Agenda - Council - 04/24/2007 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Ratify the recommendation of the Public Works Committee. Case #10 Parking Ramp Safety Concerns Background: A disposal chute was incorporated into the design of the parking ramp in an effort to assist in the efficient removal of snow. The snow disposal chute is located in the southwest corner of the ramp and has openings on the top of the ramp as well as on the third level. At street level there is an opening facing Civic Center Drive large enough to allow tandem axle trucks to enter beneath the chute and be loaded. At the March 20, 2007 Committee meeting it was discussed that a safety issue may exist in that the openings could allow an inattentive bicyclist to crash and project over the wall and into the snow chute. Staff has developed a low cost plan for securing the snow chute openings on both the top and third levels which consists of a bar grate constructed of 2" steel tubes spaced 4' on center. The grate will be hinged on the top floor and removable on the third level. The grating will be locked in place except during snow removal operations. The cost of the work will be $400 and staff has taken the initiative of ordering the work so that it can be in place as soon as possible. Action: None required Case #11 Lighting at the Municipal Parking Ramp Background: At the March 13, 2007 Public Works Committee meeting the Commission directed that staff investigate and report on how the level of lighting at the parking ramp might be reduced. Building code requires a minimum level of lighting be provided inside parking ramps, even during daylight hours. The lighting at the ramp is controlled by time clock with an overriding light level sensor. The suggestion that upper levels of the parking ramp be shut down until a higher use occurs is problematic since the elevators cannot be restricted to certain operate at less than full range. In addition, it would not be feasible to restrict non vehicular access to a portion of the ramp. However, staff is in the process of obtaining software and a laptop computer which would allow some manipulation of the level of lighting within the ramp. A reduced lighting level could be provided during low use periods such as between 11 pm and 4 am. There are surveillance cameras within the ramp and staff is working to determine how much the lighting can be reduced without compromising the function of this equipment. The cost of the software and laptop is