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DRAFT
Contact the town clerk at 919-469-4011 for official minutes.
Cary Town Council Minutes Thursday, August 9, 2007 6:30 PM Council Chambers 316 N. Academy Street, Cary, N.C.
Present: Mayor Ernie McAlister, Mayor Pro Tem Jack Smith, Council Members Marla Dorrel, Ervin Portman, Jennifer Robinson, Julie Robison and Nels Roseland
A. COMMENCEMENT
1. Call to Order (Mayor McAlister)
Mayor McAlister called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m.
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2. Ceremonial Opening (Ms. Dorrel)
Ms. Dorrel provided the ceremonial opening.
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3. Adoption of agenda (Town Council)
ACTION: Mrs. Robison moved to adopt the agenda as presented. Mr. Portman provided the second, and council granted unanimous approval.
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B. CONSENT AGENDA
1. Regular Consent Agenda (any regular consent agenda item pulled for discussion will be discussed at the end of the old/new business portion of the agenda, which is item G on this agenda)
a. Consideration of approval of the minutes of the regular town council meeting held on July 26, 2007. (Town Council)
ACTION: Mr. Portman moved to approve the consent agenda; Mrs. Robison provided the second; council granted unanimous approval.
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b. Consideration of adoption of the July 2007 tax report. (Mr. Bill Coleman)
July 18, 2007
The Wake County Board of Commissioners, in regular session on July 11, 2007, approved and accepted the enclosed tax report for the Town of Cary.
ACTION: Mr. Portman moved to approve the consent agenda; Mrs. Robison provided the second; council granted unanimous approval.
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c. Consideration of appointing Assistant Town Manager Ben Shivar as interim deputy clerk for the time period August 16-19, 2007.
ACTION: Mr. Portman moved to approve the consent agenda; Mrs. Robison provided the second; council granted unanimous approval.
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2. Operations Committee, August 2, 2007 (any committee consent agenda item pulled for discussion will be discussed at the end of the committee discussion portion of the agenda, which is item F on this agenda) (Mrs. Robinson)
a.
Railroad Cost Agreement –
Railroad Grade Crossing Repairs
(EN08-012)
STAFF REPORT Operations Committee, August 2, 2007
In January 2007, Town Council approved a priority list of railroad grade crossings recommended by staff to be upgraded from rubber to concrete. The three priorities are North Academy Street, Old Apex Road and SW Maynard Road.
Preliminary design engineering was completed on Old Apex Road and SW Maynard Road for future budgeted railroad crossing upgrade repair projects. Preliminary design engineering and construction costs were completed for North Academy Street.
CSXT has forwarded a two party preliminary design engineering agreement for the Town to consider related to the preliminary engineering fees for both the Old Apex Road and SW Maynard Road sites. Per the agreements, the Town will reimburse CSXT a maximum of $7,500 for SW Maynard Road and a maximum of $9,000 for Old Apex Road.
NCDOT has forwarded a three party railroad construction cost agreement for the Town to consider related to railroad crossing repairs for North Academy Street. The agreement is between NCDOT, CSXT, and the Town of Cary. Per the agreement, the Town will reimburse CSXT for construction work to upgrade the crossing surface from rubber to concrete. The estimated cost for the construction work in the agreement is $114,015.
Fiscal Impact: Operating: There are no operating impacts associated with this staff report.
Funding: To date, a total of $95,000 has been appropriated to the ST1153 Railroad Crossing Repair – FY 2007 project. An additional $120,000 has also been appropriated in the ST1169 Railroad Crossing Repair – FY 2008 project for the purpose of maintenance work on railroad crossings within the Town. No funds have been expended from either project to date.
Staff recommends that the $114,015 design and construction costs for North Academy Street and $16,500 design costs for SW Maynard Road and Old Apex Road necessary to reimburse CSXT should be funded from the capital improvement projects ST1153 (FY 2007) and ST1169 (FY 2008). As staff is recommending that this work be funded with existing funds, no additional appropriations are necessary.
Staff Recommendation: Staff recommends entering into the railroad construction cost agreement between NCDOT, CSXT and the Town of Cary. According to the terms of this agreement, the Town will reimburse the CSXT a maximum of $114,015 to upgrade the railroad crossing surface of North Academy Street. In addition, staff recommends entering into an agreement with CSXT to reimburse design costs up to a maximum of $16,500.
ACTION: Mr. Portman moved to approve the consent agenda; Mrs. Robison provided the second; council granted unanimous approval.
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b.
Streetscape Underground
Utility Considerations
(EN08-013)
STAFF REPORT Operations Committee, August 2, 2007
As part of the on-going design efforts for Downtown Cary Streetscape project, staff has performed an inventory and assessment of our existing water and sewer system infrastructure within the project limits.
The results of this assessment indicate it may be in the best interest of the downtown area to replace and upgrade these utilities prior to completion of the Streetscape project. The purpose of this staff report is to detail the assessment and the potential water and sewer system replacements and upgrades not included in the scope of the Downtown Cary Streetscape project for consideration.
Sewer System Inventory and Assessment – The sewer system includes sewer mains, manholes, laterals and cleanouts.
The sewer mains are constructed of vitrified clay pipe (VCP) believed to be installed in the 1960s. There are approximately 11,000 feet of VCP sewer mains. Staff has identified 25 areas with structural failure where open pit excavation is required to perform point repairs. Staff has also identified several other areas of structural concern where repairs would not require excavation but could be accomplished by lining the existing sewer main.
Manholes are constructed of brick and mortar. There are approximately 48 existing manholes. Staff has identified 12 locations where new manhole installations are recommended to replace deficient manholes or improve access for maintenance. In addition, staff has noted structural deterioration in the majority of manholes where repairs could be accomplished by rehabilitating them with a cementitious liner.
Sewer laterals connect individual properties to the sewer mains and are constructed of various materials including VCP, PVC, cast iron and orangeberg pipe. Maintenance of sewer laterals can be facilitated with sewer cleanouts located on the right-of-way line. Preliminary investigation indicates there are approximately 110 active sewer laterals tying into sewer mains located in the project limits and only 36 sewer cleanouts. Sewers laterals without cleanouts include a higher risk of requiring excavation to perform maintenance and repair operations.
Below is a table summarizing the replacements and upgrades currently not within the scope of the Downtown Cary Streetscape project for consideration. These replacements and upgrades include repairing and lining all sewer lines, rehabilitating or replacing all manholes, providing cleanouts for all sewer laterals and replacing deficient sewer laterals.
Sewer System Replacements, Upgrades and Associated Costs for Consideration
Water System Inventory and Assessment – The water system contains water mains, water services and meter box installations.
The majority of water mains within the project limits are constructed of asbestos-cement pipe (ACP) believed to be installed in the 1960s. There is also a 10-inch pit cast iron water main along South Academy Street believed to be installed in the 1950s and a 16-inch ductile iron (DI) water main on North Harrison that was installed in the 1970s. Town records indicate that 11 repairs, requiring excavation, have been made to the ACP water mains within the project limits in the last 5 years. ACP water mains are brittle when exposed and require special health and safety precautions during repair. Existing water mains on Dry Avenue and North and South Academy Street are not adequately sized to accommodate the Town’s water system model with demand projections for the year 2025.
Water service connections provide water to individual properties from the water mains. The majority of services are composed of galvanized lines connected to the ACP water mains with lead “goosenecks.” Water services tie to individual properties at the water meter box. The galvanized water service lines are problematic due to corrosion both inside and outside the line resulting in leaks, reduced water pressure for adjacent properties and repairs requiring excavation. Replacing the ACP water mains and the galvanized service connections also provides the Town with the opportunity to eliminate these lead “goosenecks” from our water system. Based on the age and condition of the water meters within the project limits and to provide the flexibility to support automated meter reading (AMR) water meter replacement should also be considered.
Water System Replacements, Upgrades and Associated Costs for Consideration
Below is a table summarizing the water system replacements and upgrades currently not within the scope of the Downtown Cary Streetscape project for consideration. These replacements and upgrades include Ductile Iron (DI) water mains and new fire hydrants for all streets. Also, new water services and meter boxes for all connections as necessary.
Other Considerations Service Life – Both asbestos cement pipe and vitrified clay pipe are materials that are no longer favored due to their brittle nature as they age. The useful service life of these materials is greatly dependent of the quality of the installation including the adequacy of the bedding, backfill materials and compaction methods. Without specific data or record of these installations, it is difficult to project an expected remaining service life other than one based on record of maintenance and repairs.
Construction Impacts – With the age and material types for both the water and sewer systems, it is anticipated that the activities associated with construction of the streetscape project including demolition of pavement and resurfacing will accelerate failures in these systems.
Economic Benefit – It is anticipated that including water and sewer system replacement and upgrades with the streetscape project will save up to 40% of the construction costs compared to a separate water and sewer system upgrade project. This is because the streetscape project already includes the cost for items such as mobilization, traffic control and pavement removal.
Future Capacity – Increase water capacity in accordance with the 2000 Town of Cary Utility Master Plan with demand projections for the year 2025.
Fiscal Impact Funding: The water capital project totaling $1,313,000 would be funded with unrestricted revenue within the utility capital reserve. The sewer capital project totaling $1,278,000 would be funded with revenue bonds. As mentioned above, it is expected that authorizing these projects simultaneously with the streetscape project will save up to 40% of what the costs would otherwise be.
Operating Impacts: It is expected that these projects will help reduce the level and frequency of repairs in the future for these areas.
Staff Recommendation: Authorize a new water capital project and a new sewer capital project to replace existing infrastructure in the areas of the previously authorized streetscape project. The water project authorization would be for $1,313,000 and the sewer project authorization would be for $1,278,000 for a total of $2,591,000 and would be funded as detailed in the fiscal impact section.
ACTION: Mr. Portman moved to approve the consent agenda; Mrs. Robison provided the second; council granted unanimous approval.
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c.
Streetscape Street Maintenance
Considerations
(EN08-014)
STAFF REPORT Operations Committee, August 2, 2007
The Downtown Cary Streetscape project, currently under design and scheduled to begin construction next year, includes sections of Academy Street, Chatham Street, Harrison Avenue and Kildaire Farm Road. Currently, these roads are on the State Highway System and any proposed improvements are subject to NCDOT reviews and approvals.
The Downtown Cary Streetscape Master Plan includes features designed to create a more pedestrian friendly environment and establish a uniquely identifiable “sense of place”, that are not consistent with NCDOT design standards. NCDOT design standards promote safety and uniformity of installations which result in lower maintenance costs. NCDOT will not approve the implementation of the Downtown Cary Streetscape as it is recommended in the Downtown Cary Streetscape Master Plan.
The following features have been identified by NCDOT as not acceptable on the State Highway System.
· Raised crosswalks and intersections · Brick or concrete pavers · Bollards · Fixed objects in roundabout centers
In addition, the following features may be acceptable (upon NCDOT review) on the State Highway System, provided the Town of Cary maintains them.
In consideration of the NCDOT’s position regarding streetscape design features, staff has explored the option of assuming maintenance of roads within the Streetscape Project limits. NCDOT has indicated they are willing to consider this request. This option would provide the Town greater design flexibility, additional Powell Bill Funds and eliminate the lengthy NCDOT review and approval process. However, the Town would incur the cost for maintenance responsibilities and receive less signal maintenance reimbursements.
Staff has assessed four alternatives where the Town assumes maintenance of roads on the State Highway System for consideration by Town Council. The alternatives are shown on the attached maps and highlighted in the table below.
Alternative 1 - All Roads The Town Assumes maintenance of all roads in the Master Plan plus Chapel Hill Road between N. Harrison Avenue and N. Academy Street and S. Harrison Avenue from Dry Avenue to W. Chatham Street. The section of Chapel Hill Road is added due to the short distance between the N. Harrison Avenue and N. Academy Street intersections and the need to improve this section of Chapel Hill Road with any improvements at the intersections. The section of S. Harrison Avenue was added at the request of NCDOT so this section would not be isolated from the rest of Harrison Avenue currently on the State Highway System. Also, the Town would assume maintenance, beyond the Master Plan limits, at the three roundabouts, to the next intersection. This provides a well defined end of Town maintenance as well as more flexibility in the roundabout design and associated streetscape elements. The proposed roads to be transferred from the State Highway System to the Town are shown on Figure 1.
Alternative 1A - All Roads Except Chapel Hill Alternative 1A is identical to Alternative 1 with the exception that Chapel Hill Road would stay on the State Highway System. With this alternative, Chapel Hill Road would be subject to NCDOT reviews and approvals. The proposed roads to be transferred from the State Highway System to the Town are shown on Figure 1A.
Alternative 2 – No Roads Alternative 2 maintains the current arrangement where all roads remain on the State Highway System.
Alternative 3 – Some Roads Alternative 3 is a compromise where the Town assumes maintenance of a portion of Chatham Street between Walker Street and Harrison Avenue (inclusive of these intersections) and S. Academy Street from Kildare Farm Road to Chatham Street. The proposed roads to be transferred from the State Highway System to the Town are shown on Figure 3.
Fiscal Impact: The Town will be responsible for total maintenance of roads transferred from the State Highway System to the Town. It should be noted that these maintenance implications are relatively marginal. The NCDOT currently provides only limited maintenance on their roads within the Town due to funding limitations and the Town already provides additional services to supplement the State effort. Implementation of the Downtown Cary Streetscape project and the high visibility of this area will require higher level of maintenance from the Town regardless of whether the roads are in the State Highway System or not.
Maintenance activities currently provided by NCDOT include curb and gutter repair, pavement resurfacing, patching and pavement markings
Supplemental maintenance activities currently provided by TOC include snow removal, signal maintenance, storm drainage maintenance, street cleaning and sidewalk maintenance.
Staff Recommendation: Staff recommends Alternative 1A, the Town assuming maintenance of all roads in the Master Plan except for Chapel Hill Road, and NCDOT staff supports this alternative. This recommendation will give the Town flexibility in design to realize the vision proposed in the Downtown Cary Streetscape Master Plan.
RESOLUTION PASSED BY THE TOWN COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF CARY, NORTH CAROLINA
A motion was made by Ervin Portman and seconded by Julie Robison for the adoption of the following Resolution, and upon being put to a vote was duly adopted:
WHEREAS, the North Carolina Department of Transportation currently maintains the roads where proposed improvements are scheduled by the Town of Cary to implement the Downtown Cary Streetscape Master Plan
WHEREAS, the North Carolina Department of Transportation will not approve implementation of the Downtown Cary Streetscape as recommended in the Master Plan.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Town Council of the Town of Cary, North Carolina, is requesting the North Carolina Department of Transportation to abandon maintenance of the following streets.
ACTION: Mr. Portman moved to approve the consent agenda; Mrs. Robison provided the second; council granted unanimous approval.
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d.
West Reedy Branch Gravity
Sewer Preferred Alignment (EN08-016)
STAFF REPORT Operations Committee, August 2, 2007
West Reedy Branch Gravity Sewer Preferred Alignment
(EN08-016)
Background: Engineering firm Hazen and Sawyer has been investigating route and alignment options for the West Reedy Branch Interceptor (WRBI). The WRBI is one portion of the pipeline infrastructure required to convey raw wastewater from the West Cary Pump Station to the proposed Beaver Creek Pump Station. Initial plans called for pressurized sewer pipelines to convey raw wastewater from the West Cary Pump Station to the Beaver Creek Pump Station. However, it was later determined that topography was favorable to utilize a gravity sewer pipeline for the last 2 miles extending from Jenks Road to the Beaver Creek Pump Station. The advantages of utilizing gravity sewer as opposed to pressurized sewer force mains for this segment of pipeline are reduced pumping costs, improved accessibility for maintenance operations, and the ability to connect surrounding property to gravity sewer service. The WRBI is located entirely in the Apex urban services area and benefits Apex by providing gravity sewer accessibility to support future growth and development.
During project planning, the Western Wake Partners elected to size the WRBI to provide for the year 2030 capacity. The incremental cost of upsizing the sewer pipeline to provide 2030 capacity in the Phase 1 project was minor in comparison to the cost of constructing a separate gravity sewer pipeline during Phase 2 construction of the Western Wake Wastewater Management Facilities. This is due in part to gravity sewer lines requiring manholes to be constructed at all grade and direction changes to maintain gravity sewer operation. The manholes require a significant percentage of the overall construction budget and the benefit of constructing one larger pipeline with the current project is that only one set of manholes will be constructed, as opposed to constructing a future pipeline with a second set of access manholes in the future. A second noteworthy advantage of constructing a single gravity sewer pipeline is that it can be designed to provide sufficient velocity to operate under low flow conditions while at the same time providing sufficient residual capacity to accommodate 2030 peak flows. A third advantage of this approach is avoidance of two periods of construction disturbance, which minimizes the impacts to surrounding property owners.
The goal of the route selection process was to maintain conditions favorable for the operation of a gravity sewer pipeline from the Jenks Road area to the Beaver Creek Pump Station while minimizing impacts to the environment and private property owners. The selected route is the only route that can provide connectivity between current and proposed future infrastructure while also maintaining the topography necessary to operate a gravity sewer pipeline to serve the surrounding extended area. This pipeline alignment as shown in Figure 1 below generally follows the Reedy Branch stream corridor. Since no other practical routing alternatives have been identified for further study, the pipeline alignment shown in the display figure has been recommended by the design team. The alignment shown minimizes the number of stream crossings, minimizes impacts to private property owners, and avoids encroachment on the stream buffers except for one short section where the route passes between the stream and a pond in which no practical alternative alignment was available. The preferred alignment also avoids wetlands identified along the stream corridor to the greatest extent practically possible. The design flow capacity of the WRBI must provide flow conveyance from the West Cary Pump Station while at the same time providing residual capacity for growth and development in the White Oak Creek and Reedy Branch sewer basins in the Apex urban services area. Accounting for all flow projections, the peak design capacity for the WRBI is currently 50.62 million gallons per day, (mgd), as shown in Table 1.
Table 1: Flow Projections for the West Reedy Branch Interceptor
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