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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2003 Public Service Board Minutes FINAL v� S I CITY OF LANSING IN PUBLIC SERVICE DEPARTMENT 124 W. Michigan Ave. j C G p,� 732 City Hall H I Lansing, MI 48933 Tony Benavides,Mayor Phone No. (517)483-4455 Fax No. (517) 483-6082 May 18, 2004 Debbie Miner City Clerk City Hall _ Lansing, Michigan Re: Board of Public Service Approved Minutes Dear Ms. Miner: Attached are approved Board of Public Service minutes from meetings held June 19, 2003, September 11, 2003, October 9, 2003, November 13, 2003, January 29, 2004, March 11, 2004, and April 8, 2004. Please place these minutes on file. Respectfully submitted, Faith Rach —Recor ing Secretary - Enclosure U:\wp\ferdocs\PubSvcBd\mintran.ltr DEC, 12003 4.48PM LANSING PUBLIC SVC 110, 901 P. 1 CITY OF LANSING PUBLIC SERVICE DEPARTMENT ' 124 W. Michigan Avenue • Lansing, MI 48933• (517) 483-4455 e FAX;(517)483-6082 http://ci,lansing.mi,us/depts/pubserv/pubserv.htmI i rlrr C G q,� - I� rrl Tony Benavides, Mayor G' PLEASE POST - PUBLIC SERVICE BOARD MEETING SCHEDULED FOR DECEMBER 11 , 2003 HAS BEEN CANCELED INFORMATIONAL MEETING OF THE BOARD OF PUBLIC SERVICE MINUTES OF NOVEMBER 13,2003 PRESENT: Ron Bloomberg,Dale Copedge,Alfreda Schmidt, and Brian Surgener ABSENT: Gilda Richardson STAFF: David Berridge and Bill Bergman VISITORS: None 1) CALL TO ORDER-Chair Bloomberg called the meeting to order at 11:45 a.m. Ms. Schmidt moved, Mr. Surgener seconded, to conduct a Committee of the Whole meeting due to the lack of a quorum. All Board members concurred. Mr. Bloomberg excused Ms.Richardson's absence. 2) APPROVAL OF MINUTES-Deferred. 3) CITIZEN COMMENTS -None. 4) REPORT OF THE OFFICERS -None. 5) DIRECTOR'S REPORT -Mr. Berridge reported the following information: ► Sidewalks-Maps were distributed which show sidewalk construction completed in 2003 and what sidewalks will be repaired in 2004. There is approximately$175,000 in City funds remaining and added to additional assessments, amounts to$230,000. Sidewalk work to be completed in 2004 will be bid by the end of 2003. ► Mayor Benavides will be presenting a final draft of the Administrative Consent Order(ACO), to the City Council at the next regular meeting. The document has received a favorable accommodation by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality(MDEQ). ► Board members asked that construction staff clearly mark and give plenty of notice for obstacles which will result in making a temporary dead end street. Sufficient notice should be given to drivers before they enter the street. ► Traffic Calming Issues-New islands installed on Boston Boulevard may be viewed to impede snow removal efforts by the citizens. The islands also reduce residential parking spaces on the street. Other traffic calming measures have been reported to be ineffective by the citizens. Construction in a few areas were interrupted causing very rough driving surfaces. Mr. Copedge urged expeditious completion of Hollyway. ► Capitol Loop Project-Continuing to work with MDEQ on restructuring the contract to complete work west of Capitol Avenue. The project parameters include maintaining direct pedestrian access to each business front door as well as delivery access. The Board of Water ,OARD OF PUBLIC SERVICE Page 2 Zinutes of November 13, 2003 and Light will need to proceed with certain critical repairs next summer which will severely restrict traffic in the business district for 30 days. Designers have been requested to accelerate preliminary designs for all of the CSO project affecting downtown in order to limit the disruption to downtown businesses and residents. However, eventually all CSO work will need to be done as mandated in the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES)Permit. Due to the revised plan for the Capitol Loop Project, some funding has been permanently lost. For example,Kalamazoo Street was resurfaced to serve as a detour route. The cost sharing for this work is now gone. The City will have to absorb all of the costs associated in designing the project. 6) OTHER-None. 7) COMMUNICATIONS -Public Services Committee Meeting Minutes for September 9, October 7, and October 21, 2003, distributed to Board members were received and placed on file. S) UNFINISHED BUSINESS -None. 9) ADJOURNMENT-The meeting was adjourned at 1:10 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Faith Rach Secretary to the Board U:\PUBSVCBD\MINUTES\11-13-03MINUTES INFORMATIONAL MEETING OF THE BOARD OF PUBLIC SERVICE MINUTES OF OCTOBER 9,2003 PRESENT: Ron Bloomberg,Dale Copedge, Gilda Richardson, and Alfreda Schmidt ABSENT: Brian Surgener STAFF: David Berridge,Bill Bergman, and Faith Rach VISITORS: None 1) CALL TO ORDER-Chair Bloomberg called the meeting to order at 11:47a.m., at the Wastewater Treatment Plant Administration Office. Due to the lack of a quorum,the Board members decided to meet as a Committee of the Whole. Mr. Bloomberg excused Mr. Surgener's absence. Ms. Schmidt asked that a discussion of the Capitol Loop Construction Project be added to the agenda. Mr.Bloomberg noted the discussion will follow reports. 2) APPROVAL OF MINUTES -June 19, 2003 and September 11, 2003 -Deferred 3) CITIZEN COMMENTS -None. 4) REPORT OF THE OFFICERS-None. 5) DIRECTOR'S REPORT-Mr. Berridge reported the following information: ► Mayor's Community Government-The Mayor's office is working to apply resources to community clean-up efforts. A pilot program will take place in Ward 2 where residents in the pilot area will be able to purchase bulk tags for$1.00 to be used on miscellaneous items. Partial funding for the program will come from the budget. The annual Saturday fall clean-up will take place on October 25`''. Operations and Maintenance staff will be used for overtime. Residents in the pilot neighborhood were mailed flyers in the mail as well as receiving public service announcements. 11:55 Mr. Copedge arrived. ► Sewage Fee Exemption Requests -The City continues to receive requests for exemptions, particularly from businesses that believe they don't discharge into the sewer system. There are currently several businesses exempted without sufficient documentation to support the exemption. This is a complicated issue. Additional information will be provided as it becomes available. ► ACO - SSO -The Public Service Department has procured legal counsel to assist with negotiations with Michigan Department of Environmental Quality. It is important that a far reaching program be created to cover future needs through bond issues. It is anticipated the negotiations will be resolved within the next few months. OARD OF PUBLIC SERVICE Page 2 linutes of October 9,2003 ► Three Pending Bond Issues-Include two revolving fund bonds for the Capitol Loop project and CSO areas 018 and 025, and a third issue for revenue bonds for the next three fiscal years to fund capital improvements that are ineligible for revolving funds. ► Capitol Loop Project-Bids have been opened and Dan's Excavating came in as the apparent low bidder. The Department continues to work through operational issues with local businesses and visitor bureau groups. Mr. Berridge provided a description of the areas to be impacted and identified activities that are planned. Information will be disseminated as it becomes available. ► CSO Projects 018 and 025 -The next project areas. This project is expected to go to bid next spring. Current projects 037A and 037B are winding down. The contractor will return in the spring to complete the project. The Otto School area project is now completed. ► Road Projects -Dunkel Road and South Cedar,projects are complete. Barnes Avenue and Kalamazoo between Mating Luther King Jr. Blvd. and Capitol Avenue should be completed by the end of October. Pennsylvania between Hazel and 1-496 will be the final project to be completed. ► Gravel Streets-Six gravel streets have been paved without the residents initiating the program. This has been a very successful program. Ms. Schmidt asked if the Department has evaluated other streets like Baker Street which is in very poor condition. ► State Budget Cuts -The State is anticipating another billion dollar shortfall which will most likely manifest in more cuts in revenue sharing. 6) OTHER-None. 7) COMMUNICATIONS-Public Services Committee Meeting Minutes for July 15,July 29, and August 5, 2003. 8) UNFINISHED BUSINESS-None. 9) ADJOURNMENT-The meeting was adjourned at 12:45 p.m. Respectfully submitted, 9o� Faith Rach Secretary to the Board U:\PUBSVCBD\MINUTES\10-09-03 MINUTES INFORMATIONAL MEETING OF THE BOARD OF PUBLIC SERVICE MINUTES OF SEPTEMBER 11, 2003 PRESENT: Ron Bloomberg, Gilda Richardson, and Alfreda Schmidt ABSENT: Dale Copedge and Brian Surgener STAFF: David Berridge, Bill Bergman, and Faith Rach VISITORS: None 1) CALL TO ORDER- Chair Bloomberg called the meeting to order at 11:45a.m., at the Wastewater Treatment Plant Administration Office. Due to the lack of a quorum, the Board members decided to meet as a Committee of the Whole. Mr. Bloomberg excused absences for Mr. Copedge and Mr. Surgener. Mr. Berridge introduced Mr. Bill Bergman, the new Deputy Director for the Public Service Department. Mr. Bergman provided a brief summary of his background experience. Board members welcomed him to his new position. 2) APPROVAL OF MINUTES - June 19, 2003 - Deferred 3) CITIZEN COMMENTS -None. 4) ACTION ITEMS - Mr. Berridge distributed copies of a resolution to be presented to the City Council Committee of the Whole seeking their support in encouraging the U.S. Congress to enact legislative remedies that will assure continuation of Federal Highway Administration Programs and to amend Title 26 or enact a Revenue Bill allowing expenditures from the Federal Highway Trust Fund to continue. Mr. Berridge provided a summary of the resolution and the critical nature of federal aid funding and its impact on municipalities. Mr. Berridge asked that the Board, acting in the capacity of Committee of the Whole, take action on the resolution to the point their authority will allow. Ms. Schmidt moved, Ms. Richardson seconded, that the Board acting in the capacity as Committee of the Whole, support the resolution and encourage the Lansing City Council to move forward with adopting the resolution and encourage the U.S. Congress to enact legislation that will allow the Federal Highway Aid Program to continue. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. ARD OF PUBLIC SERVICE Page 2 :lutes of September 11, 2003 5) REPORT OF THE OFFICERS - Engineering Division -None. Wastewater Division-None Solid Waste Section-None. Operations and Maintenance Division-None. 6) DIRECTOR'S REPORT -Mr. Berridge reported the following information: ► Vacancies - The addition of the Deputy Director will help to fill the administrative and engineering void. Mr. Bergman will be in charge of office staff. The Department is currently working to fill all engineering vacancies. The next focus will be filling office staff vacancies. ► Mr. Berridge provided a brief synopsis of the embezzlement incident that occurred in the Public Service Department which has recently been brought to public attention. The employee involved plead guilty to charges and will be making restitution to the City. The Department has taken the necessary corrective measures and implemented money handling procedures to prevent employee theft. ► Engineering Issues - The budget was approved allowing funding for construction and repair of S. Cedar from I-96 to Willoughby Road. Dunkel Road from Jolly Road to Trappers Cove, is nearly completed. Kalamazoo Street from Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. to Capitol Avenue will be resurfaced, and from Pine to Capitol, reconfigured to improve traffic flow and allow parking on both sides of the street. Kalamazoo will be used as a detour route for Allegan Street during Capitol Loop construction activities. Pennsylvania Avenue from I-496 to Hazel Street, will be resurfaced and reconfigured to add a center turn lane. ► Stormwater Phase 11 activities continue. ► The Department has settled one of the three law suits associated with the rain event of 2001. The Hilliard Homes case has been settled. The Gage-Groesbeck Case is a class-action suit that will probably go to trial next spring. ► CSO Activities - 013B project by Otto Middle School is winding down. The 037A&B projects in the Colonial Village area have provided an opportunity to work closely with neighborhood associations and businesses which has culminated into a very positive experience. This project may be completed this Fall. iARD OF PUBLIC SERVICE Page 3 nutes of September 11, 2003 ► Sidewalk projects are proceeding. A budget of$400,000 was approved for sidewalk repairs this fiscal year. This amount will likely be reduced for the next fiscal year. Of special note are six sidewalk project sites along public streets that were approved for repair without first going through the petition process. Property owners in these areas will receive an assessment. These sites are adjacent to heavy pedestrian traffic. Low income families will have an opportunity to tap into Community Block Grant funds to assist with costs associated with this project assessment. ► Lanzo Construction/Northeast Interceptor - The project will be completed this summer. The contractor asserted claims and the City had allegations regarding the contractors performance. The Public Service Department and Lanzo Construction came to agreeable terms through negotiations in order to avoid litigation. The contractor was paid for the work they completed but the City had to cover a large expense for consultants overseeing the project. ► Contractors will now have to go through a pre-qualification process. Power Outage - The Wastewater Treatment Plant and pump stations sustained the biggest impact among the City facilities. Staff were just minutes away from turning on a generator at the Lansing Avenue Pump Station when power was restored. However, the City of Lansing was very fortunate in that we were able to completely avoid dumping untreated water into the river where many other municipalities were not as fortunate. The power outage cost the City approximately$35,000 which has been referred to the Federal Emergency Management Agency(FEMA). Mr. Bloomberg asked if Mr. Berridge felt comfortable that the City has the appropriate plan in place. Mr. Berridge explained that the structure of the Emergency Command Center(ECC) team worked very well. Service over two-way radios was intact and staff in the field were able to maintain communications with that Command Team at the Center during the period of the power outage. ► Waste Reduction Services -The Blue Billy Program has begun. Information regarding the new program will be included with the next Green Sheet distribution at the end of September. ► Salt Supplies -Ms. Schmidt asked if the City has sufficient salt supplies for the upcoming winter season. Mr. Berridge indicated he would check on this and inform the Board. ► Ms. Schmidt asked why traffic circles are designed to be so wide. Mr. Berridge explained that the circles are designed to restrict the speed of a normal size vehicle. A normal size vehicle shouldn't have any trouble negotiating the drive surface and should have sufficient space to avoid the edge. The circles are also designed to be driven on as well. )ARD OF PUBLIC SERVICE Page 4 inutes of September 11, 2003 ► Barnes Avenue- Surfacing has not yet been completed. 7) OTHER-None. S) UNFINISHED BUSINESS -None. 9) ADJOURNMENT -The meeting was adjourned at 12:50 p.m. Respectfully submitted, �-4a,4"�t �A� Faith Rach Secretary to the Board U:\PUBSVCBD\A41NUTES\09-11-03MINUTES REGULAR MEETING OF THE BOARD OF PUBLIC SERVICE MINUTES OF JUNE 19, 2003 PRESENT: Ron Bloomberg, Gilda Richardson, Alfreda Schmidt, Don Stypula, and Brian Surgener ABSENT: Dale Copedge STAFF: David Berridge, and Faith Rach VISITORS: None 1) CALL TO ORDER- Chair Bloomberg called the meeting to order at 11:45a.m., at the Wastewater Treatment Plant Administration Office. Mr. Stypula asked that Transportation Funding be added as a late item under"Other Business." 2) APPROVAL OF MINUTES -March 13, 2003 and April 10, 2003 March 13, 2003 Ms. Schmidt moved, Mr. Stypula seconded, MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY, to approve minutes for the meeting held March 13, 2003, as presented. April 10, 2003 Mr. Stypula moved, Ms. Richardson seconded, MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY, to approve minutes for the meeting held April 10, 2003, as presented. 3) CITIZEN COMMENTS -None. 4) ACTION ITEMS - Annual Election of Officers Mr. Surgener moved to nominate Mr. Bloomberg to serve as Chair, Ms. Richardson seconded and asked that nominations be closed, MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY,to elect Mr. Bloomberg as Chair. Ms. Richardson moved to nominate Ms. Schmidt to serve as Vice-Chair, Mr. Stypula seconded and asked that nominations be closed, MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY, to elect Ms. Schmidt as Vice-Chair. OARD OF PUBLIC SERVICE Page 2 iinutes of June 19, 2003 Mr. Stypula announced that he has accepted a position in Grand Rapids and will have to resign from the Public Service Board in July, 2003. Mr. Bloomberg asked Mr. Surgener to assume Officer duties covering the Wastewater Division. 5) REPORT OF THE OFFICERS - Engineering Division-None. Wastewater Division-Mr. Stypula reported the following information: • The Wastewater Treatment Plant is functioning properly. • The State Senate has approved legislation that will impose a fee on any municipality or business operating wastewater treatment plants. This is to cover National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES)permit fees. The amount of the fee is still unknown. The fees are used by the State to administer the program. Without the additional funds derived through the fee program,municipalities could face a situation where they would have to go directly through the EPA rather than through the State agency. If this situation occurred, the EPA would oversee the municipal plants. Mr. Stypula noted that Michigan is the only state in the United States that hasn't charged a fee. Mr. Berridge added this would not be the best scenario for cities that have established an understanding with the State agency with regard to local issues. • Stormwater permits - Currently, there is a lobbying effort that would enable legislators to go to the voters to enact an agreement for a modest charge to cover costs of stormwater permitting activities. Solid Waste Section-None. Operations and Maintenance Division-None. 6) DIRECTOR'S REPORT -Mr. Berridge reported the following information: ► The Solid Waste Reduction/Recycling electronic appliance collection event on May 31, 2003, was very successful. Over 100,000 pounds were collected at a cost of $24,000. Of this amount, the City paid$11,000 from existing resources. The rest was paid through regional donations. The program has occurred three times. The first and third programs were free to the public. A fee of$5.00 was collected at the second event. Mr. Berridge noted that this is a popular program and costs should continue to be covered through the annual recycling fee paid by property owners. There are also efforts to seek additional assistance on a regional basis. Zip codes were collected for demographic studies. OARD OF PUBLIC SERVICE Page 3 [inutes of June 19, 2003 ► Deputy Director Position- The Department is currently interviewing potential candidates for the Deputy Director position. A recommendation should be forthcoming in the next few weeks. ► City Council adopted the Public Service Department budget as submitted with the exception of a 1%reduction in operating expenses from each special line item. ► Road Construction- South Cedar Street,between I-96 and Willoughby Road, currently has one lane closed in each direction due to construction activities. All road projects are a little behind due to the wet weather. Ms. Schmidt expressed concern regarding traffic on Dunkel Road at Cavanaugh Road. Mr. Berridge said that the Cavanaugh Road program had to be abandoned this year. Negotiations with the Tri-County Regional Planning Commission are on-going. ► Gravel Roads -Mr. Berridge commended City Council and staff for pulling together a gravel street program. Six gravel streets will be paved this year without assessing costs to the residents living on these streets. Target locations were picked from each Ward. Based on the success of this pilot program, staff will be asked to look at a similar program for sidewalk repair. Efforts are also being made to encourage businesses to replace adjacent sidewalk on their own. ► CSO Activities -Northeast Interceptor program is completed. The construction claim has been settled without court intervention. Colonial Village (037) area-work will continue throughout the summer in this area. Weekly meetings at Grace Methodist Church on Thursday mornings will also continue to keep local residents informed and to address resident concerns. Michigan/Saginaw and LaSalle/Foster(044) area-Work is just getting started in this area. Mr. Berridge asked Board members to note resident complaints due to increased noise in this construction area. Mr. Berridge explained that rules regarding the noise barrier issue have been promulgated at the state level but must also be approved at the federal level. ► The Mint Cart program will be offered to residents in the near future. ► SSO SRF Application- The City resubmitted further information that was sought by MDEQ. The City cannot meet MDEQ's cost benefit payback plan at this time. ► There will be a modest price increase in City Blue Cart and Green Bag Programs. DARD OF PUBLIC SERVICE Page 4 :inutes of June 19, 2003 7) OTHER- A. Public Services Committee Meetings Minutes from: May 12, April 10, March 18 and March 4, 2003, were received and placed on file. B. Mr. Stypula distributed copies of a document entitled"Transportation Funding Initiative - June 2003" and discussed the document with Board Members. The Initiative suggests that funding for road programs should come from increased sales tax rather than from the gas tax which is the current method, and that current gas tax rates be decreased. 8) UNFINISHED BUSINESS -None. 9) ADJOURNMENT -The meeting was adjourned at 1:00 p.m. Respectfully submitted, I,JQ.l V`de-k Faith Rach Secretary to the Board U:\PUBSVCBD\1\4INTJTES\06-19-03MIN-LJTES n June 5, 2003 L�I�SI�G GIIY G�ER4e City of Lansing Clerk 9th Floor, City Hall Lansing, MI 48933 Re: Minutes of Meeting- Personnel Committee Closed Session, 6/5/03 Dear Clerk: This letter is to serve as notice that the minutes of the meeting of the Personnel Committee, Closed Session, held on Thursday, June 5, 2003, are sealed and will be retained by the Law Department, as prescribed under the Michigan's Open Meetings Act, PA 267 of 1976. Pursuant to the Act, these minutes are not available for public inspection. Sincerely, James D. Sm' rtka City Attorney JDS/mjp INFORMATIONAL MEETING ONLY OF THE BOARD OF PUBLIC SERVICE MINUTES OF APRIL 10, 2003 PRESENT: Rita Klein, Gilda Richardson, Alfreda Schmidt, and Don Stypula ABSENT: Ron Bloomberg, Dale Copedge, and Brian Surgener STAFF: David Berridge, and Faith Rach VISITORS: None 1) CALL TO ORDER - Due to the lack of a quorum, Board members conducted an informational meeting which was held at the Wastewater Treatment Plant Administration Office and began at 11:45 a.m. 2) CITIZEN COMMENTS - None. 3) REPORT OF OFFICERS - None. 4) DIRECTOR'S REPORT - Mr. Berridge reported the following information: ► The Board of Water and Light has reconsidered their position on repair-.of&fb water main in the Colonial Village CSO construction area. They have agreed to update 50% of the water main needing updates. ► Capitol Loop Project - All crosswalks that currently do not meet ADA standards and are located within the Capitol Loop parameters, will be updated during project construction. ► CSO Construction - Work in the Colonial Village has begun. Traffic control has been initiated to help with traffic congestion. Weekly meetings will be held with Colonial Village businesses throughout the season to make sure concerns are addressed in a timely manner and to keep the public apprized of construction activities. Work has also begun in the Otto Middle School area. ► Departmental budget requests are now on file with the Mayor's Office. Mr. Berridge discussed a few highlights. Restoration of positions in the D.A.R.E Program run by the Police Department are being considered. It is difficult to document the effectiveness of these programs and its hard to justify their continuation while cuts are made in capital budgets, sidewalk, street, stormwater infrastructure budgets, and postponing the purchase of necessary equipment. Various positions have been left vacant throughout the City in order to help with the budget reductions. The budget cuts have been done BOARD OF PUBLIC SERVICE Page 2 Minutes of April 10, 2003 fairly and should not affect any one department significantly. A discussion ensued among Committee members regarding the ramifications of the budget reductions and what possible impact these reductions may have on future programs. ► Recycling: "Mint Cart" Program - The Operations & Maintenance Division is still waiting for delivery of the carts. A public announcement will be made once the carts are delivered. ► Yard waste pick-up schedules are running behind which is fairly typical when the Spring service begins. There are three full-time vacancies and three seasonal vacancies in Waste Reduction Services crew section which has resulted in significant overtime for those that are on duty and a delay in pick- up. It is anticipated that crews should be caught up by the end of the week. ► The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) rejected the Department's SSO SRF application. MDEQ indicated they found deficiencies in the work plan. ► Federal funding has been set aside for the Cedar/1-96 interchange Study. 5) COMMUNICATIONS - None. 6) OTHER - None. 7) UNFINISHED BUSINESS - None. 8) ADJOURNMENT - The meeting was adjourned at 1:00 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Faith Rach Secretary to the Board U:\PUBSVCBD\MINUTES\04-10-03MINUTES REGULAR MEETING OF THE BOARD OF PUBLIC SERVICE MINUTES OF MARCH 13, 2003 PRESENT: Ronald Bloomberg, Dale Copedge, Rita Klein, Alfreda Schmidt, Don Stypula, and Brian Surgener ABSENT: Kendall Perry and Gilda Richardson STAFF: David Berridge, and Faith Rach VISITORS: None 1) CALL TO ORDER-The meeting was called to order at 11:45 a.m. by Vice-Chair Bloomberg at the Wastewater Treatment Plant Administration Office. a. Ms. Klein asked that stormwater fees be discussed during the Wastewater Division report. Mr. Bloomberg noted the agenda stands as presented with the one addition. 2) ROLL CALL -Quorum present. 3) EXCUSED ABSENCES - Mr. Bloomberg excused absences for Mr. Perry and Ms. Richardson. 4) APPROVAL OF MINUTES- February 20, 2003 Mr. Stypula moved, Ms. Klein seconded, to approve the minutes submitted for February 20, 2003, with the noted amendment on page 3. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. 5) CITIZEN COMMENTS- None. 6) ACTION ITEMS - Revisions to Rules of Administrative Procedures Ms. Klein moved for approval of the Rules of Administrative Procedure with the noted amendments. Mr. Stypula seconded. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. 7) REPORT OF OFFICERS- Engineering Division - None. Wastewater Division - Ms. Klein reported that she recently read an article regarding a community in the State of Florida that is struggling to cover costs of stormwater utility fees. In the State of Florida, stormwater costs are considered a"utility fee" rather than a "tax." Mr. Stypula stated that Michigan is the only state that regards stormwater costs as a tax rather than a utility fee. The State cannot pass the costs directly to property owners. These costs must be covered by the general fund budget. Mr. Berridge asked how the Headlee Amendment fits with the Stormwater fee issue. Mr. Stypula noted he will need to research and let the Board know. Mr. Stypula reported that the State of Michigan is considering raising National Pollution Discharge )ARD OF PUBLIC SERVICE Page 2 nutes of March 13,2003 Elimination System (NPDES) permitting fees. The State and communities statewide continue to look for ways to address concerns that have arisen since the Bolt decision. 11:50 Mr. Copedge arrived. Solid Waste Section - None. Operations and Maintenance Division -An Operations and Maintenance Report was distributed in the Board members' packets. Members discussed a number of items in the report. A discussion ensued regarding a fee system being built into the rate base of nearly all permitting programs issued by the State. Mr. Stypula mentioned fees for issuing NPDES permits will probably have to be figured into the rate base. Larger communities will be hit the hardest since user fees will probably be based on flow. Most municipalities treat everything that comes through the system. Mr. Copedge noted the State will probably step up violation enforcement. Ms. Klein expressed concern that low income families will suffer and wondered if a discounted rate could be established for low income families. Mr. Berridge explained that the City has had preliminary discussions regarding a "Lifeline Sewer Rates" program which is one of City Council's priorities. 8) DIRECTOR'S REPORT-Mr. Berridge reported the following information: • CSO construction in various locations will begin around April 1, 2003. The Department continues to work with Colonial Village neighborhood groups to keep disruption to a minimum and maintain access to and from the neighborhood. It is anticipated that this project will be completed this year. Utilities will also be replaced at the same time the CSO work is being completed with the exception of the water main. The Board of Water and Light(BWL) has indicated that funding is not available to replace the water main at this time. The City is working the BWL in hopes they will be able to reconsider. • Road Program -Approximately$7 million has been set aside for road repair/reconstruction. Most of this funding comes from State Revolving Funds (SRF) eligible funds in conjunction with sub-road work, sewer repair, etc. Ms. Klein asked if road closures will cause any traffic difficulty. Mr. Berridge explained that the Department continues to work on preliminary design to help mitigate traffic problems. • The Capitol Loop project is still in progress. The City continues to work with the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) on this project. Converting Allegan to a two-way street in order to improve accessibility, is currently being considered. Streets that have already been converted show they can adequately handle the traffic. • Street repair on Cedar Street, from Edgewood Blvd. south to Willoughby, is scheduled for this construction season. Part of the funding for this project came from the"Advanced Construct Fund" program. This program allows the City to borrow dollars from the next fiscal year federal funding. This fund is comprised of federal funding dollars set aside for older transportation budgets that were never given the allocation authority to spend the money. This funding will go towards improvements for the Cedar Street interchange. • The Mint' Cart Program -This program has been authorized. This is a volume based refuse program whereby residents can pay a deposit on a 90 gallon mint colored cart. Refuse placed in the mint cart for pick-up must be in a green City trash bag. The resident using the program will be able to control the cost of refuse removal by the number of bags used. Also, this program allows residents who prefer the green bag refuse program to have a place to store full bags until they can be picked-up. The City is hopeful this program will generate )ARD OF PUBLIC SERVICE Page 3 nutes of March 13,2003 more revenue. Ms. Klein expressed concern that people may be tempted to throw recyclable items in the trash. Mr. Berridge agreed that there is a need to improve public education and to make services readily accessible. • Green Sheet Distribution -The mailing service that the City uses for distributing the Green Sheet accidently discarded the mailing labels for Lansing Residents and mailed the Green Sheet to surrounding communities. The mail service will correct the error at no cost to the City. This incident may have a positive aspect in that it provides information regarding the City's programs to the surrounding communities. • There have been discussions about moving members of the Mayor's Advisory Committee on Recycling to Public Service Board positions as they become vacant. There is a lot of overlap with regard to common interest between the two groups. If there is work to be done regarding an issue, a sub-committee could be formed to tackle the issue. Ms. Klein agreed that a closer relationship between the two groups is a good idea. • Budget Update- Mr. Berridge provided a status update on the budget for FY 2004. g) COMMUNICATIONS - Public Services Committee meeting minutes -The Board received and placed the minutes on file. 10) OTHER- Mr. Surgener distributed copies of an article regarding a ruling from the Michigan Court of Appeals dealing with the ability of homeowners to maintain class action trespass-nuisance law suits against municipalities for trees the municipality planted and caused personal property damage. 11) UNFINISHED BUSINESS - Public Service Board Administrative Procedures- moved to an action item on the agenda. 12) ADJOURNMENT-The meeting was adjourned at 1:00 P.M. Respectfully submitted, Faith Rach Secretary to the Board U:\PUBSVCBD\MINUTES\03-13-03MINUTES ti� � Sr �Gi CITY OF LANSING PUBLIC SERVICE DEPARTMENT 124 W. Michigan Avenue • Lansing, MI 46933. (517) 483-4455 e FAX:(517)483-6082 C � � Tony Benavides REGULAR MEETING OF THE BOARD OF PUBLIC SERVICE THURSDAY,May 15,2003 11:30 A.M. -1:00 P.M. NOTE MEETING DATE CHANGE LOCATION:WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT ADMINISTRATIVE)BUILDING 1625 SUNSET STREET AGENDA (1) Roll Call a. Absences (2) Approval of Public Service Board Minutes:March 13, 2003 and April 10, 2003 (3) Citizen Comments-Please limit comments to 5 minutes (4) Action Items (5) Report of Officers Engineering Division Ron Bloomberg Wastewater Division Don Stypula Solid'Waste Section Alfreda Schmidt Operations &Maintenance Div. Dale Copedge �. (6) Director's Report (7) Other Business a. Review of Public Services Committee Meeting Minutes (8) Unfinished Business (9) Communications (10) Adjourn NOTE TO MEMBERS: PLEASE CONFIRM YOUR ATTENDANCE ANY DAY PRIOR TO 12.00 NOON THE WEDNESDAY PREVIOUS TO THE MEETL G BY CALLING 483-4457. FOR SPECIAL ACCOMMODATIONS,PLEASE GIVE 24 HOUR NOTICE PRIOR TO THE MEETING BY CALLING FAITH AT 483-4457 OR 483-4479 TDD. MAY-09-2003 16:26 517 4e3 6082 99% P.01 S r1�j � CITY OF LANSING PUBLIC SERVICE DEPARTMENT 124 W. Michigan Ave. f• 732 City Hall Lansing, MI 48933 Tony Benavides,Mayor Phone No. (517)483-4455 Fax No. (517)483-6082 February 21, 2003 i Debbie Miner C� City Clerk City Hall Lansing, Michigan Re: Board of Public Service Approved Minutes Dear Ms. Miner: Attached are approved Board of Public Service minutes from the meeting held February 20, 2003. Please place these minutes on file. Respectfully submitted, �-4 a, 4(?) 6 Faith Rach Recording Secretary Enclosure U:\wp\ferdocs\PubSvcBd\mintran.Itr REGULAR MEETING OF THE BOARD OF PUBLIC SERVICE MINUTES OF FEBRUARY 20, 2003 PRESENT: Ronald Bloomberg, Rita Klein, Gilda Richardson, Alfreda Schmidt, Don Stypula, and Brian Surgener ABSENT: Dale Copedge and Kendall Perry STAFF: David Berridge, Jim Campfield, Dean Johnson, and Faith Rach VISITORS: None CALL TO ORDER- The meeting was called to order at 11:40 a.m. by Vice-Chair Bloomberg at the Operation and Maintenance Division Administration Office. 1) ROLL CALL- Quorum present. 2) EXCUSED ABSENCES - Mr. Bloomberg excused absences for Mr. Copedge and Mr. Perry, 3) APPROVAL OF MINUTES -January 9, 2003 and January 30, 2003 Ms. Schmidt moved, Ms. Richardson seconded, to approve the minutes submitted for January 9, 2003, with the noted amendments. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. Ms. Klein moved, Mr. Stypula seconded, to approve the minutes submitted for January 30, 2003, as presented. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. 4) CITIZEN COMMENTS - None. 5) ACTION ITEMS - Public Service Department Annual Report for 2002 Mr. Berridge explained that the report has been compiled into two sections. The first section is presented in general terms and is related to the Mayor's Annual Report Card. The second section provides greater detail of each of the accomplishments. City Charter requires that each board present an annual report of the department's performance. Mr. Berridge noted the report meets the Charter requirement and asked the Board to accept the report. If the Board finds the report to be acceptable, it will be forwarded to the Mayor and City Council. Board members discussed the report. Mr. Stypula moved, Mr. Surgener seconded, to approve the Public Service Department Annual Report as presented and to forward the report to the Mayor and City Council as required by the City Charter. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. 6) REPORT OF OFFICERS - Engineering Division - Mr. Johnson distributed copies of the Engineering Status Report and provided OARD OF PUBLIC SERVICE Page 2 :inutes of February,20 2003 the following information: • The Department is working with the Personnel Department to fill engineering vacancies. • Status of the Administrative Consent Order-A draft has prepared and submitted to MDEQ for review. If returned as submitted, the City will sign and execute the document. • Ms. Klein noted the poor street conditions on Washington Avenue, Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., and Barnes Avenue and asked if a public announcement is planned to let people know how weather conditions adversely affect the streets. Ms. Klein mentioned that the local press doesn't cover repair activities in Lansing but tends to cover other municipalities. Mr. Johnson stated the department plans to work to notify Lansing State Journal when repair activities are scheduled in an effort to provide better exposure. Mr. Stypula suggested having a member of the press ride with a repair crew. Mr. Campfield stated this has happened in the past. The department is always willing to have a member of the press join a crew to cover activities. Ms. Schmidt wondered if any pothole repair processes have changed. Mr. Johnson explained that construction technology is fairly conservative however, new pothole repair products stand up to wear better than past products. There is greater resistance to moisture and the materials are more pliable. Mr. Campfield noted this season has not been as bad as past seasons. Mr. Johnson stated that some areas of Barnes Avenue are scheduled for repair. • There will be limited funding for sidewalk repairs. There is a very large sidewalk system with a big demand for repair. The Operation and Maintenance Division is given $15,000 per year to make critical sidewalk repair. • The allocation for Pennsylvania Avenue bridge repair is still pending. • Mr. Johnson highlighted projects that the Department would like to pursue when funding is available. One project would be to repair the Grand River Avenue bridge in Old Town and to design a street scaping plan from the bridge east to Ramons. Another project would be to perform a road study of Edgewood and 1-96 and American Road to determine concepts that may alleviate traffic congestion in this area. Wastewater Division - Mr. Stypula referred to the Wastewater Division report distributed to Board members and reported the following: • National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) -A legislative bill has been presented which will require additional fees for the permit application. • Mr. Stypula speculated that additional state budget cuts may impact the Wastewater Treatment Plant. Municipalities may be facing an additional 15% cut. Solid Waste Section - Ms. Schmidt referred to status reports for Waste Reduction Services and Operation and Maintenance distributed to Board members and highlighted a few topics contained in the report. • The Green Sheet is a good source of program information. Ms. Schmidt noted that Waste Reduction Services had a booth set-up at the recent Home and Garden Show and provided a wide variety of informative materials to the public. • Mr. Campfield described a new waste Reduction Services program that is planned whereby the City resident can pay a deposit for a mint colored, 90 gallon cart, referred to as a"volume )ARD OF PUBLIC SERVICE Page 3 inutes of February, 20 2003 based system." This system is purely volume based. Operations and Maintenance Division -See above. 7) DIRECTOR'S REPORT- Mr. Berridge thanked Board members for changing the February meeting date and reported the following: • Mr. Berridge noted that cooperative efforts among regional communities with regard to recycling activities continues. Some headway has been made regarding the recycling effort with MSU. An RFP to develop an MRF has been issued. • Work continues to revise procedures for handling the recycling and solid waste enterprise programs. These changes will help to streamline processes and provide greater accountability and efficiency. • Work continues on budget preparation. The Public Service Department budget is fairly static because a big portion of programs are self-funded. Mr. Campfield added that the refuse and recycling funds are having difficulty competing with private haulers. • ACT 51 revenue is expected to decrease and the Department anticipates a zero increase for FY2004. This may negatively impact the crack sealing program. Essential services will be covered first. 12:45 p.m. Mr. Stypula left the meeting to attend to other obligations. 8) COMMUNICATIONS - Public Services Committee meeting minutes: January 14, 2003-The Board discussed, received, and placed the minutes on file. 9) OTHER- Mr. Surgener mentioned a class-action suit in a Detroit suburb that arose due to the City of Detroit planting silver maple trees in parkways. This species of tree grows very fast and tree roots disrupt sewer pipes and cause sidewalks to buckle. Mr. Surgener noted that this class-action case dealt with municipal liability. 10) UNFINISHED BUSINESS - Public Service Board Administrative Procedures- Board members continued to discuss revisions to procedures. A draft copy will be included with the next meeting packet for the Board's review. 11) ADJOURNMENT-The meeting was adjourned at 1:00 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Faith Rach Secretary to the Board U:\PUBSVCBDNMINUTES\02-20-03MINUTES CITY OF LANSING PUBLIC SERVICE DEPARTMENT f 124 W. Michigan Ave. 732 City Hall C I C Lansing, MI 48933 Tony Benavides,Mayor Phone No. (517)483-4455 Fax No. (517)483-6082 February 21, 2003 Debbie Miner City Clerk City Hall Lansing, Michigan Re: Board of Public Service Approved Minutes Dear Ms. Miner: Attached are the approved Board of Public Service minutes from meetings held January 9, 2003 and January 30, 2003. Please place these minutes on file. Respectfully submitted, Jaid,Ra,k) Faith Rach Recording Secretary Enclosure U:\wp\ferdocs\PubSvcBd\mintran.Itr SPECIAL BUDGET MEETING OF THE BOARD OF PUBLIC SERVICE MINUTES OF JANUARY 30, 2003 PRESENT: Ronald Bloomberg, Dale Copedge, Rita Klein, Kendall Perry, Gilda Richardson, Alfreda Schmidt, Don Stypula, and Brian Surgener ABSENT: None STAFF: David Berridge, Jim Campfield, Faith Rach, and Brian Ross VISITORS: None 1) CALL TO ORDER-The meeting was called to order at 11:40 a.m. by Chair Perry at the Wastewater Treatment Plant Administration Office. 2) ROLL CALL - Quorum present. 3) CITIZEN COMMENTS - None. 4) ACTION ITEMS: a. Board of Public Service Annual Report 2002 -This item was tabled until the next meeting. b. Public Service Department Budget Proposal FY 2004 Copies of the Public Service Department Proposed Budget for FY 2004 were distributed at an earlier Board meeting. Mr. Campfield indicated budget adjustments have occurred since the preparation of the draft previously distributed. Operations and Maintenance Division Mr. Campfield reviewed the Operation and Maintenance sections within each fund. A decrease in fringe benefits for some of the funds is due to rolling the fringe benefits into overall personnel costs. Each Department was asked to give up 30% of position vacancies and to reduce the supplies and services budget by 10% of the approved amount for the last fiscal year. Mr. Campfield noted a few areas that will be impacted by budget reductions. These items will be serviced on an as needed basis. • Alley maintenance • Aurelius Landfill • Miscellaneous trash can pick-up will be reduced to 2 days a week • Storm sewer maintenance • Recycling educational programs • Service Garage overtime budget which will impact maintenance Mr. Campfield explained Act 51 funding for personnel costs will decrease for major streets but increase for local streets. An enterprise fund has been established called Technical Equipment Replacement Project (TERP), which will spread costs for new computer equipment over the course of a few years. Mr. Campfield also emphasized that the crack filling program has helped to extend street life by five -ten years. Ms. Klein asked if resources are available in the event of a bad snow storm. Mr. Campfield indicated this area is fully funded. IOARD OF PUBLIC SERVICE linutes of January 30, 2003 Mr. Berridge and Mr. Campfield answered Board members' questions. Mr. Surgener asked if money can be shifted among categories within the same fund. Mr. Berridge explained there are barriers among funding categories. For example, funding allocated for personnel expenses can only be applied to personnel expenses in another fund. Mr. Surgener asked what percentage of the whole budget is the Public Service Department. Mr. Berridge explained the Department receives a big portion of funding from enterprise funds which are not considered in the total. However, if one considers the whole, the percentage would be approximately 1/3. Ms. Schmidt wondered if the Department is being properly reimbursed for Act 51 monies and if the 7 Year/$7 road program will continue. Mr. Campfield stated the Department is receiving the proper reimbursement. Mr. Berridge explained the road program was extended by one year because of budgetary reductions. Mr. Campfield noted that officially, the road program is completed. Wastewater Division - Mr. Ross discussed a few highlights of the Sewage Fund noting that the Division is anticipating costs associated with getting a new National Pollution Discharge Elimination Systems (NPDES), permit. Overall, operational funding will decrease approximately 1%. Mr. Berridge explained CSO eligible funding through the State Revolving Fund (SRF), will probably drop significantly. The Board continued to discuss elements of the proposed budget. Mr. Copedge moved, Ms. Klein seconded, to approve the proposed budget for FY 2004 as recommended by the Public Service Department, with the necessary amendments. MOTION CARRIED, to approve the proposed budget for FY 2004 as recommended by the Public Service Department, with the necessary amendments. Yeas: 7 Nays: 1 (Surgener) Mr. Surgener explained that he felt the stated reductions in the proposed budget were not enough and further cutting could be done. He also raised concern regarding funding allocations that go unused. Mr. Surgener felt that the CIP budget is exorbitant and could be cut more. 5) ADJOURNMENT-The meeting was adjourned at 1:15 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Faith Rach Secretary to the Board U:\PUBSVCBD\MINUTES\01-30-03MINUTES REGULAR MEETING OF THE BOARD OF PUBLIC SERVICE MINUTES OF JANUARY 9, 2003 PRESENT: Ronald Bloomberg, Dale Copedge, Kendall Perry, Alfreda Schmidt, and Brian Surgener ABSENT: Rita Klein, Gilda Richardson and Don Stypula STAFF: David Berridge and Faith Rach VISITORS: None CALL TO ORDER- The meeting was called to order at 11:40 a.m. by Chair Perry at the Operation and Maintenance Division Administration Office. 1) ROLL CALL-Quorum present. 2) EXCUSED ABSENCES - Mr. Perry excused absences for Ms. Klein, Ms. Richardson, and Mr. Stypula. 3) APPROVAL OF MINUTES - November 14, 2002 and December 12, 2002 Ms. Schmidt moved, Mr. Bloomberg seconded, to approve the minutes for November 14, 2002, as submitted. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. Mr. Stypula moved, Mr. Bloomberg seconded, to approve the minutes submitted for December 12, 2002, as submitted. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. 4) CITIZEN COMMENTS - None. 5) ACTION ITEMS - None. 6) REPORT OF OFFICERS - Engineering Division - None. Wastewater Division - Mr. Stypula distributed a copy of an environmental policy report and announced there is a new management team at MDEQ. Mr. Stypula does not anticipate a lot of new environmental initiatives at this time. Solid Waste Section - Monthly status reports for Waste Reduction Services and Operation and Maintenance were distributed to Board members. Ms. Schmidt discussed a few of the highlights contained in the reports. Operations and Maintenance Division -See above. 11:55 Mr. Copedge arrived. ARID OF PUBLIC SERVICE lutes of January 9, 2003 7) DIRECTOR'S REPORT - Mr. Berridge reported the following: • Mayor Departure - Confirmation hearing is scheduled January 14, 2003, and the confirmation vote by the State Senate will take place the week of January 20, 2003. The State of the City message is scheduled January 27, 2003. Mr. Berridge gave credit to the Hollister administration for development activity that has allowed the City to weather a budgetary storm much better than most other communities in the State. • Mr. Berridge noted the next year will be challenging particularly for the Public Service Department. There are 35 vacancies which include Deputy Director and Office Manager positions. One vacant Engineer-34 position has been filled. Ron Krauss, who recently retired from MDOT, will begin work with the City on January 21, 2003. Interviewing for vacant engineering positions will begin next week. The Personnel Department also has two key vacancies right now and there will a 3rd Ward vacancy as of January 27. Council will begin accepting applications from potential Council candidates and take a final vote February 24 in order to meet the 30 day requirement. • The department has completed a draft budget proposal and submitted it to the Budget office. Copies of the budget proposal were distributed to members of the Board. Further budget cuts are anticipated before Mayor Hollister leaves his post with the City. Currently, there is a $1.4 -$1.8 million shortfall. There are some innovative measures being applied to revenue which should help off-set shortfalls. The Department is completing bid work for the upcoming construction season. Major Wastewater Treatment Plant improvements will be part of the CSO work this year. Staff are beginning design work for CSO projects scheduled for next year. • Transfer station changes and the collaborative work with MSU is still pending. Ms. Schmidt asked about street repair and wondered how the Department is handling the backlog. Mr. Berridge explained that each year the Department develops a list of streets to be worked on during the next construction season. Generally, this process is driven by the pavement management system. In 2002, the Department updated the pavement management system. Staff are currently working on an evaluation report for the 2003 construction season. Mr. Berridge described the process in greater detail and noted he thinks the mandated Phase II Program may take dollars away from the road program. Ms. Schmidt stated she feels it is important to focus on street conditions and should be given greater priority when budgeting. Mr. Berridge noted Act 51 funding has decreased due to recent census data. 12:20 Mr. Stypula left the meeting to attend to other obligations. 8) COMMUNICATIONS -City Council Budget Priorities Mr. Bloomberg said he has reviewed the priorities and thinks they are ambitious and perhaps unrealistic in the sense of achieving all priorities. The Board discussed development of lifeline rates for sewer services. This issue was proposed last year during the budget process. The administration agreed to include this issue in the development of budget priorities for this fiscal year. At this point, an expenditure plan has been developed but a revenue or rate plan has not. It has been discussed that a household could make a monetary declaration to the City whereby system users rates would be based on income levels. Mr. Berridge explained that this system would create a fourth rate class called a"lifeline" rate class and establish a criteria to qualify for the lifeline rate. Mr. Berridge asked Board members to give this issue serious thought and how the Department advise the Mayor and IOARD OF PUBLIC SERVICE linutes of January 9, 2003 City Council. Mr. Perry asked if pursuing the replacement of light fixtures in the City is prudent with such a tight budget. Mr. Berridge reviewed the recent history of light fixture replacement throughout the City noting the City is attempting to provide consistency, improved aesthetics, and functionality as well. 9) OTHER-The Board decided to meet January 30, 2003, 11:30 a.m., for the Departmental budget presentation. 10) UNFINISHED BUSINESS - Public Service Board Administrative Procedures - a. Board members continued to discuss revisions to procedures. A draft copy will be included with the next meeting packet for the Board's review. 11) ADJOURNMENT-The meeting was adjourned at 1:30 p.m. Respectfully submitted, J aa,-�9� 4 Faith Rach Secretary to the Board U:\PUBSVCBD\MINUTES\01-09-03MINUTES