HomeMy Public PortalAbout03-04-1993 BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS AND SAFETY OF THE
CITY OF RICHMOND. INDIANA. MARCH 4. 199a
1 The Board of Public Works and Safety of the City of Richmond, Indiana, met at 9 a.m. Thursday, March 4,
2 1993, in the Municipal Building in said City. Chairman Janet Hibner presided with Earnest Jarvis in attendance.
3 Absent was Dennis Grimes. The following business was had to-wit:
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5 APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF FEBRUARY 25.1993
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7 The minutes of the February 25, 1993 meeting were approved on a motion by Jarvis,the Chair recognizing its
8 own second and the motion was carried by a unanimous voice vote.
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10 CLAIMS FOR PAYMENT
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12 Claims submitted by the City Controller's office were for $67,265 which Chairman Hibner explained included
13 $59,500 as a re-payment to the Department of Housing and Urban Development for the return of a rental
14 rehabilitation loan which the City was required to pay back as a result of audit findings in the rental rehabilitation
15 loan fund back to 1990. She added that those audit findings and deficiencies actually occurred prior to 1992 and
16 at this point in time the City is required to pay those back. Chairman Hibner moved to approve the claims,
17 second by Jarvis and the motion was carried by a unanimous voice vote.
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19 REQUESTS
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21 A.Jarvis read the handicapped parking request by Lawrence Hampton held over from the February 25
22 meeting because of a May 1993 expiration on Hampton's handicapped license plate which the Board
23 has learned is being renewed. After reading the letter from the Traffic Safety Division recommending
24 approval, Jarvis so moved, the Chair recognized its own second and the motion was carried by a
25 unanimous voice vote.
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27 B. In a letter read by Jarvis, Richmond March of Dimes WalkAmerica asked for approval of a new
28 10-mile route for its fund raiser April 24. It was accompanied by a letter from Captain Danny McClure,
29 head of the Traffic Safety Division, recommending a few changes. He said he talked with Scott Hinkley,
30 representing the group, and he had agreed with the changes. Recommendations included using the
31 pedestrian crossing at the South West 5th and National Road West traffic signal instead of crossing
32 National Road West at College Avenue which has no signal. Further suggestions included walking east
, 33 to South West 2nd Street, going south on South West 2nd Street to South West G Street then proceed
34 as requested across the bridge. Since safety continues to be a big concern on these type of events,
35 participants were urged to stay on the sidewalks.Jarvis moved to approve the revised route,the Chair
36 recognized its own second and the motion was carried by a unanimous voice vote.
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38 C. Jarvis read a letter from Tom Bivens, interim director of Main Street Richmond-Wayne County,
39 requesting permission to use the Promenade for a boat and patio show Friday and Saturday, April
40 16-17. Bivens was invited to step to the lecturn as was Mark Gasche, superintendent of the Parks &
41 Recreation Department.Chairman Hibner explained that she had requested Gasche attend because of
42 the Promenade Agreement with his department. Bivens said the Promenade has been used historically
43 on a limited basis and he felt there was a need to discuss long range use and access, hoping to reach
44 a compromise and suitable solution.Jarvis voiced his concern which was the maintenance of the brick,
45 noting that the Promenade was not built for vehicular traffic and the City has had claims filed by people
46 who have tripped and been injured because of the raised or lowered bricks. However, he said,the last
47 thing this Board wants to do is close down the facility for that type of event. Hibner concurred, saying
48 the City is interested in cooperating and wants to encourage pedestrian traffic but its overall concern is
49 how the City can continue to maintain it.
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51 Bivens said he also serves on the committee looking into fixing the Promenade which is nearly 25
52 years old. He added that the vast majority of the damage to the bricks is the normal settling and
53 concrete breakage, noting the biggest culprits responsible are the utilities neglecting to put the area
54 they're working on back in the same condition. Bivens said there is a four-inch concrete base under the
55 bricks and the areas where the biggest problems are occurring are those where the concrete base has
56 not been replaced. He said a total of 2,000 square feet has been identified as problem areas. Jarvis
57 asked Gasche if a representative of his department is on hand when a utility cuts into the brick on the
58 Promenade and Gasche said it is not common practice. Gasche suggested that when the area is
59 replaced it should be done in a different manner and Bivens responded that a different kind of sand is
60 being used, and is more like concrete making it a harder surface. Bivens said plans are to use garden
61 tractors to place the boats on the Promenade and those boats will be more along the order of pleasure
62 boats and fishing boats and no cruisers. He said the suggestion was made by City Engineer Bob Wiwi
63 to put a piece of plywood under the wheels to distribute the wheel base weight.
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Board of Works Minutes Cont'd
March 4, 1993
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1 Gasche explained that he felt the Board of Works is the proper body to give permission for various
2 functions on the Promenade rather than the Park Board. However, he had no problem with the
3 maintenance remaining the responsibility of his department. Chairman Hibner explained that it wasn't
4 until a few months ago that her department became aware that a Promenade agreement exists. Bivens
5 responded that the agreement with the Park Department was a grey area and he felt a need for a clear.
6 understanding. Jarvis asked if Bivens knew of any fund in his area that would pay for any damages
7 should they occur. Bivens said he knew there was a sizeable amount of event insurance but he would
8 have to check that out. This event, he said, is going through the marketing committee of Main Street
9 Richmond/Wayne County.
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11 Jarvis suggested that the boats be put in place at night, moving the smallest boats in first. He said he
12 certainly did not plan to stifle Promenade activities and perhaps it was possible to try one event at a
13 time. Chairman Hibner asked Bivens to check on the insurance. Jarvis recommended approval of the
14 request, the Chair recognized its own second and the motion was carried by a unanimous voice vote.
15 Jarvis advised Bivens that he would work with him on the procedure for setting the boats up and would
16 also get Captain McClure involved.
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18 D. Chairman Hibner introduced the fiscal plan for the Southeast area annexation. She explained that
19 the document,which contains several pages, is the basis of the annexation ordinance for the Southeast
20 area which will be presented at the March 15 meeting of the Common Council. She said the reason it
21 has come before this Board is because it does spell out what is required by the City to be provided to
22 that area which is North of Hodgin Road and west of the state boundary line, amounting to 1,080 acres.
23 She said the primary`services to be provided to the annexed territory would be police and fire
24 protection.She noted that the annexation costs are $49,491 and the annexation revenue anticipated is
25 $48,613, leaving a net cost to the City of$877 for this particular annexation.Jarvis pointed out that this
26 area includes the South 37th Street project which will eventually span the area from East Main to
27 Hodgin Road and also the connection of South A to. South 37th Street. He said when the project is
28 finished the City will have a nice new corridor out there which is going to open up a lot more area for
29 housing and for development for commercial or industrial use.
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31 UNSAFE BUILDING HEARING
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33 Chairman Hibner reported that a notice was issued February 3, 1993, to AID Associates in Indianapolis as the
34 owner of 1134 North J Street to repair or demolish the dwelling which has been boarded up for the past several
35 years. A certified mail receipt is on file in the Department of Law, Permits and Inspections as proof the owners
36 received the notice. Chairman Hibner said her department recommends that this Board affirm the request. She
37 so moved,a second was made by Jarvis and the motion was carried by a unanimous voice vote.
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39 OTHER MATTERS
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41 A. Assistant Fire Chief Joe Pierce appeared before the Board to advise members of the promotion of
42 Engineer Clarence Coble to Lieutenant and the retirement of Lt. Richard Kuhlenbeck after 22 years of
43 service.Coble's promotion is effective after February 25 and he will be serving a six-month probationary
44 period. Both Jarvis and Chairman Hibner voiced their appreciation to Kuhlenbeck for his service to the
45 City. Jarvis recommended that the documents be accepted into the city records, with the Chair
46 recognizing its own second and carried by a unanimous voice vote. -
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48 B. Police Chief Dennis Rice submitted a 118-page annual report containing activities and
49 accomplishments of his department during .1992. He noted that it is quite a detailed report and even
50 includes requests to the Traffic Safety Division from the Board of Public.Works & Safety. Chief Rice
51 said he will provide copies of the report to the news media, Council members,the Mayor and one will
52 be on file in the City Clerk's office.
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54 Chief Rice advised the Board that his department is putting into operation a new crime prevention
55 program which will be offered to business owners. He introduced Detective Jon Carrico who explained
56 the program, noting the old crime alert system which was a telephone tree with the Police Department
57 getting the last call. Seeing a need to narrow the alert of forged checks to a couple of days,Carrico said
58 this program was developed;using a fax modem donated by Wal Mart and a wind fax program which
59 Rosa's Inc. is allowing them to use. Missing is a grey scale scanner which is needed to round out the
60 program. So far 10 to 12 businesses have been solicited to raise funds to purchase the scanner,
61 Carrico said. He pointed out that whether the businesses donate or not they will still get the service,
62 adding that the modem and the program is already installed. He said they will also be faxing out an
63 agreement.the businesses will be asked to abide by asking that confidentiality be honored. Carrico
64 added that he feels this is a good program and can't help but prevent crime.Those businesses wishing
65 to contribute may call 983-7247 and ask for Lt. Chris Wolski, who is in charge of the Crime Prevention
Program,or Carrico.
Board of Works Minutes Cont'd
March 4, 1993
Page 3
1 Scott Hinkley, arriving late, appeared before the Board to field any questions members might have
2 about the WalkAmerica event appearing earlier on the agenda. He said they were trying to get more
3 volunteers with vans to pick up people who were tired or help anywhere problems occurred.
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5 Jane Brookbank, Chairperson for the RP& L Board of Directors, spoke to the Board about a letter she
6 - understood had been drafted addressing the issue of the request made by the RP & L Board
7 concerning the TCI offer. Honoring Brookbank's request, Chairman Hibner read the letter in its entirety.
8 - (See complete letter in the RP& L Correspondence file in the City Clerk's office). Chairman Hibner said
9 copies will be sent to all Councilmembers who also serve as RP& L Board of Directors and Brookbank
10 said she would read the letter again at the RP& L Board meeting March 15.
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12 ADJOURNMENT
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14 There being no further business, on a motion duly made seconded and passed and carried on a unanimous
15 voice vote,the meeting was adjourned.
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23 Janet Hibner, Chairperson
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31 Norma Carnes, Clerk
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