HomeMy Public PortalAboutVII. COMMUNITY SERVICES.pdfAPRIL 2006 | RICHMOND, INDIANA |
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN COMMUNITY SERVICES
VII. COMMUNITY SERVICES
The City of Richmond will support and sustain a system of community services which
benefit the breadth of the demographic citizen population. Effective and direct communication
and cooperation between government, residents, agencies, businesses and educational
institutions shall together improve the quality of life throughout the entire community.
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VII. COMMUNITY SERVICES
A. Introduction
In the City of Richmond, the
community facilities are a key
ingredient in the overall identity
of the community. Many of the
U-plan participants commented
about their satisfaction with the
excellent public services of the
community. These amenities
help to persuade the participants
to remain in the community as a
result. The services include trash
collection, leaf and snow
removal, plus other similar services that promote public safety and a well-maintained
infrastructure. These types of public services help to keep the city functioning efficiently.
B. Goal and Objectives
Goal
Provide efficient public services and utilities to foster economic development and maintain
current levels of service. This will provide for the changing needs of the City's residents through
public safety, public health, and environmental stewardship, while promoting public welfare,
community pride, and economic well-being.
Objectives
1. Develop, maintain, and continually update a map indicating all sidewalks and streets.
Refer to the City of Richmond 10 Year Sidewalk plan.
2. Establish city-level procedures for the evaluation and approval/denial of future
infrastructure improvements.
3. Assess the impact of proposed infrastructure projects on financial resources of the City.
4. Consider a range of funding mechanisms including establishing area assessment districts
and the use of development impact fees to help fund these projects – roadway
improvements, sewer service, and storm water systems, etc.
5. Routinely evaluate initiatives in order to document impact and continually improve
efforts.
6. Prepare a unified comprehensive capital improvement plan that focuses on city issues
that require a coordination of public services for future development.
7. Develop a cell tower ordinance, and a plan for sighting of cell towers in the area.
Coordinate with Wayne County on cell tower regulations and zoning.
8. Coordinate all infrastructure improvements and plans with a City/County Infrastructure
Oversight Committee.
9. Conduct healthcare and support care needs assessment.
Wayne County Sheriff's Office and Correctional Center
Source: waynet.org
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C. Water and Sanitary Sewer
Issues and Findings
Clean and reliable water in Richmond is essential to the future quality of life in this growing city.
The Richmond Sanitary District’s wastewater treatment facility is an award winning facility that
has exceptional operation and maintenance of water pollution control, showcasing Richmond’s
commitment to achieving and preserving the highest standards of water.
Water
The City of Richmond relies on the Indiana American Water Company’s water production
system to be readily prepared to keep up with the City’s growth projections. Presently, Indiana
American Water Company actively services 16,000 accounts in Richmond that demands six to
seven million gallons daily (MGD) of water. This facility has three water treatment facilities, five
elevated tanks, two ground level tanks, and two booster stations that systemically function,
which results in a sustainable pumping capacity of eleven MGD. As a result, Indiana American
Water Company is able to provide approximately another three to four million gallons of water
per day.
The water distribution system consists of approximately 211 miles of water main that lie
primarily within the city limits, although it does border and exceed specific areas in the Wayne
County limits. When a developer proposes a water plan for approval and funds the water main
extension, the Indiana American Water’s engineers and the Indiana Department of
Environmental Management (IDEM) administer the approval process. The developer potentially
can solicit refunds from Indiana American Water, and customers that would tap into this water
main extension.
Sanitary Sewer
The Richmond sanitary district provides
sanitary sewer service. The City owns this
utility and provides residential, business,
and industrial customers with sewer
service, wastewater treatment,
trash/recyclables collection, and landfill
services. It also offers residential customers
several special services, such as household
hazardous waste removal, special pick-ups,
and roll-off container leasing. The
Richmond Sanitary District serves over
55,000 residential, business, and industrial
customers within the service area
including the City of Richmond, plus areas
west and north in Wayne and Center
townships.
The Richmond Sanitary District operates
through property taxes, monthly sewer bills, and user fees from the New Paris Pike Landfill.
Richmond Sanitary District operates under firm guidelines set by the United States
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and by the IDEM.
The Sewer Maintenance Department of the
Richmond Sanitary District
Source: City of Richmond website
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Strategies and Recommendations
W S S 1. Continue to Provide Water Services to Meet Current and Future Needs
Provide safe, clean, quality drinking water to every Richmond home, business, and industry.
Discourage development and use of private drinking water wells. Provide water pressures and
volumes necessary to support fire suppression hydrants and sprinkler systems. Ensure that the
infrastructure to support sewer service is in place prior to or at the time of development.
W S S 2. Upgrade Storm Water Sewer
Evaluate and upgrade storm water sewers in areas that are prone to flooding to help prevent
basement flooding and building damage.
W S S 3. Hidden Valley Erosion Prevention
In conjunction with the Hidden Valley Erosion Control Project, evaluate ways to prevent erosion
due to new development in Hidden Valley.
W S S 4. Improve Sanitary Sewer Drains
Evaluate and improve sanitary sewer drains including improvements along Chester Boulevard
and new drains to accommodate extra run-off on Sheridan Street near Northwest F Street and
combine sewer overflow (CSO) #6 at Liberty and South 5th Streets.
D. Street and Sanitary Department
Issues and Findings
Public works is responsible for maintenance and repair of the city’s roadway infrastructure
system, the collection of residential and commercial refuse, plus the removal of recyclable
materials and yard waste. Fluctuations in the city’s population affect the amount of
infrastructure needed by the community. This fluctuation directly impacts maintenance and
operational costs.
Street Department
The Street Department is responsible for any
problems with the streets or sidewalks in
Richmond. These problems include mending
cracked, chipped, or broken curbs, plus
repairing street and sidewalk surfaces. In
addition, the department receives requests
from residents for asphalt resurfacing, and
assists residents who choose to do their own
curbs or sidewalk repairs by providing the
concrete.
The street department keeps the city’s streets
and city owned parking lots clean by scheduling street sweeping three times each year. Leaf and
snow removal are provided as needed with the main thoroughfares cleared first, followed by the
secondary, residential streets. Salt is applied to all streets for public safety. Teams that divide the
city into four sections attend to both of these services efficiently and quickly.
Curbs Being Replaced Along West Main Street, 2004
Source: City of Richmond website
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The Street Department oversees the maintenance of all city street trees, which includes
trimming, planting, stump removal, and the removal of limbs and fallen trees due to weather.
Approval by the Street Department must be obtained before removal of a city tree.
Recycling
The City has a recycling program to help prolong the capacity of the public landfill. Plastic
recycling containers, Richie Rollers, are available to all residents who want to participate.
Residents have a choice of two different sizes of containers. The City offers this service at no
charge to city residents. The daily pickup schedule is based on location of neighborhood.
Landfill
The New Paris Pike Landfill has been in operation since 1968. The original landfill cell closed in
January 1993, since a new state of the art landfill cell opened. In order to keep materials out of the
landfill that do not have to be buried, the landfill has several different dumpsites including: a
skid/pallet dumpsite, a brush dumpsite, and a clean fill dumpsite. Storm water runoff and
groundwater is sampled semiannually at the New Paris Pike Landfill to determine the quality of
the water. The samplings monitor changes and comply with IDEM and EPA requirements.
Trash Collection
Richmond Sanitary District collects trash from residential customers once a week, but does not
pick up any type of construction or demolition materials. This type of material must be taken to
the New Paris Pike Landfill, where it will be weighed on the scales and incur a disposal charge of
$19.50 per ton with a $4.50 minimum.
This department provides residents with one Rosie Roller trash container in the size of their
choice [32 gallon, 65 gallon, or 90 gallon]. Second containers are $1.00 a month added to the
resident’s sewer/water bill. Business customers and a few residential customers living in multi-
family dwelling use the three cubic yard containers (or dumpsters) leased by the Richmond
Sanitary District for $80.00 a year. This charge is for the cost of container maintenance, and it
must be paid in full before the container will be delivered to the site.
Industrial Pretreatment (Sanitary Labs)
The goal of the District's industrial pretreatment program is to continue a non-interfering,
biologically treatable wastewater, to protect the East Fork of the Whitewater River from toxic
chemicals and heavy metals. This program creates and maintains high quality, land applicable
sludge, and protects the employees from hazardous substances that could be released from an
industrial setting.
The Richmond Sanitary District's industrial pretreatment program is mandated as a provision of
the District's National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permit No. IN 0025615 and is
regulated through the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and Indiana
Department of Environmental Management. The Richmond Sanitary District follows a number
of procedures to ensure the USEPA’s goals are met.
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Strategies and Recommendations
S S D 1. Evaluate and Develop Sidewalk Maintenance Schedule
Develop a sidewalk replacement schedule based on anticipated needs with a provision for
improving the efficiency of sidewalk maintenance. Implement the City of Richmond Sidewalk
Plan. Continue to maintain sidewalks throughout the city, repair both public and private new
sidewalks.
S S D 2. Develop Street and Sidewalk Standards
Establishment of street and sidewalk development standards that promote pedestrian use,
incorporates an increase in the appropriate species of street trees, and become ADA compliant by
2015.
S S D 3. Update Street Department Equipment as Needed
Evaluate Street Department equipment and replace antiquated equipment with modern efficient
equipment.
S S D 4. Solid Waste Education and Reduction
Reduce the production of waste, recycle waste that is produced, and properly manage and
dispose of waste that is not recycled. Provide education and outreach to businesses and the
public on benefits and opportunities of waste reduction and recycling.
S S D 5. Develop a Unified Capital Improvement Plan
Develop a Unified Capital Improvement Plan for all utilities.
S S D 6. Develop Internal City Procedures for the Evaluation and Approval of Infrastructure
Improvements
Develop city policies and procedures to evaluate recommendations for city infrastructure
improvements, extensions and changes.
S S D 7. Design Street Storm Water Sewer on SW 4th Street
Design storm water sewer improvements for streets and upgrades to the SW 4th Street area to
prevent basement flooding.
S S D 9. Improve Chester Boulevard Sanitary Sewer
Design and install sanitary sewer improvements to Chester Boulevard.
S S D 10. Install New Drains to Accommodate Extra Run-Off
Install new drains on Sheridan Street drainage near Sheridan and NW F Street Combined Sewer
Overflow (CSO) #6 – putting in new drains at Liberty and South 5th Streets.
S S D 11. Develop Sanitary Sewer Extension Policies
Develop sanitary sewer extension polices to ensure that land is annexed into the City of
Richmond where proposed sanitary sewer extensions occur.
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E. Public Safety
Issues and Findings
One of the primary concerns of the City of Richmond is the safety of its citizens. The threat of
crime and fire, as well as other individual or community disasters, requires a concerted effort to
provide highest quality of public safety services for the protection of citizens and their property.
Fire Department
The fire department is certified at a
Class 4 rating by the Insurance Service
Office as of 1996 with Class 1 being the
best protection and Class 10 indicating
no recognized protection. The entire
Richmond Fire Department consists of
six stations located throughout the
community. The station houses were
built between 1962 and 1975, with two
stations built in 1975. Multiple fire
stations respond when there is a fire. As
of February 24, 2000, the Richmond Fire
Department covers about twenty-three
square miles with an additional
contractual protection encompassing
sixty-two square miles all together. It
operates a 24-hour Basic Life Support
ambulance out of Station 1. The fire department operates the ambulance as a backup or
secondary to Rural/Metro. The fire department maintains fire prevention education as a top
priority involving school children and homeowners.
Fire Station Locations
· Station #1 - 101 South 5th Street -
built in 1969
· Station #2 - 930 Winding Ridge
Drive - built in 1975
· Station #3 - 4300 Woodside Drive
- built in 1975
· Station #4 - 801 South "L" Street -
built in 1962
· Station #5 - 1971 West Main Street
- built in 1972
· Station #6 - 1501 NW 5th Street -
built in 1960
Richmond Holiday Parade 2001
Source: waynet.org
Richmond Kiwanis Safety Village
Source: waynet.org
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Police Department
The Richmond Police Department is located at 50 North 5th Street with ninety-five employees.
The police department specializes in multiple divisions such as community policing, professional
standards, crime lab, S.W.A.T., information systems, traffic safety, investigative services, water
rescue team, patrol, youth services & D.A.R.E., records division, and K9 patrol. In 2002, the
department began “community policing,” which helps to maintain the relationship between the
department and the community. The Water Rescue division formed in 1991, teamed up with the
Richmond Fire Department later in 1992 to strengthen the number of participants and further
training efforts. Children’s safety continues with the D.A.R.E. program and the safety village,
(only one of two permanent safety villages in the State of Indiana) and is located on the campus
of the Richmond State Hospital. Re-accreditation of the police department took place on
November 20, 2002.
Strategies and Recommendations
P S 1. Evaluate Current Facilities and the Number of Employees
The growth of public safety departments should be in conjunction with the population of the
City of Richmond. Evaluate the necessity and effect of reducing facilities and/or employees to
create a more appropriate ratio and help combat rising operating costs.
P S 2. Continue Mutual Aid Agreement
Maximize the investment of the mutual aid agreement with all of Wayne County’s fire and police
departments for safety, fire suppression, medical services, and the continued partnership with
Rural Metro for transportation to Reid Hospital.
P S 3. Update Fire Safety Equipment
Update the fire department with a new fire truck in the next year with two more in the next 5
years. Assess the need of a new command vehicle and possible improvements to the
communication system.
P S 4. Assess Funding Needs for Fireman Training
Appropriate the need for additional funding for training of new employees to better handle new
technology, so they may provide professional safety services to Richmond’s citizens.
F. Natural Gas, Electric and Telecommunications
Issues and Findings
Utility systems in the City of Richmond include
electric power, natural gas, and telecommunications.
Reliable, affordable, and efficient utilities can dictate
the level of success that a community enjoys. It is
tremendously important to plan for future demands to
insure that the utility infrastructure will be able to
sustain any changes in use. It is also important that the
city remain technologically advanced so as to remain
competitive with neighboring cities and towns. All
utilities in the Richmond area are operated by public
utility districts or private companies.
Vectren Coverage Map
Source: vectren.com
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Natural Gas
Vectren Energy supplies natural gas to 16,123 customers throughout the City of Richmond.
Vectren provides gas and/or electricity to over one million customers in nearly two-thirds of
Indiana and west central Ohio. Gas transmission and distribution lines are located along main
thoroughfares and lateral service mains would be required for future development within this
area. Costs to extend natural gas services are typically paid by the developer or owner. Future
development would determine the extent and timing of future expansion or upgrade of services.
The key contributor in the past has been coordination of the city with Vectren and other utility
service providers. This coordination will be beneficial in the future to promote open
communications and coordination of construction projects in the Richmond area.
Electric
Richmond Power & Light (RP&L) is a municipal electric system owned and operated by the City
of Richmond, Indiana. RP&L’s system includes electric transmission, distribution, substation
and power production facilities, including a coal-fired electric generating plant with a combined
capacity of 93 MW. RP&L presently serves approximately 22,100 retail customers located in and
around the city. In addition to its own generation, RP&L is a member of the Indiana Municipal
Power Agency (IMPA), which was created to provide wholesale power to its member municipal
utilities. Residential, commercial, industrial, and street light services are engineered to meet all
safety requirements while providing an economical solution for meeting the needs of each
individual customer. Service installations and/or improvements are provided either overhead or
underground. Costs for these services are dependent upon the service configuration and class of
service provided. Distribution system upgrades and extensions are perpetual as needed. RP&L
continually evaluates system reliability, performing tree trimming and necessary facility
maintenance to provide the most reliable service possible.
RP&L currently operates twenty-seven electrical distribution substations and is currently
planning the construction of two 69/13.8 kV substations in 2006. One substation provides
service to the Johns-Manville plant expansion and the other provides service in the northeast
quadrant of Richmond, which includes the new Reid Hospital, Indiana University East/Ivy Tech
campus and the surrounding residential and commercial customers. RP&L also provides various
services to insure the most efficient use of the customer’s electric service, including power
monitoring, load monitoring, and infrared thermal imaging to reveal dangerous
overloaded/defective facilities. RP&L provides various means to pay for electric service,
including on-line billing, budget billing, or convenient personal customer service. RP&L has
long been recognized as an outstanding utility. The American Public Power Association has
recognized RP&L with its Golden Tree and Community Service Awards. RP&L has also been
twice awarded APPA’s prestigious E.F. Scattergood System Achievement Award.
Telecommunications
In an effort to enhance the telecommunications infrastructure in and around Richmond, Indiana
and to create a valuable factor for economic development, Richmond Power & Light created the
telecom division, Parallax Systems. It also provides broadband service to Richmond, as well as
Winchester, Lynn and Cambridge City, Indiana. Now in operation for over four years this
development provides numerous benefits. A fiber-optic Gigabit Ethernet architecture designed
in conjunction with an existing, internally utilized SONET ring configuration is the primary
source of telecommunication services for the community,
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More recently, their efforts are directed at becoming the premier service provider for business
Internet and broadband needs. With a fiber backbone in excess of 90 miles and an extensive
wireless network, a multi-faceted delivery system was created. Dark-fiber leasing is considered
beneficial to public and private sectors alike. Current uses include distant learning,
telecommuting, and Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP), to mention a few.
As an Internet Service Provider (ISP), Parallax Systems offers reliable access, e-mail and hosting
options. The introduction of anti-Spam and virus protection software was met with
overwhelming customer approval. Parallax Systems also works with commercial businesses to
assist them with network administration.
Strategies and Recommendations
N G E T 1. Work with Private Utilities to Expand Service Levels, Especially to Support
Industrial Development
To meet the future needs the city should continue to work with utility providers to ensure that
service levels are met. Full electric, natural gas, telephone, and high speed Internet service should
be available to the city’s designated industrial and office areas.
N G E T 2. Develop a Cellular Tower Ordinance and Guidelines
To better serve the city’s citizens and aesthetic character a cellular tower ordinance should be
put in place along with guidelines regulating the location, height, and type of cellular tower
locations in the Richmond area.
G. Healthcare
Issues and Findings
Richmond offers state of the art healthcare facilities to serve its residents and the surrounding
area, with a ratio of one physician to every 175 residents. Within the two-mile fringe, there are
two large hospitals and a multiplicity of other facilities that include nursing homes, mental
health facilities, and a center for the developmentally disabled. The main facilities include
Richmond State Hospital, Wayne County Health Clinic, and Eastern Indiana Center for
Ambulatory Surgery and Reid Hospital.
Richmond State Hospital
This is the largest hospital in Richmond with six
hundred and two beds for the mentally ill.
Richmond State Hospital is one of five major, mental
health facilities in the state providing inpatient
psychiatric treatment for adults and children of age
eight and older. Located at 498 N.W. 18th Street, this
hospital also provides chemical dependency services,
vocational training for hospital patients, and referrals
for follow-up care once patients have been released.
The hospital provides care at a regional level for
multiple counties in the area. No one is denied
services because of inability to pay.
Richmond State Hospital Administration Building
Source: www.richmondstatehospital.org
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Reid Hospital & Health Care Services
Reid Hospital is currently located at 1401 Chester Boulevard or U.S. 27 and will soon move to a
brand new facility just 1.5 miles away. This is a three hundred and sixty-nine bed, non-profit
hospital that opened in 1905. There are more than
one hundred and thirty doctors practicing in a
variety of specialized fields. The hospital has over
eight hundred volunteers and accepts donations to
support the hospital’s programs, facilities, and
equipment. Reid Hospital serves as a regional
referral center for seven counties in the area.
Services include inpatient, outpatient, emergency
care, an intensive/coronary care unit, a step-up
telemetry unit, two medical units, two surgical units,
a pediatric unit, a maternal/child health unit, a
psychiatric unit, an on-site chemical dependency
unit, a kidney dialysis center, a regional cancer and
blood disease center, plus hospice and home care
Currently the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations (JCAHO), the
Indiana State Department of Health, Medicare/Medicaid, American Association of Blood Banks,
and the American College of Surgeons Community Cancer Program accredit the hospital.
The New Reid Hospital is expected to open its doors in 2007 and will be a state of the art
medical facility located on a one hundred acre site. The campus will include all of the same
services located in the previous facility, plus new and expanded services.
Emergency Medical Services
The primary Emergency Medical Service (EMS) provider in the Richmond area is Rural/Metro
who has a contract with Wayne County. Rural/Metro supplies Basic and Advanced Life Support
emergency services and operates out of their station located at 715 Sim Hodgin Parkway.
Medical direction is provided through Reid Hospital Emergency Department physicians for the
City of Richmond Fire Department and Rural/Metro. Medical direction includes approval of
Standard Operating Procedures, issuing Standing Orders, Case management and Audit and
Review Services. Both services operate under the laws and rules of the Indiana EMS Commission.
Emergency 911 services are provided by the County’s Emergency Communications Department.
City and County law enforcement, fire service and EMS all use this enhanced 911 system. The
Emergency Operations Board provides oversight of the department’s operation.
Strategies and Recommendations
H 1. Encouragement of Healthcare-Related Businesses by Existing Medical Centers
The City of Richmond is to encourage the location of healthcare-related businesses to be in close
proximity to established and proposed medical centers. The city will encourage these health care
services to be located in groupings or clusters that are compatible in scale with the surrounding
land uses and that serve the needs of the community.
H 2. Evaluate and Assess the Need for Support Care Services
The City of Richmond in conjunction with local medical centers shall evaluate and assess the
need for support care services for patients and their family members, such as the Ronald
McDonald House, to provide accommodations or relaxing atmosphere away from the hospital.
The New Reid Hospital (Rendering)
Source: www.reidhosp.com
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H. Community Services Maps
1. Utilities
2. Community Facilities Quadrant 1
3. Community Facilities Quadrant 2
4. Community Facilities Quadrant 3
5. Community Facilities Quadrant 4
6. Community Facilities Quadrant 5