News Items May 21, 2012

1.     OPERA: Staff met with representatives from the Des Moines Metro Opera and Sternquist Construction this week. The Opera had concerns/questions regarding North “E” Street replacement. They have many large delivery trucks in and out prior to performances on June 22 and the following schedule (weather permitting) was developed to accommodate all involved:

Week of May 14   Vanderpool complete utility work

Week of May 21   Sternquist remove all equipment from job site

June 8                    Sternquist prep and pave the street

June 22                  Opera performances begin

The goal is to have the street open to traffic prior to the first performance June 22.

2.     NATURAL GAS FRANCHISE FEE: The final draft of the franchise fee agreement between the city and Mid-American Energy should be complete this week. The public hearing will be June 18. I will forward copies for your review prior to the June 4 meeting when council sets the hearing date.

3.     ROADRASH: Attached is information provided by Brad Ross regarding an event that will be held in Indianola Saturday, May 19.

4.     EAST GIRARD: V&K indicates the fee to further evaluate the channel from Girard to Franklin in order to accommodate a lower water depth (2' +/-) would be $1,500 including running the model and a letter report of the findings with estimated costs. Please let me know if you would like to proceed.

5.     POOL: The main circulating pump at the pool quit working. Unfortunately it is absolutely necessary to repair and therefore the pool will not open Monday, May 21. The estimated cost is $10,000 and options are currently under review. Each day the pool is not open is approximately $1,000 in lost revenues. Will keep you posted.

This is what has been sent to as many groups & organizations as possible:

Pump malfunction delays opening of Veterans Memorial Aquatic Center in Indianola

          Pool officials discovered a problem with the pool’s main circulation pump on           Tuesday, May 15, and immediately began the search for a solution. The city is working with multiple sources around the Midwest to solve the problem as quickly as possible. The pool had been scheduled to open Monday, May 21.

          Recreation Superintendent Doug Bylund said, “The pool is filled with water and looks ready for use. But the problem is, if that pump isn’t working, we can’t keep the water filtered. The water will become too cloudy and unsafe for swimming.”

          Iowa law states that a pool may not operate unless the water can pass a clarity test Bylund said, “We certainly don’t want to delay the opening of the pool any longer than necessary. We will notify the public through the medias soon as we can offer a safe swimming experience for our patrons.”

          The city will post updates on its website at www.indianolaiowa.gov.

            On a side note the slide is in this week and is currently being installed.

6.     I&I: V&K reports Phase IV of the I&I project is estimated at $5.3 million well above the $2 million originally anticipated. The city borrowed $9 million in 2009 for the project and has spent $7.5 to date. A meeting with the IDNR to request an extension to the 2013 deadline and incorporate a Phase V is being scheduled.

In addition, the city will request an extension to the private (residential) portion of the project as well. Currently, we are required by the state consent decree to inspect 300 homes per year and a request to reduce to 150-200 will be made. The IDNR indicated a willingness to meet with the city and consider various options. The Mayor has offered to attend these meetings with staff and all correspondence will be sent to the Council to keep you comprised of all discussions.

7.     SEWER PLANT: V&K provided the North Treatment Plant upgrade study to Dan Miers this week. $5 million was placed in the FY13 budget, however the estimated cost to renovate and upgrade the facility is $11.9 million!! This will also need to be discussed with IDNR officials to determine requirements and related timeline.

8.     STORMWATER REPAIR: At the request of the property owners at 306 & 308 South Spruce the Street Dept cleaned out the storm water outlet and extended a tile system behind their properties and adjacent to the Westview Care Center. Chuck reports the residents are very thankful for the city’s quick response.

9.     CITY MANAGER SEARCH: On May 17^th and 18^th 30 interviews were held with mayor, council, staff and community members to develop the city manger profile that will be used for recruitment of the new city manager.  Boards and commissions, business community individuals, developers, Indianola Community Schools, Simpson College and others provided input to Brimeyer-Fursman.  This information along with the city budget, audit reports, community and organizational statistics will be used to create a marketing piece used to draw interest in the position. Formal approval of the profile will be on the council agenda June 4^th.

News Items May 14, 2012

1.     PICKARD PARK: Civil Design Engineering submitted a proposal in the amount of $3,000 to provide sample layouts and cost estimates for building a new ADA compliant facility vs. restoring the existing. The designs will be brought to council as soon as received.

Also, the wastewater dept. will continue to clean out the sewer pipes each Friday. Proposals for the sewer portion of the project will be brought to council May 21.

2.     LINCOLN RIDGE: Chuck Burgin met with 55 residents of the Lincoln Ridge neighborhood on Thursday, May 10^th.  Residents expressed their concerns regarding the two Kading developments on North 9^th Street.  The neighborhood wants to take action to prevent any future development of this type within the area. This may include rezoning.

Note: I asked Steve Bonnett to provide some information regarding calls to the area within the last year.

3.     EAST GIRARD: Attached is V&K’s response to Gina Seymour’s questions in her e-mail dated April 30, 2012. It is indicated the grate at the intake on Franklin could be removed and replaced with a handrail around all four sides of the opening. However, the grate was installed for safety reasons and would hesitate to remove. Placing rip-rap on the west side of the culvert is something that could be done in-house.

V&K indicated they did evaluate the cost to install a storm sewer the entire length of the swale from Girard to Franklin and burying the pipe in 2010. The cost was estimated at $250,000-$300,000. The city did not opt for this and installed a culvert and beehive drains instead and spent approximately $65,000.

Dan Miers dept. televised the area to make sure the sub-drain was not damaged during construction and found it was in good condition. Soil Tek will be installing reinforcement turf in the next couple weeks. The vertical bars on the lower grate opening were removed and the sink hole filled in by the Street Dept.

Forrest’s final paragraph indicates they could further evaluate the drainage area to determine what it would take to lower the water depth in the channel south of Girard. It would be a trial and error approach and possibly include adding another culvert or two under the Franklin driveway. I will ask V&K to provide a cost estimate for these services.

4.     WEST 17^th: Please see Steve Bonnett’s e-mail regarding complaints of speeding on West 17^th. As indicated enforcement will be directed in the area during the peak times speeding is occurring.

5.     NATURAL GAS FRANCHISE FEE: Hoping to have this ordinance complete next week. The public hearing is scheduled for June 18, 2012.

News Items May 7, 2012

1.     PICKARD PARK: I originally had this item on the council agenda however the city received a quote (Vanderpool) for $54,000. This is over the $47,000 competitive quotation procedure threshold and therefore we are seeking additional proposals. The sewer dept. staff cleaned out the system today to (hopefully) avoid problems over the weekend. There are also three temporary (two regular and one ADA accessible) toilets currently located at the facility.

Glen Cowan, Dan Miers, Chuck Burgin and I have been working to come up with the best solution to this problem. Camera testing showed the sewer problem exists from the manhole to the main not the restroom to the manhole. Staff will be recommending an 8” (currently 4”) sewer pipe be installed from the manhole to the sewer trunk line to avoid future backups. Also, an 8” main would certainly handle any future improvements to the complex.

Speaking of improvements Glen and I discussed delaying the Pickard play equipment and irrigation project scheduled for FY13 and utilizing those funds ($174,000) for ISA improvements including this sewer project. The restrooms need to be updated for ADA compliance and it was determined a design for a new building vs. restoring the old should be considered. Civil Design Engineering is submitting a proposal for design costs next week.

ISA is a separate entity and is required by contract to handle maintenance and certain improvement costs, however their budget simply cannot handle these expenses. ISA President, Todd Ahrens will attend the next meeting to answer questions you may have.

2.     WAY FINDING SIGNS: Glen Cowan indicates Shive-Hattery is working on a sample sign with colors for the city to review and is hoping to have it by next week. After city approval the signs will take 4-6 weeks to produce. The highway signs will be installed by the IDOT and the city will set the secondary signs.

3.     EAST GIRARD: Weather permitting staff will perform televising next week to make sure the subdrain is still intact. Soil Tek was contacted and will provide a quote for turf-reinforcement. The Street Dept removed the vertical bars on the lower opening of the grate to prevent debris buildup. Staff continues to work with V&K on other recommendations and improvements as proposed by the area residents.

News Items April 30, 2012

1.     PICKARD PARK: Glen indicated new stools have been installed in the restrooms and the sewer pipes cleaned out. Some debris was found in the pipes and possibly the cause for the backup problems. Staff will perform consistent monitoring and cleaning out of the sewer pipes to see if this will alleviate the backup issues. Glen will also work with an engineer regarding ADA compliance issues. A report will be forthcoming in the next couple months and an improvement project possibly part of the city’s next CIP. 

2.     FRANCHISE FEES:  As you know, I have been working with Ivan Webber, Ahlers Law Firm and he strongly advises we implement the same natural gas franchise fee amount for all classes of property. I therefore am recommending the city implement a 2% across the board fee September 1, 2012 and 3% September 1, 2013. Our first street project bond payment is a lower principal and interest payment in FY13 (very typical). The second year (FY13-14) the payments increase and could be offset by the phased in 3%. The 2%/3% would generate the following based on a full year:
                                                                 
2%             $  96,500                    
3%             $144,750        

The 4%/2% would have generated $171,650 which is approximately a .05 cent debt service tax rate difference. The public hearing will be set June 4 for June 18. I felt the 2/3 phased in approach could be a good compromise to the 4/2. Most agree with the phased in approach although one person has indicated a desire to start and remain at 3%.

A question of fairness was raised regarding those who do not pay natural gas to heat their homes. The city does receive (and has for many years) a payment-in-lieu-of-tax (PILOT) from IMU equal to 5% of electric gross sales. Therefore, those properties that use electric heat pay through their electric bill instead of a gas bill.

3.     EAST GIRARD: Attached is V&K’s response to Gina Seymour’s e-mails. Staff will perform televising as recommended. Soil Tek will be hired to provide the turf-reinforcing mat. Removal of the lower vertical bars will be performed by the Street Department and just to clarify the opening would be similar to what you see on a street (stormsewer drain).

4.     WELLNESS CENTER: Phase 1 of the sitework is complete according to Vanderpool. Design of the project will be available to potential bidders this week with bids due May 24, 2:00 p.m. city hall.

Just a reminder for your calendars, a special council meeting will be held Tuesday, May 29 (day after Memorial Day) at 6:00 p.m. to accept project bids and award a contract. Also, a Groundbreaking ceremony is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, June 5. Details will be forthcoming.

5.     I&I: Greg Marchant and Eric Mathieu received complaints regarding the city’s I&I program and implementation from some individuals from Iowa Realty. See attached e-mails. I had Dan Miers, Wastewater Supt review each of these properties individually and attached his response as well. Copies of the city’s I&I and shared sewer service policies, the Iowa Dept of Natural Resources (IDNR) consent order and the city’s use of public sewer ordinance are all included for your review.

I&I is probably one of the most difficult programs the city has had to implement because it is such an expensive endeavor. The city issued $9 million in bonds in 2009 to repair/replace all public sewers and manholes by 2013 (consent order IDNR). The consent order indicates 300 properties per year shall be inspected for I&I and if found shall be removed by the property owner. Some fixes are more costly than others and can cost as much as $10,000. The city does provide low interest (4%) loans up to 10 years or a reimbursement up to $875 if paid in full. Repairs are not a one size fits all and the sewer dept only provides televising outside the home unless invited to do more extensive testing inside. I’m guessing buyers are requesting more testing before they make a purchase. Also, the rain events of the last few years have created many flooding and backup issues beyond anyone’s control.

Let me know if you believe discussion of the I&I process needs to be reviewed.