Report from Public Works Committee meeting dated March 15, 2016:
1.  Informational Update on the City of Ramsey Utility Department: Informational; no action required.
2.  Staff Updates on Improvement Projects / Items of Interest: Informational; no action required.

 

The Public Works Committee held its regular meeting on March 15, 2016 and discussed the following cases:
1.  Informational Update on the City of Ramsey Utility Department: Utility Supervisor Nelson stated he has worked for Ramsey since 1993.  The Utility Department has three other full-time employees in addition to two seasonal employees to maintain 82 miles of water main, 1,000+ fire hydrants, 4,500 water services, 63 miles of sewer main, 1,500 manholes, and 7 sewer lift stations.  The City’s sewer treatment occurs at Pigs Eye in St. Paul through a gravity system.  The City has 8 ground water supply wells pumping from 250 gallons per minute to 1,600 gallons per minute with the largest well.  The wells draw water from the Franconia-Ironton-Galesville aquifer and cost about $1 million to drill plus the cost for the buildings and treatment systems. The City’s wells can pump 10 million gallons a day, if required, and in 2015, pumped 661 million gallons. Utility Supervisor Nelson described the three chemicals used to treat the City’s water and reviewed the process to inspect the interior of the City’s water towers, which is done about once in five years.  Utility Supervisor Nelson itemized the types of tests performed on the water every day per State requirements to assure it meets guidelines.  He stated in April, the yearly consumer confidence report will be published and indicated Ramsey has always done very well. Utility Supervisor Nelson stated a computer monitors the City’s water and sewer functions including filling the water towers, assuring proper levels, security of the facility, and alerting if there is a power outage, water main break, high or low water levels and showed the Committee several water meters and explained the features of each.  Utility Supervisor Nelson presented the information contained within the ‘On Call Bible,’ noting that during off hours, one employee is always on-call to handle emergency situations.  Informational; no action required.
2.  Staff Updates on Improvement Projects / Items of Interest:  City Engineer Westby stated at the last meeting staff was asked to provide more regular updates.  He referenced the staff report that listed the most high profile City projects and provided updates on the Highway 10/County Road 83/Armstrong Boulevard interchange with project completion expected in late May; preparation of the Business Park 95 Regional Stormwater Pond Improvements plans with construction expected this summer/fall; progress made with the Andrie Street and 164th Lane reconstruction plans with construction expected to begin early June and completion in October; and the 2016 Mill and Overlay Project, which was scaled back in consideration of Anoka County’s pavement maintenance project on Bunker Lake Boulevard between Ramsey Boulevard and Basalt Street, with construction to begin early August and completion mid-September.  With the overlay project, he explained that the Council will need to consider whether to assess only a few of the properties on Sunwood Drive. Informational; no action required.

 

No action needed; report is for informational purposes.