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HomeMy WebLinkAbout11/13/2014 Minutes - Regular MeetingCITY OF DIAMOND BAR AINUTES OF THE TRAFFIC AND TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION MEETING NOVEMBER 13,2014 X_11141111�6 - �50 Vice -Chair Carrera called the meeting to order at -7:02 p.m. in the Diamond Bar City Hall Windmill Community Room, 21810 Copley Drive, Diamond Bar, California 91765. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: C/Pechy.led the Pledge of Allegiance. ROLL CALL: Commissioners Kefi- Mok, Surendra Mehta, Ed Pechy, Manisha Sulakhe, Vice -Chair Ted Carrera - Also Present: David Liu, Public Works Director; Kimberly Young, Senior Civil Engineer; Christian Malpica, Associate Engineer; John Beshay, Associate Engineer, and Marcy Hilario, Administrative Coordinator. REORGANIZATION OF THE TRAFFIC AND TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION: C/Pechy nominated C/Mok to serve as Chair of the Traffic and Transportation Commission. C/Sulakhe seconded the nomination. There were no other nominations offered. C/Mehta Yes C/Mok Yes C/Pechy - Yes C/Sulakhe Yes VC/Carrera Yes VC/Carrera passed the gavel to Chair/Mok. FiTiTURHA-1 A. Minutes of the October 9, 2014 Regular Meeting. VC/Carrera moved, C/Sulakhe seconded, to approve the Minutes of the October 9, 2014 regular meeting as presented. Motion carried by the following, Roll Call vote: AYES: COMMISSIONERS NOES: COMMISSIONERS: ABSTAIN: COMMISSIONERS: ABSENT: COMMISSIONERS: Pechy, Sulakhe, VC/Carrera, Chair/Mok None Mehta None NOVEMBER 13, 2014 PAGE 2 T&T COMMISSION None IV. ITEMS FROM STAFF - A. Receive and File Traffic Enforcement Updates for: 1. Citations: August, September and October 2014 2. Collisions: August, September and October 2014 3. Street Sweeping: August, September and October 2014 C/Pechy asked how the City could have a DUI collision without a DUI arrest. PWD/Liu responded that he would have to get back to the Commission with a response. VC/Carrera asked if the descending number of citations on the street sweeping report was proportional to the reduced amount of street sweeping in the fall months. PWD/Liu responded that one factor could be a request for time off as Well as, coordination of time shift issues. Without talking with the team specifically he would not be able to provide an accurate response. He will follow up with the Sheriffs Department to determine an accurate response. He further responded to VC/Carrera that the same bi-weekly schedule has been maintained. During December and January there is weekly street sweeping scheduled. C/Mehta moved, C/Sulakhe seconded, to Receive and File the Traffic Enforcement Update reports for August, September and October 2014. Motion carried by the following Roll Call vote: AYES: COMMISSIONERS: Mehta, Pechy, Sulakhe, VC/Carrera, Chair/Mok NOES: COMMISSIONERS: None ABSENT: COMMISSIONERS: None V. 'OLD BUSINESS:- None V11. NEW BUSINESS: None VII. STATUS OF PREVIOUS ACTION ITEMS = Street Sweeping Concerns. SCE/Young reviewed the City's street sweeping procedures with the Commissioners in response to C/Pechy's inquiry during the October meeting. He mentioned concerns about accumulated debris he noticed in and around the City at catch basin inlets and also inquired about the reasons the street sweeping is done on a bi-weekly NOVEMBER 13, 2014 PAGE 3 T&T COMMISSION rather than a weekly basis. Street sweeping has been occurring by the current contractor since 2000 andhas been and continues to be done via a contract with RF Dickson. Street sweeping was implemented in the City in order to be in compliance with the Storm Water Permit and to prevent debris and pollutants from entering the ocean through the City's storm drain system. Historically, street sweeping has occurred on a bi-weekly basis, which is a requirement of the permit and takes place the day following trash pickup. As a good faith measure, the City conducts street sweeping on a weekly basis in December and January, months that were determined to have the'most leaves fall. Street sweepers have onboard GPS systems which allow the City to see in real time that the street sweeper is in the City, where the street sweeper is and how fast it is going. The City can see when water is engaged and when the broom is engaged and disengaged. All of this information is included in the report provided to the City by RIF Dickson. At times, the City receives complaints that insufficient water is used, which presents a catch-22 situation because the sweeper is not permitted to use too much water which would be a storm drain violation. Accordingly, the sweeper is allowed to use only enough water for dust control. If the company uses too much water, it can be fined for non-compliance with the permit. The City often receives complaints from residents that the sweeper has avoided large piles in the gutter. In fact, the sweeper does so purposely because they may not be able to determine what is under a pile of leaves or needles. If debris consists of items such as an aluminum can, for example, it can damage the sweeper. Therefore, as part of the street sweeping policy, the contractor is permitted to go around very large piles of debris. When that happens, either the street sweeping company notifies the City or a resident can call the City and the City's maintenance crew will go out to pick up the pile of debris by hand. Staff regularly accepts calls from residents with area's of concern about debris the sweeper cannot get to and, in these cases, the City's maintenance crew visits the site to pick up the debris by hand. In addition, there is regular by -hand parkway maintenance along the arterials and in some residential areas such as Palomino Drive, where there is regular maintenance of hand sweeping and hand clean-up of pine needles around medians. Chair/Mok asked if cul-de-sacs are serviceable. SCE/Young responded that she believes they are, since the street sweeping company has never indicated a problem servicing cul-de-sacs. There are instances that low hanging trees are a problem and if the tree is not trimmed high enough for the sweeper to move under the branches, the sweeper will go around the area. Subsequently, the street sweeping company will notify staff that there is a tree obstructing its path and the maintenance crew will be dispatched to trim the tree. C/Sulakhe asked if the contract includes special assignments, such as clean-up after storms. SCE/Young explained that the City has separate storm patrol during a storm event withourin-house maintenance crews. During such an event, if there is a need for immediate street clean-up because of mudflow or other occurrences as a result of the storm, it is immediately taken care of by in-house maintenance or emergency service. C/Pechy asked if the City had experienced an increase in complaints about excessive debris in the streets and gutters. SCE/Young responded that she had not. She NOVEMBER 13, 2014 PAGE 4 T&T COMMISSION maintains a log of complaints that are received regarding street sweeping and there has not been an increase in complaints received. VC/Carrera asked if the City intended to provide magnetic street sweeping schedules this year. PWD/Liu indicated that in years past, the magnetic schedules have been provided to every household in the City; however, the last couple of years the magnets have been provided upon request. Also, they are available at the counter at City Hall and at special events. Residents can also check street signage and the City's website for schedule information that can be printed. VIII. ITEMS FROM COMMISSIONERS: VC/Carrera welcomed C/Mehta to the Commission and congratulated Chair/Mok on his election as Chair. C/Mehta said he was very happy to see that Commissioner Mok was selected to serve as the Chair of the Commission. C/Sulakhe asked if the audience members were present for something in particular and an audience member responded that they were present for a Scout project. Chair/Mok asked about an update for the NTMP for Castle Rock Road ' and Crooked Creek Drive and whether staff had received any responses or input from the neighborhood. AE/Malpica responded thatthere had been no complaints orfee.dback to date; however, the program is still in the six-month review phase. PWD/Liu stated that at the conclusion of the six-month review, staffwill.-Wing back-thebefore and after information to see whether the traffic calming device0aive served their purpose. Chair/Mok asked if there had been any movement on the North Country speeding issue that came up at the last meeting. PWD/Liu responded no. He went on to explain that staff has been working with one of the neighborhood watch captains in the neighborhood. Staff was able to provide information on how he could start a Neighborhood Traffic Management Program and defined an area so that he could begin communication with his neighbors. Staff also explained Some of the traffic calming tools that might be used. The resident understood that he�needs to reach out to his neighbors and report back to staff. C/Mehta asked what part of the City Chair/Mok was referring to. PWD/Liu explained that the North Country neighborhood is the northerly neighborhood bounded by Temple Avenue to the north and Golden Springs Drive to the west of the City limits. There is a very active and successful Neighborhood Watch program in the neighborhood. A few residents expressed interest and wanted to move forward with some type of traffic calming devices and as a result, staff introduced the NTMP to the residents. Staff is waiting for their response. Chair/Mok shared that as he was proceeding north on Grand Avenue making a left turn on Golden Springs Drive to come to tonight's meeting, he observed the light pole NOVEMBER 13, 2014 PAGE 5 T&T COMMISSION on the northwest corner is tilted and he would like for staff to look at the pole. He noticed the plate that is supposed to come into contact with the sidewalk is lifted on one corner. AE/Malpica responded that staff is aware of the problem which resulted from an accident that occurred over the weekend. Even though the plate is lifted, itis sustainable. However, staff requested a quote for a new pole and foundation and staff is working with the contactor on this matter. Typically, replacement of traffic signal poles can take two to three months to be delivered. Fortunately, the contractor has some of the smaller poles on hand and will.be able to deliver the pole sooner. IX. INFORMATIONAL ITEMS: A. Grand Avenue Beautification Project — PWD/Liu reported that the C , ommission was presented with the conceptual plans and schedule for the intersections of Diamond Bar Boulevard and Grand Avenue and Longview Drive and Grand Avenue. Within the next month or so, staff will advertise the project. Shortly after the holidays, staff will open the bid process for construction scheduled for early spring. Included in the Commissioner's packets this evening is a copy of the power point presentation made to City Council on October 21st on what the entry monument signs will look like with the first installation located at the City entrance of Longview Drive and Grand Avenue. B. Comprehensive Groundwater Drainage Study —AE/Malpica stated that this study will develop a comprehensive plan and priority list to address several areas of ground water and/or area drainage that staff has observed over several years. These are areas which require on-going maintenance and attention beyond routine drainage maintenance. The areas currently being evaluated lie along Cold Springs Drive, Flapjack Drive, Ambushers Street, Golden Springs Drive near Northminster Church, Sapphire Lane, Moonlake Street, Calpet Drive, Cleghorn Drive and Brea Canyon Cutoff. A Request for Proposal (RFP) was issued on June 6, 2014 and on June 30, 2014 proposals were received, reviewed and evaluated by staff. Tait & Associates, Inc. was selected to provide these professional services. Their contract in the amount of $60,475 was approved by the City Council at its August Stn meeting. The study is currently underway and, as part of the scope of work, Tait will prepare a Comprehensive Drainage Analysis Report that includes geotechnical investigation, development of design concept plans and construction estimates for each of the proposed nine areas throughout the City. Each area will be prioritized and may be considered as part of the future Capital Improvement Projects as funding permits. The draft study is scheduled to be submitted to staff by the end of November for review with final submittal by January 2015. C. Traffic Signal Battery Backup Project — AE/Malpica updated the Commission stating construction continues to be on hold due to the delay of equipment delivery. The proposed delivery date is now set for November 18th. Staff anticipates that the contractor will install the units during that week or during the first week of December. Installation will take three to four days. NOVEMBER 13, 2014 PAGE 6 T&T COMMISSION C/Mehta asked if the traffic signals would be operational during installation. AE/Malpica explained that a battery backup unit is installed to support the traffic signal during unscheduled or unplanned power outages. Once the battery backup system is engaged, staff is notified and has an indication of the number of hours the system will remain working before the battery is depleted. During the switch -out, there will be a brief interruption while the old power unit is being removed and replaced by the new battery backup unit. The interruption would last for no longer than 10 minutes. D. Morning Canyon Rehabilitation Project — AE/Beshay reported that the project's scope of work is pavement rehabilitation including removal and replacement of 17 existing pine trees with new trees. The bid opening is scheduled for December 16th with selection of a contractor to the City Council for approval at its first meeting in January 2015. Construction is scheduled to commence mid-January. In addition to tree replacement, half of the street will be removed and repaved and the other half of the street will be ground and paved. E. Lemon Avenue Interchange Project — SCENoung stated that the Right -of - Way Acquisition phase is moving along. The last holdout verbally agreed to settle and if all goes as planned and all residents proceed with settlement, the Right -of -Way Certification could take place as early as January 2015. The project would then be ready to list in April 2015 with advertising in July and the 18 -month construction phase commencing in late 2015. VC/Carrera asked if the hold-out was a full orpartial take. SCENoung reiterated that all are partial takes. F. Area 2 CDBG Sidewalk Replacement Project — SCENoung reported that the slurry seal in Area 2 was completed. During Phase 2 of this project, which is currently out to bid, many of the sidewalks will be replaced to provide a continuous path of travel and eliminate any potential tripping hazards due to tree root invasion. Bid opening is scheduled for November 19th and staff will go to Council thereafter with construction commencing in January 2015. G. Willow Heights Construction Update — SCENoung indicated that grading is coming to a close. There is significant work in the roadway areas by the utility companies'that are installing their facilities and the Water District is onsite installing their facilities for the development as well. Next week, staff plans to release building permits so that Lennar can begin construction on the model units for the single family homes, detached single family units and the attached units. H. Reagan/Peterson Park Parking Lot Construction — AE/Beshay reported that this project consists of the expansion and rehabilitation of two park parking lots. At Reagan Park, 13 additional parking stalls will be constructed and at Peterson Park, up to 30 additional parking stalls will be constructed. This NOVEMBER 13, 2014 PAGE 7 T&T COMMISSION project is in the design phase, being done by Tait & Associates, Inc. Next week, the contractor will conduct its field survey and geotechnical investigation. Staff anticipates completion of the design phase by the middle of February 2015 with the contract going to Council for approval the first week of May 2015. Construction will commence at the end of June 2015. Chair/Mok asked for and received confirmation from AE/Beshay that there were 13 extra spaces at Reagan Park and 30 extra spaces at Peterson Park. Grading at Industry Business Center Site — SCE/Young stated that there has been significant grading along the City of Industry side of Grand Avenue. Last week, Industry notified the City that they will begin grading along the east side of Grand Avenue within the next few weeks. What will be built on the Industry side of the freeway is still to be determined. The site has been approved for two different developments, one the NFL Stadium and the other an Industry Business Center with industrial/commercial development. Diamond Bar has no information or confirmation which of the two Will be constructed; however, both products have the same infrastructure backbone which the current grading operation will provide. Grading on the east side of the freeway will abut the homes along Prospectors Road and a sound blanket will be installed along the City limit at the rear of the homes on the Industry side. Notices will be sent to residents informing them that the sound blanket will be installed and if residents call about the project they will be referred to the City of Industry to answer their questions and concerns. C/Sulakhe asked what was happening with the K -Mart plaza. PWD/Liu responded that the site continues to be a priority for the City in terms of the economic development opportunity. CM/DeStefano has been in discussions with the property owners and potential developers to consider possibilities for the site. The K -Mart location has always been a major entry for the City and offers many opportunities. X. SCHEDULE OF FUTURE CITY EVENTS: As stated in the agenda with the addition of two events: The Windmill Dedication, Thursday, November 20th between 10:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. at Diamond Bar Towne Center, Diamond Bar Boulevard and Grand Avenue; and The Grandview Trail Opening, Saturday, November 22nd from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at the Diamond Bar Center, 1600 Grand Avenue. Chair/Mok stated that the parking for the Grandview Trail Opening is in the overflow parking lot. C/Sulakhe thanked AC/Hilario for keeping the Commissioners apprised of upcoming events, which is very helpful when Commissioners are busy attending meetings and events. NOVEMBER 13, 2014 PAGE 8 T&T COMMISSION ADJOURNMENT: There being no further business to come before the Traffic and Transportation Commission, Chair/Mok adjourned the meeting at 7:47 p.m. The foregoing minutes are hereby approved this gly day of 2015. Respectfully, Davy G. Ldd, Secretary Attest: C r Ken Mok r,