from Heights Christian Church for $1,000 for the First CALL (Crisis Assistance and Local Linkage) Program. Per City Ordinance, the Director of Finance is able to accept any donations below $10,000. A member of the Heights Christian Church congregation reached out to learn more about the first call program and expressed their community's willingness to support it. They advised on a donation process, and the church has offered a donation to assist individuals receiving help from the first call program. This program is expanding regionally into Cleveland Heights, Richmond Heights, University Heights, South Euclid, and nearby areas. The donation will be used to purchase hygiene items, clothing such as socks, snack foods, and bus tickets to support individuals in need, helping them overcome barriers related to their mental health crises. Council Chair Williams opened the floor for comments and or questions and there were none. The motion was moved by Citizen Member Jonathan Hren and seconded by Citizen Member Sara Schiavoni. The motion carried. Authorization to Enter Into an Agreement with Cuyahoga County for the Engineering and Construction Management of the Lee Road Infrastructure Improvement Project Kara Hamley O ’Donnell, Principal Planner Kara Hamley O’Donnell, Principal Planner, stated that this is a request that the Safety & Public Works Committee recommend that City Council authorize entering into a contract with Cuyahoga County to engineer and manage construction of the Lee Road infrastructure improvements. The City has received substantial grant funding for foundational roadway improvements and seeks approval to partner with Cuyahoga County for engineering, construction administration, and matching funds. This approach mirrors the City's strategy used in developing the Van Aken District. Completing the Lee Road infrastructure improvements will set the stage for future redevelopment and commercial revitalization. Ongoing discussions with Cleveland on a similar project will lead to coordinated infrastructure improvements. The $25 million public infrastructure project includes comprehensive roadway reconfiguration, reconstruction, resurfacing, signalization enhancements, crosswalk and intersection improvements, and improved lighting for pedestrian safety. Additionally, south of Van Aken, there will be street- scaping, an off-road bike path, and a mid-block crosswalk. Construction is expected to begin in spring 2027 and be completed in 2028. The City has received $16 million in grant funds for construction and a $1 million grant from County Council ARPA funds for engineering. The local match is anticipated to be between $3 million and $8 million, potentially reduced through additional grants and County collaboration. Partnering with the County offers several benefits, including their lead on engineering, project bidding, and construction management. The County will contribute up to $1 million and support future grant applications. The City will fund the engineering costs, estimated at $2.2 million, using a combination of the $1M County ARPA funds, $584,909 in City ARPA funds, and $615,091 from already appropriated City General Capital funds. The County's involvement provides expertise and additional staff capacity for the project. Council Chair Williams opened the floor for any comments and or questions. Councilwoman Nancy Moore asked how the city can be assured that the county's work will meet the city's standards, given that the county is required to accept the lowest bid for the project. Kara Hamley O’Donnell, Principal Planner, responded that she doesn’t have an answer for that at this time, however, she will have a conversation with the county and Director of Planning, Joyce Braverman to get an answer. Christian Maier, Assistant Director of Public Works, added that to ensure the quality of the county's work meets the city's standards, we need to be more proactive once construction begins. That involves having sufficient staff to routinely check the project's status, regularly follow up with the county's construction superintendent, and establish strong relationships to address potential issues early on. This proactive approach aims to mitigate problems before they arise, ensuring the project meets the expected standards. Citizen Member Jonathan Hren stated that the county has already advertised for his project. Principal Planner O’Donnell responded that is for the engineering only. She added that Christian Maier, Director Joyce and herself were involved in reviewing the Request for Qualifications and gave input to the final document. The county wanted to get moving on all the advertising requirements to keep the project on schedule. A motion was made by Council Member Tenille Kaus and it was seconded by Citizen Member James Sammon. The motion carried unanimously. Enbridge Gas Ohio Easement Christian Maier, Assistant Director of Infrastructure Public Works recommends granting a temporary construction easement and permanent gas utility easement for City owned property PPN 736-29-043. In March 2024, Dominion Energy Ohio was sold to Enbridge Inc., becoming Enbridge Gas Ohio. Enbridge has taken over all operations, maintenance, and replacement of existing gas mains, including a section roughly 250 feet south of the city border on Warrensville and near 3725 Warrensville Center. Dominion planned a gas main replacement project in this area, which features a historically significant brick road. To avoid damaging this brick road, the city requested the gas main be relocated onto city property. The plans, received in late 2023, indicate the gas main will be installed underground with no disturbance to trees or tree removal as part of this project. Enbridge aims to start construction in summer 2024. The city recommends getting the easement in place before they start construction. Council chair Williams opened the floor for questions. Councilwoman Moore asked if they are using a Directional Boring machine or another method to not disturb the tree roots. Christian Maier, Assistant director of Public works, responded that Enbridge will be boring, so there will be minimal impact to the tree roots. A motion was made by Councilwoman Moore and seconded by Citizen Member Jonathan Hren. The motion carried. Apply for Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District Member Community Infrastructure Program for Winslow Road & Avalon Road Sewer Study & Design Christian Maier, Assistant Director of Infrastructure Public Works is seeking support from the Safety and Public Works Committee to accept the grant and proceed with the project, positively impacting NEORSD assets and the environment. In 2022, the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District (NEORSD) alerted Public Works to potential illicit discharges from apartment buildings at 17200 Van Aken Blvd and 3440 Avalon Rd. Investigations, including dye testing and sewer inspections, revealed that 17200 Van Aken is connected to an undocumented sanitary sewer on Avalon Rd, which feeds into a 24-inch storm main and then a combined sewer overflow (CSO) pipe. The 3440 Avalon building is also connected to this CSO, as is some sanitary flow from Winslow Rd. This CSO flows to regulator S-45A in Cleveland, owned by NEORSD. The Sewer District, aiming to minimize CSO activations, supports eliminating the sanitary flow from these sources. In spring 2024, NEORSD invited applications for its Member Community Infrastructure Program (MCIP) grant, which aids communities in addressing sewer infrastructure issues. Shaker Heights has previously succeeded in obtaining this grant. On May 17, 2024, Public Works applied for the MCIP grant to fund the study and design for disconnecting these connections. The project will include extended dye testing, sewer inspections, and flow monitoring beyond the Avalon/Winslow intersection. The study and design are estimated to cost $477,500, with the City contributing $238,750. If awarded, the project will be funded as part of the 2025 sewer capital expenditures. Council Chair Williams opened the floor for questions and or comments. Councilwoman Moore stated, back in 2014, after a storm, the city evaluated the whole sewer system and quantified that there were 7 SSO’s. Councilwoman Moore added that after addressing the Lynnfield /Lomond SSO, the number would reduce to 5. Councilwoman Moore asked if this issue brings us back up to 6. Assistant Director Maier stated this is more of an illicit connection rather than an SSO; however, the configuration with the apartments in question are unique in that there is an undocumented existing sanitary main. Additionally, at one time it was permissible for properties to connect sanitary flow to a CSO. These types of connections were deemed illicit after the passage of the US EPA Clean Water Act in 1972. Citizen Member James Sammon followed up with asking if there is any recoupment that happens with the commercial property owners or apartment buildings that have these illicit connections. Assistant Director Maier stated, yes, we have the legal responsibility to connect with the property owner and advise them the issue needs to be rectified per our city ordinance. Citizen Member Sammon also asked if this is a prevalent issue in most of the apartment buildings across Van Aken. Assistant Director Maier stated Shakers sewer system is unique, while 90% of it is in good standing, there are still occasional surprises due to age and undocumented work. Citizen Member Jonathan Hren asked how the Sewer District notified the city of these illicit discharges. Assistant Director Maier responded that the Sewer District has a division within their organization that revolves around illicit discharge detection and elimination. They have a responsibility to let the communities know and a tiered process on what to do. They'll spend the time, and their resources to help the cities figure out where the illicit discharge is. Citizen Member Hren asked if council approves this, will the engineering be done by a firm that has already been retained. Assistant Director Maier responded the city will go out for RFP’s for consulting services. A motion was made by Citizen Member Jonathan Hren and seconded by Councilwoman Nancy Moore. The motion carried. Request to Accept Funding from the US EPA for the Lynnfield / Lomond SSO Construction project Christian Maier, Assistant Director of Infrastructure Public Works requests the Safety and Public Works Committee's support to accept this grant so the City can utilize the US EPA funds for the construction of the Lynnfield/Lomond Sanitary Sewer Overflow project. Since 2020, Public Works has been engaged in planning and coordinating the design, permitting, easement acquisition, and funding for the Lynnfield/Lomond Sanitary Sewer Overflow (SSO) construction project. The project's goal is to eliminate the SSO by increasing the capacity of sewers within the sewer-shed. The project covers Palmerston Rd. (Chagrin Blvd. to Sherrington Rd.), Sherrington Rd. (Palmerston Rd. to Lomond Blvd.), Lomond Blvd. (Latimore Rd. to Lynnfield Rd.), and Lynnfield Rd. (Lomond Blvd. to Scottsdale Blvd.). Additional work includes installing a new water main on Sherrington, constructing various control structures, street resurfacing, and restoration. The project is estimated to take 18 months and cost $6.6 million. Public Works has successfully secured the following grants and loans for construction costs: $2.0 million from the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District Member Community Infrastructure Program, $2.0 million from the District One Ohio Public Works Integrating Committee, $1.6 million from the US EPA and $670,000 from the Cleveland Water Suburban Water Main Renewal program. With support from Congresswoman Shontel Brown, the City applied for federal funding in spring 2022. By late summer 2023, the City received confirmation of fund allocation under the 2023 Consolidated Appropriations Act, administered by the US EPA. To use these funds, the City had to submit extensive documentation with the help of the City Engineer, a process that was time-consuming and complex. In mid-March 2024, Public Works received the Notice of Award from the US EPA, confirming a grant of $1.6 million, with the City contributing $400,000, as appropriated by ordinance 22-131. The US EPA has now provided the necessary documents to utilize the funding, not exceeding $1.6 million, for the Lynnfield/Lomond SSO project. Unlike other agreements, the US EPA does not require a signature to start drawing down the funds. Council Chair Williams opened the floor for any questions and or comments. Councilwoman Nancy Moore made a comment thanking everyone involved in this laborious project. A motion was made by Councilwoman Moore and seconded by Citizen Member Jonathan Hren. The motion carried Request to Enter into an Agreement with the Mannik Smith Group for Engineering Services Related to Service Yard Improvements Christian Maier, Assistant Director of Infrastructure The southeast corner of the Public Works facility, a crucial 7,500 square yard space used year-round for material stockpiling and equipment staging, requires extensive improvements due to poor drainage and heavy truck traffic. To address this, Public Works distributed a Request for Proposals (RFP) for engineering services to five consulting firms and posted it on the City’s website. The scope of work includes geotechnical investigations, surveying, development of construction documents, and limited construction administration services. On April 26, 2024, Public Works received four proposals. Evaluations were conducted by the Assistant Director of Public Works Infrastructure, the Assistant Director of Public Works Operations, and the Building Superintendent using the Quality Based Selection (QBS) process, which focused on technical merits without initially considering fees. The proposals were scored based on the following criteria: - Technical Approach, Project Team Experience and the Firm’s Project Experience. Alpha Landscaping & Design did not provide the required documentation for a proper review and appeared to misunderstand the project as a design-build rather than engineering services. The Mannik Smith Group proposal stood out due to their clear understanding of the project's importance and the need to maintain Public Works operations during design and construction. They have relevant experience, a local office in Shaker Heights for on-site availability, and their fee is considered fair and reasonable. Additionally, Mannik Smith demonstrated a strong commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), with an internal DEI Advisory Board and collaboration with Next Pivot Point, a nationally recognized DEI consultant. Funding for the design was appropriated in Ordinance 23-122 for $300,000. Public Works plans to request additional funds in late 2024 after Mannik Smith develops the probable cost of construction. Based on their project understanding, team, and technical approach, we request the support of the Safety & Public Works Committee to enter into a contract with the Mannik Smith Group for engineering services related to the Service Yard Improvements project, in the amount of $44,321. Council Chair Williams opened the floor for questions and comments. Citizen Member Jonathan Hren asked if the city already appropriated $300.000 for the design. Assistant Director Maier responded, it is for the overall project including design and construction costs. Citizen Member Hren added depending on the estimate, there may or may not be a request for additional money. Assistant Director Maier advised it’s anticipated that based on the work involved, and design costs, it will be over that delta. Citizen Member Hren asked if Public Works is able to do the construction work of this project. Assistant Director Maier responded, no, it would take resources away from the Public Works department providing services for the community. Additionally, Public Works does not have the equipment or specialized construction skills to stabilize the ground. The construction project will be publically bid. Citizen Member James Sammon asked as far as scoring goes, how were bonus points calculated for DEI program. Assistant Director Maier stated DEI doesn’t fall in the scoring criteria for the estimate. A motion was made by Councilwoman Tenille Kaus and seconded by Citizen Member James Sammon. The motion carried. The meeting adjourned at 9:00am. Respectfully, ________________________________________ Anne Williams, Council Chairperson Safety & Public Works Committee