Alice Pickering
Wyoming Area Reporter

Mike Reif, senior construction materials engineer with WSB, explained how a pavement management plan could be developed for the city of Wyoming and how it could be used to make decisions about street maintenance.

The presentation was made at the Wyoming City Council meeting July 5. Impetus is the recognition that many city streets need work.

Reif stressed that a pavement management plan is not a substitute for experience evaluating roads. Nor does it take into account judgment, politics, emotions, common sense.

A plan cannot measure intangibles, is not self-sufficient, not a one-time fix, and will not solve all problems. It can help a city to provide for planned maintenance by providing structured and documented procedures for spending money on roads.

Because roads have an effective life, he said this is a way to manage a consumable investment. Pavement history and specifications of street construction are valuable. MnDOT uses a video camera and lasers to collect data on state and county roads, amount of wear, wheel paths, types and number of cracks, and other deterioration.

The same techniques do not work as well on city street surveys, because there are too many stops, and equipment will not measure rides at speeds slower than 45 mph. The starts and stops affect how the cameras work.

There are many factors, types of roads, traffic loads, and even considering the potential merger, the difference in road standards for city and township. Curbs can also be different.

Reif said those who can best determine the conditions of the roads and streets are city workers who are on them and review them. Training is available for teaching staff to evaluate roads.

Mayor Sheldon Anderson asked about who maintains and manages the data. Reif said WSB can do measurements but city workers can be trained to do them. The key is consistency in rating the streets. Comparisons between annual reviews also help.

Data collection is only one part of the survey. Analysis determines which streets need maintenance and how much is required. Reif said the rule of thumb in road maintenance is usually roads needing minimal work should be done first, so everything does not deteriorate to the same poor state.

The city might have to make choices about which road to service first. Staff must make decisions about where the most benefit can be gained from the investment.

WSB can help with analysis. A key task would be training those who do the street and road rating. Supervisors can be trained, who then train other employees.

City Administrator Craig Mattson said city staff could be trained with the city engineer providing oversight and managing rating sheets.

Bill Eisenmenger, public works supervisor, told the council about some street ratings that were done about 10 years ago which included some standards. Advantages for staff include being able to check some streets on days other work is slower.

The plan can assist decision makers in ìfinding cost effective strategies for providing, evaluating, and maintaining pavements in a serviceable condition.î

It can be used to forecast future resource and financial needs, and assist in developing strategies for long-term maintenance and performance of roads.

Data analysis will help get the best use of available funds, forecast future resource and financial needs, document the need for additional money during budgeting process and develop strategies for long-term maintenance and performance of roads. Even if the first work is done in the city, the study could be expanded later to include areas now in the township.

Having participated with such plans, Mattson recommended a fixed-asset inventory of city streets first. This would establish a normal lifespan for a street. Of the overall cost of a project, a percentage can be assigned to the pavement management study. This is a way to recoup the cost.

He also commented on how funds might be generated for road repairs, maintenance, and possibly improvement. One possibility is the use of earned interest on seed money, or partial assessments to property owners.

Other topics

Council approved an agreement which allows Stars and Strikes to place in an escrow account $169,260 which equals the amount of water access connect charges for the business. This is in exchange for a certificate of occupancy.

There is a law suit pending about the appropriate amount of the WAC fees which has yet to be resolved.

After discussion, council approved purchase of a new phone system from Frontier Communications. The decision came after the recommendation of Mattson who wants to improve communications.

Council member Blake Tiedeman asked about expansion for the system. Mattson said the new system has voice mail capabilities something the current one does not. The system can be expanded to include up to 10 lines and 25 extensions.

Council member Tom LaBarre asked about combining phone and internet service, perhaps with Vonage or other service providers. Council member Ted Phillips said it is better to keep internet and phone service separate in case a problem develops with one of them. Cost for the system is $3,542.12 with funds to come from the building improvement account.

Polaris issue

Brenda Smith, a Wyoming Township resident, living near the newly-created test track Polaris is using, made a request for a quieter neighborhood.

She asked about the noise ordinances and requested that Polaris modify its test-track schedule. During the past week she explained that tests have routinely started at 6 a.m. and she feels that is very early.

Acting Police Chief Scott Dexter has responded to some calls, speaking to one of the executives. The tests will be started a little later. Dexter explained that the vehicles being tested are more high performance and have a louder sound.

Smithís comparison was the difference between hearing a lawn mower and a chain saw. The revving of the engines without running the track is what she complained most about.

Police topics

A motion to consider a request from the personnel committee and Dexter to hire Rachel Grace Moen as a police officer died for lack of second. Moen has been interviewed and Council Member Joe Zerwas was impressed with her at the interview.

Dexter said the city has been short an officer and that he and Sgt. Rod have been trying to cover shifts with scheduling adjustments. However, vacations for some officers are up-coming and he wants to be up to full strength in the department.

There came additional discussion about the need to address a permanent police chief and that search has not begun.

LaBarre wants to hire the chief first, before looking for a new officer. At Phillipsí request, discussion about beginning the search for police chief was placed on the July 18 agenda.

Council authorized the sale, by auction, of seven forfeit vehicles, as recommended by Dexter. All but one were impounded and remain unclaimed. One was forfeit on a DWI charge; the others were impounded but remain unclaimed. The departmentís retired 2000 Ford Crown Victoria is also for sale.

Other business

In other business, the council:

ïApproved Mattson attending the International City/County Managers Association Annual Conference, Sept. 9-13 in San Antonio, TX. Mattson has attended annually since 1998 to 2005, with the exception of 2001. Cost of the conference is $595, estimated hotel costs $790, and airfare is to be determined. Approval was for conference expenses up to $2000.

ïApproved as part of the consent agenda a request from the Minnesota Initiative Foundation for $1600. The organization uses the money to develop a revolving loan fund from which participating cities are allowed to borrow.

At the June 20 meeting,

ïOn the engineerís recommendation, approved a reduction in the letter of credit for Sunrise Meadows West planned unit development to 25 percent of the original amount.

ïLearned the city celebration has been named Wyoming Stage Coach Celebration, courtesy of Wyoming resident Sandra Vetsch.

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