4.5. SR 09-20-1999
rCI ---'\)
( );
~l}{
ITEM #4.5.
MEMORANDUM
FROM:
Mayor & City Council
Pat Klaers, City Ad~Qator
September 20, 1999 ~
DATE:
SUBJECT: City Engineer Update on Improvement
Projects
City Engineer Terry Maurer will be in attendance at this September 20, 1999, City
Council meeting and is scheduled to provide everyone with an update on current
and planned improvement projects.
.
At the last City Council meeting on September 13, 1999, the council requested an
update on the status of residential wells in and around the East Elk River
Improvement Project, as a public comment was received on this situation. In
addition to responding to this issue, Terry should be able to advise us on how the
overall installation of the trunk utility system is going and the status of the street
and storm sewer project. The street and storm sewer project is currently moving
through the MnDOT approval process and hopefully will be bid out late this fall so
that some construction can begin before the end of the year.
Another major project in 1999 was the School Street expansion project from two
lanes to four lanes from Jackson Avenue to Proctor Avenue. This project was under
construction during the summer months, and was completed prior to the beginning
of the school year. The Police Department is monitoring traffic flow and activities
on School Street, especially during the peak morning and afternoon times, and to
date no significant problems have been observed.
A third major project in 1999 is the Highway 169 Pedestrian Bridge. This project is
currently under construction and substantial completion is expected before winter.
On a different topic, the City Engineer has been talking with the County regarding
planned 2000 projects. One of the most pressing projects to be considered is the
signalization of the County Roads 1 and 77 intersection, and we are optimistic that
this project will move forward quickly in 2000. On the other hand, the status of
County Road 12 moving forward in 2000 is dependent upon the acquisition of right-
of-way, and the timing of this is uncertain. Associated with the County Road 12
project is the city 175th project, and we are moving forward (using Evergreen Land
Services) with the acquisition of the right-of-way for this street and drainage
improvement project.
.
Finally, staff has been working with the property owner on the layout of Business
Center Drive in anticipation of this extension to Waco being ordered in either 2000
or 2001.
13065 Orono Parkway · P.O. Box 490. Elk River, MN 55330. TDD & Phone: (612) 441-7420. Fax: (612) 441-7425
.
Howard R. Green Company
CONSULTING ENGINEERS
MEMORANDUM
To:
From:
Honorable Mayor and City Council
Terry Maurer4
Project Status Update
September 20, 1999
Subject:
Date:
On Monday evening I will be in attendance at your City Council meeting and I will be prepared
to update you on the various projects. These include the following.
.:. East Elk River
.:. School Street
.:. Pedestrian Bridge
.:. Trunk Highway 10/17151 Signal
. .:. Tyler Street and storm sewer plans
.:. 17Slh Street Improvements
.:. CR 77/CR 1 signalization
.:. TH 169/CR 33 signalization
One of the issues that the City Council will want to hear about is the property owners that have
been out of water while the construction has been going on Tyler Street between 17SIh and
173rd. There are three properties that have been effected, the Korthals, the Gardeners and the
Kleins. All three of these properties have, to the best of our knowledge, sand points of 20-feet
or less. In fact, the Korthals which were the first ones without water, have a sand point of
approximately of 10-feet. As you aware the sanitary sewer in this area is substantially deeper
than 20-feet, therefore, the dewatering for the installation of the sanitary sewer has caused
these wells to dry up. The dewatering that the contractor was utilizing have been turned off for
some days now. The only well that currently runs is one providing water to the Gardeners and
the Korthals. We have been monitoring the situation on a daily basis and based on a pond on
the Klein property have documented that the water table is continuing to raise back up to its
normal level. We anticipate that within a week, the three properties in question will have water
service from their normal sources. I have talked with Ms. Gardner regarding potential damage
to appliances caused by sand getting into the system. Certainly any damage caused by this
situation is the responsibility of contractor and we will see that appropriate remedies are taken.
Once the normal water source returns to the three properties we will contact them to determine
what, if any, damage they have suffered and assist them in putting in a claim through the City to
the contractor. We will then monitor that to make sure that the claim is dealt with fairly and
expedically.
. If you have any other questions regarding this situation or any other projects please call or bring
them to the City Council meeting.
\\SPNWFS\VOL 1 \DA TA\PROJ\000175\175-1504.sept99.doc
1326 Energy Park Drive. S1. Paul, MN 55108 . 651/644-4389 fax 651/644-9446 toll free 888/368-4389
September 16,1999
~ ~'$
~~~ '\.
Terry Maurer, City Engineer
AElk River City Hall
W13065 Orono Parkway
Elk River MN 55330
Dear Mr: Maurer:
On August 16, 1999, the well at our home went dry. This is a direct result of the dewatering being done for the sewer and
water construction on the Tyler Street project about 1000 feet from our house. Four weeks have passed, and our well
has still not returned. The water level of the pond on our property seems to be returning very slowly, but that has occurred
in only the last day or so.
As I was unaware there was a problem on that Monday evening, I had started to wash a load of clothes. Because the
washer attempted to pump water when there was none, a valve in the washer was damaged and needed to be replaced.
Jim was able to turn off our pump on the evening of August 16 and prepare our water system to be connected to an
outside water source. Wrthout this plumbing knowledge and ability, it would have been necessary to hire a plumber that
evening, paying emergency call rates. He is also able to periodically reconnect the pump to see if the well water has
returned.
For the first three days, we obtained water from our neighbor to the east, Lloyd and Claire Schneider. The Schneiders
became concerned about the integrity of their water supply, as their well is not a "deep" well either, and requested that
another source be found. We were then connected to our neighbor to the west. After a couple of weeks had passed,
he too became concemed with the heavy, near constant use of his pump and also requested that this arrangement end.
He has his house for sale, and it is certainly not a recommended sales technique to have a hose running off the property
to a neighbor's house! As it now appears that our well is in the first stages of recovery, the Schneiders agreed to allow
us to use their water supply, with the restrictions of no non-vital uses (no clothes washing, no plant watering, etc.)
Although we are grateful for our neighbors' understanding and generosity in allowing us to hook up to their water supplies,
it is far from an ideal situation. While I am sure the water passes quality tests, the water from our neighbor to the west
.has an extremely high iron content. In addition to passing through several hundred feet of vinyl hose, the iron content
ives the water a taste that is unacceptable. We found it necessary to purchase bottled water for drinking. In addition,
our bathtub has been permanently stained with rust and will need to be refinished as soon as the water situation is
resolved. We also had to wash our white clothes at a laundromat, which takes time away from Wendy's job (she works
at home for part of the week). If our well does not return within the next few days, all of our clothes washing will need to
be done at the laundromat.
The inconvenience of these temporary water sources is considerable. The first night, August 16, a niece was visiting us
from Washington state. As it was necessary for us to deal with this emergency, we were unable to spend time with her
at all. Since August 16, we have been unable to water our garden or outside plants, so most of those plants have died.
We have limited our clothes washing and showering as much as possible. We have to purchase and carry drinking water
from the store. If a member of one household takes a shower, washes a load of clothes, or runs the dishwasher, it lowers
the water pressure in the other household significantly. Last Sunday, the neighbor washed his cars using the outside
faucet that was supplying water to our house; certainly a reasonable thing to do on a nice fall afternoon. During that time,
of course, we had no water at all. When the car washing was through, they overlooked reattaching the hose until we
knocked on the door and asked them to. We have been forced, through no fault of our own, to rely on the compassion
and generosity of neighbors for one of the basic necessities of life!
We have lived in this neighborhood for 22 years, and have never had a problem with the quality or quantity of the well
water. During this period of time, there has been at least one of serious drought, and our water was never in short supply.
To our knowledge, neither of the neighbors who have agreed to help us out have been offered any compensation for
allowing us the use of water, pump, and electricity. In addition, no one from the contracting company had been in contact
with the neighbors as the project has progressed until we sought out the contractor and told them they need to talk to the
people who are being so inconvenienced by this project.
I have listed the direct expenses incurred by us to date due to our well going dry. We expect to be reimbursed for these
costs.
Jim and Wendy Klein
10528 - 175th Avenue NW
_Ik River MN 55330
.12-441-5276
cc: S.R. Weidema, Contractors
Mayor Stephanie Klinzing
Paul Motin, City Council
~~~
I~ -g~
.
EXPENSES SECONDARY TO THE LOSS OF OUR WELL:
(Receipts enclosed where applicable)
Paid out
14 gallons bottled water @ .99/gallon ........................ 13.86
Repair of washing machine ............................... 130.17
Purchase of hose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54.46
Washing 1 load of white clothes/week at laundromat @ 1.25 ....... 5.QO
Telephone estimate to refinish bathtub ............ (minimum) 350.00
Time lost by us /
Washing at laundromat, 1 hr/week . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66.00
Plumbing time, 6 hours. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150.00
Compensation to neighbors for use of water, pump, and electricity
$10/day x 32 days (8/16/99 to 9/16/99) ..................... $320.00
Compensation to us
$10/day x 32 days (8/16/99 to 9/16/99) ..................... $320.00
.
.
Memorandum
-(I
To:
Mayor and City Council
.
ElI{
From:
Thomas D. Zervvas, Chief of Poliee ?;:f. '
September 20, 1999 (/
Date:
Police Department
Subject: LIONS PARK NORTH PARKING LOT
This is to inform. the City Council that on Thursday, September 16th,
1999, there -w-as a personal injury pedestrian/motor vehicle accident
that occurred on School Street near Lions Park Drive. This accident
took place prior to classes starting at school for the day.
We have had several close calls on School Street before and after
school hours -w-here many of the pedestrians have been parking in the
north Lions Park parking lot, south of School Street.
We are also having significant traffic problems as a result of students
trying to get into the Lions Park north parking lot in the moming; and,
out of the parking lot in the aftemoon.
.
As a result of the personal injury pedestrian/motor vehicle accident
and the other close calls that have been experienced, -w-e strongly
recommend that the City Council ban high school students from
parking in the north parking lot of Lions Park during school hours and
designate that area as a non-student parking lot "W"ith a t"W"o (2) hour
time limit -w-hile school is in session.
If you have any questions or comments, give me a call.
TDZ/kma
.
13065 Orono Parkway · P.O. Box 723. Elk River, MN 55330. (612) 441-2324. Fax (612) 441-8937