HomeMy WebLinkAbout12. 17-496 OCTOBER 10, 2017 17-496 RESOLUTION
(CARRIED 6-0 LOST LAID OVER WITHDRAWN )
PURPOSE: APPROVE ACCEPTANCE OF GREAT LAKES GREEN
INFRASTRUCTURE CHAMPIONS GRANT
INITIATED BY: PUBLIC WORKS
WHEREAS, the City of Oshkosh has partnered with Winnebago County and the
University of Wisconsin Extension to develop and implement green infrastructure projects
and educational materials to educate residents, developers, and designers on green
infrastructure practices; and
WHEREAS, as a part of this cooperative effort the City applied for and has been
awarded a grant to assist with constructing an outdoor green infrastructure classroom at
the James P. Coughlin Center to demonstrate proper planning, construction and operation
of a Prairie Treatment System in an urban setting.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Common Council of the City of
Oshkosh that the proper City officials are hereby authorized and directed to approve
acceptance of Great Lakes Green Infrastructure Champions Grant with Great Lakes
Commission.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the proper City officials are hereby authorized
and directed to execute any and all documents required by the Great Lakes Commission for
the purposes of same, and are further authorized and directed, if said grant is awarded, to
accept such funds pursuant to the terms of the grant contract.
City
o�
Oshkosh
MEMORANDUM
DATE: October 5, 2017
TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the mon Council
FROM: James Rabe, Director of Public Works
RE: Approve Acceptance of Great Lakes Green Infrastructure Champions Grant
BACKGROUND
The City of Oshkosh, through its Storm Water Utility, has partnered with Winnebago County and the
University of Wisconsin Extension to develop and implement green infrastructure projects and
educational materials at the James P. Coughlin Center. These materials and projects form an "outdoor
classroom" to educate residents, developers, and designers on green infrastructure practices. The Great
Lakes Commission (Commission) administers the Great Lakes Green Infrastructure Champions Pilot
Program (Program). Through the Program, the Commission awards grants to small and medium-sized
communities to promote the use of green infrastructure. Applications were received from communities
throughout the Great Lakes Region, including the United States and Canada. The City applied for and
received a $15,000 grant for assistance in constructing a Prairie Treatment System as a part of this
cooperative effort.
ANALYSIS
The grant provides funding to assist the City of Oshkosh, Winnebago County, and the University of
Wisconsin Extension in providing educational materials and opportunities. The education of residents,
developers, and designers is a requirement of the Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Permit
the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has issued to municipalities like the City of Oshkosh and
Winnebago County.
FISCAL IMPACT
The approval of this resolution will reduce the City's cost of the project.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends approval of the resolution.
Approved:
Mark A Rohloff
City Manager
JER/tlt
I:\ Engineering\Tracy Taylor\ Memos to Mayor & Common Council \2017\ Great Lks Green Infrastruct Champions Grant Prog Contract_10-5-17.docx
GREAT LAKES COMMISSION GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE EMERGING CHAMPIONS
MINI -GRANT PROGRAM
APPLICANT: City of Oshkosh
CONTACT INFORMATION: John Ferris, PE (920) 236-5065 jferris@ci.oshkosh.wi.us
Dept of Public Works
City of Oshkosh
215 Church Street
PO Box 1130
Oshkosh, WI 54903-1130
LOCATION: James P. Coughlin Center
625 E County Rd Y
Oshkosh, WI
TYPE OF PROJECT: Outdoor Green Infrastructure Classroom - Prairie Treatment System
Installation
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Problem Statement: The City of Oshkosh reviews development plans for about 50 projects a
year. In order for plans to be approved, developers must show that their designs meet all
applicable state and local building requirements. In an attempt to streamline the review process,
all of the City departments meet every other week to discuss each project. The goal is to
consolidate all of the comments into one review document and shorten the time that takes a
developer to get their project approved.
The City's stormwater review is based on the performance standards described in its
Stormwater Management Ordinance. The ordinance requires designs to release the 100 -year
design storm at the 10 -year predevelopment rate and reduce post -development Total
Suspended Solids (TSS) by 80 percent. Most this is done almost exclusively with detention
ponds or bioswales.
Developers seek to minimize their initial stormwater costs and often do not consider alternative
ways to manage stormwater (other than detention ponds or bioswales) that might also improve
their financial bottom line. In about 25 percent of site plans this singular focus on only
regulatory compliance and the use of only detention ponds or bioswales often requires
substantially longer review time to get a workable design.
In these cases, space that is left over for stormwater management is too small to properly design
the standard detention pond or bioswale. This results in side slopes of these facilities that are
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too steep, makes the facility difficult to maintain and are a hazard to pedestrians. The track
record of these facilities has been that they soon after they are constructed they suffer from
excessive accumulation of vegetation, sediment or debris which results in flooding and loss of
water quality treatment.
At present, there are few, if any, tools that demonstrate or that make a compelling case to
developers and engineers to evaluate the investment in alternative stormwaer practices that
might also enhance the financial return for developers.
Green Infrastructure Barrier: The barrier that this project targets to overcome is the lack of
awareness, of both the developer and the engineer, that there are stormwater practice beyond
the standard detention pond and bioswale that could potentially increase the revenue generated
by the project and do a better job of managing stormwater. This barrier will be overcome by
example and by education.
Project Goals: To accomplish this goal the project will construct a green infrastructure
practice(s) that is a technological game changer and to provide instruction on how to evaluate
the financial impact of a chosen stormwater practice.
Project Objectives: The objective is to create an outdoor green infrastructure demonstration
classroom at the James P. Coughlin Center in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The Figure below shows the
location of two projects completed in 2016, the project that we hope to construct this fall in 2017
and four additional locations
(Sites A -D) where additional
sustainable stormwater
management practices are
planned to be constructed in the
future. Our goal is to have a
location where we can send
developers and engineers to see
firsthand green infrastructure
practices that they may have only
read about. We are compiling
design aids and plan to
eventually offer instruction in the
planning, design and
maintenance of the green
infrastructure practices on
display.
Page 2 of 10
Our goal is to change the existing paradigm of a one hammer solution to all stormwater
management issues to one where developers and engineers select from a larger toolbox of
stormwater practices with greater performance reliability. Beyond the management of
stormwater, the return -on -investment for the City and County should be developments that are
more profitable financially, developments that gives greater value to the community's tax base
and businesses that offer greater employment opportunities.
Project Setting: Every year the Coughlin Center is hosts to a wide variety of community
education experiences. Attendance at these public meetings is estimated to be 12,000 to 15,000.
These are sponsored by the many public agencies that call the Coughlin Center home,
including; University of Wisconsin Extension, Winnebago County Parks, Winnebago County
Land and Water Conservation Department, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources,
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, USDA Farm Service Agency and the USDA
Rural Development.
Developing Outdoor Green Infrastructure Classroom: In 2016 the City of Oshkosh partnered
with the many agencies in the Coughlin Center to design and construct two rain gardens and a
landscaping of native plants. These practices are highly visible to the public, being located to
the right of the main door of the Center (photo of finished project below). Signage for the 2016
project (below) encourages individuals to construct their own rain gardens at home. The
Master Gardner Program, one of the many programs of the Coughlin Center, was the
stakeholder involved in plant selection and placement. The rain gardens are being used as
instructional aides for classes that are offered by The
Master Gardener Program, University Extension and
Land and Water Conservation District and others.
It is hoped that funding can be secured to cover the cost
of materials to construct a third green infrastructure
practice (a Prairie Treatment System ) in the rather
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unattractive gravel swale/parking island (see photo above). The parking island is just opposite
the rain gardens that were constructed last year in 2016. The parking island has been the topic
of many beautification efforts.
Why a Prairie Treatment System: A Prairie Treatment System was selected because of its
potential to be a game changer for the treatment of stormwater. Therefore, we expect this bold
installation in a highly visible location to be an attention grabber. The plan sheet below shows
the plan view of the location of the rain gardens that were designed and installed in 2016 along
with the proposed location of the Prairie Treatment System.
Prairie Treatment Systems fall into the green infrastructure category of a Horizontal Subsurface
Flow (HSF) Treatment Wetland. There is a large body of literature documenting the high level
of treatment that HSF systems achieve. This Prairie Treatment Systems is a game changer
because it demonstrates how to take advantage of the high level of treatment in an urban
setting. This is accomplished by the incorporation of the capture and storage capability of
permeable pavement. This configuration can be installed at the interface of almost any
pavement surface and green space. Therefore, parking islands, perimeter of parking lots and
terraces along roadways are all possible places where this configuration of a Prairie Treatment
Systems could be installed. This tool, from the green infrastructure tool box, can achieve
stormwater quantity control and water quality control without needing to increase the footprint
of developments for stormwater management, allowing the main development to make great
use of the available land for more retail, more office space or more manufacturing.
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Prairie Treatment Systems fall into the green infrastructure category of a Horizontal Subsurface
Flow (HSF) Treatment Wetland. There is a large body of literature documenting the high level
of treatment that HSF systems achieve. This Prairie Treatment Systems is a game changer
because it demonstrates how to take advantage of the high level of treatment in an urban
setting. This is accomplished by the incorporation of the capture and storage capability of
permeable pavement. This configuration can be installed at the interface of almost any
pavement surface and green space. Therefore, parking islands, perimeter of parking lots and
terraces along roadways are all possible places where this configuration of a Prairie Treatment
Systems could be installed. This tool, from the green infrastructure tool box, can achieve
stormwater quantity control and water quality control without needing to increase the footprint
of developments for stormwater management, allowing the main development to make great
use of the available land for more retail, more office space or more manufacturing.
Page 4 of 10
Advantages of Prairie Treatment Systems: The Prairie Treatment Systems is a good alternative
to the standard bioswales that are often crammed into current development plans. Advantages
that the Prairie Treatment Systems has over a bioswale are summarized in the table below. The
two most important to stormwater managers are its ability to adsorb phosphorus and its
flexibility to include the management of stormwater runoff volumes.
Comparison of Green Infrastructure Practices
Prairie Treatment System
Bioswale
Adsorbs Phosphorus
Leaches Phosphorus according to
research
Design can support control of the volume
Design does not support control of the
of runoff
volume of runoff
Salt washes through clear stone gallery
Salt accumulation in engineered soil are
minimizing effects on vegetation
detrimental to plantings - Increasing
maintenance costs
Trash stays on pavement where it is more
Collects Trash - Increasing maintenance
easily picked up
costs
Fines dispersed over large surface area of
Clogging of engineered soils due to
clear stone gallery minimizing clogging
accumulation of fines
and extendingdesignlife
Construction Depth - Can be limited to 2
Construction Depth - Depth of water
to 3 feet if required
plus thickness of engineered soil -
requires outfall to be 3 to 5 feet deep
Level to Top of Curb - Level surface easy
Design side slopes at times are steep and
to maintain
difficult to maintain
Level to Top of Curb - Allowing passage
Depression of swale is an obstruction to
of pedestrian traffic
pedestrian traffic
Level to Top of Curb - Eliminating fall
Depression of swale is a potential fall
hazard for pedestrians
hazard for pedestrians
Facility performance not affected by
Snow - facility cannot function if full of
storage of snow
snow
Detail Project Description: The City of Oshkosh Storm Water Utility will prepare design
documents for the construction of the Prairie Treatment System. Construction is scheduled for
this fall provided funding is available to cover costs. The Prairie Treatment System will be
constructed in one of the parking islands at the Coughlin Center opposite the main entrance.
The system will comprise a 730 square foot Prairie Treatment System that will occupy the entire
parking island. Bands (approximately 6 feet wide by 30 ft long) of permeable pavement along
the driving lane and parking stalls will collect and store runoff for treatment. Construction will
be a cooperative effort of street crews from Winnebago County Highway, Winnebago County
Parks and the City of Oshkosh. Materials will be purchased using funds from the Great Lakes
Page 5 of 10
Commission Green Infrastructure Emerging Champions Mini -Grant Program. Restoration
planting will again be coordinated by The Master Gardener Program. Informational signage
similar to that that was created for the rain gardens will be installed at the Prairie Treatment
System. One of the messages that we want to convey to the development community is that the
green infrastructure practices that we want them to add to their tool box are simple to construct,
as evident by our ability to successfully construct the practice (in this case a Prairie Treatment
System) with municipal crews that are novices to this type of construction.
The figure above is a cross section of the design. A new concrete curb will be constructed
around the parking island to contain the soil for the prairie plants. Bands of permeable
pavement (PaveDrainTM) extend 6 -feet out from the curb to capture the runoff from
approximately 0.1 acres of the driveway and parking lot. Runoff will be detained in a 12- to 18 -
inch layer of 3/4 inch clear stone gallery. A 12 -inch "sump' under the vegetated parking island
maintains a microbial environment among the roots of the prairie plants that breakdown
pollutants in the stormwater runoff. The control structure regulates the residence time of the
stormwater and maintains "plug flow" through the entire depth (24- 30 -inches) of clear stone.
Deliverables:
A pilot size Prairie Treatment System added to the Coughlin Center's outdoor green
infrastructure classroom.
Page 6 of 10
• Design aids to assist developers and engineers plan and design their own green
infrastructure practice (Prairie Treatment System).
• Worksheet and instruction for developers and engineers to evaluate the return -on -
investment (ROI) of green infrastructure practice.
• PowerPoint presentation - Planning, Design and Performance of Prairie Treatment
System.
• PowerPoint presentation - Calculating the Return -on -Investment (ROI) of Green
Infrastructure Practices.
Stakeholder Support: Discussions about our proposed project have been met with enthusiasm
from a number of organizations. They recognize the need for using better techniques in
managing stormwater. They particularly like the emphasis on the increased profitability of
businesses that could be a motivation for the proper selection of green infrastructure
techniques. This project was made possible by the support by the Winnebago County Facilities
and Property Management Department, who is responsible for the maintenance of the Coughlin
Center and has approved the construction of the new green infrastructure practice.
Implementation will be a collaborative effort led by the City of Oshkosh that includes:
• City of Oshkosh Storm Water Utility
• University of Wisconsin Extension
• Winnebago County Parks
• Winnebago County Land and Water Conservation Department
• Winnebago County Facilities and Property Management Department
Groups that have expressed support and which will be willing to provide assistance as they are
able include:
• City of Oshkosh City Manager
• City of Oshkosh Storm Water Utility Committee
• City of Oshkosh Sustainability Committee
• Rotary Club's- Environment and Beautification Committee
• University of Wisconsin Extension
• Winnebago County Parks
• Winnebago County Land and Water Conservation Department
• Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
• USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
• USDA Farm Service Agency and
• USDA Rural Development
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Performance Capability and Experience: The implementation team of the Prairie Treatment
System has a history of working together on projects. It will be the same group of stakeholders
that collaborated in constructing the rain gardens in 2016.
The Civil Engineering Supervisor in charge of the City of Oshkosh Storm Water Utility, John
Ferris, PE, has designed a number of HSF treatment systems. He has extensive expertise in the
design of permeable pavement systems as well. Mr. Ferris will lead the design and construction
of the facility. Since 2008, the City of Oshkosh has constructed about six bioswales on City
owned properties and has constructed over 20 regional stormwater detention basins.
Construction techniques required build the Prairie Treatment System are common skills of
street crews of the City and County. These include but are not limited to:
• Saw cutting of pavement
• Pouring concrete curb and gutter
• Excavation
• Backfilling/placement of stone and gravel
• Working with drainage pipes
• Creation of planting beds
• Asphalt patching
Performance Metrics: We will measure success by the size of the audience of our outreach
efforts and by the number of projects that include green infrastructure projects that are not in
common use today.
• Presentations by the City Storm Water Utility within the first 12 months, target audiences
include:
o Northeast Wisconsin Stormwater Consortium (NEWSC) - stormwater professionals;
o Fox Wolf Watershed Alliance- stormwater professionals;
o Greater Oshkosh Economic Development Corporation - business owners/developers;
o Oshkosh Rotary Club - - business owners/developers and supporters of sustainable
development;
• Curriculum modification will be made by other stakeholders to their instruction on
sustainable green infrastructure include:
o University of Wisconsin Extension; and
o Land and Water Conservation District.
• Number of design aids and supporting informational sheets distributed.
• Number of ROI worksheets distributed.
• Survival of a divers prairie plant cover after winter temperatures and snow; and finally
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• Use of a Prairie Treatment System or other green infrastructure practice (that are not in
common use) in new developments in the City of Oshkosh and Winnebago County.
Project Timeline: Construction is anticipated to take about a week. Therefore, we hope to
complete the construction sometime before the end of October of 2017. The Master Gardener
Program will most likely complete the planting of the prairie seeds and plug in the spring of
2018.
Permits Required: Due to the small size of the project no permits are required for this project.
However, the project will need to be coordinated with the Winnebago County Facilities
Department, who is responsible for the maintenance of the Coughlin Center and Winnebago
County Information Technology Department, which has a fiber optic cable passing under the
parking island that will be the site of the Prairie Treatment System.
PROJECT BUDGET
Budget Narrative: The total budget for this project has been estimated to be $30,832.44. All
labor and equipment costs (excluding the cost of the use of the City's excavator) will be
provided as in-kind services to the project. The grant being requested ($15,000.00) is to cover
the cost of all construction related materials, with the exception of $1,000 which the County has
already dedicated toward the purchase of prairie plants. The grant request also covers the
"rental" fee of $1,000 that the City has to charge all projects that use large City equipment. Cost
estimates are based on average labor rates, charge out rates for equipment and bid tabs from
project with similar construction items.
The design and construction over sight of the project will be performed by the Civil Engineering
Supervisor in charge of the City of Oshkosh Storm Water Utility, John Ferris, PE, and his
engineering technician and surveyor. The cost table below shows the estimate labor hours and
labor costs associated with those activities. Construction will be a cooperative effort of street
crews from Winnebago County and the City of Oshkosh. It is estimated that the project should
be completed by a five (5) person crew in a 40 hour week. Restoration planting is estimate to
take about a day, based on the planting of the rain gardens in 2016. The budget has allocated a
day for two members from The Master Gardener Program.
Materials will be purchased using funds from the Great Lakes Commission Green Infrastructure
Emerging Champions Mini -Grant Program. Quantities are based on preliminary design of the
system with unit costs coming from bid tabs and quotes from material suppliers.
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Estimated Project Cost: City of Oshkosh Prairie Treatment System Installation
In -Kind
Grant
Cost Item
Hrs
Amount
Amount
1. Personnel - Salaries
Position A Civil Engineering Supervisor
80
$3,269.23
Position B Engineering CADD Tech
40
$1,057.69
Position C Surveyor
8
$250.00
Position D Streets Crew
200
$5,288.46
Position E Master Gardener
12
$269.76
Subtotal - Salaries
340
$10,135.14
2. Personnel - Fringe
$3,547.30
3. Travel
4. Equipment (office or construction)
$1,150.00
$1,000.00
Item 1 Pavement Saw
4
$50.00
Item 2 Excavator
16
$1,000.00
Item 3 Dump Truck
16
$1,000.00
Item 4 Plate Compactor
8
$100.00
5. Supplies and Materials (office or construction)
$1,000.00
$13,000.00
Item 1 Concrete Curb & Gutter
$1,400.00
Item 2 Geotextile
$1,500.00
Item 3 3/4 inch clear stone
$2,600.00
Item 4 GeoGrid
$100.00
Item 5 PaveDrain permeable pavement
$5,590.00
Item 6 Piping and Water Control Structure
$500.00
Item 7 Top Soil
$150.00
Item 8 Prairie Plants
$1,000
$200.00
Item 9 prairie Seeds
$60.00
Item 10 Information Signage
$900
6. Contracts
7. Other Costs
$0.00
$1,000.00
Meetings or Workshop Cost
$0.00
Postage/Printing/Reproduction
$0.00
$1,000.00
Other (specify)
$0.00
8. Total Direct Costs
$13,682.44
9. Indirect Costs
$2,150.00
10. Total Requested Funds:
$15,000.00
11. Matching Funds (optional)
$15,832.44
12. Total Project Costs
$30,832.44
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