Loading...
C6B-Report- Capital Improvement Projects Oversight Committee Meeting Of April 15MIAMI BEACH City of Miami Beach, 1700 Convention Center Drive, Miami Beach, Florida 33139, www.miamibeachfl.gov To: From: Date: Mayor Matti Herrera Bower and Me Jimmy L. Morales, City Manager June 5, 2013 COMMITTEE MEMORANDUM Subject: REPORT OF THE CAPITAL IMP VEMENT PROJECTS OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE MEETING OF APRI 15,2013 A meeting of the CIP Oversight Committee was held on Monday, April 15, 2013. The meeting was called to order at 5:41 p.m. Please note: 1) Minutes herewith are not a full transcript of the meeting. Full audio and visual record of this meeting available online on the City's website: http:// www. miamibeachfl. gov/videolvideo. asp 2) Minutes reflect the order of the meeting according to the printed agenda. Items were taken out of order. Refer to the times at the right of the page for when the item was heard. 1. ATTENDANCE 2. See attendance sheet copy attached. Fernando Vazquez introduced J. Mark Taxis, the new Assistant City Manager over operations departments such as CIP, Public Works, and Parks & Recreation, and Communications. He was Assistant City Manager of Doral and also at the City of Hialeah, before coming to Miami Beach. Saul Gross announced that Maria I. Hernandez, who had been a Senior Capital Project Coordinator, was promoted to the position of Capital Projects Advisor to the City Manager. REVIEW AND ACCEPTANCE OF MINUTES 8:25p.m. Report of the Capital Improvement Oversight Committee Meeting of March 11, 2013 MOTION: Acceptance of Report (Minutes) of the March 11, 2013 CIPOC Meeting. MOVED: PASSED: D. Kraai UNANIMOUS 2nd: Robert Rabinowitz D. Kraai noted that he had asked for a chart showing tidal values used in determining design for each project. 3. PUBLIC COMMENTS 5:43 p.m. Residents of the Central Bayshore neighborhood had some concerns and complaints about the work being performed in the neighborhood, specifically on Chase Avenue and on 40th Street. Larry Ciment (Chase Avenue resident) noted that the dirt, dust and what he considers poor maintenance of the roadways had caused him inconvenience and expense. There is a pump station being installed at the median triangle at 34th Street and Chase Avenue. The overall complaint is that the work seems like it is without end, it has been in construction for two years, and there is at least one more year of work. It has been difficult for homeowners.Agenda Item Ct; B Date '-S"-1.3 CIPOC MEETING MINUTES, Apri/15, 2013 Page 2 of9 He also commented that he thought it was poor planning to narrow the roadway on 40th Street, and complained of the lack of parking. Maria Hernandez stated that the entire project will be completed in March 2014. She also noted that the pump station work is the most intense, and unfortunately, these residents live at that location. To address the residents' concern that work seemed to start and stop with no apparent plan, Fernando Vazquez explained that work is done in phases. First the water main was installed, and then came the installation of the large drainage boxes, and then installation of the system components that connect it. Saul Gross further explained again that the infrastructure improvements involve messy component. No infrastructure improvements have been done in 80 years in Miami Beach. The improvements are necessary and the work never moves as quickly as residents would like. Mr. Vazquez mentioned that CIP is working with Rabbi Bixon at Temple Beth Israel on 401h Street and working out the current parking condition issues. Linda Schecther, owner of Tastee Beach Cafe on the corner of Royal Palm and 41st Street, asked if parking was being decreased on 40th Street. The original plans called for street narrowing, elimination of parking on the south side and parking on the north side. Newer plans add perpendicular parking on the north side. Helen Ciment added that narrowing of the streets is not necessary, and is also upset about the loss of parking, adding that the neighborhood is no longer community-friendly. Arline Ditchek, also a Chase Avenue resident, said that there is no objection with doing the improvements, but with the way the work is being carried out. She pointed out that the mess and the conditions are not safe for residents and drivers in the area. Saul Gross suggested that residents call the public information officer when they have issues because the residents are the best eyes and ears for the project and can identify issues the contractor may miss. Dwight Kraai asked if any flooding that the neighborhood experienced was due to rainfall or tides. The Central Bayshore neighborhood does not experience tidewater problems. Gary Hunt, a Bayshore neighbor pointed out that the plan calls for removing parking on the south side of 40th Street, but provides perpendicular parking on the north side, adding 30 more spaces to the street. 4. OLD BUSINESS I REQUESTED REPORTS a. Status on the City's ongoing sewer rehabilitation program -presented by Public Works Department 8:08 p.m. Mike Alvarez, Public Works Infrastructure Division Director, talked about the history and the current status of the City's efforts to rehabilitate the sanitary sewer system. In 1994, the EPA issued a consent decree to Miami-Dade County and its municipalities to see how many gallons of sanitary sewage and rainwater inflow were being discharged into Biscayne Bay and what was being done to reduce that amount. In 1997, the County issued an ordinance to all municipalities to rehabilitate sewer systems. Phase I began in 1997, followed DERM F:\CAPI\$aii\Comm. & CIPOC\Commission ltems\2013\6-June\CIPOC April15 Meeting Minutes.docx CIPOC MEETING MINUTES, Apri/15, 2013 Page 3 of9 requirements, to have a minimal working sewer system. Phase II was a sewer system analysis for corrective actions. Phase Ill was the full rehabilitation. Infiltration reduction, imposed through the consent decree was for a maximum of 5,000 gallons of infiltration per day per basin. The City spent $23.2 million dollars on the sewer rehabilitation program from 1997 through 2005. Crews lined 300,000 linear feet of sanitary sewer pipe, joint-grouted 170 linear feet of pipe and 620 lateral connections, and completed more than 100 point repairs. The City rehabilitated 320 sanitary sewer manholes, and replaced over 350 sanitary sewer laterals from private homes to the right of way. From 2006 through 2012, at a cost of $6.3 million, PWD cleaned and assessed 956 linear feet of pipe, replaced 120 feet of pipes, replaced 76 sewer laterals and repaired 14 sewer laterals. Of the 31 sewer basins that fall under the consent agreement, nine are currently not in compliance. Public Works is moving forward to be in full compliance by 2016. So far, the program has reduced over 15% of inflow and infiltration, which results in a savings to the City of about $700,000 per month. The remaining basins include South Pointe, South Beach from 5 Street to 15 Street, between Ocean Drive and Jefferson Avenue. (Saul Gross asked if this will be incorporated into the Flamingo Neighborhood CIP project. The response was that It will not be incorporated, because the system has to be brought into compliance by 2016). Work on this project is ongoing. Dwight Kraai handed out a chart showing the data from 1995 to 2012 of wastewater treatment and water purchased in the City. The chart does show a reduction. The County set up a tiered rate schedule. If more water is used, a higher rate is issued. Robert Rabinowitz pointed out that property owners can save on water rates if they install sub-meters. Mike Alvarez also noted that water main leaks and breaks have also been reduced, in part due to CIP Improvements in the neighborhoods. b. North Beach Neighborhoods Status Report: Normandy Isle Phase II Neighborhood Improvements Included in written agenda, but not presented at the meeting. Status on Biscayne Point Neighborhood Improvement Project Included in written agenda, but not presented at the meeting. c. Middle Beach Neighborhoods Status Report: Central Bayshore Improvements This neighborhood project was discussed under the commission item. See below. Status Report: Lake Pancoast Improvements Included in written agenda, but not presented at the meeting. Status Report: Sunset Islands I & II Included in written agenda, but not presented at the meeting. Status Report: Sunset Islands Ill & IV Included in written agenda, but not presented at the meeting. F:\CAPI\$aii\Comm. & CIPOC\Commission ltems\2013\6-June\CIPOC April15 Meeting Minutes.docx CIPOC MEETING MINUTES, Apri/15, 2013 Page 4 of9 Status on Lower North Bay Road 8:20 p.m. Fernando told the Committee that he met with the residents of Lower North Bay Road and informed them that the City is evaluating roadway elevations and design. More information will be brought back to the next meeting. Saul Gross asked for a map of all the CIP projects so that the Committee could see a comparative schedule with the Alton Road FOOT projects. d. South Beach Neighborhoods Status Report: Venetian Island Neighborhood Improvement Prolect Included in written agenda, but not presented at the meeting. Status Report: Palm & Hibiscus Island Neighborhood Improvements & Utilities Undergrounding Included in written agenda, but not presented at the meeting. Status Report: South Pointe Phase Ill, IV & V Neighborhood Improvement Project Included in written agenda, but not presented at the meeting. 5. COMMISSION ITEMS: Central Bayshore-Bicycle lane along Prairie Avenue & Royal Palm Avenue 7:32p.m. Two alternate resolutions were presented for the Committee to choose to recommend. The first is the recommendation by City staff and the project consultants, Atkins North America, Inc. and Street Plans, Inc. to maintain the current width of Prairie Avenue, the proposed bike lanes as per Miami-Dade County Public Works regulations and also retaining the proposed design for Royal Palm, as approved by Commission under resolution 2013-28163. The alternative item is to recommend to City Commission to reject the staff recommendation and to direct staff to continue to evaluate the reduction of the width of Prairie Avenue and to eliminate the bike lanes. Staff would also evaluate the efficacy of placing advisory bike lanes on Prairie and Royal Palm Avenues, which are not dedicated bike lanes, but areas in which the roadway is shared by bicyclists and motorists. Additionally, this item directs staff to deprogram the work associated with creating valley gutters and roadway resurfacing and repaving along Prairie Avenue. The staff would also be directed to have the contractor place a one-inch overlay of asphalt as a temporary condition to make the street drivable while the City progresses through the necessary approval process for an advisory bike lane through Miami-Dade County. There are additional costs associated with making the changes required to accomplish the direction in item 2. Mihaly Lenart, a Central Bayshore resident said that the residents' primary concern was to accomplish traffic calming in the neighborhood. The first way to accomplish that, as established in the BOOR, was through "passive" measures by narrowing all the roadways, including all the collector roads. The second way is through "active" measures, such as speed tables. Any proposed narrowing of the roadways, says Mr. Lenart, is prevented by the addition of bikeways, because the master plan for bikeways put all the lanes on collector roads. Narrowing, he said, is also prevented by the addition of valley gutters, because that adds four feet to the pavement. Third, he said, the City is not following the federal guidelines that allow 10 feet for travel lanes on collector roads and nine feet in residential streets. The bike lane was diverted at 28 Street west to Meridian Avenue when construction on Prairie Avenue south of 28 Street narrowed the roadway (at resident request) and did not allow enough room for bike lanes. Mr. Lenart said that Prairie Avenue south of 28 Street is the only street in the project that complies with the BOOR as far as narrowing. Sheridan Avenue, he said, was not F:\CAPI\$aii\Comm. & CIPOC\Commission ltems\2013\6-June\CIPOC April15 Meeting Minutes.docx CIPOC MEETING MINUTES, Apri/15, 2013 Page 5 of9 reduced to 1 0-foot travel lanes, but will be 12-foot lanes, and the addition of valley gutters add four more feet to the width. He also pointed out that no active traffic calming measures are being included in the project. These items are included in the BODR but the City did not include them in the project plans. These items include speed humps and speed tables and now there is no neighborhood consensus for these. Commissioner Jorge Exposito (2123 Meridian Avenue) mentioned that at the last joint Finance and Citywide/Land Use meeting, the subject was addressed. At these meetings, the City said that valley gutters would be installed on Prairie Avenue. He said that Prairie Avenue has a limited swale area. In order to resolve drainage issues, the CIP plan proposes four feet of valley gutters for water conveyance. He noted that part of the intention of the project is to increase green areas and planting. The concern of Prairie Avenue residents, according to Commissioner Exposito, is that the small swales would prevent the addition of shade trees. It is his opinion that the second proposed amendment is palatable to the neighbors in order to address the need for more greenspace. A new bicycle committee will be convened to look at the bicycle master plan. CIP proposed removing the valley gutters, adding the component of flumes to address the need for water conveyance in the absence of valley gutters, permitting additional trees, and move forward. This allows time for the new bike committee to evaluate what can be done with the bicycle lanes. Saul Gross asked how this will affect the stormwater improvements. Fernando said that the second option allows CIP to create a temporary condition while the City explores the feasibility of the advisory bike lane. Water drainage would be more efficient with valley gutters. Existing catch basins will remain where they have been installed. Valley gutters would be center-line with the catch basin, allowing for direct drainage. Without valley gutters, the catch basin will be offset from the edge of pavement. Elizabeth Camargo said that the Sunset Island residents worked hard to get valley gutters in their project. She said she thought it was a shame that valley gutters are included in the project and the City will forfeit them. She expressed concern over pulling items aside, whether they can actually be reintroduced into the project later. She opined that the valley gutters don't give the impression that the street is wider, it looks clean. The smallest width including the bike lanes and the valley gutters would be 28-feet for the roadway on Prairie. There are currently valley gutters on Prairie Avenue south of 28 Street. Jorge Exposito said that valley gutters serve important purpose, but with an existing bike lane that adds 8 feet to the road, adding another four feet increases hardscape. Water runoff is an important issue, but the public also wants more green area. By taking the second option, there is a chance to hold off and re-address the bike lane issue with the County. Saul Gross asked if the residents of Royal Palm have expressed concern with a bike boulevard on their street. Commissioner Exposito said that the people he spoke to were only concerned that the road not be widened. F:\CAPI\$aii\Comm. & CIPOC\Commission ltems\2013\6-June\CIPOC April15 Meeting Minutes.docx CIPOC MEETING MINUTES, Apri/15, 2013 Page 6 of9 At this juncture, it is difficult to determine what, if any extra costs there would be to adopting the second resolution. There would be an initial credit back to the City for deprogramming the valley gutter installation and the milling and resurfacing of the road. Then there would be a cost associated with adding the one-inch overlay of asphalt and additional striping. The process of evaluation with regulatory agencies would take about three years. There would also be additional engineering costs and costs associated with the construction of flumes to the catch basins. Gary Hunt spoke in support of the second option. He said the neighborhood priorities were lane narrowing, traffic calming and shade canopy. The current project does not represent that, in his opinion. The addition of valley gutters and the bike lane on Prairie results in wider lanes. In order to achieve desired canopy, Mr. Hunt said that the swales should be wider to accommodate the large shade trees the neighborhood planned to plant for the project. The larger green area also allows for larger water infiltration area. Sheryl Gold, representing the Greenspace Tree Advocacy Group (GTAG), said that when the GO Bonds were first introduced, she approached Commission to point out that the Capital Improvements were the ideal opportunity to add tree canopy all over the city. Green infrastructure is an innovative way to address and compliment stormwater drainage. She stressed that the addition of trees are more than just beautification, but are also beneficial economicslly and environmentally. She argued that the swales need to be a certain width in order to accommodate the planned trees. Adding the valley gutters and bike lanes would reduce the swales. She was also critical of the way the City had approached planning of this neighborhood when the bike master plan was developed. She said more attention should have been paid to working the bike plan into the project during the design phase. The swales are currently about an average of 15 feet on either side. Two feet would be taken on either side. Saul asked Gary Hunt if thirteen feet would not be adequate to accommodate the trees. Gary answered that concern is just one of many. Overall, the proposal to move the bike lane was a superior plan that would be a solution for everyone. With the time they would gain by postponing the work on Prairie, they could apply for the federal "Safe Routes to School" grant to pay for some of the associated improvements. There was a dispute over the exact width of the swales. Saul suggested that the correct information about the width of the swales on Prairie be brought to the Commission meeting. Dwight Kraai asked if any of the stormwater issues in the neighborhood are due to tide water as well as rainfall. Fernando Vazquez answered that his concern was relying on swales for infiltration. Groundwater will continue to rise and will not allow for proper percolation. There is a net gain overall of green areas. David Martinez, CIP Assistant Director, showed comparisons of existing conditions, the original design and the revised design. Maria Hernandez explained that all the streets with the exception of Sheridan Avenue are 23 - 24 feet in width today. Bike lanes were not mentioned in the BOOR, but were added by Commission resolution. 34 Street, Meridian and Prairie had bike lanes in the first set of plans after that resolution. Today, Prairie would be the only street left with a bike lane. The rest have been turned into "sharrows" or moved off the road. By reserving bike lanes on Prairie and eliminating them elsewhere, the City did their best to accommodate all the demands of the F:\CAPII$aii\Comm. & CIPOC\Commission ltems\201316-June\CIPOC April15 Meeting Minutes.docx CIPOC MEETING MINUTES, Apri/15, 2013 Page 7 of9 neighborhood. Recently, drainage has become the most important component. Adding better drainage, vis a vis valley gutters took a front seat. Shade trees are still incorporated into the current plan. All the streets, with the exception of Prairie, will have more narrow streets or no change in width. Saul asked if the bike lanes were moved to Royal Palm and the valley gutters would remain on Prairie, since they are on all roads in the project, what would be the outcome for Royal Palm? Maria Hernandez replied that the road width would be the standard 20 feet, plus the valley gutter. The bike facility would have to be an advisory lane. This option would require more investigation and discussion with the County. Saul Gross pointed out that removing the bike lane from Prairie Avenue, the City would be removing the only bike lane through Middle Beach. Stacy Kilroy suggested that when any part of a project in a neighborhood is deprogrammed, that the money be held in a fund for the use specifically on that street. She agreed that the current plans do not reflect the BOOR. She added that drainage is crucial and although she understood the concerns of the neighborhood, the Commission should take the staff recommendation for going forward with valley gutters. Christina Cuervo said her neighborhood did not receive valley gutters due to funds taken out of the project. She agrees that it would be a mistake not to follow the recommendations of the engineers to address drainage, but also thought that putting the work on hold to explore possibility of moving the bike facility to another street might be a good idea. She is not in favor of wholesale removal of the valley gutters. If the bike lane cannot be moved, she said, the valley gutters should be installed. Jose Gonzalez, the Transportation Manager with Public Works, clarified the different types of concepts proffered for Royal Palm Avenue. One is a bike boulevard, which prioritizes bicycles over vehicles, with traffic control modifications. County approval is necessary for this option. That process, which also involves community input, would take seven to ten months. Another option is the experimental implementation of bike advisory lanes, which provides for a roadway without a centerline stripe. There would be bike lanes marked on either side. Because there would be insufficient room for two vehicles to pass each other, one vehicle would have to move into the bike lane in order to pass. Bikes would always have the priority right of way. The County is not in favor of this concept. Dwight Kraai commented that he was in favor of installing as robust a drainage system as possible. Drainage, he said, is a priority. Tony Trujillo stated that drainage is certainly important, but that this issue need to be addressed holistically. Greenspace infrastructure is important, and the City should look at a compromise. 1st MOTION: Recommend to the Mayor and Commission to pass the second resolution as amended. MOVED: T. Trujillo 2"d: R. Rabinowitz Committee input was to remove valley gutters from the contract and temporarily patch the roadway while exploring the options. The completion would be handled under a separate contract. VOTE: IN FAVOR: 3 OPPOSED: 5 DID NOT PASS F:\CAPI\$aii\Comm. & CIPOC\Commission ltems\2013\6-June\CIPOC Apri115 Meeting Minutes.docx CIPOC MEETING MINUTES, Apri/15, 2013 Page 8 of9 Note: There was some discussion and concern about delays and costs associated with relocating the bike lanes off of Prairie Avenue. Jose Gonzalez explained that Atkins and Street Plans Collaborative, the bike team consultants, met with the County and they did not support the concept of eliminating the bike lane on Prairie Avenue. If the City staff is directed to pursue this further, the Atlantic Greenway Network will have to be amended by City Commission. The City would also need to show the County sufficient justification for removal of the bike lanes. 2"d MOTION: Recommend to the Mayor and Commission to pass the first resolution. MOVED: C. Jacobs 2"d: S. Kilroy Committee input was to remove valley gutters from the contract and temporarily patch the roadway while exploring the options. The completion would be handled under a separate contract. VOTE: IN FAVOR: 4 OPPOSED: 4 DID NOT PASS Flamingo Park Football Field/Track Renovation Project 7:55 p.m. The item, presented by Senior Capital Project Coordinator Mattie Reyes, is to award the project for the Flamingo Park football field and track. Staff identified "Field Turf Revolution" as the specified material to be used as the artificial turf on the field. Saul asked about the cost of the specialized artificial turf and to what degree it affected the cost increase from the original budget to the budget in the ITB. Ms. Reyes could not respond because the project is in the cone of silence pre-award. She could speak about the product, stating that it was chosen on this and previous projects because it is a superior product, has adequate warranties, etc. The original budget of $1.3 million was a conceptual budget, established in 2009. Costs have changed since that time, and other items were added to the scope, mainly due to regulatory requirements (ADA compliance and drainage, for example). Residents also requested that the track be widened, and made of a surface that could withstand bicycle and rollerblade traffic. This also added to cost. CIP is requesting additional funding so as not to take funds away from other components that are planned in Flamingo Park. Cheryl Jacobs asked why the decision was made to use artificial turf. The City considered wear, maintenance and year-round use in that decision. Saul Gross requested that CIP provide the Committee with a breakdown of the Master Plan budget for Flamingo Park. MOTION: Recommend to the Mayor and Commission to pass the resolution. Amended with the recommendation to staff to include in the packet for Commission an update of the overall budget and a breakdown of the components in the current budget showing the specific cost differences. MOVED: PASSED: C. Cuervo UNANIMOUS Additional Discussion: 8:26 p.m. Flooding in Sunset Harbour Neighborhood Rick Saltrick explained that there are three pump stations in Sunset Harbour and that the Public Works Department will be performing remediation on the pumps. F:\CAPI\$aii\Comm. & CIPOC\Commission ltems\2013\6-June\CIPOC April15 Meeting Minutes.docx CIPOC MEETING MINUTES, Apri/15, 2013 Page 9 of9 On Saturday, April 13, the City experienced a strong rainfall event, which showed that 3.42" of rain fell at Sunset Harbour in less than an hour and a half. This event resulted in more rainfall than a 5-year storm event. The first pump station is located adjacent to the tot lot on Purdy Avenue and covers the area from Dade Boulevard to the Marina exit. This pump is not operating well and requires repair. The second pump is located in the Marina. This pump is operational. The third pump is located on Sunset Harbour Drive in front of Publix. This pump is undersized and will be replaced. An ITB has been issued and is out now, for several million dollars-worth of work to this pump. Dwight Kraai distributed photos showing flooding conditions in the Sunset Harbour neighborhood. Mr. Saltrick said that the reason for the flooding conditions shown in the photographs will be mitigated once the pumps are rehabilitated and the new pump is installed. Additionally, Public Works is developing a neighborhood improvement project to address the issues in Sunset Harbour. They have discovered some cracked stormwater pipes and other conditions that contribute to flooding in the neighborhood. The pump station rehabilitation work will continue, first with DERM soil tests, then the replacement of the Publix pump station. Then work will proceed with the neighborhood project and replacement of pipes. This project is still in the planning stages. Dwight Kraai asked which tidal measurements were used in the design for the upgraded stormwater system, noting that the .67" mean, used by the County does not take into account the high tides in October and November. Meeting Adjourned 8:34 p.m. Next CIPOC meeting is scheduled for Monday, May 6, 2013 at 5:30p.m. in Commission Chambers. However, meeting schedule may change. Official notification will be posted on the City Clerk Calendar, http://www.miamibeachfl.gov/calendar/cmbcalendar.aspx each month. Attachments: Attendance report Chart of wastewater treatment and water use Photos of flooding in Sunset Harbour neighborhood F:\CAPI\$aii\Comm. & CIPOC\Commission ltems\2013\6-June\CIPOC April15 Meeting Minutes.docx ATTENDANCE REPORT FOR CIP OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE JANUARY THROUGH DECEMBER 2013 LAST NAME FIRST NAME Jan Feb March 1 Gross Saul p N/M p 2 Camargo Elizabeth p N/M p 3 Cuervo Christina A N/M p 4 Jacobs Cheryl N/A N/A p 5 Kilroy Stacy p N/M A 6 Kraai Dwight p N/M p 7 Trujillo Tony p N/M p 8 Ehrlich Brian p N/M p 9 Rabinowitz Robert p N/M p *February 4, 2013 Meeting Cancelled P:PRESENT N/A: NOT APPOINTED I* NOT SERVING N/M: NO MEETING April May June July Sept Oct Nov Dec p p p p p p p p p Discipline Chair Architect Developer Citizen -at-Large Construction Engineer Capital Budget/Finance/ Developer Engineer WATER PURCHASED WASTE WATER TREATED 0::: 10500 <( w 10000 >-0::: 9500 w D.. (/) 9000 z 0 ...J 8500 _, ...J <( C) 8000 -LL 0 (/) 7500 z 7000 0 -...J ...J 6500 -~ 6000 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 YEAR