Planning and Public Works October 16 2012

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Planning and Public Works Committee met on October 16, 2012, at 1:00 p.m., with Bill Farmer presiding. The committee addressed six agenda items, including approval of the previous meeting's summary, consideration of a re-paving program funded through the Municipal Aid Fund, and updates on two ongoing infrastructure projects. The committee took three votes during the session and heard five public comments. The meeting resulted in approval of two substantive items: the September 18th, 2012 meeting summary and the Re-Paving Program: Municipal Aid Fund. Two items—the Newtown Pike Extension Update and the Todds Road Widening Update—were presented for informational purposes only. The committee also approved Article 17-7(E) regarding permitted signage in Professional Office and Mixed Use 1 Zones. One item concerning matters referred to the committee was deferred for future consideration.

Attendance

Present: Bill Farmer, Chuck Ellinger, Tom Blues, Diane Lawless, Julian Beard, Doug Martin, Peggy Henson

Absent: Linda Gorton, Steve Kay, Chris Ford

Votes and Decisions

Scenario 2 1:01:14

A motion was made by Bill Farmer and seconded by Julian Beard to approve a $13 million bond to fund repaving, with $1.5 million annual repayment from the Municipal Aid Fund over 10 years. The motion passed by voice vote. Eight members voted in favor: Bill Farmer, Chuck Ellinger, Linda Gorton, Steve Kay, Chris Ford, Tom Blues, Diane Lawless, and Julian Beard. One member voted against: Doug Martin.

ZOTA 17-7(e) 1:29:17

A motion was made by Chris Ford and seconded by Linda Gorton to initiate a zoning text amendment to allow a third wall-mounted sign for buildings with two street frontages, three stories or taller, in Professional Office and Mixed Use 1 zones. The motion passed by voice vote. Eight members voted in favor: Bill Farmer, Chuck Ellinger, Linda Gorton, Steve Kay, Chris Ford, Tom Blues, Diane Lawless, and Julian Beard. One member voted against: Doug Martin.

Motion to Adjourn 1:41:54

A motion was made by Linda Gorton and seconded by Chris Ford to adjourn the Planning and Public Works Committee meeting. The motion passed by voice vote with all eight members in favor: Bill Farmer, Chuck Ellinger, Linda Gorton, Steve Kay, Chris Ford, Tom Blues, Diane Lawless, and Julian Beard. No members voted against.

Budget and Financial Actions

The meeting addressed three financial actions totaling $16 million in funding:

Repaving Bond

The body approved a $13,000,000 bond (Scenario 2) for repaving projects. The repayment structure calls for $1.5 million annually from the Municipal Aid Fund over a 10-year period.

Todd's Road Widening Project

Two appropriations were approved for the Todd's Road Widening Project under the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) FY13:

• Right-of-way acquisition funding: $1,000,000
• Utility relocation funding: $2,000,000

Public Comment

Five speakers addressed the council during the public comment period, raising concerns about capital project funding priorities, timing, and long-term financial implications.

MAP Funds and Capital Projects

Doug Martin 1:00:03 expressed concern about using MAP funds for repaving work, arguing that this approach could jeopardize critical safety projects such as Clay's Mill Road. He also questioned the long-term financial impact of the proposed bonding strategy.

Project Timing and Delays

Steve Kay 1:12:17 sought clarification on the slow progress of the Newtown Pike Extension project, specifically asking about delays related to the Community Land Trust's IRS application and the Nathaniel Mission relocation.

Debt Service and Bonding Capacity

Chuck Ellinger 1:12:50 asked about the impact of the proposed bond on overall debt service levels and whether it would affect the city's ability to meet its 10% debt-to-revenue goal.

Paving Prioritization

Julian Beard 1:26:59 emphasized the importance of prioritizing roads in the most critical condition and cautioned against spot paving, which he noted can create water infiltration points and cause structural issues.

Road Condition Assessment

Diane Lawless 1:29:05 noted that some roads rated highly on condition assessments (80–100) were actually in poor condition due to underlying structural failures, including collapsed trolley tracks or buried basements. She urged the council not to overlook these roads despite their high ratings.

Contested Items

Use of Municipal Aid Funds for Repaving Bond

The council debated a proposal to bond $13 million from the Municipal Aid Fund for repaving projects. Councilmember Martin opposed the measure, expressing concerns that allocating these funds to repaving would divert resources from critical safety projects, particularly Clay's Mill Road. Martin also raised objections about the long-term financial commitments associated with the bonding approach. The disagreement resulted in a split vote on the proposal.

Timing and Delays in Newtown Pike Extension

Councilmembers engaged in a heated discussion regarding the prolonged delays affecting the Newtown Pike Extension project. The delays were attributed to multiple complex factors, including the Community Land Trust's pending IRS application and the relocation of the Nathaniel Mission. Councilmembers questioned the extended timeline and expressed frustration with the pace of progress. The discussion highlighted the challenges posed by the intersection of social and legal negotiations required to move the project forward.

September 18th, 2012 Summary

1:00

The committee approved the summary of the meeting held on September 18th, 2012. Bill Farmer presented the summary, which had previously been approved by the full council during a work session.

Outcome: The summary was approved.

Re-Paving Program: Municipal Aid Fund Stinnett

The committee discussed a proposal to address a $27 million repaving deficit through bonding $13 million from the Municipal Aid Fund. 1:01:14

Proposal and Discussion

The committee considered a bonding approach to fund street repaving needs. The proposal involved securing $13 million through Municipal Aid Fund bonds to partially address the identified $27 million repaving shortfall.

Key Speakers and Concerns

Doug Martin, Bill Farmer, Steve Kay, Chuck Ellinger, and Diane Lawless participated in the discussion. Several concerns were raised during deliberation:

• Long-term funding sustainability for the repaving program
• Potential trade-offs with other capital projects
• Impact of debt service obligations on the municipal budget

Motion and Vote

A motion to proceed with Scenario 2 was brought before the committee. The motion passed 8-1, indicating substantial but not unanimous support for the bonding approach.

Outcome

The proposal was approved, allowing the municipality to move forward with bonding $13 million from the Municipal Aid Fund to address a portion of the repaving deficit.

Newtown Pike Extension Update Blues

Staff provided an update on the Newtown Pike Extension project during this agenda item. Andrew Runn-Wall presented information on several key developments 1:02:30.

Project Progress

The presentation covered progress on the lower town branch box culvert relocation, a significant component of the extension work.

Developer Selection

AU Associates has been selected as the developer for the project, moving the initiative forward in its implementation phase.

Ongoing Negotiations

Staff reported that negotiations with the Nathaniel Mission remain in progress as part of the project's development process.

Community Land Trust Status

The Community Land Trust's 501c3 application continues to face delays due to an Internal Revenue Service backlog, affecting the timeline for this component of the project.

Outcome

This agenda item was informational in nature, providing the body with an update on the project's current status and ongoing activities.

Todds Road Widening Update Stinnett

1:30:21

Bob Barrett presented an update on the Todds Road widening project. Staff reported that design changes resulting from a Practical Solutions Review are currently underway. Right-of-way acquisition for the project is pending.

The project faces potential funding constraints related to SLX funding availability. Due to these limitations, staff indicated that the project may need to be split into two phases rather than completed as a single phase. However, dividing the project into phases could result in increased overall costs compared to completing it in one phase.

This was an informational presentation with no action items or decisions required at this time.

Article 17-7(E): Permitted Signage in Professional Office and Mixed Use 1 Zones

1:29:17

Councilmember Martin proposed a zoning text amendment to modify signage regulations in Professional Office and Mixed Use 1 zones. The proposal would allow a third wall-mounted sign for buildings that meet specific criteria: two street frontages and a minimum height of three stories.

The amendment included restrictions designed to protect adjacent residential areas from excessive signage impacts. These protective measures were incorporated into the proposal to balance commercial signage needs with residential neighborhood concerns.

Key speakers Chris Ford and Bob Barrett participated in the discussion of this ordinance item. The council considered the practical implications of allowing additional signage on larger buildings with multiple street frontages, recognizing that such buildings may have legitimate needs for visibility from different street approaches.

The motion to approve the zoning text amendment passed unanimously, indicating council consensus on the proposed signage regulations for these zones.

Items Referred to Committee

1:35:14

The committee reviewed several items on the referral list during this agenda item. Key speakers included Julian Beard, Linda Gorton, Tom Blues, and Doug Martin.

The committee took action to remove multiple items from the referral list:

• Harboring Animals
• Itinerant Merchant
• Right-of-Way Entry

Motions to remove these items were supported by multiple committee members.

The large utility pole issue was deferred to the November meeting rather than being resolved during this session.

Outcome: The item was deferred.