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HomeMy Public PortalAbout09-03-1992 6 BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS AND D SAFETYQF CITY OF RICHMOND, INDIANA. SEPTEMBER 3. 1992 1 The Board of Public Works and Safety of the City of Richmond, Indiana, met in regular session on Thursday, 2 September 3, 1992 in said City. Thomas Milligan presided with Earnest Jarvis and Dennis Grimes in attendance. 3 The following business was had to-wit: 4 5 APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF AUGUST 27.1992 6 7 The minutes of the previous meeting were approved on a motion by Grimes, second by Jarvis and carried by a 8 unanimous voice vote. 9 10 APPROVAL OF CLAIMS FOR PAYMENT 11 12 Claims were presented in the amount of $33,167.11 with the major portion, $23,000, paid to Star Bank for wire 13 transfer of funds to cover the health insurance claims. Grimes moved to approve the claims, second by Jarvis 14 and carried by a unanimous voice vote. 15 16 REQUESTS 17 18 A. Jarvis presented a request for a handicapped parking space made by Jesse K. Michaels at 348 19 S.W. 2nd Street. According to the Traffic Division report read by Jarvis, the residence does not meet 20 the requirements of the ordinance. Michaels had been advised of its finding and notified that he might 21 want to appear before the Board. However, he was not present. Jarvis moved to deny the request, 22 second by Grimes and carried by a unanimous voice vote. 23 24 B. A request for a handicapped parking space made by Hattie Hamler of 825 N. H Street, was 25 presented by Jarvis. The Traffic Division the ordinance requirements were not met. Hamler appeared 26 before the Board, explaining that her landlord asked her not to use the rear of the property for parking. 27 She added that the back yard and alley are not shoveled in the winter. Grimes commented that the 28 Board tries to be consistent in granting the requests, adding that maintenance of private property is not 29 a consideration. The motion to deny the request was mde by Jarvis, second by Grimes and carried by 30 a unanimous voice vote. 31 32 C.Jarvis presented a request for a handicapped parking sign next to People's Loan &Trust Bank at 7th 33 and Promenade. A letter from Captain Danny McClure, head of the Traffic Division, stated there are 34 three handicapped spaces at that intersection. He stated he had talked with the owner of Phillip's 35 Drugs, Ray Zaleski, who agreed to have the space on the west side moved to the east side and 7th 36 Street, south of the Promenade, but asked that it be replaced with a loading zone. Jarvis made a 37 motion to that effect,second by Grimes and carried by a unanimous voice vote. 38 39 D. Grimes presented a request from People's Loan & Trust at 7th and Promenade for two 15-minute 40 parking places on 7th Street. The request was reviewed by the Traffic Division which recommended 41 denial because it would be inconsistent with parking in the downtown area and difficult to enforce. 42 43 Edward Dunham, vice president of People's Loan &Trust Bank, reported to the Board that last year at 44 its meeting with the City planners the bank was promised the two parking spaces. He showed the map 45 to Board members. City Engineer Robert Wiwi told the Board that the City agreed to the two 15-minute 46 parking spaces. Dunham said the bank rents 10 spots in the parking garage for its employees leaving 47 its parking lot open to customers. Milligan stated that in light of the agreement the Board was 48 committed to go along but he suggested a review after six months of operation. Grimes made the 49 motion to approve the request with that stipulation, second by Jarvis and carried by a unanimous voice 50 vote. 51 52 E. The Board heard a request from Greg Grothaus, Main Street Director, asking for the closing of the 53 service drive between North 7th and 8th streets during the Fall Festival October 9 and 10. Grothaus 54 assured the Board that, in case it's needed,the drive could be cleared within a matter of a few minutes. 55 Grimes made the motion to approve the request, second by Jarvis and carried by a unanimous voice 56 vote. 57 58 F.Jarvis read a second request from Grothaus for approval of the route for the Main Street Christmas 59 60 Parade to begin at 16th and East Main Street and end at 10th and Main. Granting the request would require traffic to be diverted around the area for an hour. Captain McClure had no objections but said 61 that since it was a weekend,officers would be working at overtime rates. He also asked that organizers 62 meet with the Traffic Division at least two weeks prior to the event. Jarvis moved to grant the request, 63 second by Grimes and carried by a unanimous voice vote. 64 65 Board of Works Minutes Cont'd September 3, 1992 Page 2 1 G. Grimes read a request from the Richmond Life Chain committee for a demonstration between 2 and 2 3:30 p.m. October 4. Mark Beliles spoke on behalf of the event to be sponsored by the Christian Life 3 Coalition of Miami Valley of Ohio. Since no streets will be blocked the Traffic Division had no objections 4 provided the pedestrian traffic will not be hindered. 5 6 Bellies told Board members that the nationwide event will be held in more than 700 cities using local 7 citizens, local volunteers. The location will be downtown on 8th and 9th streets forming a route in the 8 shape of a cross. The alternate route will extend as far on East Main as sidewalks permit. Participants 9 will be standing shoulder to shoulder or, in some instances, standing about 15 feet apart. Grimes 10 moved to grant the request,second by Jarvis and carried by a unanimous voice vote. 11 12 CONTRACTS 13 14 A.The agreement between Wayne Township and the City of Richmond for fire protection for 1993 was 15 approved through a motion by Jarvis, second by Grimes and carried by a unanimous voice vote. As in 16 previous years, the agreement was negotiated through the allocation of cost made by the City 17 Controller based on the actual budget of the fire department for 1993. It stated that Wayne Township 18 will pay the City$305,072.00. The agreement, based upon the assessed valuation of Wayne Township 19 outside the corporation of Richmond and Spring Grove, was prepared and executed by Violet 20 Backmeyer,Wayne Township Trustee and three members of the Township Advisory Board. 21 22 B. Vicki Stevens, Purchasing Manager, presented a bid for the Infill Housing project to the Board. 23 Grimes opened it, acknowledging it was the only bid received and was made by D &J Mobile Homes, 24 one of 11 companies contacted. He handed it to Milligan who announced that all the documents were in 25 order then passed the bid on to Jarvis who noted the amount of the bid was $322,741.78. The chair 26 announced it would entertain a motion to take the bid under advisement with the intention of awarding 27 the contract at its September 10 meeting. Jarvis so moved, second by Grimes and carried by a 28 unanimous voice vote. 29 30 C. The Board approved a lease between Star Bank and the City of Richmond for the vacant store 31 building at 814 Promenade to be used by the Department of Planning and Redevelopment, through a 32 motion by Jarvis, second by Grimes and carried by a unanimous voice vote. According to the terms 33 agreed upon, the City will lease the building for six months for the total rent of $1,200 or $200 per 111 34 month plus$175 a month for utilities.This will be funded by the Redevelopment Commission. 35 36 D. Jarvis brought before the Board a request for the City to enter into an agreement with Gohmann 37 Asphalt & Construction Co. of Clarksville, which is working on the North 10th Street bridge, to haul 38 concrete pieces to Sim Hodgin Parkway and dump them there for use on the Parkway bank or to fill in 39 the area in front of the dam. Jarvis made a motion to sign the agreement, second by Grimes and 40 carried by a unanimous voice vote. 41 42 HEARING 43 44 In response to a request by Reid Hospital to appeal the Fire Department's citation under the false alarm 45 control ordinance, the Board heard comments from Fire Chief James Sticco and Helen Sizemore and 46 John Conley from Reid Hospital.The ordinance was adopted by Common Council in December, 1991. 47 48 Chief Sticco explained that the ordinance is not a get-rich scheme but adopted in hopes of cutting down 49 on the amount of false alarms answered by the fire department. He said it allows every person who has 50 an alarm system which rings into central dispatch three false alarms per year. 51 52 After the third false alarm the person or business is charged a$100 fine for the fourth, $200 for the fifth, 53 $300 for the sixth and$300 for each additional false alarm. 54 55 At the time the fine invoice was sent to Reid,the fire department had answered six false alarms. Sticco 56 said his concern is that those involved will adopt a cry wolf syndrome and become complacent and not 57 respond. He said Reid has experienced three more false alarms since the invoice was sent. All of these 58 occurred in August. He said the fire department was willing to work with Reid to try to help resolve the 59 problem.He added that his department answered 27 false alarms at Reid in 1990 and 1991. 60 61 Sizemore said Reid was not aware of the fines imposed by the ordinance. She said this is not a dollar 62 issue and agreed that the ordinance is needed and necessary but her major concern is that these fines 63 indicate carelessness on the part of Reid Hospital and that is not the case. 64 65 Board of Works Minutes Cont'd September 3, 1992 Page 3 1 2 Conley, in charge of maintenance of the fire alarm system, said the cause of the two false alarms was 3 work with torches. A broken steam pipe in the linen sorting room caused two more. Sizemore 4 commented that Reid's system is responding as it should. 5 6 Milligan suggested the Board take the matter under advisement in order for Reid to obtain more 7 information from someone who can explain why the steam set off two false alarms the same day. He 8 said that information can be made available either by letter or in person. Sizemore asked for a definition 9 of a false alarm. Sticco responded that a false alarm is any alarm where the fire department responds 10 and is not needed. Grimes made the motion to take the matter under advisement, Milligan recognized 11 the chair's own second and the motion was carried. 12 13 OTHER MATTERS 14 15 A.John Whalen Jr. of 1308 North A Street appeared before the Board protesting that three years ago 16 the City painted the curb yellow in front of his house. They made an error and painted 43 feet instead 17 of the 20 which is the norm. He shared photographs of the area with Board members to illustrate his 18 point. He added that parking is at a premium in the area. 19 20 Captain McClure told the Board that the area in question is a dangerous intersection and should have 21 an extended yellow curb. Whalen argued that what is needed there is a stoplight plus striped stalls to 22 divide the parking spaces. He added that there could be seven spaces there in that area and he feels 23 the City has a responsibility to the homeowners regarding parking. Milligan suggested that the situation 24 be reviewed by the Traffic Division,Jarvis and the Street Department to help alleviate the problem and 25 address the situation. 26 27 B. Milligan read a letter the Board had sent to Marcia Vanderbeck at HELP the Animals Inc. concerning 28 Tess,the pit bull dog belonging to Todd and Melissa Vitatoe. It advised the shelter that Melissa Vitatoe 29 was getting an insurance policy and directed the shelter not to destroy the dog. Another hearing has 30 been set for 9 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 10, to determine if the Vitatoes are in compliance with the 31 ordinance and have the necessary equipment which has been checked out by the animal control 32 officer. 33 34 Jarvis said he learned in a conversation earlier in the week with Dr. Carolyn Blakey, president of the 35 shelter, that an average of 100 dogs and cats are put to sleep each month. He commented that he 36 thinks it is a sad situation that Board members have received telephone calls from people concerned 37 about destroying a vicious dog yet seem unconcerned about those 100 animals. 38 39 Milligan pointed out that in both the Vitatoe case and the Hengstler case the owners have it within their 40 power to comply with the ordinance but they failed to do so. He added, that, as Chairman of the Board 41 of Public Works and Safety, he is concerned about the safety of the citizens of this City, particularly its 42 uniformed police officers. 43 44 C. Otto Meuser, head of the Department of Administration, read a proclamation by Mayor Cornett, 45 declaring September 4, 1992 as Courteous Driving Day.The Richmond Police Department encouraged 46 all city employees to turn on their head lights while driving their motor vehicles to bring attention to the 47 special day. Captain McClure thanked Meuser for reading the proclamation. He also reported that the 48 department was undergoing an intensive program of marking non-moving vehicles stored in yards. He 49 said 35 had been tagged in a five-to six-block area. 50 51 Mike Thomas of 428 Pearl Street lodged a complaint against the car tagging program,commenting that 52 he felt the City is not doing its part to help him and those who live in his neighborhood. He said the 53 curbs there need replaced and the alleys need repaired. He said he has been talking with City officials 54 for the past several years without any results. He said he has a truck in the back of his house which he 55 has been restoring for the past two years. He commented that he should have been informed about 56 the program and felt that the police had no right coming onto his property and ticketing the truck. 57 Thomas said he has a cattle gate at the rear of his property and a privacy fence on one side of his 58 property. Captain McClure said the reason the truck was ticketed is because it is visible from public 59 property. 60 61 ADJOURNMENT 62 63 There being no further business,on a motion duly made,seconded and passed the meeting was adjourned. 64 65 Thomas Milligan, Chairman ATTEST: Norma Carnes, City Clerk