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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2017-388-5/22/2017 Prepared by LeAnn M. Even, Deputy City Clerk, City of Waterloo, 715 Mulberry Street, Waterloo, IA 50703, (319) 291-4323. RESOLUTION NO. 2017-388 RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING PROPOSED REPAIRS TO SIDEWALKS IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE FY 2018 SIDEWALK INSPECTION AND REPAIR PROGRAM-ZONE 7. BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF WATERLOO, IOWA, AS FOLLOWS: Section 1. That after public hearing on May 22, 2017, notice having been given as required by law, it is deemed necessary and advisable that the sidewalk and/or portions of sidewalks for an area known as Zone 7, be improved by repairing the same. Section 2. That repairs of said improvements will be the responsibility of the owner of said property abutting the sidewalk so designated by the City Engineer as needing repair. Section 3. That all repairs shall be completed by the owner of property abutting said improvement by July 14, 2017 or with evidence of a contract to have the work completed by a bonded contractor per"Notice to Property Owners" attached as "Exhibit A". Section 4. That the City of Waterloo will contract any work not completed by the property owner and an accurate itemized account of all costs and expenses thereof shall be made to this council upon completion of said work. Section 5. That the cost and expense to the City of Waterloo for making said improvement will be assessed, as provided by law, as a special tax against all property abutting sidewalks and/or portions thereof so improved. PASSED AND ADOPTED this 22nd day of May 2017. Quentin Hart,Mayor ATTEST: elley Fel e City Clerk cxmoii H.. 2017 SIDEWALK REPAIR PROGRAM -- ZONE 7 NOTICE TO PROPERTY OWNERS May 9, 2017 As required by the Iowa State Code and the Code of Ordinances of the City of Waterloo, Iowa, notice is hereby given that the public sidewalk abutting your property is in need of repair. Under Section 7-1-6 of the City Ordinances, the property owner is responsible for the maintenance and repair of the public sidewalk abutting their property. Per Section 7-2A of the City Ordinances, the City has the responsibility to inspect sidewalks and see that the repairs are completed. SIDEWALK INSPECTION AND REPAIR PROGRAM Section 7-2A-4 of the Code of Ordinances places the responsibility of inspecting all public sidewalks within the City of Waterloo with the office of the City Engineer. The city is divided into ten (10) sidewalk zones and inspected on a ten (10) year cycle. This year's inspected area is bounded by: East 4th St. —Walnut St. — Independence Ave. — East City Limits— Cedar River— East 4th St. and is known as Zone 7. The necessary sidewalk repair is shown on the enclosed Sidewalk Repair Survey Form and the type of defect(s) explained as well. If the sidewalk needs repair, one of the following symbols may be found on the sidewalk: • White paint circle—single sidewalk panel replacement • White "X"—a sidewalk panel that may need to be replaced • White "F" —a sidewalk panel that can be repaired by patching Each property owner has until Friday, July 14, 2017, to voluntarily make the sidewalk repairs. If no sidewalk repairs are made by this date, the City shall include the repairs within its sidewalk repair assessment program, typically beginning in September. You may call the City Engineering Department at (319) 291-4312 for a reinspection, or present your reasons for or against the proposed repairs at a hearing with the City Council, on the date indicated below. PERMITS AND RIGHT-OF-WAY BONDS: The property owner may elect to make the repairs themselves or hire a contractor to make the repairs. To obtain a sidewalk repair permit, a property owner or contractor must first have a Right-of-Way Bond on file with the City. Permits will only be issued to those who have an approved Right-of-Way Bond on file. The City Engineer's Office will only verify if a contractor is bonded to work in the right-of-way. If you elect to make the sidewalk repairs yourself and currently do not have an approved Right-of-Way Bond, a Right-of-Way Bond may be obtained through your insurance company. The Right-of-Way Bond application form is available in the Engineer's Office. Once completed, the Right-of-Way Bond application form must be submitted to the Engineer's Office and then approved by the Waterloo City Council. Right- of-Way Bond application form and bond must be received by Tuesday to be approved by City Council on the following Monday. If you are not bonded in 2017, the deadline to submit Right-of-Way Bond paperwork to the Engineer's Office is Tuesday, June 27, 2017, by 12:00 noon. Please schedule your repairs with this processing time in mind. Sidewalk repair permits cost $40.00 and can be obtained at the City Engineer's Office, 2 d Floor City Hall, 715 Mulberry Street. Permits are issued Monday thru Friday between the hours of 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. and 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. or by appointment by calling (319) 291-4312. To insure that sidewalk repairs are made in a timely manner, sidewalk repair permits for Zone 7 will be issued through Friday, July 7, 2017. A $250.00 SURCHARGE WILL BE ADDED TO ANY PERMITS OBTAINED BETWEEN JULY 10 AND JULY 14, 2017. A PERMIT MUST BE OBTAINED BEFORE ANY REPAIR WORK BEGINS. A penalty fee of$200.00 will be added to the permit for any repairs started before a permit has been obtained. Sidewalk cleaning does not require a Right-of-Way bond or a permit. (OVER) REPAIR ESTIMATE: Enclosed you will find a sidewalk repair cost estimate prepared by the Engineering Department. THIS ESTIMATE IS NOT A PROPOSED ASSESSMENT, BUT AN ESTIMATE OF REPAIR COSTS that you may use to compare with estimates you may receive from private contractors. Sidewalks repaired by the City will be done so under the Sidewalk Repair Assessment Program that typically begins in September. The total cost for repairs will be charged to the property owner who will have 30-days to make payment to the City. Any balance remaining after 30-days will be certified and submitted to Black Hawk County for inclusion as a special assessment on the property taxes. The total cost shall include, but are not limited to, engineering, inspection, and construction and administrative costs. It has been the City's experience that the repair cost may be less if the property owner contracts the repairs instead of having them done through the Sidewalk Repair Assessment Program. CLEAN SIDEWALK: If"Clean Sidewalk" is marked on the Sidewalk Repair Survey Form and/or a "Clean Sidewalk Notice" letter is included with this notice, the sidewalk repair estimate reflects total sidewalk replacement and cleaning fees for the areas where sidewalk was not inspected. If the sidewalk is not cleaned, and your property is included in the Sidewalk Repair Assessment Program contract, the City will have your sidewalk cleaned and the cost of cleaning the sidewalk will be added to your sidewalk repair bill. To receive a more accurate estimate, please clean the sidewalk of all dirt, grass and other debris, from edge to edge and property line to property line and call the City Engineering Department at (319) 291-4312 to schedule a reinspection. There is no cost for a reinspection. DEALING WITH CONTRACTORS: Property owners who elect to hire contractors to perform the sidewalk repair work are reminded that they hire contractors at their own risk. The City of Waterloo recommends that when hiring a contractor, property owners: • Ask for and check a contractor's references. • Contact the Engineering office (291-4312) to determine if the contractor has filed a Right-of-Way Construction Bond with the City and is therefore allowed to work within the public right-of-way. Contractors without this bond cannot lawfully repair the sidewalk. • Obtain quotes for the work from different contractors. • Require the Contractor to operate under a written contract that is, at a minimum, clear on: o Who will be doing the work. o What work will be done. o When the work will be done. o How payments are to be made. o How will disagreements be settled. The City of Waterloo also reminds property owners that if a contractor is hired, the contractor is responsible for obtaining the permit before construction begins. THERE IS CURRENTLY NO CITY CONTRACT TO REPAIR SIDEWALKS. THE ONLY CONTRACTOR THAT WILL BE EMPLOYED BY THE CITY TO REPAIR MARKED SIDEWALKS WILL BE THE ASSESSMENT CONTRACTOR, WHO WILL NOT START UNTIL SEPTEMBER 2017. PUBLIC HEARING DATE The Waterloo City Council will hold a Public Hearing regarding necessity of sidewalk repairs at their regular council meeting on Monday, May 22, 2017 at 5:30 p.m., in the Council Chambers in the Waterloo City Hall. At this time, property owners subject to the proposed sidewalk repairs, or any other person having an interest in the matter, may appear and may be heard for or against the need of the repairs. A property owner will be deemed to have waived all objections, unless he/she appears at the time of the hearing or he/she has filed written objections with the Clerk by the time of the hearing. This Notice is given by authority of the Council of the City of Waterloo, Iowa. If you have any questions regarding this notice or the sidewalk repair program, please call the City Engineer's Office at (319) 291- 43,12. BY: Kelly Felchle City Clerk Waterloo, Iowa