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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1997-03-24 Minutes, City Commission MINUTES OF THE WORK SESSION OF THE CITY COMMISSION BOZEMAN, MONTANA March 24, 1997 ***************************** . The Commission of the City of Bozeman met in work session in the Commission Room, Municipal Building, March 24, 1997, at 3:00 p.m. Present were Mayor Stueck, Commissioner Rudberg, Commissioner Stiff, Commissioner Frost, Commissioner Youngman, Acting City Manager Brey and Clerk of the Commission Sullivan. The meeting was opened with the Pledge of Allegiance and a moment of silence. Introduction of new Proiect Engineer City Engineer Craig Brawner introduced James Nickelson, the newest Engineering Department employee, to the Commission, noting that today is his first day of work. He gave a brief background on Mr. Nickelson, after which the Commission welcomed him. . Work Session - (A) Presentation of preliminary desian for South 19th Avenue; (B) Presentation re automated garbage collection system; and (C) Preparation of City Commission budget unit for Fiscal Year 1997-1998 (A) Presentation of preliminary design for South 19th Avenue Project Engineer Rick Hixson stated that needed improvements to South 19th Avenue were identified in the Bozeman Urban Transportation Plan 1993 Update. He noted that monies from the general obligation bond issue for transportation projects were designated for the design of this project, recognizing that monies for construction of the project are not yet available. He stated that the City has contracted with Thomas, Dean and Hoskins to complete the design for improvements to this roadway. Mr. David Crawford, Thomas, Dean and Hoskins, distributed copies of the two street . sections which are proposed for this project. He stated that under this project, the 1.3-mile section of South 19th Avenue between West Main Street and Kagy Boulevard is to be upgraded, as identified in Project Nos. SW4, TSM2 and TSM5 in the Bozeman Urban Transportation Plan 1993 Update. He stated that the right-of-way for this street between West College Street and Kagy Boulevard is 100 feet wide; and the proposed improvements provide 03-24-97 - 2 - for a center median to control left turns, and two 12-foot-wide driving lanes, an 8-foot-wide bike lane, a 5-foot-wide boulevard and a 5-foot-wide sidewalk on each side. He then stated that the right-of-way between West College Street and West Main Street is only 60 feet wide at the present time. The preliminary design shown in the drawings anticipates that the Farmers' Canal will be piped and that the 25-foot-wide right-of-way for that ditch can then be . incorporated into the road design. On that basis, the proposed design provides for a 15-foot- wide left turn lane and two 12-foot-wide driving lanes, a 6-foot-wide bike lane and a 5-foot- wide sidewalk on each side of the street with no boulevard separating the sidewalk from the street. Mr. Crawford cautioned that additional slivers of right-ot-way will be needed between West Babcock Street and West Main Street to accommodate this design. He stated that under the contract with the City, his firm will be responsible tor preparing the design and the plans and specifications for the project, but will not be responsible for acquisition of the right-of-way or construction of the project. He also noted that construction permits will be required along the roadway, to allow work on adjacent properties even though there is adequate right-ot-way . for the road as designed. Mr. Crawford noted that South 19th Avenue is designated as a local truck route as well as a minor arterial in the Bozeman Urban Transportation Plan 1993 Update. He stated that this design is based on 1991 traffic counts, as projected to the Year 2010. A very preliminary cost estimate, based on this preliminary design, is $3.6 million. Project Engineer Hixson stated that, hopefully, with the design being completed tor this roadway, if monies become available at some time in the future, the City will be in a position to take advantage of them. Responding to Commissioner Frost, Mr. Crawford stated that his firm is designing these road improvements to meet all state and federal regulations, so the City may take advantage of any monies that may be available. He then cautioned that, because of changing . standards, it may be necessary to "dust off" and update the design to meet any new standards, noting that such updating can be quickly accomplished. City Engineer Craig Brawner stated that, through the use of gas tax monies, it may be possible to construct adequate improvements to create a center turn lane as an interim solution to congestion problems until the new road improvements currently being designed are 03-24-97 - 3 - constructed. He estimated that these improvements would cost $150,000 and would probably be completed next summer. The City Engineer cautioned that the TD&H design does not include signalization at Kagy Boulevard and South 19th Avenue. He also noted that it does not address the TSM improvement (SW4) for the intersection of West Babcock Street and South 19th Avenue. . Commissioner Frost suggested the possibility of installing a flashing yellow light at the intersection of Kagy Boulevard and South 19th Avenue, to alert drivers to this major intersection. Mayor Stueck asked if piping the Farmers' Canal under South 19th Avenue might alleviate flooding problems near Langohr's, but increase flooding problems in other areas. Mr. Crawford recognized that if the entrance to the culvert is not adequately sized or properly designed, it could result in water backing up in the canal along West College Street. He also cautioned that a pipe is typically sized to handle a 25-year storm, which means that a 100-year storm could result in overflowing or backing up. City Engineer Brawner asked that the Commission indicate whether or not it concurs . with this preliminary design, probably on a future agenda. Responding to questions from Commissioner Stiff, Assistant Planner Chris Saunders stated that the Development Review Committee has reviewed the two alignments of the extension of Kagy Boulevard west of South 19th Avenue; and on April 15, the Planning Board will consider the alignments and forward its recommendation to the City Commission and County Commission for their determination on which alignment should be considered in future deliberations. Commissioner Stiff, suggested that, if it is determined that Stucky Road should become the main east/west roadway in this area, the improvements to South 19th Avenue should be extended to that point rather than ending at Kagy Boulevard. He noted that it would be beneficial to know the additional costs involved when this alternative is considered. . Responding to Commissioner Youngman, Mr. Crawford stated that under AASHTO standards, a bike lane must be a minimum of 4 feet wide. He noted that, since additional right- of-way is available, he has proposed a wider lane for safety. Mayor Stueck requested that approval of the preliminary design be placed on the consent agenda for the April 7 meeting. 03-24-97 - 5 - Street/Sanitation Superintendent Sicz noted that the Headwaters Recycling Project is scheduled for implementation on August 1. He concurred that this additional opportunity for recycling will enhance the volume based system. Commissioner Youngman noted that some people have only one can of garbage a month. She also noted that former City Manager Wysocki had suggested, during previous . discussions, the possibility of colored containers which would identify how often they are to be picked up. The Superintendent responded by stating there are many details that must yet be add ressed. He then cautioned that the system must be designed to address the needs of the majority. He suggested that, given his projections of the assessments to cover the costs of the proposed automated system, those who have less garbage will find that their assessments don't increase, even if they are on a system for weekly pick up of a 35~gallon container. Responding to Mayor Stueck, Street/Sanitation Superintendent stated that the automated truck should be able to serve the alleys with no problems. He recognized that in the 14-foot-wide alleys, it may first be necessary to remove all of the encroachments that exist. . He then proposed that 300-gallon containers be used in the alleys, with those containers serving three households each. He recognized that this proposal does not protect the volume based system. He noted, however, that having the smaller containers in the alleys only defeats the purpose of the automated collection system because it reduces efficiency. He then suggested that some people would be willing to convert from alley pick up to curbside pick up, so they could take advantage of the smaller containers and automated system. Responding to Commissioner Stiff, the Street/Sanitation Superintendent stated there are approximately 2,150 curbside pick ups at the present time. He stated, however, that under this proposed phase in, certain subdivisions would be targeted, and those subdivisions have a total of 1,742 accounts. He then noted that Sanitation Foreman Mark Kottwitz has been working with SID Clerk Tammy Redfern to check the City's two sets of records to ensure they . are the same; and they have found a limited number of accounts where the garbage was being collected but not billed. Responding to additional questions from the Commission, the Superintendent stated that under his proposal, the City would operate one automated garbage collection truck, with one person, and two rear load trucks with two people on each truck. The rear load trucks 03-24-97 ------.----.--- - 6 - would serve those residential accounts not served by the automated truck and the commercial accounts. He cautioned that, until the City becomes more efficient in its system, it is very limited on adding any more accounts. Commissioner Youngman asked if the Commission will open this issue for public discussion before a decision is made. Following a brief discussion, the Commissioners . concurred it would be appropriate to conduct a public hearing prior to making a decision, even though a public hearing is not required. They further concurred that, in light of the heavy hearing schedules for some of the upcoming regular meetings, it may be necessary to schedule a special meeting for this purpose. (C) Preparation of City Commission budget unit for Fiscal Year 1997-1998 Clerk of the Commission Sullivan stated that she has prepared a proposed budget for the Commission's consideration, along with a narrative showing how the number was established and, in some instances, what is included in the line item. The Commissioners reviewed the proposed budget line by line, asking questions and suggesting areas where . changes might be made. Issues discussed included reducing the budget for contracted services, possibly through in-house codification; dropping membership in the National League of Cities and taking a close look at the benefits derived through the Montana League of Cities and Towns; eliminating or dramatically reducing the amount budgeted for board requests; eliminating the monies set aside for recognition of volunteer board members; reducing the contribution toward GalaVan; and eliminating the transfer to the Beautification Fund. The Commissioners also requested a complete breakdown of what is included under "subscriptions and dues", "travel and schools", "advertising" and "other". They also requested additional information on the equipment and programming proposed for an automated records management system. During the discussion, the Commission concurred that more of the copies they receive . should be double sided. The Commissioners also concurred that publishing the agendas for only the regular meetings and publishing board vacancies no more than four times a year could help to reduce costs. They further concurred that, in light of the possible reductions, it would be appropriate to hear from representatives of the Beautification Advisory Board and GalaVan before making any final decisions about this budget unit. 03-24~97 - 7 - Commissioner Rudberg stated that if the Commission is serious about reducing the budget for the upcoming fiscal year, it should begin by decreasing its own budget. She then expressed her concern about adding any more workload to the Clerk's office, particularly in light of the amount of time it takes to complete the minutes for the meetings. The Commissioners concurred that the minutes for the work sessions could be less comprehensive, . thus shortening the time involved. Uodate re leaislative issues - Actina City Manaaer Brey Mr. David Smith, Executive Director of the Bozeman Area Chamber of Commerce, stated it appears that funding for purchase and maintenance of Virginia City will be included in HB5. He indicated that, to supplement those monies, the tourism industry has proposed to dedicate $400,000 from the accommodations tax for each of the next four years. Responding to Commissioner Frost, Mr. Smith stated that the two bills pertaining to surcharges on rental cars have been tabled in committee. Acting City Manager Brey stated that both HB388 and SB354 are stuck in committee. . He then indicated that HB369, pertaining to annexations, has been amended so that it is now acceptable to the City. He noted that the hearing on this bill is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. tomorrow and, while staff will be monitoring its progress, no testimony will be submitted for that hearing. Discussion - FYI Items Acting City Manager Brey presented to the Commission the following "For Your Information" items. (1 ) Invitation to attend a reception recognizing the 15-year anniversary of Career Transitions, Inc., at 6:00 p.m. on April 10 at the Emerson Cultural Center. (2) Memo from County Commissioner Phil Olson, dated March 17, announcing . meetings regarding composting and recycling, to be held in the Commission Room at City Hall on April 2, along with notes from the January 8 meeting. (3) Letter from the Montana Department of Commerce, dated March 14, forwarding updated 1997 HUD income limit tables. 03-24-97 -- - 8 - Commissioner Frost noted that under these revised tables, the terms "very low" and "low" have been changed to "low" and "moderate". He expressed concern that this change in terms could impact some of the City's documents and standards, which still reference "low" and "very low", since the term "moderate" now seems to have two different meanings. (4) Minutes from the Community Affordable Housing Advisory Board meeting . held on March 3. The Acting City Manager noted that the Board recognizes there are not sufficient monies in the housing fund accounts to cover the costs of the impact fees for the Habitat for Humanity and Bozeman Interfaith Housing II, and has recommended that the Commission address those requests. He indicated these requests will be placed on an upcoming agenda for action. Commissioner Frost noted that, while the Board discussed priorities, there is no reference to forwarding those priorities to the Commission for consideration and possible adoption. Commissioner Youngman forwarded her concern about the increased fees for . administration being paid to the Human Resources Development Council from the Community Housing Fund, particularly since limited monies are available and since the intent was to spend those monies in a manner that they would eventually be repaid to the fund. (5) Agenda for the Development Review Committee meeting to be held at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, March 25, in the Commission Room. (6) Agenda for the Design Review Board meeting to be held at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 25, in the Commission Room. (7) Agenda for the County Commission meeting to be held at 1 :30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 25, at the Courthouse. (8) Mr. David Smith, Executive Director of the Bozeman Area Chamber of Commerce, submitted the following. (1) Noted that last week was Ag Appreciation Week, and . he is now more aware of the role which agriculture plays in the community. (2) Stated that BACC II is scheduled for April 18-20 at the Fieldhouse. (3) Stated that on April 7, Phillips Bookstore will celebrate 100 years in business; and a recognition of that milestone is being scheduled. 03-24-97 --.---." , ----... --.---------,. - - 9 - (9) The Acting City Manager submitted his weekly report, as follows. (1) Attended several meetings last week, including the Audit Committee meeting, several meetings in preparation of potential flooding and some meetings with other staff members in preparation for the budget process. (2) Reviewed the topics for next week's work session. (3) Announced that the Odyssey of the Mind teams for Sacajawea Middle School and Bozeman . High School won their competitions over the weekend and are headed to the world competition in early June. (10) The Acting City Manager stated that a public hearing must be conducted for the HOME and CDBG programs and asked if the Commission wishes to conduct that hearing or appoint Neighborhood Coordinator/Grantsperson James Goehrung to conduct the hearing. The Commissioners determined that they want to conduct the public hearing. They suggested that, if a special meeting is scheduled for the hearing on the garbage collection system, this hearing could be held at the same time. (11 ) Commissioner Rudberg expressed concern that the minutes from the Community Affordable Housing Advisory Board meeting suggested that Interfaith's CDBG . application was not successful because it lost points due to an outdated community needs assessment. She noted that the United Way updated its needs assessment just a year ago, and questioned why that assessment is not adequate and how many needs assessments are needed, particularly at their cost. Commissioner Youngman stated that the Board requested monies to update the needs assessment a year ago because it recognized the need. She indicated that the City does use what data it can from the United Way study, but recognizes there are holes in that data that need to be filled. (12) Commissioner Rudberg submitted the following. (1) Noted that the Kiwanis Club is organizing Clean Up Bozeman this year. She stated it will be held on April 26 and asked if the Commissioners wish to clean up around City Hall again. The Commissioners indicated . their willingness to do so, and Commissioner Rudberg indicated she will turn that information in to the Kiwanis Club. (2) Announced that the schedule of upcoming evenings to watch the Hale-Bopp comet at Emily Dickinson School has been posted. (3) Stated that in recent newspapers, there have been advertisements for the tree planting cost share program that the City is sponsoring and advertisements for tree planting catalogs from the Extension Service. 03-24-97 . ..-- - 10- She expressed concern that each entity seems to be involved in its own program and suggested that a cooperative effort might be more successful. ( 13) Commissioner Stiff quoted from an article in the USA Today over the weekend regarding net migration in the western states. He noted that those statistics show California is the only state losing population. He also noted that the statistics show the . migration into Montana between 1995 and 1996 was cut in half. (14) Mayor Stueck publicly thanked Sime Construction and Martel Construction for donating their equipment and time for removing beaver dams from the creek. He noted that the equipment could not reach one of the dams, so the Montana Conservation Corps has volunteered to remove it by hand. Adiournment - 5:50 D.m. There being no further business to come before the Commission at this time, it was moved by Commissioner Frost, seconded by Commissioner Youngman, that the meeting be adjourned. The motion carried by the following Aye and No vote: those voting Aye being . Commissioner Frost, Commissioner Youngman, Commissioner RUdberg, Commissioner Stiff and Mayor Stueck; those voting No, none. C2. Z:/3~ DON E. STUECK, Mayor ATTEST: (}~ d ~ ROBIN L. SULLIVAN Clerk of the Commission . 03-24-97 ..._._n___...