MONROE - At a meeting Monday, the City of Monroe Board of Public Works:
- Approved bills from MSA Professional Services for $4,260 for 21st Street water Quality pond design; Whitney Tree Service for $370 for tree removal; Veolia Environmental Services for $340 for March recycling; SEH, Inc. for $350 for 8th/9th street revisions; Fehr Graham and Associates for $15,000 from water system improvements.
- Discussed and recommend to the council to approve an updated storm water master plan with options to incorporate new DNR requirements.
- Received an update on the progress of the 8th/9th street reconstruction project from Al Gerber, city engineer supervisor. The project is on-schedule. The removal and replacement of the Badger State Trail bridge that spans 8th Street is expected to start mid-May.
- Authorized the Wastewater Treatment Utility to seek bids for repairing sanitary sewer in the Shopko area. The $135,000 project is expected to last about 30 days starting in mid-June. The utility budgeted the project for this year.
- Authorized Tom Boll, street department supervisor, to seek quotes for sealing two or three city parking lots. Spring Square is expected to be resealed. The police department and city hall lots will be resealed, depending upon the costs, according to Boll.
- Reviewed quotes and authorized hiring Crack Filling Service, Cross Plains, for rubberized crack sealing at a cost of $5,300. The board turned down a bid from Green County Highway Department for $3,060, citing concerns with a specific guarantee, itemizing, and sealing process.
- Reviewed information on purchasing a vehicle diagnostic information testing equipment. The equipment identifies the specific problems which are indicated by general warning lights. Boll was directed to prepare a listing of needed software or a complete diagnostic unit and of the costs. Doing in-house diagnostic testing is expected to replace sending vehicles out for testing, save the city about $75 to $100 per incident. The city has spent about $2,100 in the past two year for testing hookups. Vehicle repairs are done by the city. A complete diagnostic unit could cost about $6,000. Boll said purchasing separate software for different vehicles for use with department computers may cost about the same amount.
- Reviewed quotes and authorized hiring Brunker Masonry, Madison, for tuck-pointing work on Senior Center building at a cost of $7,850. Tammy Derrickson, director of the center, said funds from a capital campaign will be used to pay for the project.
MONROE - At a meeting Monday, the city of Monroe Public Safety Committee:
- Discussed a traffic study conducted by the city for a possible stop sign on 23rd Street at 8th Avenue. Al Gerber, city engineer supervisor, said the study indicated the intersection did not meet any of three criteria, traffic count, visibility and crash record, for a stop sign installation and did not warrant a sign. The board took no action.
- Recommended to the council to approve special events permits for the Monroe Chamber of Commerce Market on the Square and for Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Great Strides Walk, May 21 at Twining Park. The Market on the Square requested pre-approval of extending the Saturday farmer's markets to the west side of the square when participants exceed the number of available spaces on the north side. Approval to use the west inner circle of parking, which would require closing the section, will be triggered by an overflow of at least five participants in the market.
- Was informed by Phil Rath, city administrator that a process may need to be established for razing vacant, rundown properties that have been abandoned by owners. A major problem of razing property that does not have owner interest, as when owners walk away from ownership responsibilities, is the cost to the city. Property repairs or razing costs are normally put on the county tax rolls as a special assessment. When taxes are paid in part or not paid on time, the county has in the past paid the city's special assessments before taking the remaining payment for taxes. However, the county is considering not paying the city for these special assessments, which, according to Rath, it is not obligated to pay. In such cases, the city will be left to determine how to bear the costs of razing or repairing property. State statutes make the city responsible for maintaining the health, safety, welfare and aesthetics of property in the city. The committee asked Rath to prepare some preliminary guidelines for its consideration.
- Discussed the need to upgrade police, fire and public works radio systems and replacement needs to meet the state requirements for narrow-banded radios by November 2011. The committee will be deciding how to pay the costs from a special capital account for the purchases. A cost has not been determined. The city will be taking a count of the radio equipment on Friday, and determining the replacements.
- Tere Dunlap
- Approved bills from MSA Professional Services for $4,260 for 21st Street water Quality pond design; Whitney Tree Service for $370 for tree removal; Veolia Environmental Services for $340 for March recycling; SEH, Inc. for $350 for 8th/9th street revisions; Fehr Graham and Associates for $15,000 from water system improvements.
- Discussed and recommend to the council to approve an updated storm water master plan with options to incorporate new DNR requirements.
- Received an update on the progress of the 8th/9th street reconstruction project from Al Gerber, city engineer supervisor. The project is on-schedule. The removal and replacement of the Badger State Trail bridge that spans 8th Street is expected to start mid-May.
- Authorized the Wastewater Treatment Utility to seek bids for repairing sanitary sewer in the Shopko area. The $135,000 project is expected to last about 30 days starting in mid-June. The utility budgeted the project for this year.
- Authorized Tom Boll, street department supervisor, to seek quotes for sealing two or three city parking lots. Spring Square is expected to be resealed. The police department and city hall lots will be resealed, depending upon the costs, according to Boll.
- Reviewed quotes and authorized hiring Crack Filling Service, Cross Plains, for rubberized crack sealing at a cost of $5,300. The board turned down a bid from Green County Highway Department for $3,060, citing concerns with a specific guarantee, itemizing, and sealing process.
- Reviewed information on purchasing a vehicle diagnostic information testing equipment. The equipment identifies the specific problems which are indicated by general warning lights. Boll was directed to prepare a listing of needed software or a complete diagnostic unit and of the costs. Doing in-house diagnostic testing is expected to replace sending vehicles out for testing, save the city about $75 to $100 per incident. The city has spent about $2,100 in the past two year for testing hookups. Vehicle repairs are done by the city. A complete diagnostic unit could cost about $6,000. Boll said purchasing separate software for different vehicles for use with department computers may cost about the same amount.
- Reviewed quotes and authorized hiring Brunker Masonry, Madison, for tuck-pointing work on Senior Center building at a cost of $7,850. Tammy Derrickson, director of the center, said funds from a capital campaign will be used to pay for the project.
MONROE - At a meeting Monday, the city of Monroe Public Safety Committee:
- Discussed a traffic study conducted by the city for a possible stop sign on 23rd Street at 8th Avenue. Al Gerber, city engineer supervisor, said the study indicated the intersection did not meet any of three criteria, traffic count, visibility and crash record, for a stop sign installation and did not warrant a sign. The board took no action.
- Recommended to the council to approve special events permits for the Monroe Chamber of Commerce Market on the Square and for Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Great Strides Walk, May 21 at Twining Park. The Market on the Square requested pre-approval of extending the Saturday farmer's markets to the west side of the square when participants exceed the number of available spaces on the north side. Approval to use the west inner circle of parking, which would require closing the section, will be triggered by an overflow of at least five participants in the market.
- Was informed by Phil Rath, city administrator that a process may need to be established for razing vacant, rundown properties that have been abandoned by owners. A major problem of razing property that does not have owner interest, as when owners walk away from ownership responsibilities, is the cost to the city. Property repairs or razing costs are normally put on the county tax rolls as a special assessment. When taxes are paid in part or not paid on time, the county has in the past paid the city's special assessments before taking the remaining payment for taxes. However, the county is considering not paying the city for these special assessments, which, according to Rath, it is not obligated to pay. In such cases, the city will be left to determine how to bear the costs of razing or repairing property. State statutes make the city responsible for maintaining the health, safety, welfare and aesthetics of property in the city. The committee asked Rath to prepare some preliminary guidelines for its consideration.
- Discussed the need to upgrade police, fire and public works radio systems and replacement needs to meet the state requirements for narrow-banded radios by November 2011. The committee will be deciding how to pay the costs from a special capital account for the purchases. A cost has not been determined. The city will be taking a count of the radio equipment on Friday, and determining the replacements.
- Tere Dunlap