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HomeMy WebLinkAbout02/20/2007, BUS 1 - UPDATE ON INFRASTRUCTURE MAINTENANCE I council F bruary 20, 2007 j acEnaa Repoin CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO FROM: Jay D. Walter, Director of Public Works Prepared By: Barbara Lynch, City Engineer SUBJECT: UPDATE ON INFRASTRUCTURE MAINTENANCE CAO RECOMMENDATION Review and discuss a report regarding infrastructure maintenance, including upcoming pavement and infrastructure projects, how Measure Y will support enhanced efforts, and how the Pavement Management Plan works REPORT IN BRIEF During the campaign for the passage of Measure Y, the Council regularly heard from citizens that they wanted to see a continuing emphasis on maintaining the City's infrastructure, such as street repairs, parks and storm drain upkeep. The passage of Measure Y allows for some additional funding to be allocated for infrastructure repairs, and the Council will be facing a long list of choices in the 2007-09 Financial Plan. The Council has adopted a number of infrastructure management plans, which help to set priorities and strategies for dealing with these assets. The Pavement Management Plan in particular uses an area approach to street repair and works towards a goal of improving the overall condition of City streets. DISCUSSION Background During the December 12, 2006 Council meeting on the 2007-09 Financial Plan goal setting process and fiscal forecast discussions, the Mayor expressed a strong interest in assuring that planning was underway for a reinvigorated street paving program in light of the passage of Measure Y and the City's overall improved financial situation. The Council concurred with staff's offer to schedule a study session early in the year to discuss the upcoming construction season, to let them know what other infrastructure improvements are needed and to review how the Pavement Management Plan works. The balance of this report addresses these questions. It isn't often that staff gets the opportunity to focus time on such basic services, especially infrastructure is typically "unseen," and staff looks forward to the opportunity to discuss this topic further with Council on this topic during the study session. There's More Than Meets the Eye—Literally and Figuratively The City receives many requests for street paving from its citizens. After all, this is the piece of the City's infrastructure most visible to the public, and it is not surprising that the public often focuses on this one item. Residents want streets to look nice to protect the quality of their Update on Infrastructure Maintenance Page 2 neighborhoods and to enjoy a nicer driving or cycling experience. However, City staff knows that there is a great deal more to infrastructure than what is seen on the surface. Since. the inception of the Pavement Management Plan nearly ten years ago, staff has made significant progress in coordinating construction of various types of infrastructure repair projects with an aggressive program of street repair. The Public Works and Utilities Departments, through the budget process, have developed a program of infrastructure maintenance that works toward achieving the final goal — a newly paved street that will remain untouched for many years. One new player in the infrastructure arena is the storm drain system. Because of past fiscal limitations, this system has gone unnoticed in prior years. Because of the age of the system and the type of pipes that have been previously installed, the system is suffering widespread deterioration. However, a concerted effort by Public Works staff has resulted in detailed mapping of the system and a Council approved Storm Sewer Management Plan similar to the Pavement Management Plan. Due to the passage of Measure Y, and the City's better fiscal position, there will be several capital improvement plan (CIP) requests that will be presented for consideration as part of the 2007-09 Financial Plan process. Past Fiscal Challenges Have Not Been All Bad The scarcity of resources over the last several years has not been all bad. One positive aspect is that it raised the bar for staff to become better infrastructure managers, shifting from a reactive mode to a more systematic repair mode. The Pavement Management Plan and the City's sewer and water line replacement programs are clear examples of how a systematic approach to infrastructure maintenance can assist the City in better understanding the condition of its systems. This in turn helps to develop the most appropriate way of addressing priorities, putting funding where it is most needed, and of developing reasonable annual funding requests. Another positive aspect is that it has allowed the City's street maintenance crew to improve its skills in pavement repair. Previous crews had limited experience and improper tools to accomplish much more than pothole patching. Staff has acquired tools and experience to grind out and repave entire street sections, which are equal in quality to those done by contractors. This has allowed us to stretch the limited street paving budget and accomplish much more than was expected. Lastly, over the past few years, staff has begun to develop management tools, such as inventory systems, for other infrastructure resources including: storm drains, bridges, sidewalks and trees. While these more recently instituted inventory systems are not yet as highly detailed, they have already begun to assist staff in developing more effective and efficient approaches for maintenance. However, to do the job right, staff ultimately needs adequate resources to complete these inventory systems, and Measure Y provides the opportunity to combine the best system approach to management with the money to do much needed repairs. /- z Update on Infrastructure Maintenance Page 3_ Measure Y Will Help Us Greatly With the passage of Measure Y, staff can recommend and assure the completion of some major paving projects this summer, including: 1. Los Osos Valley Road(LOVR) from Highway 101 to the City limit 2. Madonna Road from Highway 101 to LOVR 3. Higuera Street from Morro to Nipomo These are projects that are already in the budget, but staff had been planning to scale them back because of a shortage of funding caused by increasing costs. With some additional Measure Y funding, staff can build the entire projects, asking for additional funding to be provided as part of the 2007-09 Financial Plan. For example: 1. LOVR Reconstruction: The Los Osos Valley Road Reconstruction project is a grant funded project. The grant application is several years old and predates the significant increases in asphalt costs experienced. Additionally, staff discovered a storm drain pipe failure a couple of years ago. The Public Works maintenance crew made a temporary repair of the worst area, but the entire pipeline needs replacement. In line with City practices, this should be done before the street is repaved to avoid having cut into the street in the near future. Work also needs to be done to considerable damage on one of the concrete cross gutters, one area of the curb and gutter that is raised causing water to pond, and sidewalk ramps that will need to be updated. Additionally, the original scope of work was from Highway 101 to Madonna Road. However, it makes sense to complete this work all the way to City limits and to take advantage of available Measure Y funds. 2. Madonna Road Sealing. The Madonna Road project is planned as a slurry seal rather than an overlay project. Recent pavement repair work has been completed making it unnecessary to apply more than a seal. The Streets crew has spent the last two years concentrating on arterial street repairs, and while they may not look pretty, they will provide a solid base which will extend the life of the street. 3. Higuera-Downtown Project. The funding for paving Higuera Street in the Downtown is currently estimated to be only enough to include the stretch from Morro to Garden Street. The original plan was to complete paving to Nipomo Street, but the funding is no longer adequate to do that. Part of this project will be the installation of a conduit to provide power for future pedestrian level street lighting, and is included to complete underground work before paving. This project will also need to include updated sidewalk ramps. Staff will come back to the Council for additional funds to complete the original scope of the project and keep the promise to make improvements in the Downtown with as little disruption as possible. As mentioned earlier, staff is also putting forward requests for significant work on the storm drain system. Instead of the "emergency project" approach of the last two years, staff hopes to be able to take a proactive approach to this system update. Minor amounts of bridge Update on Infrastructure Maintenance Page 4 maintenance money were requested in some prior budgets with some more significant requests coming this year. The Public Works maintenance division is aggressively addressing sidewalk repairs in the neighborhoods, taking the place of a CEP that is no longer funded. Staff will also begin to prepare "areas" for the reactivation of the Neighborhood Street Paving program, as further discussed later in this report. There are several other projects scheduled for 2007 from past budgets, as outlined below. As each of these projects comes forward for construction, staff anticipates asking for additional funding (if needed) instead of scaling programs back. Scheduled Work in the Near Term As outlined below, staff is already working on an aggressive program for infrastructure and facility repairs in the near term: Spring Therapy pool and public art construction Southern Pacific freight warehouse rehabilitation Downtown tree well construction and tree planting Emergency stormdrain replacement Drainage inlet replacements Street light fuse installations Trench repair Traffic signal installations Summer ADA Facility improvements Bob Jones Bike trail construction Los Osos Valley Road reconstruction Arterial street rehabilitation Waterline replacements Fall Downtown Higuera Street repaving Parking structure painting Marsh Street bridge silt removal Parking structure guide signs Santa Barbara Street widening Winter Sewer line replacements Orcutt widening/Bullock Lane realignment Park playground equipment renovations Added Projects Means Added Design and Inspection Responsibilities Completing important projects for the community is a part of the City's core mission, and with Measure Y resources, the ability to fulfill this mission will be enhanced. However, this also means some added responsibility. Additional project work means additional effort to design and Update on Infrastructure Maintenance Page 5 inspect construction. Current staffing levels alone are unlikely to be adequate for this effort. Because Measure Y has a "sunset" clause, staff believes it is prudent to augment staff through means other than added regular City staff. Thus, the approach presently envisioned will be for many projects to be completed and inspected via contract services of some type. City staff will prepare requests for proposals for engineering design and construction services which can be utilized to meet the increasing demand for design and inspection of additional projects. Until the CIP program for 2007-09 is finalized, and the amount and type of work are known, staff will be unable to specify which projects will be handled using contract services. All of this will be sorted out during the upcoming budget process. The remainder of this report gets just a bit more technical, as Staff describe how the Pavement Management Program works (including the Neighborhood Paving Program). What is the Pavement Management Plan and how does it work? The Pavement Management Plan is a tool used to manage a City's most costly and visible asset— its streets. Pavement condition can be taken as a statement of the City's performance. A well maintained, attractive street system is often seen as an indicator of good government. The Pavement Management Plan uses a computer program to develop priorities for spending limited taxpayer dollars. The approach it uses may be counter intuitive to some. It does not simply identify the worst streets, based on inspection reports, and program them for repaving. Instead, it focuses on streets that can be given a maintenance treatment torp event the need for reconstruction. Once a street has reached the point of needing reconstruction, it will not deteriorate further, and it will be extremely expensive to replace, regardless of when. This can be a little frustrating for the residents when they learn that their street will not be reconstructed, but from an infrastructure management and cost perspective,it is the appropriate approach. Less than 1% of the City's streets have reached the point of failure, so it is not a widespread problem. A typical paving plan would try to stretch the available funding to do some of the outsourced reconstruction work necessary, or take on the work with the City's own streets crew. Multiple Paving Strategies. The program uses a combination of slung seals, overlays and pavement replacements to improve the City's overall street condition. The slurry seal is the cheapest treatment available, and streets caught at an early stage of wear can see good life extension through this process. A slurry seal does just what the name implies — it seals the surface of the street from water intrusion. The overlay process takes a street with somewhat damaged pavement but no signs of base failure and constructs a blanket of asphalt concrete to extend the life of the road. It seals the surface and provides some additional strength to weaker areas. Commonly with overlay projects, a layer of old asphalt is ground off first to prevent the street crown from getting too high relative to the adjacent properties. Replacement is the removal of the existing pavement and base followed by a complete reconstruction of the roadway. Update on Infrastructure Maintenance Page 6 What was the original goal for the Pavement Management Plan? When the Pavement Management Plan was adopted in 1998, the City's Pavement Condition Index (PCI), a method of rating overall condition, sat at 70 out of a best possible score of 100. The City's Pavement Management Plan established a goal of 80 and specified the amount of annual funding that would be required to achieve that goal. The program of area paving was implemented for eight years with two additional years devoted to the City's arterials. During that time, underground work and paving was completed for the eight areas along with some paving work in the Downtown. . As a result, the most recent evaluation of the condition of City streets indicates that with all the work performed so far, staff has been able to increased the overall PCI to 75. In other words, significant progress was made as a result of implementing the pavement maintenance strategies over the last 10 years, in spite of the recent reduction of paving funds. A total of$16 million was spent in the last eight years to achieve the increase, and staff has prepared a CIP request for the upcoming budget anticipating that an additional $12 million will be required to reach the PCI goal of 80 in the next eight years. As the pavement condition improves citywide, the program should be able to move even more toward slurry seals and away from complete reconstruction. How does the City go about implementing the Pavement Management Plan? One of the original objectives of the Pavement Management Plan was to prevent having the street cut into shortly after it was repaved or sealed. Below the street lie a variety of utility lines such as water, sewer, gas, and storm drainage that provide service to property owners. In some cases it may include communication and electrical power lines. The plan divided the City into nine different areas (Attachment 1). Area 9, the Downtown, is not managed the same way as the other eight; rather work is coordinated and completed a little at a time. While the impression might be that the City works in a "linear" fashion, tackling one area at a time, staff must actually work concurrently in multiple areas. The first work performed in an area is underground work. Examples of the type of work staff does in advance of paving or sealing are: water and sewer line replacements, storm drain replacements, drainage inlet replacements, sidewalk ramps, sidewalk repair and pavement repairs. This work typically requires cutting pavement and digging up the street. While the work will result in a paved trench, the overall pavement is compromised by the presence of the trench line, besides giving the street a less-than-finished appearance. New sidewalk installations are completed during the same two-year period as the underground work. Only after this work is complete, is the street resurfaced or reconstructed. As an example: Budget Year 1: Underground work—Pavement Area 3 Paving—Pavement Area 1 Budget Year 2: Underground work—Pavement Area 4 Paving—Pavement Area 2 i j 1 Update on Infrastructure Maintenance Page 7 I i Budget Year 3: Underground work—Pavement Area 5 Paving—Pavement Area 3 Budget Year 4: Underground work—Pavement Area 6 Paving—Pavement Area 4 As shown above, during any Financial Plan period, work is going on in four of the pavement areas. Staff works using a two year advanced window for the underground work to allow for possible delays in project delivery and to ensure that that work will be done before paving or sealing the streets. Two other elements that influence the delivery of the area paving program are weather and traffic conditions. 1. Temperature Paving projects have certain restrictions by temperature ranges to ensure the material goes down properly. The placement of asphalt concrete in cold temperatures can lead to poor compaction which will result in reduced life for the pavement. For streets that are to be reconstructed, the old pavement is completely removed. It is important that the excavated street not be subject to wet weather. Rain will soak the sub base area, causing the street area to displace as the contractor attempts to pave. 2. Traffic Conditions Street work is also very disruptive to traffic because of the necessity to close off access while the work is underway. School traffic, both for .regular K-12 grades as well as Cal Poly, is considerably less in the summer time. For these important reasons, staff routinely schedules paving and sealing work for the summer months. Following the strategy of completing underground work first, the neighborhoods of Area 1 will see the advance work start in 2007, but actual paving and sealing of the streets will not start until the summer of 2008. Concluding Comment When the Council initially directed that this study session be held, there were some concerns expressed regarding whether the staff is prepared to "make an impact" this summer (and beyond) to demonstrate the value and commitment to invest Measure Y funding. Staff hopes this report has demonstrated that planning is well underway in this regard. There is also much already on the plate, and the community should notice a "robust" level of activity this summer and beyond. Finally, staff hopes this report demonstrates that whatever work the Council funds, it will be planned in a coordinated and systematic way. There is a "method to the madness" that is designed to avoid mistakes and stretch the life of the City's infrastructure for as long as possible. FISCAL IMPACT There is no fiscal impact associated with this report. Fiscal impacts associated with much of the planned or potential work described in this report will be sorted out during the budget process 7 Update on Infrastructure Maintenance Page 8 ATTACHMENT Pavement Area Map ON FILE IN THE COUNCH. OFFICE 1. Storm Sewer Management Plan,February 2005 2. Pavement Management Plan, April 1998 g:Vtett-reponsagwdE minute\-mr\2007\dpVrdmst=WreWpdaterpt.dw /� V t �,i�■tTii ] / 'muff 1 �f■ noun u■■■,. �, ,�� •" counat z-2o-o7 accnaa ucpoin Bim. z CITY OF SAN LUIS O B I S P O FROM: Ken Hampian,City Administrative Officer �yq Bill Statler, Director of Finance &Information Technology Carolyn Dominguez, Finance Manager Debbie Malicoat, Accounting Supervisor SUBJECT: 2006-07 MID-YEAR BUDGET REVIEW CAO RECOMMENDATION 1. Review and discuss the City's financial condition and status of City goals at the mid-point of 2006-07. 2. Approve revenue and expenditures changes presented in the accompanying Mid-Year Budget Review document. DISCUSSION The accompanying Mid-Year Budget Review for 2006-07 provides a comprehensive overview of the City's fiscal condition at the mid-point of the fiscal year. The Transmittal Memorandum (starting on page A-1) sets forth a concise summary of key General Fund revenue and expenditure trends since adoption of the 2006-07 budget in June 2006, and compares them with the more recent results of the General Fund five-year fiscal forecast (Forecast) presented to the Council in December 2006. The report also includes supporting documentation for the recommended mid- year budget appropriations. Overview: How Are We Doing? Best Fiscal Outlook in Many Years. As discussed in the recent Forecast, we are facing our best fiscal outlook in many years due to three key factors: 1. Passage of Measure Y. This 1/2-cent sales tax measure was adopted with 65% voter approval on November 7, 2006. On an annual basis, we estimate that it will generate $4.5 million in added General Fund revenues. 2. Structural Budget Balance. With the actions we have taken beginning in 2002, we have achieved "structural budget balance" for the long-term. This means that the added revenues from Measure Y will not be required simply to forestall even greater cuts, but can be used for service restorations and new initiatives, based on the goals that emerged from Council goal- setting on January 27, 2007. 3. Strong Financial Condition. Because of our prudent planning and budget balancing actions, we will go into the 2007-09 Financial Plan process with strong reserves that are above our minimum policy level. While this is a "one-time" source, it can appropriately be used for one- 2006-07 Mid-Year Budget Review Page 2 time purposes like facility and infrastructure improvements to our streets, storm drains and parks. Projected Financial Results for 2006-07. Projected General Fund revenues and expenditures for 2006-07 are generally consistent with the results of the Forecast presented to the Council in December 2006. This includes a stronger ending position in 2006-07 (which becomes the starting position for 2007-09)than originally projected in the 2006-07 Financial Plan Supplement. As we discussed with the Council in December 2006 when we presented audited financial results for 2005-06, this is largely because we ended 2005-06 with a stronger beginning General Fund position than initially projected. A combination of increased revenues and expenditure savings resulted in a --- —net ending fund balance in 2005-06 of$2.9 million more and Downs" than anticipated. At the end of the Transmittal Memorandum is a one-page Other than the mid-year budget requests, the only overview of our projected ending significant change for 2006-07 from the Forecast is the financial condition for the General recognition of one-quarter of revenues from Measure Y Fund at June 30,2007 that funds, which will become effective on April 1, 2007. summarizes "where we're up"and Based on follow-up discussions with the State Board of "where we're down"from our initial estimates in the 2006-07 Equalization and our independent auditors, we will Financial Plan Supplement. accrue an estimate for Measure Y revenues collected from April 1, 2007 through June 30, 2007 in fiscal year 2006-07, even though we will not receive payments from the State for most of these collections until September 2007. (On a cash basis, we will receive a small advance from the State in June 2007). Based on an annual estimate of $4.5 million, we are projecting 2006-07 revenues at $1 million. This reflects past trends where the second quarter of the year is significantly lower than other quarters. For example, sales tax revenues are typically stronger in the third quarter due to tourism and back-to-school sales; and stronger in the fourth quarter due to Christmas sales. Using our most recent results, our sales tax advisor (Hinderliter deLlamas) is in the process of updating our Measure Y revenue estimates, and we may have revised projections as part of the 2007-09 Financial Plan. However, we do not expect that any revisions will be significant. Background: Purpose of the Mid-Year Budget Review The City's two-year Financial Plan provides for the submittal of a report on our financial status to the Council every six months. For fiscal monitoring purposes, on-line access to up-to-date information is available to all departments; financial reports are issued monthly to key staff members; and quarterly financial reports are distributed to the Council and staff on an ongoing basis. Additionally, we issue focused reports to the Council and staff on key revenues such as sales tax, transient occupancy tax and investments, as well as ad hoc reports as needed. However, the formal submittal of a review at the mid-point of the fiscal year provides an opportunity to take a broader look at the City's financial picture, including: 2--Z I 2006-07 Mid-Year Budget Review Page 3 1. Updating beginning fund balance projections based on actual results for the prior fiscal year. 2. Analyzing revenue trends since adoption of the Financial Plan Supplement, and revising revenues and ending fund balance projections accordingly. 3. Identifying and presenting any fiscal problem areas to the Council, and recommending corrective action or additional funding if required. 4. Presenting the status of major City goals,capital improvement plan projects and other important objectives. Report Organization The accompanying Mid-Year Budget Review is organized into five main sections: Section.A: Transmittal Memorandum, which provides a concise review and analysis of the City's financial position and summarizes requested mid-year budget adjustments. Section B: Comprehensive presentations of projected revenues, expenditures and changes in fund balance/working capital for each of the City's funds for 2006-07 compared with original budget estimates and actual results from 2005-06. Section C. Detailed supporting documentation for the requested mid-year budget adjustments. Section D: Recent financial and revenue reports: Quarterly Financial Newsletter, Sales Tax Newsletter and Monthly TOT Report. Section E Status reports on major City goals, other Council objectives and major CIP projects. This includes recommended"Action Plan"revisions as discussed in the report. ENCLOSURE Mid-Year Budget Review for 2006-07 G:Budget Folders/Mid-Year Budget Reviews/Mid-Year Budget Review,2006-07/Council Agenda Report RED FILE RECEIVED MEETING AGENDA Howard L. Bentzinger LFEB 2 0 2001 DATE 1 kd 7ITEM # �� 1720 Royal Court, CITY CLERK San Luis Obispo, CA 93405 hlbentz07@sbcglobal.net To Mayor Dave Romero and City.Council February 19, 2007 City Of San Luis Obispo Reference: Budget Adjustments, Bridge Replacement Laguna Lake Golf Course. I would like to be at your meeting to speak on this item. Unfortunately I am precluded due to a health problem and will ask that you hear or read these remarks. The old bridge ws removed about five years ago. A "temporary green was installed and the tee was placed besides the fourth green. The golfers must walk back across Prefumo Creek on the bridge serving the second hole to a new tee to play to the sixth green. A clumsy arrangement in my opinion. The arrangement now used causes problems for the homes abutting the course It also makes the the flow of play slower and, to some extent, the quality. By simply replacing the bridge as promised, the former order is restored. This project has been repeatedly deferred for some other seemingly higher priority job. I believe the Council should consider the wide range of users of the facility. Ages range from the very young, 5-10, to very old, 80+. Of the programs hosted there, the First Tee program for beginners is a wonderful start for children's introduction to golf. The Ladies and Men's clubs that play weekly provide the opportunity for exercise and social interchange for many adults. Of course many students and visitors to our area contribute to the rounds played. Your staff under the leadership of Todd Bundt has done an outstanding job of maintaining the facility. I could expand on the many benefits realized by the city from the Golf Course, but suffice to say you have a very positive asset and should restore it to the best possible layout by funding the bridge project at this time. It has been delayed too many times. Thank You for your consideration. Howard Bentzinger E14-k C 1720 Royal Court, OUNCIL CDD DIR CAOCAO San Luis Obispo, F[ACAOi�p DIR FIRE CHIEF CA 93405 TTORNEY PW DIR CLERK/ORIG POLICE CHF ❑ DEPT HEADS RTC DIR "� � _ UTIL DIR HR DIR f COLt..s t° C'�9fJ