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HomeMy WebLinkAboutweekly newsletter Date: March 30, 2012 To: Mayor & City Council From: Mark A. Rohloff, City Manager WEEKLY NEWSLETTER Subject: STREET RESTORATION REGULATIONS 1.: As I mentioned at Tuesday’s Council Meeting, I met with Public Works staff this week to discuss an ongoing issue regarding work in the street done by private contractors. With the city’s increased commitment to street improvements, we wanted to make sure that the public’s investment in our public streets does not get diluted by contractors making improvements in the street after a street has been rebuilt. We recognize that there are times when street cuts are necessary for unanticipated events. However, we also know that many contractors do not plan properly and do not coordinate work they may be doing in the public right-of-way with the city’s plans for street improvements. Without an appropriate disincentive, we are indirectly encouraging contractors to dig up our streets, sometimes less than a year after street work has been done. This work may also be compromising our utility system with improper connections that may cause increased flooding or sewer backups. In response, the Department of Public Works is outlining changes to Chapter 25 of the Municipal Code to better protect the city’s investment in infrastructure. The proposed changes include increasing the minimum pavement area to be removed and restored to eliminate additional joints in the pavement and improve the ride of the surface. These changes will help preserve the overall life of the street by keeping streets in a similar condition to the surrounding pavements. Pavements in poor condition that are scheduled for reconstruction will have the pavement restoration requirements reduced. Television inspection work that might have damaged adjoining sewers will help reduce clear water inflow and infiltration into the sanitary sewer and help prevent sewage backups into adjacent properties. These inspections will also show if a boring has penetrated another sewer pipe creating capacity or structural issues. Wisconsin Public Service has already implemented the televising requirement of any sewer pipes they cross during any of their boring projects for gas and electric work to ensure damage has not occurred to the sanitary and storm sewers. Enclosed is a summary of the changes proposed by the Department of Public Works. Depending upon questions that Council may have regarding this information, we may find it necessary to hold a Workshop prior to the ordinance being considered. Please review the enclosed information and if you have any questions, please contact Assistant Public Works Director Steve Gohde. Weekly Newsletter March 30, 2012 Page 2 TRACKING SYSTEM FOR BUSES 2.: As part of our effort to meet one of my 2012 goals, please find enclosed a memo prepared by Transportation Director Chris Strong regarding some options that may be available for tracking passenger trips on our bus system. The memo outlines staff’s understanding of the scope of the work, including assumptions going into developing a tracking system, as well as potential options to satisfy this goal. The options which are currently available present some operational challenges or may not completely satisfy the goal. I have enclosed this memo for your reference and plan to put this item on a future Council Meeting Agenda for discussion. If you have any questions in the meantime, please contact Mr. Strong. ABSENTEE BALLOTS FOR MILITARY 3.: This week, the Government Accountability Board notified municipal clerks throughout the state regarding alleged failures to respond to a survey regarding providing absentee ballots for local members of our military. We received such a notice earlier this week, indicating that the city had not provided this information. This notice was incorrect. The City Clerk’s Office had responded appropriately to this request from the GAB, and we have documentation that demonstrates that we provided this information back in February, 2012. Staff from the Clerk’s Office contacted a GAB representative, and they acknowledged that the city had, in fact, complied with this survey, even though the letter had been sent out. The GAB representative acknowledged that several letters had been sent out in error, including Oshkosh. To document this information, staff is providing a follow-up letter and previous survey information to the GAB so that we are on record as having complied with this law. In some cases, the GAB has notified local elected officials of this alleged violation. In case any member of Council received a notice from the GAB, we wanted to assure you that the city had complied with this law in its entirety. If you have any questions regarding the city’s compliance with this law, please contact City Clerk Pamela Ubrig. STORM WATER UTILITY RATE INCREASE 4.: At Thursday’s Storm Water Utility Committee meeting, the Committee reviewed information provided by Finance and Public Works staffs regarding a proposed increase in the Storm Water Utility rates for 2012. Council may recall that there were assumptions built into the 2012 budget for the Storm Water Utility. The purpose of the rate increase is twofold: (1) To provide sufficient resources to meet our operational capital and debt demands without impacting our reserve funds; and (2) To provide sufficient cash flow to meet debt coverage requirements as required by our bond covenants. Finance Director Peggy Steeno has completed a thorough analysis of the Storm Water Utility Fund, including a review of necessary fund balances we need to maintain to meet debt reserve needs, as well as operational needs. She has also analyzed borrowings from previous years and identified funds that we have borrowed in the past that may be applied to future projects. As a result of this analysis, staff has determined that the current storm water utility rate needs to be increased from $18.09 per quarter to $20.80 per quarter, or 15%. The Storm Water Utility Committee recognized the large percentage increase. At the same time, they also acknowledged that the city’s storm water project needs are continuing to increase, and given the mandates that we have for storm water quality, our demands will continue to maintain at this level for the foreseeable future. They also acknowledged that our rate remains among the lowest of comparable communities. The Committee approved recommending this rate increase unanimously. However, they also asked that staff take extra efforts to communicate the increase that is forthcoming to our largest rate payers, as well as develop a public informational campaign to explain the reasons for the increase. Finally, the Committee also asked that any future rate increases be brought to the Committee at the same time that the city’s Capital Improvements Program is presented to them. Weekly Newsletter March 30, 2012 Page 3 They feel that the city can more effectively communicate its needs by tying together our capital projects with any future rate increases. I appreciate the Committee’s vision of more effectively communicating with the public on these issues, as getting the public to understand the reasons for the increase is not just a financial decision, but also a service issue. Although these rates are not expected to go into effect until July 1, 2012, we will be providing this information to the Council in April so that you may make a decision in advance and staff may communicate the rate increase to the public and incorporate the changes into the city’s billing system. If you have any questions regarding the rate increase, please contact Finance Director Steeno. GRAND STREET REZONING 5.: The city is currently proposing a zone change in the Grand Street area that downzones property in this two block area from M-2 to C-1PD and M-1PD. As you may recall, Council denied an earlier zone change request initiated by the two residential property owners to rezone their two properties from M-2 to R-2 to make them “conforming uses” within the district and thus, easier to sell because non-conforming properties are commonly more difficult to finance. When the earlier zone change was denied, the Planning staff had stated that they would further study this area and come back with a zoning recommendation by April 1, 2012. The current zone change request initiated by staff is based upon an analysis of zoning and land use patterns in the area, and discussion with involved property owners. The Plan Commission reviewed various zoning scenarios and ultimately recommended the current zoning proposal th unanimously. At the public hearing before Council on March 27, one of the property owners appeared, along with their realtor, to once again ask that the R-2 zoning be applied to their two properties. During the public hearing, they stated that there would be “hurdles” that prospective property owners would have to go through in order to obtain financing, and that one of these would be for the city to issue a “rebuild” letter that would ease any worries a prospective lender would have about lending for a property that is zoned commercially. The Planning Services Division routinely issues such letters and would do so in this case as well. The proposed zoning of C-1 would make the residential properties “permitted” or “conforming” uses and thus, there would be no restrictions on improvements. In a worst case scenario, if the structure was damaged by more than 50% of its assessed value, it could simply be rebuilt without any special city approvals because it would be treated like any other permitted use. If you have any questions concerning this matter, please contact Principal Planner Darryn Burich. SPECIAL ASSESSMENT POLICIES 6.: As I had indicated at Tuesday’s Council Meeting, staff is surveying other communities and their special assessment policies in anticipation of a Council Workshop sometime this spring. I had mentioned that this issue had come up previously in 2011 when last year’s street projects were being proposed. At that time, the issue had to do with residents who questioned why the city did not provide greater benefit for residential properties. This year’s concerns have more to do with why commercial properties don’t receive the same benefit as residential properties. In response to questions raised last year, staff provided a survey of some comparable municipalities in this area. I am enclosing this comparison for the Council’s review. Please note that this comparison only included comparable cities that provided a subsidy to residential properties. It did not address the issue of communities that do not assess at all. Staff will include that comparison when we provide additional information to Council. I thought that Council might find this information useful in the interim so that you can see that the city does provide a reduction in special assessments for both residential and commercial properties, albeit slightly different for each land use. If you have any questions after reviewing this information, please contact Public Works Director David Patek. Weekly Newsletter March 30, 2012 Page 4 DEPARTMENTAL REPORTS & UPDATES 7.: Other items I’m enclosing with today’s Newsletter include a press release regarding the Menominee Park Master Plan Public Input th Meeting, scheduled for next Wednesday, April 4, at 6:30 p.m., at the Oshkosh Seniors Center. I am also enclosing a copy of an advertisement that the Sanitation Division will be publishing regarding spring yard waste collections. This ad will be in the Oshkosh Northwestern during the next several weeks. It will also be shown on Community Access TV and on the city’s website. th Insofar as minutes are concerned, I’m enclosing the following: The minutes of the March 20 th Plan Commission meeting; the minutes of the February 6 Sustainability Advisory Board meeting; th the minutes of the March 14 Parking Utility Commission meeting; and the minutes of the March th 13 Traffic Review Advisory Committee meeting. I am also enclosing the latest issue of The Wisconsin Taxpayer, which features an article on Wisconsin’s Fiscal Health. The last item I’m enclosing is the City of Oshkosh Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan. Any questions on this document should be directed to Parks Director Ray Maurer. nd UPCOMING MEETINGS 8.: Meetings I have scheduled for the week of April 2 include the nd following: On Monday, April 2, at 3:15 p.m., I am meeting with Sustainability Advisory Board rd Chairman Margy Davey. On Tuesday, April 3, at 7:30 a.m., I will be meeting with Mayor Tower th to discuss Agenda items for the April 10 Council Meeting. On Tuesday, at 11:00 a.m., I will be meeting with a contingent from the City of Marshfield who are touring the OCMS facilities to learn more about how we use cable television and other technologies to communicate with the public. At 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, I will be attending the Plan Commission meeting at which the thth central garage will be discussed. Beginning Friday, April 6, through April 13, I will be on vacation with my family. Assistant City Manager/Director of Administrative Services Fitzpatrick th will be filling in for me at the April 10 Council Meeting. If you need to reach me for any issue prior to my leaving, please contact me as early as possible. I will be checking my messages periodically during vacation and will get back to you as I can. I will return to the office on th Monday, April 16. Due to my absence, there will be no formal Newsletter for the next two weeks. Jackie will forward Council any relevant information as needed. If you have any questions regarding my attendance at any of these meetings, please advise me. MAR/jdc Enclosures