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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1980 MINUTES OF MEETING SAFETY COMMITTEE APRIL 17, 1980 The Mayor's Safety Committee met on April 17, 1980 at 4:30p.m. in the Mayor's Con- ference Room on First Floor. Present: Bud Hawn,Richard Price,Kathy Breckunitch,John Kaus. The menders present began a discussion on the letter from Lorna Eaton of the Kitrell P.T.A. on the possibility of paving a parking strip between the buildings at Kitrell School as a pick up area for the children as the street is dangerous. Mr. Burt present: As all the budgets are set for the 1980-81 years the costs could not be included for work at this time. Mr Burt suggested that the matter be brought to the attention of the P.T.A. and perhaps some funds could be raised to help accomplish the pro- ject in the future. Kathy Breckunitch suggested that the speed limit could be reduced to 25 miles per hour on Hammond Ave. Mr. Burt felt that the school laison officers should attend the safety meet- ings and could be of help in working out problems. Mr. Burt read a letter from Dale Mercer, Community Development,on the matter of sidewalk on the North side of the 300 block of Alta Vista. This was discussed at the last Council Meeting. A petition had been presented stating that the residents felt it was not needed. Councilman Bowers reported he had information there were those who did want the walks put in. The committee feels that the safety and needs of the children should be considered and not just the people now living there. Moved by John Kaus, seconded by Richard Price to resubmit the matter to the council. Motion carried. Mr. Burt will contact City Engineer Anderson and they will check over the area and be in- formed on the need before returning to the council to present the committes proposals. Mr. Burt still had nothing futher to report on the Block Grant allocation for sidewalks discussed at the last meeting. The Chairman called the corrmittEes attention to an article in the paper on April 16. He felt it was a good presentation on bicycle safety. With the increase in moped and bicycle transportation any mean of alerting the public to the need thru literature or other means should be used.Bud Hawn suggested TV Focal Point,Take Five,Editorial Comments, as possible areas to use. The Committee should compile some data and continue to work on the project. New Business: Bud Hawn inquired about the entries to bathroomirfacilities in the new hotel building.Since Federal Funds are being used in the project it would seem probable that all handicap requirements would have to be met . John Kaus reported that the left turn lane on 4th. St. between Grant and approaching the intersection is very dangerous. Many do not observe the proper turn, Mr. Burt requested Qunitin Parker be notified of this area and see if the marking be more plain and the rules enforced. Many streets have obstructions that could cause accidents. Mr Burt will confer with the Chief of Police and Captian Beener of Traffic on this matter and asked the members to report on any such areas they are aware of. There being no other business , it was moved by Hawn,seconded by Price the meeting be ad- journed. Motion carried. Russell Burt, Chariman By Betty Segerstram. MINUTES OF MEETING SAFETY COMMITTEE MARCH 20, 1980 The Mayor's Safety Committee met on March 20, 1980 at 4:30 p.m. in the Second Floor Small Conference Room. Chairman Burt called the Meeting to Order. Present: Russell Burt, Bud Hawn, Richard Price, Police Captain Grimm, and Joe Weissman. It was moved by Grimm, seconded by Price that the minutes of the February meeting be approved. Motion carried. Burt inquired as to the amount of Community Development Block Grant nannies available for sidewalk use. Weissman responded by indicating that $30,000.00 still remains. Burt suggested that the Committee contact Mr. Wayne Jacobs of the City Engineer'e Office for his input as to where sidewalks are needed and/or repaired. A decision must be made on this issue in the very near future. The Committee received a reply from Neighborhood Housing Services, In. (NHS) as to their recommendations regarding sidewalk improvements within the NHS area. Brenda Kay Miller, Executive Director, stated that the Program Operations Committee re- commended funding for Linn Street at a cost of $33,000.00. The Safety Committee was unsure as to whether this was a street which they had originally recommended to NHS for consideration. This will be investigated. Burt reported that a communication had been received from Rosie Peterson of 1552 Bertch Avenue regarding the traffic situation on W. llth Street between Ridgeway Avenue and Easton Street, particularly the double parking of vehicles near Kittrell Elementary School. Grimm indicated that this problem should be referred to: 1) the principal of Kittrell School; 2) Captain Mike Beener of the Police Traffic Division, and 3) PTA organization at Kittrell. Burt also explained a problem that currently exists at Grant School regarding the collection of water in front of the school where buses load and unload. Burt informed the Committee that this problem would be referred to the City Engineer. The Committee also inquired as to whether or not some type of reminder would be distributed to the schools and media regarding bicycle safety. This will be initiated. Grimm inquired as to the status of the $45,000.00 Block Grant allocation for sidewalks. Weissman stated that as in the case of all Federal funding, no definite answer could be given. There being no other business, it was moved by Price, seconded be Weissman that the meeting be adjourned. Motion carried. Russell Burt , Chairman by Michelle Temeyer March 24, 1980 • Captain Mike Beener Police Traffic Division Dear Mike : Attached are minutes of the Mayor' s Safety Committee meeting held on Thursday, March 20, 1980. One particular item which was directed to you was the communica- tion the Committee received from Rosie Peterson of 1552 Bertch Avenue regarding the double parking situation in front of Kittrell Elementary School. The Committee would appreciate your coiiuuents as to how this situation may be addressed by your department. The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Mayor' s Safety Committee will be Thursday, April 17, 1980. We would appreciate your response at that time . Sincerely, Russell Burt, Chairman Mayor' s Safety Committee RB :mt February 27 , 19. Russell Burt, Chairman Mayor' s Safety Committee Waterloo, Iowa Dear Mr. Burt : Re : Traffic Situation on West 11th Street between Ridgeway and Easton. The area along side Kittrell School every school day between 3 :00 and 3 :30 p.m. I have occasion to travel this area of West 11th almost every day, twice , when I come home from work and again when I take my ron to work, Sometimes it is almost impossible to get down this street. Parents are picking up their children from Kittrell School and they park on both sides of the street and many even double park on the side where the school sits. There is an area on the side of the street where the school is that permits parking. But can' t something be done to eliminate parking on both sides of the street and eliminate the double parking. It is a real mess . Thank you. Rosie Peterson j// 7 r, • / c - 1552 Bertch Ave Waterloo , Iowa 50702 CC : Theola Jay, member of Safety Committee Jack Hylton, Principal of Ki.ttrel] School Police Department, Waterloo 0 PARK LANE RESIDENTS FROM KIMBALL AVENUE TO CRESTHAVEN SCHOOL JiM Farkas 105 Park Lane Gary and Trudy Marovets 113 Park Lane Jack and Nancy Jacobs 121 Park Lane Dan and Kris Wee 129 Park Lane Marvin and Etta Miller 141 Park Lane Victor and Kathy Downing 203 Park Lane Juanita Spenser 217 Park Lane Weldon and Lucille Fox 225 Park Lane Marie Pedersen and Mary Kay Williams 305 Park Lane Reinhard and Angelika Boeschen 3039 Saratoga Jim and Pat Neuman 403 Park Lane Arthur and Wilma Bernett 411 Park Lane Jeff and Gail Marks 419 Park Lane LaVerne Fischels 425 Park Lane Mr. and Mrs. Francis Camarata 501 Park Lane AT E R LOO c)Ty Na Nis sW NEIGHBORHOOD °FNSS LE`'° HOUSING SERVICES, INC. 402 Newell St. Waterloo, Iowa 50703 Phone 235-0042 February 20, 1980 Russell Burt, Chairman Mayor's Safety Committee 713 Cottage Street Waterloo, Iowa 50703 Dear Mr. Burt, As you know the Program Operations Committee of Neighborhood Housing Services has been reviewing your committees recommendation on sidewalk improvements . As of our Board meeting on February 14, 1980, the only remaining street being considered for funding is Linn Street at an approximate cost of $33,000.00. The Program Operations Committee felt that Linn Street was most in need of repairs among those recommended to us. I do not expect the Program Operations Committee to make any final recommendations to the Neighborhood Housing Services ' Board until March 13, 1980, but I will keep you informed. If you would like to discuss this , you may call me at 235-0042 or Rachel Fulton, Chairman of Program Operations at 234-1131 . Sincerely, Gie/2 ge//../...,z) a0,7 Brenda Ka y ay Miller Executive Director BKM/nw QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT POSSIBLE INSTALLATION OF SIDEWALK ON THE NORTH SIDE OF PARK LANE City officials contacted by Kathy Downing and Jeff Marks were patient and thorough in answering our questions . If you want more information they will welcome your inquiries . Most of the questions were answered by Wayne Jacobs of the city Engineering Department. Where that is not the case, the source of information is mentioned . 1 . Does it take a majority of affected parties for sidewalks to be required? Yes . A simple majority can either cause them to be put in or keep them from going in. Only the desires of those directly affected are counted . In other words , South side Park Lane or side street home- owners have no voice in a north side Park Lane sidewalk. This also means that a north side sidewalk would have no effect on a south side sidewalk today or in the future . (Note : The City Council can overrule in favor of sidewalk but this is seldom done because of its concern for the desires of the people affected. ) 2. Can we put in sidewalk ourselves? Yes . On past projects the city has given 30 days following the final decision to install sidewalk for residents to decide if they will put it in themselves . After 30 days the city lets bids for the remainder . If a person chooses to do all the work on his own he must do the follow- ing: 1 . Get a sidewalk construction bond from an insurance company, a $20 . 00 fee . 2 . Get a $10 . 00 construction permit from the city . The city will then establish grades for the party involved . 3 . As the sidewalk is being put in the Engineering Department will perform various inspections . A person could also contract the work done privately. The cost of this may or may not be less than the assessed costs , but will most likely be about the same . 3 . If the city puts in the sidewalk, what would be the method of payment? The full assessed cost can be put on the property tax and can be carried from 5 to 7 years at 7% interest. The interest rate is subject to change but presently it is 7% . 4 . What will it cost? About $1 . 90 per square foot or $7 . 60 per linea],. foot . It depends on the low bid, so it could be higher or lower . If the lowest bid was more than 10% higher than $1 . 90, i . e . $2 .09, all bids would be thrown out. The length of driveway is not counted since it is already paved . .. ,.� Questionand Answers cont . -2- 5 . Would a sidewalk affect liability? Not likely, since the city would usually be named in any suit . This might not be true in the case of negligence on the part of the home- owner. 6. Who pays for sidewalk installation across the ditch at the Kimball- Park Lane intersection? The city does . Also, on corner lots , the city pays for the 14 feet of sidewalk on city property. The city would probably also put in the side street walks from the walk running parallel to Park Lane to Park Lane . Thus homeowners on the corners will pay for 14 feet less sidewalk than the width ( or length, as the case may be) of their lot. 7. Can a safety crossing be arranged at Saratoga and Park Lane? This is a separate matter. It would have to be taken up with Quentin Parker and Jerry Sexton with the Traffic Crossing Department. S . Will having a sidewalk have any affect on my tax assessment? No . (City Assessors Office, tel. 291 -2476) 9 . What happens if I don ' t shovel? The property owner is expected to clear the sidewalk within a reason- able amount of time . However, the city does not normally serve complaints on property owners on this question unless they have permitted a great deal of snow to accumulate and have made no attempt to remove it . 10 . What happens to obNcts presently on or near the path of 'a potential sidewalk (hedges, rocks, fences , trees and limbs ) ? About two inches outside the sidewalk line is needed to lay forms . Any hedges obstructing the view are removed from the sidewalk to street area . Any other objects outside the direct path of the walk are O .K . Low limbs have to be trimmed up for the safety of pedestrians . 11 . Would Park Lane parking be changed to the sidewalk side of the street if sidewalk was on the Cresthaven School side? That could be done if the Traffic Department recommended it to the City Council. (Clinton Parker, Sign and Traffic Dept. , tel . 291 -4433) 12 . If a sidewalk goes in on one side of the street, would it close the question of sidewalk for the other side? No . See answer to question #1 above . Individually, people can put in sidewalk when they wish. For the entire stretch to be sidewalked takes a simple majority vote . • February 21, 1980 To the Waterloo City Council, Daniel Wee, Kathy Downing and Jeff Marks, the undersigned, are requesting the City of Waterloo to have sidewalk installed on the north side of Park Lane from Kimball Avenue to Bontrager Park with sidewalk improvements at the intersection of Kimball Avenue and Park Lane. The three of us have visited with the fifteen households involved, fourteen of which are affected parties. Nine of the households are in favor of sidewalk im- provements on the north side of Park Lane. Only one of the involved residents has thus far indicated a desire to resist such a proposal publicly before the City Council. Because our neighbors have raised significant questions in addition to our own, we have shared with the involved parties and several other area residents the attached question and answer sheets. We are grateful to Waterloo,City employees and Council members for their patient and kind cooperation in respond- ing to our questions. In addition, we have enclosed a list of the involved residents with whom we have visited. We were very much encouraged by our visits due to the construc- tive participation of all the parties involved. All of those in favor of sidewalks are concerned primarily for the safety of pedestrians and drivers -- even though four of the eight affected parties do not even have young children in their homes. Our main concern is for the well-being of the general public using Park Lane. The question at hand is not one of a routine neighborhood side- walk. Therefore we, the undersigned, would like to ask the City of Waterloo to pay for anywhere from 20 to 25% of the total costs involved. We anticipate the total costs to be $8 , 003. 00. Therefore, we are asking the City to pay from $1, 600 to $2 , 000. We cannot underscore too strongly our opinion that this is not a routine neighborhood sidewalk question. The primary concern of those favoring sidewalks is not for residents on Park Lane but for the general public now using the street. We feel the following factors make a persuasive case for partial payment by the City of Waterloo: 1. When the first residents moved in Park Lane was not a through street. It was a reasonable assumption that sidewalks would not be necessary. With Crest- haven School at the dead end of the :street it made good sense that Park Lane would not 'become a through street. It is now a major through street with es- pecially heavy morning and afternoon traffic. -2- 2. Sidewalk on the north side of Park Lane will promote the safety of the general public. This includes not only the children living off as well as on Park Lane, but also the students at Columbus High School, the residents of Friendship Village, patients of the psych ward at St. Francis Hospital, residents living in the county hostel on Ninth Street as well as various and sundry joggers and physical health advocates. 3. Park Lane has become a heavily, heavily used through street for people who live in every part of the city including staff and patients at St. Francis Hospital, Ravenwood Health Care Center, Friendship Village and the Black Hawk County Mental Health Clinic. It is also a city bus and emergency vehicle route. All this in addition to drivers carrying students to and from Columbus High School and Cresthaven Elementary School. The general public driving on the street needs to be protected from the possibility of injur- ing or killing pedestrians who now ,walk in the street due to the absence of sidewalk on the north side. 4. Park Lane from Kimball to Ninth Street is the primary connecting link between two heavily used streets as well as between Schoitz and St. Francis Hospitals. We expect more and more residents of the city will be using this connecting link as new housing develops south to Highway 412 and beyond it. 5. The proposed sidewalk would be the pathway to Bon- trager Park mainly for residents not living on Park Lane. We believe these factors indicate clearly that we are dealing here not with a routine sidewalk question, but with a question affecting primarily the general public. The affected parties wish to install sidewalk primarily out of concern for the safety of the general public. Therefore we hope you will give favorable consideration to our request that the City of Waterloo pay from 20 to 25% of the costs involved. Sincerely, Daniel Wee Kathy Downing Jeff Marks • MINUTES OF MEETING SAFETY COMMITTEE FEBRUARY 21 , 1980 The Mayor ' s Safety Committee met on February 21, 1980 at 4 :30 P.M. in the Mayor's Conference Room. Chairman Burt Called the Meeting to Order. Present : Russell Burt , Bud Hawn, Doug Kinsinger, Katherine Breckunitch, Richard Price, Police Captian Grimm and Fire Captain Fortune . It was moved by Fortune, seconded by Price that the Minutes of the January meeting be approved . Motion carried . Chairman Burt welcomed Danial Wee, Richard Forbes , Gary Muringer Principal of Cresthaven School and Yale Cramer. Danial Wee stated that in the last three months he and others have visited with the neighbors of the Cresthaven area about the needed sidewalks and have found that the majority of the families are in favor of getting side- walks on the northside of Park Lane . The neighbors are all aware of the safety problem of children having to use the streets to walk to school. He also remarked that Park Lane has become a very busy street with hospital traffic . He stated he would like to bring this matter before the City Council for their help in paying for these sidewalks . Burt stated that he went to the City Council meeting to bring to their attention the need for sidewalks in this area and asked for their recom- mendations . He said the Mayor was in favor of putting sidewalks on the north side of Park Lane but had to research for funds to finance the project . Wayne Jacobs , from the Engineering Department , said to assess the property owners 100% of the cost of putting in the sidewalks with no outside financing would cost approximately $11 ,000. He also said that 51% of the neighbors would have to be in favor of sidewalks before they could be put in and assessed to the properties involved . Captain Fortune stated that along with getting a petition started that they should contact their council members and discuss the matter with them and get them on your side. Danial Wee thanked the Safety Committee for all their help and their recommendations to present to the City Council. There being no other business, it was moved by Price , seconded by Fortune that the meeting adjourn. Motion carried . Russell Burt , Chairman By Chris Mead MINUTES OF MEETING SAFETY COMMITTEE JANUARY 17 , 1980 The Mayor' s Safety Committee met on January 17 , 1980 at 4: 30 P .M. in the Second Floor Small Conference Room. Chairman Burt called the Meeting to Order . Present : Russell Burt , Bud Hawn, Theola Jay, Doug Kinsinger, Katherine Breckunitch, John Kaus , Fire Captain Fortune and Community Development Weissman. It was moved by Hawn, seconded by Burt that the Minutes of the November meeting be approved. Motion carried. Chairman Burt welcomed Daniel Wee , Richard Ford, Claudia Schroeder and Connie Tedie concerned citizens from the Cresthaven School area. Richard Ford brought to the Committee' s attention the need for sidewalks on Park Lane. He stated the lack of sidewalks created a safety problem for the school children and the residents at Friendship Village . In the winter when snow is piled high along the streets , it is very dangerous to walk in the street . Danial Wee stated that they have talked with the area residents and they are all aware of the safety problems and would be glad to pay for the sidewalks . Many people are retirees on fixed incomes , or have long sidewalks which would be expensive to pave . He stated that they have taken this matter to the City Council and have gotten nowhere , and would like the Safety Committee ' s backing . It was moved by Captain Fortune , seconded by Breckunitch that the Safety Committee support the need for sidewalks in the Cresthaven school area. Motion carried. Burt brought to the attention of the Committee the possibility of acquiring other funds for sidewalks that do not qualify for Block Grant money. Discus- sion followed, and it was decided to ask the Mayor and the Council Members to attend the next safety meeting to get their recommendations . There being no other business , it was moved by Burt , seconded by Kaus that the meeting adjourn. Motion carried. Russell Burt , Chairman By Chris Mead