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HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-21-2016 regular meeting City Council of Peachtree City Meeting Minutes April 21, 2016 7:00 p.m. The Mayor and Council of Peachtree City met in regular session on Thursday, April 21, 2016. Mayor Vanessa Fleisch called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. Others attending: Terry Ernst, Mike King, Kim Learnard, and Phil Prebor. Announcements, Awards, Special Recognition Mayor Fleisch proclaimed May as Mental Health Month in Peachtree City. LaVerne Stevens and other mental health professionals accepted the proclamation. Purchasing Agent Angela Egan was recognized as the Supervisor of the Quarter. Jim O'Connell, Rick Recchio, Mary Camburn, and Angela Egan were recognized for their participation in the Supervisory Techniques Accentuate Results (STAR) program. Billy Spezzano of Recreation and Special Events was recognized for 10 years of service. Minutes February 9, 2016, Workshop Minutes April 5, 2016, Workshop Minutes March 1, 2016, Workshop Minutes April 7, 2016, Regular Meeting Minutes King moved to approve the February 9, 2016, workshop minutes, March 1, 2016, workshop minutes, April 5, 2016, workshop minutes, and the April 7, 2016, regular meeting minutes as written. Prebor seconded. Motion carried unanimously. Monthly Reports There were no comments. Consent Agenda 1. Consider Request to Surplus Medic Unit M82 2. Consider Budget Amendment & Lease Vehicle Transfer- FY 2016 3. Consider Budget Amendment- FY 2016 4. Consider Amendments to Purchasing Ordinance 5. Consider to Apply/Accept GOHS/MATEN Highway Safety Grant-Metro Atlanta Traffic Enforcement Network(MATEN) Coordinator Funding 6. Consider Request to Apply/Accept Highway Safety Small Agency Incentive Grant 7. Consider Agreement between City and CVB for Box Office Services City Attorney Ted Meeker noted that had been a change in the agreement for Consent Agenda #7. The hourly wage increased from $20 to $24.27 to include the cost of benefits. The change was on the dais. Ernst moved to approve Consent Agenda items 1 - 7. Learnard seconded. Motion carried unanimously. New Agenda Items 04-16-01 Discuss/Consider Lake Peachtree Spillway Funding Rich Greuel of Integrated Science & Engineering (ISE) and Randy Bass of Schnabel Engineering gave an overview of the spillway replacement. Greuel noted the lake was full, and they were going to discuss making sure it stayed that way. They were going to lay out the approach to replace the spillway, which was 50 years old and needed to be replaced. The design parameters were to bring the spillway up to Category 1 standards. The new spillway would be built downstream of the current spillway, between the bridge and McIntosh Trail. The lake should only be lowered enough so the construction zone would not be flooded. The old spillway City Council Minutes April 21, 2016 Page 2 would be removed at the end of construction. Greuel said they did not know what the new spillway would look like yet. There were a number of options that might work, and they would look at them during the process. Bass, who formerly worked for the state's Environmental Protection Division (EPD) and ran the Safe Dams program, said there a lot of different options. The existing spillway channel was only 110 feet wide and more spillway capacity was needed to meet Category 1 standards. He referred to the state's early classification of the dam as a Category 1 (reclassified a few weeks later to Category 2, the original category for the dam). However, the state had pointed out that the current spillway was inadequate. Enough capacity was needed to handle 18 inches of rain in 12 hours. The proposed location had a limited amount of space, but there were new spillway designs that should work. Bass discussed several different types of spillways, including radial weirs, box-inlet drops, fuse gates, labyrinth weirs, and piano key weirs, then showed photos/drawings of several different spillways. The size of the dam determined some of specifications for the spillway, but there were some areas of the design with leeway. The spillway would most likely be a labyrinth weir because of the accordion shape,which would provide the needed length. Piano key weirs had not been built in the United States yet, but they were used in Europe. They were more efficient than a labyrinth and had a narrower footprint. Learnard asked Bass to review the purpose of a spillway. Bass said when water came into the lake the water had to go over, under, or around the dam, and the spillway helped with that. He said the spillway would need to the same as it was doing currently, but also get the water from a 100-year storm out of the lake quickly. Bass continued that the water in the lake only had to drop 10 - 12 feet. The water should cascade off the spillway dropping down like a waterfall. Fleisch asked if a gated spillway would be better because of Lake Peachtree's connection to Lake Kedron, so both pools could be controlled. Bass said a small gate might be needed in the center of the labyrinth or piano key weir. If there was an emergency, the gate could be lowered to quickly lower the lake. There were several alternatives. A survey and borings had been done, and they could start looking at the best combination of spillways. Bass said they wanted the spillway and dam to meet Category 1 standards, but they also wanted the projects to be cost effective. Prebor noted that moving parts needed maintenance, and parts broke. He asked if all the types of spillways would fit in the space where the new spillway needed to go. Bass said a labyrinth weir might fit, but a piano key weir would definitely fit. The other types were not long enough. Learnard noted the design parameters were to keep the old spillway in place until construction was finished and to lower the lake only enough so the work zone would not be flooded. She asked Council to consider whether they would lower the lake again to save $1,000,000 on the project if it was necessary to do the job right. She added she would support that, and she lived on the lake. She wanted to keep options open. Greuel discussed the nine phases of the design of a new spillway. Phase 1 (April - August 2016) was the schematic design, which included preparing concept plans, an environmental/regulatory permitting assessment, the preparation of initial opinions of probable City Council Minutes April 21, 2016 Page 3 cost, and presentation of formal concepts to City leadership. Phase 2 (August - September 2016) would be public meetings to seek public input on the concepts. Preliminary design was Phase 3 (September - December 2016), which would include preparation of the final concept plan and layouts, an updated opinion of probable cost, and an update to City leadership and the public. Phase 4 (December 2016 - April 2017) would be design development, which included completion of the design to the 60% point, initiation of the permitting process, an updated opinion of probable cost, and an update to City leadership and the public. The final design was Phase 5 (April - June 2017) with completed engineering (plans and specifications), an updated opinion of probable cost, and an update to City leadership and the public. Phase 6 (June-July 2017) was Contract Documents - the preparation of bidding/procurement documents and finishing environmental/regulatory permitting. Bidding was Phase 7 (July-September 2017), with the project being out for bid and securing City Council authorization for the construction contract. Construction was Phase 8 (September 2017 - May 2018), which would include construction of the spillway with full-time construction oversight. Project Closeout was Phase 9 (May-July 2018), with the preparation of as-built drawings and an operation manual and an emergency action plan. Greuel reiterated that everything would be done to Category 1 standards. Ernst said it was a very important concept to keep everyone up-to-date on the work. Learnard noted the construction would take eight months. Prebor said that would be disturbing if the lake had to stay down for eight months. Ernst asked how weather would affect the actual construction. Greuel said it would slow construction down, but the right contractor knew what to do. Prebor asked how long permitting would take since that could cause delays. Greuel said a federal permit should take 45 days. Buffer variances from the state took four to six months. Fleisch asked if McIntosh Trail would have to be closed at any point. Greuel said they believed the work could be done without disturbing the road. If they found anything in the concept plan process that would disrupt the road, they would let Council know so there would be time to plan for it. They did not anticipate any problems. Learnard asked if there would be any issues regarding widening the cart path on that side of McIntosh Trail. Greuel said there would not be. He noted there was bridge over the spillway at Rockspray Pond. Rorie said that was something that could be considered. Rorie said staff was asking Council to approve $300,000 in initial funding from Cash Reserves to move forward with the engineering and design process for the spillway replacement. King moved to approve funding up to $300,000 to take the spillway replacement through Phase 5. Learnard seconded. Motion carried unanimously. Council/Staff Topics Presentation-CAF Museum, Military Trail of Georgia, Plans with Hartsfield-Jackson- CVB & Dixie Wing Jennifer Johnson, executive director of the Peachtree City Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB), reported that the CVB was working with Outlook Creative on a three -five-minute tourism video City Council Minutes April 21,2016 Page 4 and five vignette videos (conventions, shopping, dining, things to do), plus a video for a BMX event that would bring 6,000 people to the City. The mobile Visitors Center was finished and ready to roll to events. The state's Explore Georgia familiarization tour had been great, and they had learned what the City had to offer. The state had been asked to do an assessment of the CVB, which Johnson said was usually imposed on a CVB where it was new or there were problems. They had asked for the assessment for transparency and to ensure the board was spending its funds appropriately. Discussions with Council were part of the assessment, and the assessment would be May 23 - 24. They would also be interviewing staff, CVB board members, and staff from hotels and restaurants. Johnson noted a visit to the Dixie Wing of the Commemorative Air Force (CAF) museum during the state's recent familiarization tour led the state to a create a Military Trail as another tourism trail. She continued that would mean some financial gains for the museum and possibly the CVB and would allow them to use the Georgia logo at no cost. She introduced Jay Best with CAF. Best said the Dixie Wing felt they were the secret museum in the City and Georgia. From a national level, the CAF had over 165 warbirds with over 20 in restoration and was the largest flying museum in the world, and the Dixie Wing had some of the most prominent aircraft in the CAF. The primary method of fundraising was selling rides in the planes. They also attended airshows and events. The national organization was morphing into a museum and educational resource. On a local level, those changes were also being made. The CAF facility at Atlanta Regional Airport-Falcon Field was a unique facility for events, and they were also hosting smaller corporate events that used the meeting rooms at the hangar. Best noted that the 13th World War II Heritage Days on April 30 - May 1 would bring approximately 6,000 people to Peachtree City. It was a great way to honor WWII veterans and current military members. They were starting to partner with different organizations throughout the state such as the Atlanta History Center, which would bring hands-on displays for elementary school students, and Georgia Tech with a similar program. Another partner was the Museum of Aviation at Warner-Robbins. The CAF and CVB had worked closely over the last few months. Best announced that the Dixie Wing would have a two-year display at Hartsfield-Jackson Airport in 2017 - 2018 with five different display areas. They would be working with other entities, including Georgia State University, on a course based on designing the interpretive story, exhibit, and installation at the airport. Best said they knew had to be more than a hangar full of aircraft. Some renovations were planned for the hangar, and the CAF was working with the CVB to create a tourist destination. The entrance, hallway, and hangar would be redesigned to create an innovative museum display case. They were partnering with the Georgia State University Museum Studies Program on interpretive displays and hands-on history. The CAF's "Rise Above" educational outreach programs would be incorporated and included the Tuskegee Airmen, Women Air Service Pilots (WASPs), and a Georgia program using a Link Trainer (a device that looks like an airplane that allows people to get inside and learn to control WWII planes, similar to a video game). The renovation would also integrate with and expand the stories of the displays at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, which would create direct interest in the museum. Update Regarding Changes to State Fireworks Law-Chief O'Conor, Fire Department Fire Chief Joe O'Conor recalled that state fireworks law as it was originally passed in 2015 had been a little confusing, and it had tied the hands of local government regarding any restrictions. The state legislature had apparently heard from local government and citizens and made some City Council Minutes April 21, 2016 Page 5 changes, which would go into effect on July 1. There were still some restrictions on local government, and local government could not restrict the sale, use, or ignition of fireworks or other products that fell under the regulation. One change was that users had to lawfully be in the location they were using, and prohibitions had been expanded to include rights-of-way of roads/streets/highways. The time limits when fireworks could go off would change from midnight on most days and 2:00 a.m. on a few specific days. As of July 1, fireworks could go off between 10:00 a.m. and 9 p.m. every day except December 31, January 1, July 3, and July 4. On those days, fireworks were allowed until midnight. On January 1, fireworks would be able to go off until 1:00 a.m. Council could issue special permits to extend beyond those limits. Time limits could be further restricted by the Governor's Office if there were drought conditions. There would also stricter limitations for shooting off fireworks near air facilities, hospitals, or nursing homes. Fireworks would not be permitted in any state, county, or municipal park. Other rule changes related to selling fireworks, and the provisions would be stronger for being under the influence of drugs or alcohol use while using fireworks. Tree Ordinance and Tree Cutting Planning and Development Director Mike Warrix said there had been concern regarding tree cutting and tree ordinance issues. Over the last eight - nine months, there had been half a dozen issues of illegal tree cutting without permits. Warrix said that, per Section 1-11 of the Code of Ordinances, the penalties for ordinance violations included a $1,000 maximum fine, imprisonment of up to 180 days, and it was a separate offense for each day the violation continued. Section 1107 - Enforcement of the Land Development Ordinance considered the removal without approval of each specimen tree as a separate offense. The valuation used was $100 per caliper inch of trunk s measured at the top of the remaining stump. It was permissible to replace a removed tree with a number of smaller trees of the same species, provided the combined caliper measurements of the smaller trees was at least equal to the measurement of the protected or specimen tree that was removed. Warrix continued that Section 1110 - Replacement Tree Requirements included a minimum of two and one-half inches in caliper for canopy trees (hardwoods) and a minimum of two inches in caliper for deciduous understory trees (dogwoods and cherry trees). Multi-trunk trees used as understory trees should be a minimum of three canes, each of which should be a minimum of two inches in caliper. Evergreen understory trees should be a minimum of 15 gallons in size and a minimum of six feet in height above finish grade at the time of planting. His department had been tasked with looking at strengthening the ordinance regarding violations, Warrix said. He continued that what the City had was not bad; it just was not common knowledge in the landscaping/tree-cutting industry. Potential ordinance amendments could include increasing the minimum caliper sizes for replacement trees, adding caliper size requirements to Section 1107-Enforcement, adding language to Section 1107 to emphasize the maximum fine per violation was $1,000 and that each calendar day a violation existed was considered a separate offense, and developing a fee schedule for non-residential tree permits. City Council Minutes April 21, 2016 Page 6 Organizational/administrative improvements staff was considering included additional registration requirements for tree removal contractors, developing of a public outreach effort to inform the general public and tree/landscape contractors on how to comply with City ordinances, and better coordination between Code Enforcement and the Planning & Zoning Department. Warrix said staff had heard and seen the concerns, and the comments were being addressed. Staff would come back with text amendments to the Land Development Ordinance, possibly in a workshop. Rorie asked if the text amendments would go through the Planning Commission first. Warrix said it was not a procedural requirement, but he did recommend the Planning Commission have a role in the process. Rorie said that, with the expertise of the Planning Commissioners, it would be good for them to review any proposed changes first. Rorie asked if the language was inconsistent in the current ordinance regarding tree removal. Warrix said there was some conflicting language, and staff had been addressing that as part of a larger overview and assessment over the last six months. Rorie asked how many permits for tree removal had been issued. Warrix said 25 tree removal applications had been taken in that week, so a lot of time was spent processing the applications and why fees were being considered. King asked if the permits were for diseased/dead trees or trees that were a danger. Warrix said they were. King asked if trees could be removed because someone wanted an open back yard. Warrix said homeowners could legally remove the trees, but a permit was required for any tree over six inches in diameter. Staff would look to ensure no specimen/protected trees were being cut. If a tree was protected (even pines and sweetgums over a certain size, then the applicant would need to state the reason for removal. Learnard noted that two years had been spent on amending the current Tree Ordinance. There had been a lot of concern from residents over a fee for the permits. Learnard said the current ordinance was very reasonable. Staff would go and look at the trees and make recommendations. Everyone worked on it together. Warrix said there were a host of issues involved (buffers, greenbelts, stream buffer requirements), adding that most cities did not charge a fee for residential tree removal. Learnard asked if the recent tree removal at McDonald's on SR 54 had been a violation of the ordinance. Warrix said the contractor had come in and applied for a permit for a complete landscape overhaul. Staff had seen the magnitude of the request, and the request had been referred to the Planning Commission, who told them the information was not detailed enough and continued it the next meeting for the applicant to bring back a more detailed plan. The trees were cut before that next meeting without any authorization or staff knowledge. At least three, possibly four Yoshino cherry trees, as well as other trees, were taken out. The contractor had come to the April meeting, and the contractor said he believed the plan had been approved. Warrix continued that Code Enforcement had accompanied his staff to the site the day the trees were cut, and a Notice of Violation (NOV) had been issued to the contractor and the owner, authorizing the contractor to continue with the work and installation of landscape material on site with the knowledge the Planning Commission would have to approve what was put in the ground. Learnard asked what the maximum fine would be. Warrix said staff was quantifying what had been removed. There was not an inventory. Photos had been taken of the tree stumps. Meeker said each day there was no approved plan constituted a separate violation. Warrix said if the Planning Commission had specific recommendations on what should be done, then the contractor would have to agree to it. If the contractor did not agree, Warrix believed a City Council Minutes April 21, 2016 Page 7 citation should be issued so the matter could be dealt with in Municipal Court. Rorie said if the City moved this forward, there had to be dollar citations. The City had to be aggressive. Ernst asked if the situation at the Sprouts building site was the same, and whether the cutting had been authorized. He asked if the contractors felt it was fine to say they were sorry, knowing nothing would happen. Rorie said that was where the City needed to go. There would be more conversation on this topic at the May 3 workshop. Prebor and Learnard asked if the contractor at McDonald's was on the approved contractor list and if the contractor had been removed from the list. Warrix verified that the contractor could be removed from the list. Learnard said there was not a lot wrong with the ordinances in place, but with the enforcement. King said going to court could take time, and he supported pulling the business off the approved list when it was cited as that would get their attention. Overlook Wetland Update City Engineer Dave Borkowski said the wetland amenity project was under construction and going according to plan. The final grading for the detention pond had started. He showed photos of the work area, noting that a haul road would become a ditch to carry stormwater runoff to the wetlands. The amenity was basically a large detention pond. Learnard said she did not recall anything about a ditch. Borkowski said the engineer had to design a ditch to carry the stormwater from the access drive between the developments to the wetlands area. He added that the ditch was a nuance that had come up during the design. It had not been discussed when the concept plan had been considered. The ditch would be lined with matting and grassed. Linda Flowers said the developer and engineer had discussed a French drain when the wetland plan was presented to Council, but she did not recall anything about a ditch either. She asked if they could be required to put pipes in the ground to carry the water,with grass on top of it. Fleisch asked if the final plan was signed by the Southern Conservation Trust (SCT), the City, and the developer. Rorie asked if there were options that could be considered besides the swale. Borkowski said he would ask, but generally no, because the ditch would intercept water continuously along the slope. A pipe could go in, but a drop inlet would be needed every five feet. The development agreement had included ditches on both sides of Line Creek Drive all the way up. Borkowski added the SCT had made that request. Lynne Lasher said the plan had been acceptable when presented. She had expected the water to run from the impervious surface to pipes to the wetlands area. King said if there was not piping or a ditch, the runoff would cross the gravel road and wash it out. Borkowski said that was correct. King said that probably forced the issue with the ditch to channel into the pond. Borkowski said yes. Spear Road Repairs Borkowski said the repairs were done, and the road was open to traffic. He gave a brief history of the project, which had been identified as an issue and budgeted in the FY 2014 Public Improvement Program (PIP) and Stormwater Utility budget. The design had been completed in 2015. In October 2015, storms significantly damaged the pipes under the road and the road. The priority had been escalated. An emergency bid was prepared and awarded, and the construction was now complete. City Council Minutes April 21, 2016 Page 8 Learnard asked how much it cost and where the funds had come from. Borkowski said the original budget had been for $284,000, but the total for the repairs had been $472,945.71, with $132,632.50 coming from PIP and $296,873 from Stormwater. Learnard asked why all the funds had not come from Stormwater. Borkowski said all of the funding could not be justified. Ernst asked what the original timeline was. Borkowski said the design had been done and work had started on the bid, then the storms hit in October. Rorie said part of the additional cost was due to unsuitable soils. Borkowski said staff had underestimated the amount of unsuitable soils, and they had learned to budget for all the soil to be unsuitable. SR 54 West Borkowski said the new green-t traffic signal was still under the developer's purview, and he had been working with the contractor's engineer almost daily. The issue had been narrowed down to a physical problem with the detector loop, and a technician was scheduled to work on it that night. Fleisch asked if the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) had been responsive when called. Borkowski said the signal did not belong to GDOT yet, but the City was helping to facilitate because the City was the original permit holder. The loops were also malfunctioning at the MacDuff and Planterra intersections, and Borkowski said he called GDOT that day to find out the status. GDOT had been responsive to the calls and good to work with. Lake Peachtree Update Fish Restocking Recreation & Special Events Administrator Cajen Rhodes gave an update on the fish in the lake. He had been in contact with the Wildlife & Fisheries office of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR). They should be in the City the next week to see what types of fish were in the lake and make recommendations for stocking. Rhodes reported a lot of fish had survived, but more sterile grass carp would be needed. The sterile grass carp left in the lake had grown too large and did not eat as much. People had been out fishing over the weekend, and Rhodes said he had seen several species. Rorie added the lake had to have the correct amount of prey and predator fish. He reminded Council the County had pledged $10,000 to restock the lake with sterile grass carp. Vegetation Removal/Drake Field Project Rorie said the dredging process had taken an extensive period of time. Staff had discussed plans for Drake Field prior to the dredging, and he would provide an update on the progress. He reminded those at the meeting that Drake Field had been purchased with a greenspace grant, and there were limitations on what could be done. No more than 15% of the area could be covered with impervious surface. The projects associated with the restoration included a gazebo/open air pavilion, swings/benches, and electrical/lights. He would discuss erosion control, removal of underbrush, and repairing the damaged culvert. There was quite a bit of erosion along the All Children's Playground area of the lake. There had been mini-ravines that were part of the erosion. A ready rock wall had been built which would protect the shoreline and control the erosion going forward. As for the rest of Drake Field, the issues were the same. Staff received a notification permit from the Corps of Engineers that allowed shoreline restoration for the purpose of erosion control, with rip rap along the shoreline. Ninety percent of that erosion control project was complete, with just a small piece left to complete. A drainage culvert had been repaired that would keep a wetlands area clean and operational. City Council Minutes April 21, 2016 Page 9 Fayette County removed the haul roads from the lake, leaving some rock debris on Drake Field. The silt piles were gone. The County was also to provide $25,000 for the restoration. Staff had replaced some sod and made improvements in some areas. There would be a cart path going from the current path along SR 54 to the current parking lot, and that would be the only asphalt added. The new part of the path would run closer to the lake, so it would out of the way during future dredgings. The City was responsible for repairing the curbs and asphalt, and that was done with the exception of one small area that was not finished. The field had to be graded, and they had to hydroseed and sod. Plantings and fencing also had to be replaced. Rorie hoped to eliminate the white fencing and use curbing, saying the fence always looked dirty and the maintenance of the fence would be eliminated. The ready rock wall in that area had been repaired. Rorie continued that any walking paths added to Drake Field would need to be pervious surface. At this point, none would be added, but the field would be opened up and be an inviting environment. Boardwalks and bridges across the wetlands were planned for entry to the field behind the Library. An infrastructure with electricity and water was planned. Rorie said it would be ambience lighting, not bright lights. Electrical outlets would facilitate special events. Currently, generators had to be used. There was a three-foot trench around the field that would hold the piping for water, with electrical lines on top of it. The infrastructure was planned to eliminate any kind of trip hazards during special events. The proposed open air pavilion would be approximately 900 square feet and also help facilitate events new to the field, such as weddings or musical events. It would have electricity for lighting and sound. There would also be viewing pods around the lake with swings, Adirondack chairs, and picnic tables so people could sit along the shoreline. Staff was in the process of removing vegetation. The harvester was in the lake getting the vegetation out that had been chopped and cut. The company would complete their work the next day, then staff would assess what had been done and determine if the harvester would be needed again. Staff had cleaned around Drake Field, Pinecrest boat ramp, and Battery Way. It was more effective for staff to do that than to sue the harvester in the cove areas. Rorie said an arborist had assessed the trees along the shoreline. Some were hollow and in fall down condition, and staff had removed them. The pine trees along the proposed viewing pod/picnic areas had pine beetle bores in them and were green at the top now. None were cut, but it would have to be done in the future. Some trees would be added so they could begin to grow. The target date to complete hyroseeding was within four weeks. Executive Session There were no topics for Executive Session. There being no further business, Learnard moved to reconvene in regular session at 9:17 p.m. King seconded. Motion carried unanimously. a, ,� ,,�s� 7i Pamela Dufresne, De•uty City Clerk +nessa Fleisch, ayor