Agenda - Council - 08/12/1997 - Laserfiche WebLink

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I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I CASE # 7 STORM DAMAGE By: Ryan R. Schroeder, City Administrator Background: As you know, the July 1, 1997 storm resulted in significant private and public damage throughout the community. As a result of the myriad of felled trees within the community, the City has undertaken the task of assisting in the clearing and removal activities associated with the storm. These activities are similar in nature to those undertaken by the neighboring communities of Elk River, Anoka, Andover, Coon Rapids and Blaine. For the past three weeks, we have been utilizing the City's chipper for a curbside chipping operation. We have found, however, that to limit the operation to just chipping will delay completion substantially beyond acceptable levels. Hence, as Council is aware, we have contracted with a elam track to assist in a hauling operation. Our four, 2.5 ton tracks, as well as trucks from other jurisdictions when available, are used to haul loads to one of two sites. The western location is at the east end of Bowers Drive on the A1 Pearson farm. The eastern location is the Anoka Regional Sanitary Landfill site. The contracted cost (hourly) is running at about $6,500/week for the clam truck. In addition to that are our in-house expenses. In addition to the above are neighborhood bums, recreational bums, and pine thinning operations. We have advertised that, on August 23, 1997, the City will allow for centralized neighborhood bums of storm debris (trees and brush). The property owner must take out a bum permit (fee waived), must follow rules set out by the Fire Department and must monitor the bum sites. The Fire Department will also be monitoring the bum sites on that day. Recreational fires are permitted generally throughout the City and some of that activity has been occurring. Finally, the DNR has arranged for a pine thinning operation which is being utilized for storm damage, an earlier neighborhood fire (from which a large pine forested area was destroyed), and for general thinning for Scotch pine plantings. By August 8, 1997, we believe the hauling/chipping operation will be half complete, leaving about three weeks to finish the bulk of the community. The contracted costs for this project, then, are expected to be $40,000. This exposure is currently unbudgeted. Additional are in- house labor costs which, at this point, we are expecting to cover through various existing budget lines. Given the above, we are requesting Council authorization to continue the operation to the expected outcome of a $40,000 expenditure. We are recommending that Council fund this expenditure as follows: Council Contingency: $18,000 EDA Fund 5,000 Insurance Reserve 17,000