Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout10/26/92CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION October 26, 1992 5:30 p.m. Large Conference Room Roll call: Mayor Manning, Angel, Fox, Dell, Hudak, Buck, Lemke, and Wright. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the upcoming snow fighting season and update the council on policies and procedures and changes and limitations that will occur during the upcoming season due to the changes in street responsibility, reductions in equipment fleet and reductions in personnel. John Meyer, Public Works Director, reported that the city council adopted the snow and ice control program and policy on December 12, 1988. No significant changes have been made to this policy statement. Mr. Meyer reported that snow removal is classified according to priority streets that have been previously been designated as either priority one, priority two, priority three or priority four. Priority one streets include major thoroughfares and routes used by emergency vehicles or MET Transit. Priority two are streets within the central business district and areas adjacent to major shopping centers. The downtown area is plowed most generally the evening following a snow event. Currently snow is graded to the middle of the street and then hauled out in dump trucks. Downtown merchants have indicated a preference for this method of removal versus when snow was plowed to the side of the rights of way blocking parking and pedestrian traffic. It was suggested that perhaps Greyhound Drive be designated as a priority one street due to its increasing usage. Mr. Meyer will review this suggestion. Dick Grimm, Street Superintendent, presented a typical snow event scenario detailing the Street Department's procedures. He also presented a detailed snow removal and ice control assignment sheet by the route, type of equipment, and individual assigned to said routes. Snow removal efforts could be hampered by the tight manpower situation in the Street Department due to state cutbacks in road use tax fund collections. Each employee is assigned to a specific duty and if that individual is not available for work, the work will not be completed until another driver and truck are available. In essence, there are no replacements for absent members. Mr. Meyer pointed out that a major discussion item during bargain will be the ability for management to make temporary transfers in the case of an emergency from another department. Currently, the city does not have this flexibility. Councilperson Wright stated that having no backup personnel is not an acceptable level of service. Mr. Meyer pointed out that multiple snows within a short period of time provide a much more complex scenario and difficulty for scheduling and completing snow removal on all city streets. The use of snow emergency declarations was discussed. Mr. Grimm reported that these declarations have been very effective particularly after the first couple of snow falls of the season. The Sign and Traffic Department is responsible for the removal snow on city owned properties and rights of way including the city's parking ramps. Larry Cunningham, Superintendent of the Central Garage, stated that we are at a dangerous level in terms of equipment age. The average age of the snow removal equipment is 12 years old with graders clocking in with 30 years of service. He noted that the current budget has left him 18% short of his manpower with the aging equipment, breakdowns become more numerous and need for overtime is required which has been budgeted very modestly. He expressed pessimism with the equipment that the city utilizes for snow removal and that service could be less than previous years. City Council Work Session October 26, 1992 Page 2 Mr. Meyer stated that it is the Street Department's intent to remove snow from priority streets within 4 - 6 hours. He noted that with the reduction in manpower, some priority two streets may receive second day snow removal noting that personnel and equipment limit service level standards of the past. The use of a private weather forecasting system was discussed as an option to better predict snow falls and when workers should be called in for overtime. He noted that an hour of overtime costs approximately $800. The package would include the purchase of modems and software at a cost of approximately $4,500. The service not only provides standard local weather forecasts, but allows linkage with remote processing units that have been installed in highways throughout the state. Mr. Meyer stated that a request had been received from the Iowa Department of Transportation for the city to consider snow removal on University Avenue from Greenhill Road to Sergeant Road at a per lane cost of $110 per month which totals approximately $1,507 per month. Since this road is currently under construction and jurisdiction will not be transferred until spring, the Street Department had already incorporated it into its snow removal plan. Mr. Meyer recommended approval of said agreement. Councilperson Fox questioned whether the current level of funding will provide the necessary funds for efficient snow removal this winter. Mr. Meyer stated that the citizens of Waterloo should begin realizing they have very good snow removal service and that allowing temporary transfers of employees during emergency situations would provide considerably more flexibility. Given the existing funding level, citizens must accept this standard of service. The city will be adamant in its proposal to the bargaining unit to allow temporary transfer of personnel between jobs during times of emergency. No official action was taken at said meeting. With no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 6:35 p.m. Larry P. Burger City Clerk/Auditor