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Further discussion included an update on the water meter replacement project and <br />finalization of the procedure for those buildings with difficult physical access for <br />the city to their meters. <br />Mr. Freihammer reported that the City's leaf pick-up program, in its final year in <br />2015, served 568 sites; stabilization of sites before winter by Chair Stenlund for <br />work near the Owasso conversion site, and reporting of the installation of three new <br />rain guardians or inlet devices to dissipate stormwater and collect sediment and <br />energy from streets that is proving more successful than rock filtration efforts. <br />Mr. Culver reported on the road crew's pre -treating for winter events predicted yet <br />this week. <br />Transit Shelter Franchise Discussion <br />As noted in communication materials, Mr. Culver briefly reported on the current <br />transit shelter franchisee, OutFront Media, alerting the City that they would not <br />pursue extension of their franchise agreement set to expire in 2015. As a result, <br />Mr. Culver noted that the City is being offered the opportunity to purchase the <br />existing shelters at $1,000 each ($20,000 total) or the franchisee will remove the <br />shelters at their cost. Mr. Culver reported that the City Council would be asked to <br />make a decision on the purchase option at their November 30, 2015 meeting, and <br />advised that staff was looking for input on options from the PWETC as part of their <br />decision-making. Mr. Culver noted that one option was for the City is to purchase <br />only a portion of the eighteen of twenty currently in place, with two removed from <br />County Road B and Snelling Avenue and currently stored in the Public Works <br />maintenance yard <br />Mr. Culver further reported that Metro Transit was not interesting in undertaking <br />existing shelters either as they didn't meet their strict guidelines. <br />Mr. Culver displayed a map showing the locations of the shelters, clarifying that <br />the City owned three shelters as part of their Larpenteur Avenue Streetscape at <br />Hamline Avenue, Fernwood Street, and Lexington Avenue, currently owned by <br />OutFront, and intended to stay in place. <br />Member Cihacek opined that the City shouldn't purchase the shelters unless their <br />general usage or ridership was significant (over 25 riders), based on maintenance <br />needs of the aging shelters and potential costs involved. Member Cihacek <br />suggested having the current franchisee remove the shelters at their expense other <br />than those three city -owned shelters identified by staff. <br />Member Lenz sought clarification that the southbound shelter at Snelling Avenue <br />and County Road B would be replaced in the near future by a Bus Rapid Transit <br />(BRT) station, and questioned if the one in front of McDonald's near that location <br />would also be removed as the BRT station is installed. <br />Page 2 of 18 <br />