04-01-2003 City Council Study Session PacketCity of Grand Island
Tuesday, April 01, 2003
Study Session Packet
City Council:Mayor:
Jay Vavricek
City Administrator:
Marlan Ferguson
City Clerk:
RaNae Edwards
T
u
7:00:00 PM
Council Chambers - City Hall
100 East First Street
Joyce Haase
Margaret Hornady
Gale Larson
Robert Meyer
Mitchell Nickerson
Don Pauly
Jackie Pielstick
Larry Seifert
Scott Walker
Fred Whitesides
City of Grand Island City Council
Call to Order
Pledge of Allegiance
Roll Call
A - SUBMITTAL OF REQUESTS FOR FUTURE ITEMS
Individuals who have appropriate items for City Council consideration should complete the Request for Future
Agenda Items form located at the Information Booth. If the issue can be handled administratively without Council
action, notification will be provided. If the item is scheduled for a meeting or study session, notification of the date
will be given.
B - RESERVE TIME TO SPEAK ON AGENDA ITEMS
This is an opportunity for individuals wishing to provide input on any of tonight's agenda items to reserve time to
speak. Please come forward, state your name and address, and the Agenda topic on which you will be speaking.
City of Grand Island City Council
Item -1
Presentation by Code Compliance Officer Tim Holloway
Regarding Problem Resolution Team (PRT) Report
The City Legal Department's Code Enforcement Officer, Tim Holloway, is inspecting all
areas
of the City of Grand Island for nuisance violations of the Municipal Code. Inspections have
been
completed for Ward #4 and the initial inspections for Ward #3 have also been completed. Tim
is now
in the process of doing follow up inspections for Ward #3. Once the follow-up inspection of
Ward #3
has been completed Ward #2 will be inspected. After Ward #2 is inspected Wards #1 & #5
will be
inspected. Tim will try to follow up with another inspection of Wards #3 & #4 before the end
of the year.
Assistant City Attorney Dale Shotkowski has filed petitions on those properties where the
nuisance
has not been abated as requested after the initial inspections. For those properties that are
brought into compliance after a petition is filed but prior to the first court date, it has been
the City's policy to dismiss the case if the property owner pays all court costs and service fees.
This process will be followed for all of the Wards in the City.
As we get into the summer months and the City receives complaints about unmowed weeds
and grasses, we
will inspect those properties when complaints are made to us or respond to situations where
an obvious
violation exists.
Tuesday, April 01, 2003
Study Session
City of Grand Island
Staff Contact: Doug Walker
City of Grand Island City Council
CODE COMPLIANCE
CITY OF GRAND ISLAND
Report for City Council Wards
COMPLAINT JUNK
VEHICLES
LITTER
TRASH GRAFFITI OTHER
TOTAL
Ward 5 – 2002 150 77 0 7 234
Ward 5 – 2003
Ward 4 – 2002 377 183 16 23 599
Ward 4 – 2003 306 60 2 0 368
Ward 3 – 2002 177 72 8 8 265
Ward 3 – 2003 155 26 6 0 187
Ward 2 – 2002 91 19 0 2 112
Ward 2 – 2003
Ward 1 – 2002 129 26 0 0 155
Ward 1 - 2003
Total 2002/2003 924/461 377/86 24/8 40/0 1365/555
Tim Holloway
Code Compliance Officer
March 28, 2003
The city wide inspection by council wards is now underway. I started in Ward 4 this year
and have completed Ward 4 and Ward 3. Follow-up inspections will be completed for Ward
4 are done and I have started on the follow-up of Ward 3.
CODE COMPLIANCE
CITY OF GRAND ISLAND
Report for March 2003
COMPLAINT MARCH
2002 TOTAL
MARCH
2003 TOTAL
Y-T-D
2002
Y-T-D
2003
*CLEARED
2003
JUNK VEHICLES 257 153 556 478 325
LITTER/REFUSE 105 26 286 96 71
GRAFFITI 9 6 16 10 4
WEEDS 0 0 1 0 0
TOTAL 371 185 859 584 400
*Cleared items include those referred to other departments
Tim Holloway
Code Compliance Officer
Item -2
Presentation on Proposed 2004 Railroad Corridor Study
Our community was laid out to serve the railroads and now we struggle to use the same
space. Discussions have centered on maintenance of crossings and side-tracks, horn noise,
building of new overpasses and underpasses and closing of some crossings. Installation of
the Directional Automated Horn System has been suggested but railroad circuitry needs to be
upgraded first. The One and Six Year Street Improvement Program has funds planned for a
comprehensive railroad corridor study in 2004. Steve Riehle will make a Power Point
presentation that should generate some discussion.
Tuesday, April 01, 2003
Study Session
City of Grand Island
Staff Contact: Steve Riehle, City Engineer/Public Works Director
City of Grand Island City Council
1
Railroads helped the US Grow
•Grand Island has multiple Railroads
–Union Pacific
–Burlington Northern Santa Fe
–Nebraska Central
Some Train Counts
•Union Pacific Railroad
–140 Trains per day between North Platte &
Gibbon
–70 Trains per day through Grand Island
•Burlington Northern Santa Fee
–? Trains per day through Grand Island
2
•You can’t go
anywhere in
Grand Island
without
crossing a set
of railroad
tracks UPRR
UPRRNCRRBNSF
•At Grade
Railroad
Crossings
•Overpasses or
Underpasses
UPRR
UPRRNCRRBNSF
3
Crossings
Listed by Railroad
Central Nebraska
Railroad
Capital Avenue
8th Street
7th Street
4th & 5th Streets
Power Plant Spur
Blaine Street
West Second Street
Koenig Street
Stolley Park Road
Schimmer Drive
Wildwood Drive
Burlington Northern
Santa Fe Railroad
North Road
US Highway 281
Webb Road
Broadwell Avenue
Capital Avenue
18th Street
10th Street
4th Street
East US Highway 30
(1st and 2nd Street)
Stuhr Road
Bismark Road
Union Pacific
Railroad
Oak Street
Sycamore Street
Pine Street
Walnut Street
Elm Street
Eddy Street
Lincoln Avenue
Broadwell Avenue
Second Street (US Hwy 30)
Blaine Street (Custer Ave)
Webb Road
US Highway 281
Stolley Park Road
Engleman Road
Crossings are Rough and Too Many
4
Need for more Under/Overpasses
Existing Underpasses
need to be upgraded
5
Directional
Horns
(Automated
Horn System
AHS) would
Reduce Noise
Pollution
Sound
Comparison:
Train Horn vs.
AHS™
•Locomotive engineers are required to sound the train's horn 1/4 mile in advance of the crossing and continue to sound the horn until the train arrives at the crossing.
•The area impacted by the
AHS™ is a fraction of the
size of the 80 decibel contour produced by the train horn.
6
Where from Here?
•Railroad Corridor Study in 2004
–Consider closing crossings
–New Underpasses & Overpasses
–Rehab existing Underpasses
–Review AHS Directional Horns
–Improve safety at existing Crossings
Questions