1A, Safe Routes to School Project Update

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Safe Routes to School Project Review - 03/16/09 The majority of these poles are owned by Xcel Energy, however two of them are owned by Comcast. Burying the overhead electric for 0.3 miles of Co Rd E-2 would cost about $231,000. Burying the poles for 300 feet would cost about $50,000. Private utility companies are only obligated under case law to relocate existing poles. We cannot require them to pay to bury lines; the additional cost to bury lines would be the City's responsibility. On top of the cost to bury the electric lines, there is an individual cost for each homeowner to bury their service, this can be anywhere between $2,500-$5,000. Finally, there is an added monthly service fee that utilities charge for buried service lines; this would also be a private property owner cost. In addition to Xcel Energy, there are other utilities on the poles, cable and telephone, that would need to be buried as well. The cost to bury those lines as well would double to triple the total cost to the City. The City Engineer has asked Xcel Energy and Comcast if it is possible to relocate these poles to the right- of- way on the north side of the road instead of moving them within the right- of- way on the south side of the road. It appears it may be possible; however they need to complete more preliminary design before they will definitively agree. 2. Hydrants: There are 9 hydrants that need to be relocated as a part of this project. Ifwe were to have a contractor do this work, it would cost the City about $36,000. If the City chose to do this work with our Public Works crews, it would require that 5 of our full-time maintenance operators, be assigned to this task for 9 full work days. This would translate to a City labor and equipment cost of approximately $20,000 and a material cost of about $4,500. While there is a cost savings for the City to complete the work, the Council should consider that for these 9 days, these City staff would not be able to complete other priority work (i.e. lift station repair, sewer cleaning, televising, manhole inspection, etc.) Due to the nature of the hydrant relocation work, it could not be completed by seasonal staff. 3. Sanitary Sewer: Public Works staff have televised and inspected the 8" sanitary sewer pipe that runs along the north- south segment of this pathway, between County Road E-2 and Venus Avenue. The line south of the creek has already been pressure sealed and tested and is in good shape. However, the line between the creek and Venus does need rehabilitation. The types of damage in the pipe include a handful of offset pipe (between 1/2- 1 inches), minor cracking and root intrusion. There is one major (3") joint offset located about 117 feet south of Venus that may need to be dug up to repair. Weare further exploring alternatives to complete this repair. PARKStt TRAILS AND RECREATION COMMITTEE (PTRC) RECOMMENDATION The PTRC reviewed the Safe Routes to School Plan at their February 24, 2009 meeting. The City Engineer presented plans, specifications, and the revised cost estimate. The committee discussed the importance of this project in the overall master plan. They concluded that this project was a critical link in our regional trail network and would like to see it move forward. They made a motion to support the Safe Routes to School Project and direct staff to research 4