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Item 1A- Draft Minutes- Town Hall - 8-26-16AGENDA ITEM lA SEPTEMBER 26, 2016 CITY OF ATLANTIC BEACH TOWN HALL MEETING, SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOLS AUGUST 27,2016 at 10:00 AM IN ATTENDANCE: Mayor Mitch Reeves Commissioner Jimmy Hill Commissioner Mitch Harding Commissioner John Stinson Commissioner Blythe Waters CALL TO ORDER Mayor Reeves called the meeting to order at 10:01 am. WELCOME STAFF: City Manager Nelson Van Liere Public Works Director Don Jacobovitz Planner Derek Reeves City Clerk Donna Batile Mayor Reeves explained the purpose of this Town Hall Meeting is to discuss the Safe Route to Schools Project. He thanked staff and the citizens for taking time out of their Saturday to attend the meeting. Mayor Reeves stated the Commission needed to make a decision on whether or not to keep the original design plan for the Safe Route to School or change the path before they risk losing the Florida Depmiment of Transportation Grant funding. The project has been ongoing for two to three years. He was unsure how the project preceded thus far without having been acted or moved forward by previous Commissions. He voiced concern regarding the City losing $47,000 to $50,000 if they did not move forward with the project. In order for him to make an informed decision he would like to know how the City came up with that amount. The City is open to citizen suggestions to help them come up with a solution that will benefit the community. After today's meeting he will be placing the project on the September 12, 2016, agenda for action. Before opening the floor to the public, Mayor Reeves explained each citizen would be allowed two minutes to speak. After public comments Public Works Director Don Jacobovitz will give a presentation on the project. After the presentation he will reopen the floor to public comments to allow citizens two minutes to speak on the subject. Mayor Reeves opened the floor to public comments and asked each citizen to come forward and give their name and address for the record. COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC Chris Jorgensen, 92 West 3rd Street, was concerned about the City losing the grant money. He suppmied the project as it was originally designed and suggested asking FDOT to provide additional money for other similar projects in the future. Rick Carper, 1810 Selva Grande Drive, explained he has been involved with the project since day one, first as Public Works Director, and now as a resident. He suppmied proceeding with the project as originally designed. He added the original path was chosen after much thought and input from the beginning and it is the best path the City can possibly choose. Town Hall Meeting 1 August 27, 2016 AGENDA ITEM lA SEPTEMBER 26, 2016 E.K. Cottrell, 1656 Park Terrace East, stated he was involved with Friends of Atlantic Beach Elementary (FABE). He supported moving forward with the original design ofthe project because he felt it was the safest and most direct path. Citizens would be upset if the City were to lose this grant funding. Stephen Fouraker, 387 61h Street, explained originally the grant funding was tied to a National Bike Path that would have gone from Seminole Road into the back of Hanna Park; however, residents opposed the bike path at that time. He opposed the original design of the Safe Route to School Project. He felt the design required too much concrete area and there was the potential of losing a lot of large trees. He was unsure how the City would lose $50,000 on the project if the project did not move forward. Chris Anderson, 1679 Seminole Rd, felt the reason Mayor Reeves has not received feedback from residents until recently was because residents were not informed. As a resident and property owner on the east side of Seminole Road he would lose a substantial portion of his front yard landscaping if this project goes though as originally designed. The City previously assured the residents on Seminole Road if they installed landscaping, sprinklers, plants and pavers the City would not open the gate at the end of Seminole Road and would not install the wide sidewalk. He opposed installing the path on the east side of Seminole Road because he felt it was dangerous. Tracy Synan, 2055 Beach Ave, stated she leamed about the project in 2012 from a notice placed at the school. She did not approve of the way the project was initially introduced to the community. She felt there would have been a better response from the community if citizens had received notice from the City regarding the project. The Friends of Atlantic Beach Elementary (F ABE) is strongly in favor of the project because the wider path will be safer for the students. Marlina Vincent, 1130 Seminole Road, supported the project as originally designed to be installed on the east side of Seminole Road. Julie Marchioli Kelly, 414 Sherry Drive, voiced concern regarding losing the right-of-way street parking. She questioned if the sidewalk needed to be 8 feet wide. Elizabeth Neville, 1060 Seminole Road, felt the City needed to work with the citizens to make a decision and move forward with the project so the City would not lose the grant money. Rosalinde Trinnear, 1890 Beachside Court, voiced concem about bicycle safety. She supported the path to be installed on the east side of Seminole Road. Robert Trinnear, 1890 Beachside Court, asked the City to support the original design plan. Kelly Burnett, 330 Tenth Street, stated "for the record" she supported the path to be installed along the east side of Seminole Road down to Sherry Drive. CITY MANAGER COMMENTS Mayor Mitch Reeves called on City Manager Nelson VanLiere to give his thoughts on the project. City Manager Van Liere explained the proposed drawings being presented are the original design plans. These plans have been available over a long period of time. There was an altemate path that was proposed by the citizens that he felt had a lot of merit and should also be considered. Mr. VanLiere stated Public Works Director Don Jacobovitz will present a slide show presentation of the histmy and description of the project. Town Hall Meeting 2 August27, 2016 Mr. Van Liere introduced Planning Director Derek Reeves. AGENDA ITEM 1A SEPTEMBER 26, 2016 Mayor Reeves stated before the presentation he would like to allow Commissioners an opportunity to speak on the project. COMMENTS FROM COMMISSIONERS Commissioner Jimmy Hill thanked evetyone for attending the meeting and engaging in the community process. He felt everyone was in favor of the project in one capacity or another. He hoped all the citizens speaking in favor of the project understood the City has to make a route that is safe. The only opposition to the project that he has heard is in regard to genuine safety concerns which would override the width of the path and create a more hazardous situation. He has heard a lot of opposition to the original design of the path and wanted to make sure the design is correct. He added that the City was going to establish a way to obtain the grant and build the path. He explained prior to becoming a candidate for City Commission one of the reasons he came to a meeting was that the City installed a sidewalk on Sheny Drive which created a disaster that still has not been completely mitigated. The curb cuts in the sidewalk kick the children directly into the lane of vehicular traffic. He came to the City and demanded that they fix it, and they did. He was also concerned about citizens that were not present today who expected him to be the custodian of their funds. He could not in good faith spend money to double the amount of paths in one area of the City when other neighborhoods have no paths at all. If the City could safely use existing concrete and get children safely to school they will tty to do so. Commissioner Mitch Harding appreciated evetyone coming out and being involved. He wanted everyone to know that the Commission is listening to the citizens and they are all genuinely concerned about the safety of children when commuting to and from school. The Commissioners have received numerous emails and telephone calls from citizens on both sides of this project. He felt the project had to have balance so it did not increase the potential for incidents regarding children that did not ride their bicycles to school. He felt the Commission would make the best decision possible for the interest of the children and the community. Commissioner Blythe Waters explained it was her understanding when the project began both staff and the Commission considered students, parents, and families as the invested parties and through the work of the parents, the Parent Teachers Association (PTA) and Friends of Atlantic Beach Elementary (FABE) the path was proposed along Seminole Road. She thought at that point when the 30% design process drawings were completed that notices had been sent out to residents to consider their input. She did not feel there was any intent of malice on behalf of the City to exclude invested patiies from the input of the design process. She added that she recently walked the path and presented a list of items to the Public Works Director that she felt needed to be addressed regarding safety. Commissioner John Stinson explained the funding for the project is based on the City obtaining a grant through the Florida Depatiment of Transpotiation, the funding is not coming from the City's taxpayers. If the City of Atlantic Beach does not take advantage of the grant money another city will. The City has to make a decision before September 26, 2016, or the grant funding will be withdrawn. He felt the design of the path would wind up being a compromise between those who opposed it and those in favor of it, but the City needed to move forward and make a decision on the design. PRESENTATION I PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR I DON JACOBOVITZ Public Works Director Don Jacobovitz explained the grant was approved by the Florida Depatiment of Transportation (FDOT) over three years ago on August 23, 2013. Once the grant was approved, the City began a series of numerous public meetings and had many discussions, surveys for the path were Town Hall Meeting 3 August 27,2016 AGENDA ITEM lA SEPTEMBER 26, 2016 completed and the design was created up to 30% plan stage. It was his hope that after the meeting today the Commission will be prepared to make a decision on which path to select. Mr. Jacobovitz presented a slide show titled Atlantic Beach Elementmy Safe Routes to Schools Project. (which is attached and made part of this Official Record as Attachment A) He explained this type of federally authorized program for the Safe Route to School Project has since expired. If the City moves fmward with the project they will be the last City to take advantage of the grant program in Florida. This program will provide a safe route for the children to commute to and from school and he felt the City needed to take advantage of the program. The Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) is the agency funneling the funds to the City and there are other areas in Jacksonville that would like to take advantage of the program. One of the stipulations of the program is that the project must be completely constructed by June 30, 2018. He was confident ifthe City could make a decision in September they could move forward with the design and have the project completed before the June 30, 2018, deadline. The main purpose and desired outcome for the project is to get students to school safely, however, it also encourages others to use the path. The design proposes an eight foot wide concrete path, but based on the program the path could be up to ten feet wide. The project has the support of the Police Department because it will keep the community safer. The original design for the grant request made in August 2013 was for the path to extend to meet the existing path at Seminole Road and Garden Lane all the way to Atlantic Beach Elementmy School. However, after considering the overall length of the project and funding limitations the length of the route was reduced to end at Seventeenth Street. Mr. Jacobovitz explained the pros and cons of both the original design route and the alternate design route as follows: Original Design Pros I East Side of Seminole: • It will minimize the main route street crossings. • The route has already been field verified as having no significant obstacles and requiring minimal tree removal. • The design is already at the 30% level and no survey will be required. Original Design Cons I East Side of Seminole Drive: • The funding limitations dictate construction will stop at 17th Street. (instead of tying into the existing path at Garden Lane which was requested in the initial grant application.) • This requires construction of a new concrete walkway where there is no existing path and sidewalk on the west side of Seminole Road. Alternate Design Pros I West Side of Seminole Drive: • Will be able to use the existing path from Plaza to Selva Marina Drive and replaces the existing 5 foot sidewalk from Selva Marina Drive to 15th Street. • It will reduce the number of driveway crossings because one block is along the south edge of Johansen Park. Town Hall Meeting 4 August 27,2016 Alternate Design Cons I West Side of Seminole Drive: AGENDA ITEM lA SEPTEMBER 26, 2016 • It will require two crossings on Seminole Drive and because of the traffic volume it may require a crossing guard for the crossing at Seminole Drive and Plaza Drive, which will require additional funding. • The crossing at 15th Street is on a curve which may require additional costs. • The students between Plaza and 15th Street do not have easy access to the path if they are coming from the east side. • An additional survey will be required at an estimated expense of $5,250. The next step in the project is to move into the 60% design plan stage. Once the Commission approves a design plan the designers are ready to progress up to the 60% stage. Once the plans are 60% complete, if necessary, the Commission can hold another public hearing for the citizens to review the plans. He welcomed citizens and Commissioners to contact him with any suggestions they have for tweaking the conceptual design. During the first week of August public works employees measured off and marked the path with white spray paint. Some public feedback remarks were that portions of the path were too close to the street. He suggested plants and/or shrubs could be planted in those areas for protection. This will be taken into consideration during the next design stage. Mr. Jacobovitz restated that the City had until September 26th to approve a route. He perceived once the design stage was complete construction would begin in the spring of2017. In conclusion Mr. Jacobovitz stated the Public Works Department recommended approval of the original path that was selected and approved by FDOT. COMMENTS FROM COMMISSIONERS Mayor Mitch Reeves questioned if the project included a motive with the East Coast Greenway to open the Hanna Park Gate. Mr. Jacobovitz replied "no." Mayor Reeves mentioned that it was interesting the principal of the school would not provide the City information regarding where the students were coming from. He thanked School Board Member Scott Shine for providing this information to the City. He pointed out the map showed many students were coming from the east side of Seminole Road. He asked if it were possible if the path could go down Seaspray through the back gate sidewalk to Seminole Road and connect with the Seminole project. Mayor Reeves was concerned about a comment that was made regarding the school not wanting to have a guard at the back gate. He explained that was the opinion of the School Principal not the School Board. He felt it did not make sense to not have a one-way travel lane for vehicular traffic during student drop off and pick up times. The School Board should consider that option because it would be safer for the children. He added that the City is vety generous to Atlantic Beach Elementmy School. The City pays to maintain the landscaping to provide a public park and pays for the public to be allowed to use the track after school hours. He would like the City to consider adding flashing lights at the Seminole Road and 11th Street crossing. He also felt it would be wise to use the $6,000 to revise the route and tie the route into the Seminole Road Project. Mayor Reeves stated he remained confused about how the City would lose $50,000 if they did not move forward with the grant project. Public Works Director Jacobovitz explained that is the approximate Town Hall Meeting 5 August 27,2016 AGENDA ITEM lA SEPTEMBER 26, 2016 amount of money that has been spent to date for the design consultant and for FDOT and JT A to review the proposed project. He added however, if it is failed project, both FDOT and JTA have agreed they would probably not charge the City. Mayor Reeves asked if staff could provide the Commission with a cost breakdown of the project. Mr. Jacobovitz replied he did not have the figures from FDOT or JTA but he could provide the amount the City has spent on the project. Commissioner Waters exited the floor at 11:03 a.m. and returned at 11:05 a.m. Commissioner Stinson explained when he originally heard about the project he reviewed the map and it seemed to make sense to keep the route on the west side of Seminole Road because portions of the existing sidewalk would save money that the City could use somewhere else. He mentioned the upcoming South Seminole Road Project which involved removing underground utilities and installing an eight foot path. He felt if the path went down Seminole Road instead of Sherry Drive and came through the back of the school it would save taxpayers money. Also, since the design was only at the 30% stage the City would be able to overcome some of the safety obstacles such as telephone poles, bollards, sidewalk splits and narrowing of the sidewalk. If the path stayed on the west side of Seminole and connected to the existing path it would force people to cross the street. If the City was going to force people to cross the street lighted crosswalks needed to be considered. If the path is on the east side of Seminole it would allow people the choice of whether or not they want to cross the street. Commissioner Waters stated the citizens she spoke with were more concerned about the environmental impact, loss of greenspace, tree coverage, etc. Through her travels she has recognized that most walkable cities have Ped Paths or sidewalks on both sides of the streets. She felt these paths create a friendly community atmosphere where neighbors passing by speak to and say hello to one another. It would benefit the City to have sidewalks on both sides of the street. One advantage of the path would be to get people back on their bicycles and out walking. The fact that the path allows enough room for bicyclists to pass one another is a safety improvement. She felt other safety concerns could be overcome by narrowing the path in some areas and adding plantings in others. She also felt the principal of the school had valid safety concerns in regards to managing the vehicular traffic from the front of the school. She added raised lighted crosswalks would benefit the City as it moves toward becoming more pedestrian and bicycle friendly. She supported the original design of the project. Commissioner Harding suppmied the project but had some concerns regarding the safety of the children. The student map indicated there were only 2 students living east of Seminole Road between 15th Street and 17th Street and 42 students living west of Seminole Road. That meant the greater proportion of the students would have to cross Seminole Road. He suppmied making the City pedestrian and bicyclist friendly but voiced concern regarding the narrowing of the path in certain areas and the hazards it creates by pushing teenagers and adolescents riding bikes within eight inches of the road. He felt the path needed to be designed in the safest manner possible. He suggested it may be safer to redo the five foot sidewalks on Sherry Drive and make sure they are as far away from the road as possible. He added there will be additional funds in the public safety department's upcoming budget to add more police officers at intersections. He is also an advocate for installing lighted crosswalks. He suppmied the project and utilizing the grant money provided but wanted to ensure the path was correctly designed and that it was the safest route for the children. He suppmied the project helping to get the children from the Royal Palms area off of the side roads and onto a safe protected route to the school. Commissioner Hill questioned if the students living west of Mayport Road went to Atlantic Beach Elementary. Mayor Reeves responded those students attend Neptune Beach Elementary. Commissioner Hill thanked the Public Works Depmiment for spray painting the original design route. He felt many of the obstructions were major and would be very expensive to relocate. One of those obstructions was a 45 foot tall concrete utility pole on Sherry Drive. He questioned if the City wanted to spend the bulk of the Town Hall Meeting 6 August 27, 2016 AGENDA ITEM lA SEPTEMBER 26, 2016 $600,000 grant to relocate these obstacles. He felt it would be better to choose the path of least resistance. His concem was the children living west of the area. The student map was incorrect because it showed his children going to the school and they have since moved on to middle school. He felt the solution would be to connect Plaza to Seaspray on Sailfish and connect Seaspray to the back of the school. He suppmied the design on the west side of Seminole because he felt it made sense for the most people. He added that pmi of the problem was that Seminole Road was like an interstate with a 25 mile per hour speed limit. It was a big decision, even as an adult, to decide where you should cross the street. He would like the City to choose the least resistant route and modify it to add crosswalks and possibly terminate the Selva Marina section because it was at an intersection with a completely blind curve. He questioned who made the rules regarding the City being bound to the design before the accepting the grant. Mayor Reeves asked Commissioner Hill about the process since he was on the Commission when the project began. Commissioner Hill responded the previous Commission approved the concept of receiving a grant for the Safe School Route Project. This Commission was now tasked with considering the design plans and details. The previous Commission he served on did receive some conceptual basic drawings. Mayor Reeves stated he thought there was a design plan regarding the route prior to November 9th. He added the Commission needs to rely on the advice of staff and traffic safety experts. He added that it is time to direct staff to bring the Commission a plan on September 12th to debate and t:ty to bring this project to a conclusion. Commissioner Stinson advised the meeting was due to end in 20 minutes. He suggested the Mayor open the public hearing so Commissioners could listen to the citizens before directing staff to bring forward a design plan for approval on September 12th. Commissioner Waters asked if someone mentioned the path ending at 1 ph Street. Mayor Reeves replied he suggested ending the path at 11th Street, if it is placed on the east side, and adding a crosswalk to cross Seminole to get to the wider path on the west side. Commissioner Hill asked if the Commission would consider the concept of leaving the current sidewalk in place and widening it to the maximum. The right-of-way widens on Seminole more than Sheny. Mayor Reeves stated the Commission is being unfair to staff because each Commissioner wanted a different route. He felt the Commission needed to agree on a route and allow staff to come up with a plan to move forward. Public Works Director Jacobovitz advised the Florida Department of Transportation needed the Commission to make a commitment so the City could move forward with the project. He suggested the Commission consider making intemal decisions and adjustments to the design at a later date. COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC Mayor Reeves opened the floor to public comments and asked each citizen to come forward and give their name and address for the record. Chris Jorgensen, 92 West 3rd Street, felt it was unacceptable for the City to have been discussing this project for so long and waiting until the deadline to try to finalize the plans. He suppmied the original design. He thanked Public Works Director Don Jacobovitz for providing excellent presentations. He Town Hall Meeting 7 August 27,2016 AGENDA ITEM lA SEPTEMBER 26, 2016 thanked Commissioner Waters for acknowledging the value of sidewalks installed on both sides of the road. Melinda Goins, 1123 Linkside Ct. W, a physical therapist with the Duval County School Board, stated she treats disabled children that have been disabled by accidents that happen as a result of bad decisions. She explained children in fifth grade and under did not have the developmental capacity to always make good decisions. She felt the project should continue as originally designed and other concerns and sidewalks could be added in the future. Stephen Fouraker, 387 61h Street, thought the Commission has done a great job with the project over the past three years. He liked the idea of the variable design plan and the crosswalks. He thinks the City will make a good decision to move forward with the project. He felt the back opening at the school was a great idea that the School Board and City could work together on. Karen Wong-Cham, 310 Country Club Lane, thanked the Commission for holding the Town Hall Meeting. She agreed with Commissioner Waters' opinion of having sidewalks on both sides of the streets. She felt it would be good for City's future to have a walkable neighborhood. She did not put much weight on the student map due the fluctuation of students moving in and out of the area in the future. She felt flashing lights on the streets may not be best for safety and would slow down the traffic on Seminole Road. Chris Anderson, 1679 Seminole Road, pointed out that Seminole Road is nothing like Plaza because it is curved and has more houses and driveways and was the most dangerous road for the project. He opposed the project. Scott Heath, 1575 East Coast Drive, questioned who he could contact about specifics of the plan because the way it is drawn up the sidewalk is going right in front of the stop sign where East Coast Drive merged into Seminole Road. The way the path is designed now he will have 2 sidewalks in front of his house. Rick Carper, 1810 Selva Grande Drive, stated $50,000.00 is the amount of the last status report before the city put a freeze on the project. He was informed by DOT that the grant guidelines required federal money to be reimbursed if a project was stopped, however that requirement may have changed. He felt Seminole Road was the only road the City had that would accommodate the width of the path. Marlina Vincent, 1130 Seminole Road, stated she currently has an eight foot wide sidewalk in front of her house on the corner of 11th. She felt the Safe Route to School Project will improve the value of the City and make the community more desirable. Also, the traffic on Sherry Drive would be reduced if more families walked or rode bicycles. Lisa Herrold, 659 Sherry Drive, asked how wide the right-of-way was on Plaza. Public Works Director Don Jacobovitz responded he thought the right-of-way on Plaza was about 80 feet, he was not cetiain. The right-of-way on Seminole Road was 100 feet and the right-of-way on Sherry Drive was about 60 feet. Ms. Herrold stated the 60 feet of right-of-way on Sherry Drive had too many obstacles for a wide sidewalk and would be too dangerous for children. The children need to be as far away from the street as possible. Tracy Synan, 2055 Beach Avenue, suppmied sidewalks being installed on both sides of the road to discourage kids from crossing numerous times. She added that studies have shown there are a lower number of pedestrian accidents when sidewalks are on both sides of the road. Town Hall Meeting 8 August 27, 2016 AGENDA ITEM 1A SEPTEMBER 26, 2016 Elizabeth Neville, 1060 Seminole Road, supported moving forward with the project. She mentioned that she has an 8 foot sidewalk in front of her house and she enjoys watching people coming and going. E.K. Cottrell, 1656 Park Terrace East, appreciated the process and understood there have been changes in Commissions since the grant was approved. He supported the original design and felt it was the safest most direct route to the school. Steve Swann, 332 3rd Street, felt the grant was a great opportunity for the City. Even though it is a federal grant, it is still coming out of the taxpayers' pockets. He felt the City should concentrate on the kids west of Seminole Road. He understood the desire for wanting a more walkable and bike friendly city, but added because this is a Safe Route to Schools Grant Program the focus should be on the children. Cindy Anderson, 1770 Park Terrace East, suppotied the original design plan. She understood people were upset because they would lose some of the right-of-way but the right-of-way has always belonged to the City. She felt the City needed to take advantage of the grant and discuss adding more sidewalks west of Seminole in the future. Kelly Burnett, 330 Tenth Street, stated there needed to be a solution for the children bicycling and walking to school using Sherry Drive. She thanked the Commission for taking the time to consider this project. Robert Trinnear, 1890 Beachside Court, supported installing more sidewalks in order to make the City more pedestrian and bicycling friendly. He felt it was safer to have no crosswalks on a busy street. A direct path that did not require crosswalks was the best choice. CLOSING STATEMENTS Mayor Reeves thanked the citizens, on behalf of the City, for attending the meeting and stated the following for the record: At the beginning of taking office this Commission stated they needed to set topics for Town Hall meetings and he felt they have done a good job of doing so. He felt today is a good example of that. We have gotten a lot of good feedback from the community. This is probably the biggest turn out he has ever seen in a Town Hall meeting. He wanted to thank each and evety one present. He asked the citizens to please bear with the Commission while they try to make the best possible decision on this project. He requested all citizens if they have any suggestions to let the Commission know prior to the September 12 meeting. He asked citizens to provide their own suggestions and avoid sending mass emails of support or opposition. Whatever the decision he hopes that everyone will walk away pleased so the City could move on to the next project. He thanked evetyone for taking the time to add their input to this decision. He stated he will be voting based on the facts not on emotions. Commissioner Stinson summarized he felt it was impmiant for the Commission to come to a consensus to let the citizens know they intend to work on a solution and continue with the project. Mayor Reeves made it clear this is not an advertised meeting so the Commission will not be voting today. They will come to a consensus that may change based on communications thus far. Commissioner Waters felt the Commission would be able to move forward with a design for the path. She also felt they needed to give direction to staff that they intended to move forward with the project. Mr. J acobovitz stated the decision for the design of the path needed to be made on September 121h so he can give the design consultant approval to proceed with the 60% design stage. Town Hall Meeting 9 August 27,2016 AGENDA ITEM lA SEPTEMBER 26, 2016 Mayor Reeves advised the consensus of the Commission today should be to direct staff on a design selection for the Commission to approve on September 12t11 • Commissioner Stinson was concerned that if the Commission asked staff to outline a design proposal they would bring back the same proposal has been presented in the past and is being presented today. He felt each Commissioner should take 10 or 15 minutes each to write down their concerns and have the Commission come to a consensus on each concern separately. Commissioner Hill agreed with Commissioner Stinson that it would be a good idea for the Commission to address each concern and come to a consensus on each one separately. He does not want to look at the same plans voted up and down again. Mayor Reeves stated he did was not comfmiable asking Commissioners to write down their concerns and have them voted on one at a time. He felt it would be too time consuming. Commissioner Waters suppotied the proposed path and has given a list of her concerns to Public Works Director Jacobovitz to address. There are very simple solutions that can be addressed during the next design stage. Commissioner Hill stated there were three concrete utility poles and two wooden telephones in the direct line of the path. He would like staff to address those concerns. Commissioner Stinson was concerned that it was getting late and citizens were beginning to leave the meeting. He asked the Mayor to call for a consensus on whether or not the Commission wanted to proceed with the project. Mayor Reeves asked for a consensus to move the project forward. Consensus: TO MOVE THE PROJECT FORWARD Discussion ensued regarding the design of the path. Commissioner Waters felt staff needed a consensus in regards to the direction of the path. She asked Commissioners to consider if; 1) they wanted the path to go on the east side or west side of Seminole nmih of Plaza, or 2) ifthey wanted to use Sherry Drive or an alternate path South of Plaza Drive. Discussion ensued regarding each Commissioner's preference on the direction of the path. Commissioner Waters asked if Commissioners wanted the path to go east or west on nmih Plaza. Consensus: TO HAVE THE PATH GO EAST TO THE NORTH OF PLAZA Commissioner Waters asked if Commissioners preferred the path south of Plaza to go down Sherry or would they prefer to choose an alternate path. Consensus: TO CHOOSE AN ALTERNATE PATH SOUTH OF PLAZA. Commissioner Waters asked Commissioners if they wanted the alternate path to go down Sherry Drive from the five way stop or select a different route. Consensus: Town Hall Meeting FOR THE ALTERNATE PATH TO GO DOWN SHERRY DRIVE FROM THE FIVE-WAY STOP. 10 August 27, 2016 AGENDA ITEM lA SEPTEMBER 26, 2016 Each Commissioner stated what they would like to see in regard to the alternate path south of Plaza and directed staff to change the path based on the consensus of the Commission and forward the design to the September 12 111 meeting for a vote. Mayor Reeves adjourned the meeting at 12:58 pm. ATTEST: Donna L. Bartle, CMC City Clerk Town Hall Meeting 11 Mitchell E. Reeves Mayor/Presiding Officer August 27, 2016 AGENDA ITEM 1A SEPTEMBER 26, 2016 Desired outcomes of the Safe Routes to School Program include: • Increased bicycle, pedestrian, and traffic safety • Encouragement of healthy and active lifestyles • Improved air quality • More children walking • Improved community and bicycling to and from safety schools • Reduced fuel • Decreased traffic congestion • Improved childhood health • Reduced childhood obesity consumption • Increased community security • Enhanced community accessibility Desired outcomes of the Safe Routes to School Program include: (Continued) • Increased community involvement • Improvements to the physical environment that increase the ability to walk and bicycle to and from schools • Increased interest in bicycle and pedestrian accommodations throughout a community • Improved partnerships among schools, local municipalities, parents, and other community groups, including non-profit organizations ATTACHMENT A • • • • 5 "E's" AGENDA ITEM 1A SEPTEMBER 26, 2016 Engineering-Creating operational and physical improvements to the infrastructure surrounding schools that reduce speeds and potential conflicts with motor vehicle traffic, and establish safer and fully accessible crossings, walkways, trails and bikeways. Education-Teaching children about the broad range of transportation choices, instructing them in important lifelong bicycling and walking safety skills, and launching driver safety campaigns in the vicinity of schools. Encouragement-Using events and activities to promote walking and bicycling. Enforcement-Partnering with local law enforcement to ensure traffic laws are obeyed in the vicinity of schools (this includes enforcement of speeds, yielding to pedestrians in crossings, and proper walking and bicycling behaviors), and initiating community enforcement such as crossing guard programs. Evaluation-Monitoring and documenting outcomes and trends through the collection of data, including the collection of data before and after the intervention (s). Safe Routes to Schools Route Options Original Route-East Side Sherry and Seminole-Ahern to 17th St. • Pros: -Minimizes main route crossings of high traffic volume streets (crosses Plaza Drive at a five way Stop controlled intersection) -Route already field verified as having no significant obstacles and requiring minimal tree removal -Design already at 30% level, no additional survey required • Cons: -Funding limitations dictate construction stops at 17th St. (instead of tying into the existing path at Garden Lane that was requested in the initial grant application) -Constructs new concrete walkway where there is no existing path (east side of Seminole, Plaza to 15th St), while there is an existing path and sidewalk on the west side of Seminole ATTACHMENT A