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HomeMy WebLinkAbout11-28-22-SWS'It ,-ARQEN HILLS Request for Special City Council Work Session A special meeting may be called by the Mayor or by any two Councilmembers. Reason for meeting: 1. Agenda Items A. County Road E and Old Snelling Intersection Improvements Discussion 2. Council/Staff Comments Adjourn Requested Date: 11/28/2022 Requested time: 6:00 p.m. Open meeting X Signature of person(s) making request: i Mayor or Council Member Council Member Closed meeting 11/23/2022 Date Date -This section to be completed by City staff - Date received: 11/23/2022 Date meeting to be held: 11/28/2022 Time of meeting: 6:00 p.m. Location: City Hall All necessary posting and notices have been completed. Signature of City Clerk 11/23//2022 Date City of Arden Hills • 1245 West Highway 96 • Arden Hills Minnesota 55112 Phone 651.792.7800 • Fax 651.634.5137 • www.cityofardenhills.org 'It -AL� HILLS Approved: December 12, 2022 CITY OF ARDEN HILLS, MINNESOTA SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION NOVEMBER 28, 2022 6:00 P.M. - ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, Mayor Grant called to order the City Council Work Session at 6:00 p.m. Present: Mayor David Grant; Councilmembers Brenda Holden, Fran Holmes, and David Radziej Absent: Councilmember Steve Scott (Excused) Also present: City Administrator Dave Perrault; Public Works Director/City Engineer David Swearingen; Finance Director Gayle Bauman; Assistant to the City Administrator/City Clerk Julie Hanson; Brian Johnson, SRF Consultants; and Joey Lundquist and John Mazzitello, Ramsey County Public Works 1. AGENDA ITEMS A. County Road E and Old Snelling Intersection Improvements Discussion Public Works Director/City Engineer Swearingen stated Ramsey County and Engineering Consultant, SRF, will be presenting an update to the construction staging options and estimated project costs. At the previous Special Work Session on September 12, 2022 the design team discussed two options for construction staging, of which, Council chose option to maintain traffic moving through the intersection as much as possible. Since that meeting, through discussions with private utilities, it is now known that there will be considerable underground relocations that will require closures at the intersection for a duration of time. With that information, SRF has developed another staging plan to utilize those closures with the construction of the roundabout. The closures will affect the North and the South legs while maintaining the East/West movement throughout the project. The design team is requesting input from Arden Hills City Council. Regardless of how Council chooses to move forward with this project, the City's utilities need improvement. Mayor Grant requested the consultants first speak to the Council regarding the budget for this project. ARDEN HILLS SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION — NOVEMBER 28, 2022 2 Joey Lundquist, Ramsey County, reviewed the costs for the County Road E and Old Snelling Intersection improvements project. She reported the City would be responsible for one -quarter of the project, along with $400,000 in main and sanitary improvements. She commented on the right-of-way acquisition costs, along with the project oversight and engineering costs. Brian Johnson, SRF Consultants, discussed how costs had escalated in recent years. Councilmember Radziej asked if the City utility work would be bid separately, or would this all be done under one contract. Mr. Johnson explained the project would be bid under one contract. Councilmember Holden noted the cost for the City's portion of this project went up almost $500,000. She questioned if this was due to right-of-way expenses. Mr. Johnson reported this was the case. Mayor Grant indicated the project costs for the City had risen 82%. Public Works Director/City Engineer Swearingen stated this was the case. He explained staff had originally budgeted $757,000 for this project and the project costs have increased $621,000. Councilmember Radziej requested further information regarding the right-of-way expenses. John Mazzitello, Ramsey County, commented on the necessary right-of-way easements for this project and stated some were temporary in nature while others were permanent. Councilmember Holden reported she did not understand how the City would come up with another $700,000 for this project. Councilmember Radziej suggested this project be pushed towards the park in order to lessen the impact on Lindy's. Mr. Mazzitello indicated this would require all four legs of the intersection to be realigned, which may be the same cost as the right-of-way acquisition. Mayor Grant stated the project costs were currently at $4,239,000. He questioned what the County spent on Lexington Avenue. Mayor Grant expressed concern with the fact this project, for one intersection, would cost about one-fourth of the entire Lexington Avenue project. Further discussion ensued regarding spacing standards and traffic safety for intersections. Councilmember Holmes stated she would like to see the County and the City being more creative with this intersection because she did not believe the proposed roundabout with the rising ARDEN HILLS SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION — NOVEMBER 28, 2022 3 costs would work. She understood the roundabout would be efficient, but she questioned if the roundabout was worth the double the expense that was budgeted. Mr. Mazzitello reported the majority of the expenses on the City's portion of this project could be paid for with MSA funds. Mayor Grant explained the City was in arrears on MSA funds. Councilmember Holden inquired if the County had another $1 million to fund this project. Mr. Mazzitello stated the County did have the funding in place for this project. Mayor Grant noted there was always the cost of leaving the intersection the same. Councilmember Holden indicated the City would still have to fix the sewer line. Councilmember Holmes questioned what the City would have to do to the 2023 budget in order to absorb an additional approximate $600,000 in project costs for the roundabout. Finance Director Bauman commented on how the PIR fund would have to absorb this expense until the City could receive another advance of MSA funds. Public Works Director/City Engineer Swearingen. He explained the only budgeted projects that would accept MSA funding were Lake Valentine Road in 2032, 2026 PMP, 2030 PMP and the Mounds View School trail in 2023. Councilmember Holmes asked again, how the City would pay for the overages on this project. Finance Director Bauman stated the City could hope to receive an advance on MSA funds. City Administrator Perrault explained the City could increase the levy or defer projects in order to cover the cost. Councilmember Holden questioned when the City could ask for additional MSA funding. Mr. Mazzitello explained deposits are made every April if MSA funds are available and a City is not in arrears. He noted City's can ask for up to three years in debt. Finance Director Bauman commented the City last received an advance in 2020. She anticipated the City could ask for an allocation at any point in time since it has been three years. A short discussion continued regarding MSA funding. Mayor Grant asked what the cost participation policy was for Right -of -Way costs. Mr. Mazzitello reported the cost split was 50150 for Right -of -Way costs. ARDEN HILLS SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION — NOVEMBER 28, 2022 4 Mr. Johnson discussed the staging for the project and reviewed the detours that would be put in place during construction of this project. He noted it was the County's goal to have construction begin in May with the roundabout open in the fall of 2023. Councilmember Holden encouraged the County to reconsider how to keep both traffic and pedestrians flowing safely through this intersection. She asked about how long the project would take. Mr. Johnson stated conservatively and if weather cooperates, the project should take twelve or twelve and a half weeks. However, he noted there were many variables that play into this project and noted there could be delays due to weather or material shortages. Councilmember Holmes explained the City was skeptical with whether or not the County would be able to stick to this timeline given their history with the City of Arden Hills. Councilmember Holden requested the County not use Oak for construction traffic due to the fact the City just redid this roadway. She asked for further information regarding how the steep driveways would be impacted by this project. Mr. Johnson discussed the topography of the project noting the intersection would remain at the same elevation so as not to adversely impact these driveways. Councilmember Holden questioned who would be responsible for the stormwater pond. Mr. Mazzitello explained the County liked to deed these to the City, but noted this was something that could be negotiated. Mayor Grant inquired who would be responsible for the landscaping within the roundabout. Mr. Mazzitello discussed the native grass landscaping that was planned for the middle of the roundabout and stated this area would be the City's responsibility. Mr. Mazzitello reported the County hoped to bid this project in March in hopes of having a contractor in place by May. Mayor Grant indicated the City was leery of the schedule and was concerned about how the budget for the City's portion for the project had doubled. He anticipated the Council would have to discuss this further and would speak with the County again at a future meeting. 2. COUNCIL COMMENTS AND STAFF UPDATES None. ARDEN HELLS SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION — NOVEMBER 28, 2022 ADJOURN Mayor Grant adjourned the City Council Work Session meeting at 6:55 p.m. J e Hanson David Grant y Clerk Mayor