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REQUEST FOR COUNCIL ACTION <br /> Date: 5/13/13 <br /> Item No.: 11.b <br />Department Approval City Manager Approval <br />Item Description: Request to extend working hours for the Xcel Energy Gas Main <br />Replacement- Rice Street (between Co Rd B and Larpenteur Ave) <br />B <br />ACKGROUND <br />1 <br />This summer, Xcel Energy is replacing the gas transmission line located in the west boulevard of <br />2 <br />Rice Street between Co Rd B and Larpenteur Avenue. This construction is scheduled to begin in <br />3 <br />early May. The City has received a request from them to perform a portion of their work during <br />4 <br />nighttime hours. <br />5 <br />They are seeking a variance to complete portions of their gas main replacement work between <br />6 <br />10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. for up to fifteen nights during the project schedule, May 20 through <br />7 <br />October 31, 2013. The extended hours throughout the project timeline is to complete the <br />8 <br />following items: <br />9 <br />Removal & replacement of signal arms on traffic signals, so that traffic impacts can be <br />10 <br />minimized. Ramsey County is requiring that this work be done at night (between midnight <br />11 <br />and 6 AM). <br />12 <br />Conducting tie-in procedures (approximately 6 tie-ins). Xcel cannot leave open ends of pipe <br />13 <br />unattended overnight, so once a procedure is started they will need to continue the work until <br />14 <br />all open ends are tied in. Not all tie-in procedures will require work after normal hours, but <br />15 <br />we want the flexibility to do so if needed. In previous projects some procedures have gone <br />16 <br />until 2AM. <br />17 <br />String out new pipe so that traffic impacts can be minimized. The earliest this work would <br />18 <br />start for this item would be 5 AM. The latest it would go would be midnight. <br />19 <br />All construction activities while crossing arterial roadways (Larpenteur Avenue) to minimize <br />20 <br />traffic impacts. The earliest this work would start for this item would be 5 AM. The latest it <br />21 <br />would go would be midnight. <br />22 <br />The requested variance is to City Code Section 405.03 HOURLY RESTRICTIONS OF <br />23 <br />CERTAIN OPERATIONS whichpermits construction activities to occur between the hours of <br />24 <br />seven o'clock (7:00) a.m. and ten o'clock (10:00) p.m. on any weekday, or between the hours of <br />25 <br />nine o'clock (9:00) a.m. and nine o'clock (9:00) p.m. on any weekend or legal holidays. The <br />26 <br />Contractor is seeking a variance to complete the work during the month of April and May over a <br />27 <br />period up to four nights. It is anticipated that each segment should be completed in one to two <br />28 <br />nights of work. <br />29 <br />A variance to this section of code requires a Public Hearing before the City Council, per code <br />30 <br />section 405.04. We have mailed out Public Hearing notices to all properties within 350 feet of <br />31 <br />the corridor. Any comments that we receive will be shared with the City Council as a part of the <br />32 <br />Public Hearing. <br />33 <br />Page 1 of 2 <br /> <br />