LAKE HAVASU CITY

PUBLIC WORKS ADVISORY BOARD

MEETING MINUTES

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Lake Havasu City Police Facility

2360 McCulloch Boulevard

www.lhcaz.gov

Pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Lake Havasu City endeavors to ensure the accessibility of all of its programs, facilities and services to all persons with disabilities. If you need an accommodation for this meeting, please contact Julie Roach in the City Clerk’s office, Telephone (928) 453-4142, at least 24 hours prior to the meeting so that an accommodation may be arranged.

1. Call to Order

The regular Public Works Advisory Board meeting was called to order at 8:32 a.m.

2. Pledge of Allegiance

3. Roll Call

Present: Frank St. Clair (Chair), Don Callahan (Co-Chair), Chuck Fein, Glen Conroy, Dennis E. Van, Shannon Worrell

Absent: Jim Salscheider, David McAtlin

Staff: Mark Clark, Greg Froslie, Doyle Wilson, Terrie Haas

Guest: Patty Mead, Mohave County Health Director

Brad Bixler, Mohave County Senior Center Manager

Bruce Hinman, Senior Center Board Member

Doug Hasslen, Senior Center Board Member

Gary Parsons, Transit Division Manager

Bonnie Forslin, Transit Supervisor

Kelly Garry, Assistant City Attorney

4. Approval of Minutes

Motion to approve the March 20, 2008 meeting minutes were unanimously approved by the Board.

5. Discussion Items

· New Bylaws w/revision dates

v The Council adopted the Public Works Advisory Board bylaws as presented.

· Mandatory Water Conservation Program

v Doyle Wilson, Ph.D., P.G., Water Resources Coordinator gave a presentation regarding the mandatory water conservation program. Doyle reviewed the water ordinance: amending chapter 7.12 water conservation measures of the LHC City Code to include sections 7.12.020 irrigation requirements and 7.12.030 emergency and water shortage events.

§ Filling swimming pools should be added to the ordinance.

§ Can we bank the excess water that we have now?

· We have not received an answer from the state or federal government. Any excess effluent that we have, we are planning to eject into the ground, by the airport, to create an underground reservoir to be used later on. We will put wells in and then draw it (water) back out in emergency/shortage situations. We have also asked if we can take the water that we are not using and put it (water) in the ground as well, to create a bigger storage. We need a legal determination from the Bureau of Reclamation, which we have asked for, but have not yet received. The State of Arizona Department of Resources is not happy with this scenario, because any water that we do not use, will go to the Central Arizona Project.

§ Daily use of water in house –

· Low flow plumbing fixtures. A grant funded rebate program for high volume toilet replacements with low flow toilets (pre 1990 homes) and placing covers on pools rebate will be going before City Council next week. We would like to extend the program to include instant hot water heater pumps.

· Water conservation - volunteer program for drinking water at restaurants.

· Commercial ice machines are based on refrigerated cooling using water. There is another technology for air-cooling ice making. Kingman has instituted a conservation program to give an incentive to the ice companies to change over to this technology. They have saved close to 700,000 to 800,000 gallons of water in one-year.

· Review of March 25, 2008 City Council meeting, regarding Traffic Calming Policies & Procedures

v The Council adopted the traffic calming policies & procedures, as per the Board suggestion, with one significant difference. They felt that there should not be any cost born by the City related to the neighborhood traffic calming; whereas the Board has recommended a 50/50 split or a 25/75 split depending on the neighborhood. The Councils perception was that there is a significant amount of effort being required from staff to do the traffic calming design and process. They felt that this was enough city participation. This will place the burden on the neighborhood to take a hard look to see if they really want the traffic calming device. The Council may be receptive to consider them on a case-by-case basis.

· Traffic Control device recommended for crosswalk areas (to be placed on future meeting agenda)

v Staff will address the crosswalk issue from a staff-engineering standpoint.

· Sidewalks (map/locations) (to be placed on future meeting agenda)

v Mark will e-mail a map/location to the Board

v 45 – 50 miles of sidewalk through-out town. Most of the business districts are covered through the development process. Majority of the schools have sidewalks around them.

v Mark suggested that the Board prioritize some areas. This will then be included in the 10-year program monies for sidewalks (next year’s budget process).

· Sidewalks/Gutter plan similar to traffic calming – grant issue (to be placed on future meeting agenda)

v Mark suggested that the Board draft up a participation plan to be brought up to City Council next year.

· Bus stops (cage areas/seating) in inventory and locations

v Received 20-30 bus stop cage areas. Used around the walking track, swap meet area, and the others were scrapped.

· National Public Works Week, P.W.A.B. Facility Tour

v Board tour will be Tuesday, May 20 starting at 10:30 a.m.

· Mid-Block Crossings

v Covered under section 6

6. Unfinished Business

· Crosswalks ~ Senior Center (Acoma Blvd.)

v Senior Center has requested that a traffic signal/pedestrian control device be placed by the senior center bus stop location. The City does have a responsibility to have a safe route to that bus stop.

§ Was a stop sign ever considered?

· A stop sign would be inappropriate – you do not put a stop sign in as a pedestrian-crossing treatment.

v Gary Parsons, Transit Division Manager:

Visual aids were passed around to the Board: plot map location of the aerial view, photos of the direction of travel (view of the crosswalk), and samples of a solar-powered flashing light. Grant funding can be obtained to assist with about 80% of the cost – total cost under $10,000.

§ What was the criteria in selecting this location as an appropriate use for the placement of this and none of the other bus stops that you have in the community?

· Mainly due to the Senior Center. The passengers that are boarding and unloading the bus and crossing the street at that location. Is it our busiest stop? Not by a long shot. It is something that we need to protect these people, because they are not as agile as the average person is.

§ Would the golf carts be using this crosswalk as well?

· This location is mid-way between the two locations.

§ The criterion is the speed of traffic going through and the distance of getting the person across the street.

§ Bus stops on other locations are within a ½ of block to a traffic signal with a crosswalk/pedestrian access. The problem with the Acoma Blvd. location is that you are a long ways from any stop sign or traffic signal.

v Bruce Hinman – Senior Center Board Member:

§ Senior Center is limited on parking – use the golf course parking lot during peak season for overflow parking. This means that this crosswalk would be used for pedestrians coming from the bus locations, and coming from the overflow parking area – going both directions. It is the opinion of the Senior Center Board that a crosswalk, at a minimum, is needed here.

v Can we put a traffic calming device there, due to emergency response?

§ We could consider traffic calming measures on Acoma Blvd., under the existing traffic calming policy that the Council adopted. We would have to go through the public process. Some of the issue would be:

· There have been three pedestrian crosswalk accidents in the past 6-months (none on Acoma Blvd.) This location has not had any accidents.

· You must be able to justify why this location and not some other location that does have an established history.

· Public Works official position (not necessarily Lake Havasu City’s) is that we feel that the Senior Center has the responsibility to participate in any cost, over and above what the normal cost would be for this location.

· Public Works does not have any control on whether they have adequate parking on-site or whether they are using the location across the street.

· Public Works opinion, related to the bus stop issue, is that this is a Transit Division issue. If they are not able to solve their transit concerns through a bus stop at the Senior Center, right on the location, and they have to utilize the public roadways and create a safety concern, then again Public Works is supportive of their grants to help pay for any improvements.

· Non-stopped crosswalks on busy streets are not safe. You are encouraging people to cross a roadway with high traffic. Although the flashing yellow light will, in some cases, draw attention to the drivers to be more careful. The three people that were hit in the crosswalk were all hit by drivers that were not being observant. If it is determined that a crosswalk is necessary here and that the bus stop needs to stay on that side, Mark’s suggestions would be that Transit Division and the Senior Center pay for any and all improvements that are necessary. It is also Mark’s recommendation that a two-stage crosswalk be installed at that location, also at the cost of the Senior Center and the Transit Division.

v Can you pick up/drop off passengers in the Senior Center parking lot vs. the bus stop on the opposite side of the street?

§ We were able to pull into the parking lot with the smaller busses. Since Transit has gone to a 30’ bus and due to the configuration of the parking lot and congestion, it is difficult for the bus to make a left-hand turn and continue in a southbound direction.

v During school hours there is a 15 mph speed limit, why not look into:

§ Within that short space – go to a 25 mph speed limit

§ Have signs indicating “senior crossing” or “senior cross-walk”

If we can slow people down through the school areas, why not try that?

n Because there is a law in place with double fines and enforcement for speeding through a school zone, your likelihood of getting a ticket is increased.

On a motion made by Glen Conway and seconded by Frank St. Clair:

“That the Board make a recommendation to the Council to go forward with what the senior citizens need, at their cost with any additional cost to go to the Transit Division.”

MOTION PASSED

Staff was asked to write up the Board’s recommendation to be brought before City Council.

v Questioning the location, which is in the middle of the block of the Senior Center side, they will have to walk through one driveway or the other. Is the Senior Center planning to put a ramp up the embankment?

§ The reason that location was chosen was if we mover further south, this is actually where the top of the rise is in the road. If you move further south, you will restrict the view from the southbound traffic.

v Would the Senior Center be putting a ramp up that embankment or would everyone just be following the sidewalk to use the driveway?

§ Doug Hasslen – Senior Center Board Member: If the Senior Center gets this in place, we will be looking at bringing up a ramp, because there is no sidewalk around the Glen Eagles parking area.

v Is there some other approach to this issue?

§ Staff will suggest that a two-stage crosswalk with flashers be put in the area, with the Transit Division and the Senior Center pay all costs.

7. General Public Works Update

A. Paving on Mesquite Ave. will begin on April 20, 2008.

B. Awarded the bid on the Air Industrial Park project last week.

C. 40-50% complete on the Red Sewer Area (very large sewer area).

D. Half-way through designing the Brown Sewer Area.

E. Presenting to Council (April 22) a Wastewater Master Plan update. This will envision a couple of scenarios allowing the department to save about $10 - $15 million on the total program. The further away the areas get from town, the smaller the areas became in total number of connections. Thus, we will be combining areas to do the work in four years instead of five.

F. The Water Safety Center is being used as a Police Academy Training Program.

G. Re-striping is being done throughout town.

H. Swanson Ave., upper McCulloch Blvd., and El Dorado Ave. have been placed on future CIP projects.

8. Agenda Items for future P.W.A.B. meetings

A. Sidewalks (map/locations)

B. Sidewalks/Gutter plan similar to traffic calming – grant issue

9. Call to the Public

None

10. Future Meeting

Frank St. Clair asked that the Board meeting in July be moved to the last Thursday of the month (July 31, 2008).

The next regular Board meeting is scheduled for Thursday, May 15, 2008 ~ 8:30 a.m. at the Lake Havasu City Police Facility meeting room.

There will be a Public Works Advisory Board facilities tour on Tuesday, May 20, 2008.

11. Adjourn

Meeting was adjourned at 9:56 a.m.