Report from Public Works Committee
The Public Works Committee held it regular meeting on May 21, 2019 and discussed the following cases:
1. Consider Recommendation to City Council to Suspend Annual Sealcoating Program: Motion to ratify the recommendatioin of the Public Works Committee to recommend that the City Council suspend the City’s annual sealcoating program for one year to allow for further observation of previously sealcoated City streets, and to research the practices and findings of other cities. 
2. Request Authorization to Participate in the MnWARN Mutual Aid Agreement: Motion to ratify the recommendation of the Public Works Committee to recommend that the City Council direct staff to adopt Resolution #19-166 Authorizing the City of Ramsey to enter into a Joint Powers Agreement with the MnWARN Emergency Response Program.    
3. Discuss 6401 Highway 10 - Dranage Issues/Pavement Discussion: Motion for City Council to ratify the consensus of the Public Works Committee that this item should be treated as maintenance so that it can move forward as soon as possible. 
Committee/Staff Input
Future Topics

1.  Consider Recommendation to City Council to Suspend Annual Sealcoating Program:  City Engineer Westby stated that the purpose of this case is to consider a recommendation to the City Council to suspend the City’s annual sealcoating program temporarily.  The City of Ramsey has generally sealcoated between 13 and 23 miles of City streets each year for many years.  The purpose of sealcoating is to protect existing bituminous pavement from damage caused by stormwater runoff, ultraviolet rays from the sun, and petroleum deposits left by vehicles using these streets.  Over the last two or three years, City staff has received higher than normal numbers of complaints about loose rock along gutters and in the boulevards of properties fronting streets that were sealcoated. City Engineer Westby stated that this spring, staff has observed damage to the underlying pavement of streets that were sealcoated within the last two to three years.  Staff has also heard from numerous other cities throughout the Twin Cities metro area, including several northwest metro, about similar recent observations on their sealcoat projects. Motion to ratify the recommendation of the Public Works Committee to recommend that the City Council suspend the City’s annual sealcoating program for one year to allow for further observation of previously sealcoated City streets, and to research the practices and findings of other cities. 
2. Request Authorization to Participate in the MnWARN Mutual Aid Agreement: Public Works Superintendent Riemer stated that MnWARN is a formal emergency response program in Minnesota.  MnWARN is a mutual aid agreement to provide a program whereby water, wastewater, and storm water utilities sustaining physical damage from natural or man-made disasters in the state of Minnesota can obtain emergency assistance, in the form of personnel, equipment, and materials and other associated services necessary to protect the health and welfare of the utilities’ customers. Motion to ratify the recommendation of the Public Works Committee to recommend that the City Council direct staff to adopt Resolution #19-166 Authorizing the City of Ramsey to enter into a Joint Powers Agreement with the MnWARN.
3. Discuss 6401 Highway 10 - Dranage Issues/Pavement Discussion: Public Works Superintendent Riemer stated that the City currently owns 6410 Highway 10 on the corner of Sunfish Lake Boulevard and Highway 10 by Aurelio’s Pizza and Willy McCoy’s.  The site is currently gravel and dirt, with smaller pieces of pavement onsite.  A neighboring tenant has requested the City pave or improve the conditions of the site, because the gravel and dirt is unmaintained and blows with the wind.  More importantly, the dirt onsite is running into a storm drain onsite. Public Works Superintendent Riemer stated that because of the prohibitive cost of paving the area temporarily, staff would suggest obtaining quotes for chemical dust control.  Chemical treatment would likely be an annual expense, until construction began on the Sunfish Lake Boulevard interchange.  He stated that he did receive an estimate from a contractor that stated the chemical spraying would have a cost of about $1,600.  He believed that this would be a good short-term solution. Motion for City Council to ratify the consensus of the Public Works Committee that this item should be treated as maintenance so that it can move forward as soon as possible.
Future Topics Calendar: Councilmember Riley asked for additional details on the increase in costs for road improvements and how that translates to the increase in an assessment:  City Engineer Westby stated he will provide the information requested via email. 

1. Motion to ratify the recommendation of the Public Works Committee to recommend that the City Council suspend the City’s annual sealcoating program for one year to allow for further observation of previously sealcoated City streets, and to research the practices and findings of other cities. 
2. Motion to ratify the recommendation of the Public Works Committee to recommend that the City Council direct staff to Adopt Resolution #19-166 Authorizing the City of Ramsey to enter into a Joint Powers Agreement with the MnWARN.
3. Motion for City Council to ratify the consensus of the Public Works Committee that this item should be treated as maintenance so that it can move forward as soon as possible. 

Motion for City Council to ratify the recommendation of the public Works Committee as follows:
Committee Business.
1. Motion to ratify the recommendation of the Public Works Committee to recommend that the City Council suspend the City’s annual sealcoating program for one year to allow for further observation of previously sealcoated City streets, and to research the practices and findings of other cities. 
2. Motion to ratify the recommendation of the Public Works Committee to recommend that the City Council direct staff to adopt Resolution #19-166 Authorizing the City of Ramsey to enter into a Joint Powers Agreement with the MnWARN.
3. Motion for City Council to ratify the consensus of the Public Works Committee that this item should be treated as maintenance so that it can move forward as soon as possible.