Minutes - Public Works Committee - 11/20/2007

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Chair Elvig asked if the speed trailer was put in place before or after the new road signs had been put up. Public Works Director Reimer stated that he was unsure, but could take a look at the Gopher One tickets for an exact date. Chair Elvig stated that while he agrees with the staff recommendation that this situation does not warrant a stop sign, he is curious to know ifthe additional speed signage had any impact. City Engineer Jankowski stated that he has sent out a letter to the people who signed the original petition indicating that this would be discussed at tonight's meeting, but nobody was present tonight. Motion by Councilmember Olson, seconded by Councilmember Dehen, to recommend to the City Council that the existing signage at the intersection of Riverdale Drive and Alpaca Street is appropriate and no change in the signage is necessary. Motion carried. Voting Yes: Chairperson Elvig, Councilmembers Olson and Dehen. Voting No: None. Case #3: Update on Dirt Driveway Paving City Engineer Jankowski stated that the Public Works Committee has been discussing ways to have unpaved driveways paved. He stated that at the September Public Works Committee meeting, staff was directed to prepare a survey and letter to be sent to residents with unpaved driveways assessing their interest. He noted that a draft letter and survey were attached for review. He stated that he had also included information from a program the City of Coon Rapids instituted in 2003. He stated that in Coon Rapids, 25 out of 50 properties, signed waivers to be assessed for the paving costs. He noted that if the City followed a similar program, one of the issues that would need to be decided is what type of overhead costs the City would include in the project. He stated that there would be some work involved, for example, setting up the assessment roll at the County and handling complaints once the project has been completed. Councilmember Dehen stated that Coon Rapids had an ordinance in place that required people to pave their driveways and the City does not have that. He stated that he thinks the City should consider putting an ordinance in place, but also whether this would be for the entire driveway or a segment that is, for example, 50 or 60 feet in from the road. He stated that there are a lot of long driveways in the City that are unpaved and would be a very large expense to pave the entire length. He suggested that the City establish an ordinance that requires paving be, for example, 10 feet wide and 50 feet long. He stated that it is a safety issue that should be addressed because the unpaved roads and driveways bring out gravel and dirt onto the paved roads. City Engineer Jankowski stated that he feels there are very few driveways that are only 10 feet wide. Public Works Committee !November 20, 2007 Page 6 of9