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06-21-2013 City Council Special Meeting Packet City of Grand Island Friday, June 21, 2013 Special Meeting Packet City Council: Linna Dee Donaldson Scott Dugan John Gericke Peg Gilbert Chuck Haase Julie Hehnke Vaughn Minton Mitchell Nickerson Bob Niemann Mike Paulick Mayor: Jay Vavricek City Administrator: Mary Lou Brown City Clerk: RaNae Edwards 6:00 PM Council Chambers - City Hall 100 East 1st Street Grand Island Special Meeting - 6/21/2013 Page 1 / 7 City of Grand Island Friday, June 21, 2013 Call to Order This is an open meeting of the Grand Island City Council. The City of Grand Island abides by the Open Meetings Act in conducting business. A copy of the Open Meetings Act is displayed in the back of this room as required by state law. The City Council may vote to go into Closed Session on any agenda item as allowed by state law. Invocation 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. Grand Island Special Meeting - 6/21/2013 Page 2 / 7 City of Grand Island Friday, June 21, 2013 Special Meeting Item -1 #2013-186 - Consideration of Providing Responses to Veterans Home Site Selection Committee Questions and Concerns Staff Contact: Mayor Jay Vavricek Grand Island Special Meeting - 6/21/2013 Page 3 / 7 Council Agenda Memo From:Mary Lou Brown, City Administrator Meeting:June 21, 2013 Subject:Consideration of Providing Responses to Veterans Home Site Selection Committee Questions and Concerns Item #:1 Presenter(s):Jay Vavricek, Mayor Background On May 28, 2013, the City Council approved Resolution #2013-167 - Consideration of Funding the Community Offering and Approving Authorized Official to Retain the Grand Island Veterans Home. The purpose of this Resolution was to approve the City’s financial commitment of funding and to approve the Mayor as the authorizing official. The community’s proposal was submitted to the State on June 11, 2013. A site visit with the State’s Site Selection Committee and its advisers took place Friday, June 14, 2013. The Site Selection Committee is tasked with evaluating and recommending a site for the new Central Nebraska Veterans Home. Discussion During the site visit on June 14, discussion occurred around several key areas. The key areas of discussion requiring clarification to the State are as follows: Drainage ditch adjacent to the Veterans Cemetery Potential extension of municipal road on the proposed site Removal of over 45 acres at the proposed site from the flood plain Impact of widening of Veterans Memorial Avenue, hike/bike trail extension along the Avenue and additional signal Possible usage of a geothermal heating system Abandonment of the potable irrigation well at the proposed site Water contamination and potential movement of contaminants Grand Island Special Meeting - 6/21/2013 Page 4 / 7 The Home for Our Heroes Committee discussed these topics during a committee meeting held on Monday, June 17 and agreed that council should publicly address the areas of concern and state clearly and succinctly the City’s responses to the questions posed. Alternatives It appears that the Council has the following alternatives concerning the issue at hand. The Council may: 1.Move to approve 2.Postpone the issue to future date 3.Take no action on the issue Recommendation City Administration recommends that Council approve the resolution providing responses to the Veterans Home Site Selection Committee questions and concerns regarding City services and plans. Sample Motion Move to approve the resolution providing responses to the Veterans Home Site Selection Committee questions and concerns regarding City services and plans. Grand Island Special Meeting - 6/21/2013 Page 5 / 7 Approved as to Form ¤ ___________ June 19, 2013 ¤ City Attorney R E S O L U T I O N 2013-186 WHEREAS, Mayor Jay Vavricek, Hall County Board of Supervisors Chair Pam Lancaster, and other officials assembled Friday, June 14, 2013 with the State Veteran’s Home Site Selection Committee; and WHEREAS, during the site visit questions were raised concerning City plans and intentions concerning certain City services and infrastructure; and WHEREAS, representatives of the Site Selection Committee indicated their interest in certain assurances with respect to City plans; and WHEREAS, the Mayor and City Council wish to formally address these matters in an affirmative manner to resolve any concerns and fully meet the needs and expectation of the State. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF GRAND ISLAND, NEBRASKA, 1)Regarding the drainage swale adjacent to the Veterans Cemetery, the drainage swale acts as on overflow to the storm water detention cell south of Veteran’s Memorial Avenue, and usually only contains storm water runoff during large rain events. This swale is currently isolated west of the proposed site along Webb Road, and would not have any adverse impacts to the development of the conceptual layouts of the site. Since the majority of the land around the proposed Veteran’s Home site has been removed from the flood plain and is above the Base Flood Elevation, storm water runoff is not anticipated to impact development of the site. There are several options that can be evaluated by the City and DAS to relocate the drainage around the cemetery, including grading of a new ditch, installing storm sewer, or a combination of both. Any of these alternates can be designed so that there are no negative impacts to the proposed Veteran’s Home site. The City will work with the State to address this matter. In addition, the City clarifies the funding source for this project is a portion of the $4 million committed by the Grand Island community. 2)Future street improvements will be subject to State approval and the City will work with the State in the event the State plans any changes on the proposed site. 3)Regarding the grade elevation of the site, as the Federal Emergency Management Agency documented in its May 28, 2013 Letter of Map Amendment Determination Document (Removal), in excess of 45 acres is above the floodplain elevation and, as at any building site, one to two feet of fill for pad site and general grading for drainage purposes would be necessary. A natural borrow area would be established onsite to supply borrow material for the project. Grand Island Special Meeting - 6/21/2013 Page 6 / 7 - 2 - 4)Regarding the widening project of Veterans Memorial Avenue to five lanes, the hike and bike trail project along the north side of Veterans Memorial Avenue from Webb Road to Broadwell Avenue and the pedestrian-activated signal crossing 1,000 feet east of Webb Road, these improvements are designed to improve vehicular and pedestrian/member safety. In particular, the hike and bike trail project provides for member access to retail locations to the west as well as to the south, and leisure activities at Eagle Scout Lake, Veterans Athletic Fields and United Veterans Club. 5)Regarding the potential for use of a geothermal heating system, such systems have been successfully used in Grand Island. Fluids in a closed loop system do not interact directly with each other or the soil or groundwater and therefore, it is not possible for the system to draw contamination toward the site, nor is it possible for it to draw contaminates into the building. The City will work with the State to answer any questions if the design for the Veterans Home incorporates a geothermal heating system; no city permits are required for State building projects on state-owned property. 6)Regarding the potable irrigation well, City water is available and would be used at the site so the abandonment of the irrigation well may occur and would have no impact. 7)Regarding concern over the possible presence of contamination in the groundwater that may exist within a portion of the site, the availability of City water will mitigate this. - - - Adopted by the City Council of the City of Grand Island, Nebraska, June 21, 2013. _______________________________________ Jay Vavricek, Mayor Attest: _______________________________________ RaNae Edwards, City Clerk Grand Island Special Meeting - 6/21/2013 Page 7 / 7