RIPON CITY COUNCIL

SPECIAL MEETING MINUTES

June 21, 2007

The meeting was called to order at 6:00 p.m.

ROLL CALL: Council Members Elden “Red” Nutt, Michael P. Restuccia, Vice Mayor Chuck Winn, Mayor Curt Pernice

Absent: Council Member Dean Uecker

Others Present: City Administrator Leon Compton, City Attorney Tom Terpstra, City Clerk Lynette Van Laar, Deputy City Clerk Jeanne Hall, Information Systems Technician Dan Brannon, Lorraine Goff, Bernice Finley, Tom Taylor, John Nutt, Danielle Pierce, Barbara Schneider, Gerry Nies, Brigitte Long, Stuart Long, Ginger Eskes, Kim Anderson, Jeff Frase, Garry Krebbs, Joseph Treas, Miguel B~~.

PUBLIC DISCUSSION

1.          MAIN STREET REHABILITATION

             Continue discussing options for the Main Street Rehabilitation.

             (Continued from June 19, 2007.)

             Discussion/Action.

Mayor Pernice opened the meeting by calling for public discussion.

Kim Anderson, Ripon, said she drove the roadway, and the 4-lane section under dispute is only a small segment of Main Street. She said that Main Street starts with 2-lanes and ends with 2-lanes. The goal is to make Main Street esthetically pleasing, and make a connection to the community. The beautification is important to the community, and she said she cannot see the downside of all the landscaping. She said we would not be losing anything by with the improvements. People do not want vast expanses of concrete, she said.

Stu Long, Ripon, said that these projects get people involved in their community. He said there is plenty of room on both sides of the sidewalk on Main Street from the Chamber office to the Dentist’s office. If there are only two lanes, how will the fire trucks get around the cars, he asked.

Mayor Pernice said that the vote on June 19 eliminated the center raised median so that emergency vehicles could maneuver around other vehicles.

End of public comments

Ross Ainsworth, President, Omni-Means Engineers, said he was there to answer questions. He said that City Engineer Werner provided him with the summary of comments made at the workshop. One comment from Ward Schemper said that he applauded the City for wanting to improve Main Street. His concern was the entrance to Main Street at Jack Tone Road. Schemper was also concerned about lane changes.

Ainsworth said another comment came from Charlie Gay stating that making Main Street look nice is a positive step. Gay added that the completion of Frontage Road will take traffic off Main Street. Ainsworth said that traffic demand does not require four lanes. Omni-Means took actual traffic counts over 24-hour periods. Ainsworth showed a presentation to demonstrate how traffic issues will be mitigated at each intersection. He said that the congestion occurs at the intersections, and we need to provide the right capacity at the intersections. In the mid-block, traffic is free to flow. The lanes will be 16-feet wide to allow for vehicles and bicycles, so there will be room for emergency vehicles. He said that if cars pull to the curb, there will still be 8 feet of clearance plus the center lane for fire trucks to pass other vehicles.

Mayor Pernice asked for comments from the audience.

Audience members had discussions with Ainsworth.

Vice Mayor Winn said that this is a conceptual design and is not about specifics. This is an opportunity for the public to take ownership of the project. He reminded everyone that the Council voted out the raised median and for a painted median.

Pernice said the City will use a landscape architect.

City Administrator Compton said that we need a left-turn pocket onto Maple Avenue for the school traffic. He said the City already owns the right-of-way for a right-turn onto Maple. There is no room for landscaping here.

Winn said each issue brought up will be addressed. He said the Council does not want to disadvantage any businesses with the changes. We want to maximize what exists – enhance what is already there.

End of public comments

Council Member Nutt said he does not want to take lanes out. He said that everyone wants landscaping, but he does not want to take lanes out. The sidewalk is ten feet wide. We can have a six-foot sidewalk and four feet of landscaping. He said that the intersection at N. Stockton and Milgeo is an example. Nutt asked why this project has to be decided in such a big rush. Nutt said he would like to see money spent on other streets.

Council Member Restuccia said that when he was on COG, they never took away lanes. Other towns look gorgeous with trees, but businesses want more lanes. He suggested that trees could be planted in center medians.

Ainsworth said that the designers tried to put trees in a center median, but it did not have the visual impact – it was just not enough landscaping.

Pernice asked how long Main Street is and how long is the 4-lane area.

Ainsworth said he did not have the exact measurements, but the area in question is about 40% of Main Street.

Winn said that regarding congestion and delays, the figures show that the travel time is almost identical. Any time the number of lanes changes up or down, you get congestion. Acacia to Stockton Avenues will always be two lanes. The plan took into consideration of the completed Frontage Road, and if the high school is downgraded to a middle school, there will be much less traffic.

Ainsworth said there would be mainly bus traffic and fewer cars.

Council Member Restuccia said that plan assumes that the Frontage Road will be completed.

Winn said the General Plan has the Frontage Road completed. It is not here today, but will be eventually.

Restuccia said that assuming that the Frontage Road does not go through, and we have four lanes without landscaping, it is easier to go back later and add the landscaping.

Ainsworth said that if the Frontage Road is never completed, then you would have a problem. If it is eventually completed, then you have no traffic problem.

Council Member Nutt said the General Plan is not set in stone.

Mayor Pernice said the General Plan is a guiding document for everything from sewer lines to fee charges. The Plan includes the completed Frontage Road. The area we are talking about is a small area.

Mayor Pernice asked for public comments.

Kim Anderson, Ripon, said the change would not impact her travels around the city at all. The issue by the schools will not change because of this plan, and this is a great opportunity.

Barbara Schneider, Ripon, said she agrees with Anderson and wants to see the City take advantage of this opportunity. This plan will serve us well.

Restuccia asked how wide the lanes are now.

Ainsworth said the current lanes are 12 feet wide. The legal size is 10 feet. Some streets are 11 feet, but 12 feet is standard.

Restuccia said we could shrink our lanes down to make room for landscaping.

Mayor Pernice called for a short recess. (7:15 p.m.)

The meeting reconvened at 7:25 p.m.

Vice Mayor Winn said the money can be used from Wilma to Stockton and on Stockton to Second Street.

City Administrator Compton said that the grant stipulates that the money can only be spent on Main Street from Wilma Avenue to Acacia Avenue, then on Stockton Avenue from Main Street to Second Street. Redevelopment funds would be used for Main Street from Wilma Avenue to Jack Tone Road, and on Stockton Avenue from Second Street to Doak Boulevard.

Vice Mayor Winn said that the area between Wilma Avenue and Jack Tone Road is the issue. He suggested that the project be moved east on Main Street from Wilma Avenue to Stockton and on Stockton from Main to Second Street, and make the theme consistent.

Council Member Nutt said he can support that.

Mayor Pernice said that we can do this part right and the rest can be done later. Pernice said he wants to do Main Street from Wilma to Stockton in pavers.

Winn said he had a discussion with several business owners. They would like a turn around at the end of Main Street near the car wash, and he would like to add a decorative feature inside the turn around.

Mayor Pernice asked for public comments.

Kim Anderson, Ripon, said the new proposal is good, but the area left out will be set apart.

Council Member Nutt said this project will be from Wilma Avenue going east.

Pernice said he doesn’t know how soon we will get to the part of Main Street from Wilma Avenue to Jack Tone Road, but we will get to it. He said we are excluding the western part of Main Street from this project.

Winn said the grant funds are in jeopardy, but we can use it now to redo Main Street. Wilma to Jack Tone Road will be done later with Redevelopment funds.

Pernice said this will do more for the downtown area.

City Administrator Compton said the grant money is for Main Street from Wilma Avenue to Acacia, and down Stockton to Second Street. He said he wants the redo on Stockton all the way to Doak Avenue to be part of this project.

MOTION: MOVED, SECONDED (WINN, NUTT) AND CARRIED BY A VOTE OF 4-0 (UECKER ABSENT) TO AUTHORIZE OMNI-MEANS TO DESIGN THE MAIN STREET REHABILITATION PROJECT DESCRIBED AS MAIN STREET FROM WILMA AVENUE TO ACACIA AVENUE, AND ON STOCKTON AVENUE FROM MAIN STREET TO SECOND STREET; REDEVELOPMENT FUNDS WILL BE USED ON MAIN STREET FROM ACACIA AVENUE TO JUST BEYOND NOURSE STREET INCLUDING A TURN-AROUND WITH DECORATIVE FEATURE, AND ON STOCKTON AVENUE FROM SECOND STREET TO DOAK BOULEVARD; PAVERS WILL BE USED IN ALL AREAS EXCEPT ON STOCKTON AVENUE FROM SECOND STREET TO DOAK BOULEVARD.

2.          ACME CONSTRUCTION

             Change Order No. 25

             Additional electrical and grounding requirements at Dispatch and Telephone Room.

             Discussion/Action.

MOTION: MOVED, SECONDED (NUTT, RESTUCCIA) AND CARRIED BY A VOTE OF 4-0 (UECKER ABSENT) TO APPROVE CHANGE ORDER NO. 25 FOR ACME CONSTRUCTION.

There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 7:58 p.m.