City of Bloomington, Indiana Board of Public Works, 15 Sep 2020

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From YouTube: Bloomington Board of Public Works, September 15, 2020

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meeting agenda: https://bloomington.in.gov/onboard/meetingFiles/download?meetingFile_id=7607

A

All right I'll call to order this regular meeting of the board of public.

A

Works on this tuesday september 15th of 2020.

A

First up, we have messages from board members. Do we have any messages from the.

A

Board this evening, I do uh again I want to thank everyone.

B

For keeping the city so clean and also there seems to be an increase.

B

In culverd cases in bloomington, so everybody stay safe.

C

Thank you any other messages from the board.

A

Next, we have petitions and remonstrances if anyone is here to make a public.

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Comment about something that is not on the agenda this evening now is the.

A

Opportunity to do so do we have any public comment about.

A

Anything not on the agenda.

D

I do not see any raised hands or any function any.

D

Messages in the chat function. Thank you. Seeing no public comment. We will move on.

A

We don't have any title vi enforcement this evening.

A

So we will move to the consent agenda under the consent agenda.

A

Is the approval of minutes for september 1st of 2020.

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Approved 2020 blanket noise permit for parks and recreation.

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Approved service agreement between city of bloomington, street division.

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And precision concrete for repairing sidewalks.

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And approval of the payroll register do we have any items that need to be.

A

Removed from the consent agenda this evening.

A

Seeing none is there any public comment on anything within the consent agenda.

D

I do not see anything seeing none is there a motion on the consent agenda.

B

I move that we approve the consent agenda.

A

Second, all in favor.

A

Motion passes next, we have new business first under new business is.

A

Resolution 2020-47 approve order to vacate structure at.

A

1306 west kirkwood yep.

E

Mike arnold city of bloomington, uh housing, neighborhood development.

E

This is a property you've seen before we did in order to.

E

Seal on this property.

E

There's been additional concerns and problems with this property.

E

With vagrants and homeless and other unauthorized people in the house.

E

So we have done a request to order it for order to.

E

Vacate on the property, so we can get it vacant so that we can.

E

Move forward with sealing the structure currently on. As far as the order of.

E

Steel is concerned, we've done notice. My publication today.

E

And it'll go again tomorrow as required and then once that's done, we can move.

E

Forward with sealing the property, but we want to make sure it's vacated as well.

E

We've also done on this property in order to remove public health hazard.

E

Because of the way people have been living in the house, there's some.

E

Public health issues that um warranted the health department going.

E

Out to the property and doing an evaluation and sending in.

E

Their own order for clean up and repair, and then we did ours just to to back.

E

That up, but tonight we're requesting that you.

E

Upload the order to vacate the property.

C

Thank you, questions from the board on this item.

B

No, I don't have any questions.

A

We had talked during the work session about the.

A

State of the property and the fact that.

A

You know you mentioned public health concerns, concerns about the safety of.

A

The structure in general and um the fact.

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That there's not um an owner who is actively caring for.

A

The property um is that correct, that's correct.

E

um As as I understand it, um there is a lawsuit on this property.

E

That the city is involved with in regards to.

E

Actual ownership of the property.

F

Yeah, I'm I'm happy to jump in and answer that. There's.

F

Two legal issues going on with the property.

F

And this is uh daniel dixon with the legal department. um The first one is the.

F

City does have a foreclosure action pending against this particular property, as it relates to the uh the owner.

F

The original owner is deceased and the the.

F

Individual who's, currently on the title.

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Has allegedly fraudulently conveyed the property to themselves.

F

In addition to the city's foreclosure action with these claims, there's a.

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Separate criminal case pending against that individual, so.

F

um That's basically what we have going on right now. The foreclosure has been.

F

Stalled out due to the governor's orders, um so that's um still kind of just going.

F

On and progressing but in the meantime we've got these problems. We've got to take care of. Thank you. Any public comment on this.

A

D

Not seeing anything in the public chat, um I don't see anything.

D

Via the public works email, we did just have.

D

One new, I think, member of the public jack schmidt.

D

Joined the meeting, I'm not sure if jack had any public comment on the.

D

1206 west kirkwood or not.

B

I just got on board, so I don't know what that is. Okay, great, I just want to make.

D

Sure thank you, jack.

A

With uh no public comment uh is there a motion from the board.

B

A move that we approve resolution 2020-47 the order to vacate structure at.

B

1306 west kirkwood.

A

I just want to make sure so we're approving the order to vacate.

A

Not a polling order to remove right. This is ordered. It has a current.

E

Order to um seal and a current order to remove.

E

Public health hazard, okay: there is no order to remove.

C

Okay cool. Thank you for clarifying that. um I second that motion.

A

All in favor aye aye motion passes. Thank you thanks.

A

Next, we have approved renewal number one to agreement with republic services.

A

For municipal, solid waste disposal and single source recycling.

D

Yeah there it's adam wayson uh public works director for the city of.

D

Bloomington, um this brought this to the board's.

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Attention back in june as part of a staff report, um you.

D

Know, there's been nothing but uncertainty with the recycling markets and with solid waste disposal. So we've.

D

We're in a good place with our contract currently with republic services, it.

D

Extends through next year and we're for our single stream.

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Recycling processing is the particular reason that we're.

D

Looking to renew this for an additional two years.

D

D

Pain almost double what we are currently for single stream and sometimes even.

D

More than double so, what this does is this would um lock us.

D

In with a rate um that at 20 at.

D

No more than 27 19 for recent single sing, single stream recycling processing.

D

Through for 2022 and 2023 again, the reason this came to the board.

D

Is that there is an expected three percent increase to our current.

D

Rate for recycling process that would go into effect uh in 2022. So that's why we would. We need the board to.

D

Hear this new contract renewal or this contract renewal, not new contract but.

D

Overall, we've been satisfied with service we've been visiting.

D

The uh recycling processing facility in indianapolis, seeing how that all works.

D

It's pretty amazing, um but the other thing I do want to note.

D

Here is you know with all of our contracts? You know this doesn't uh preclude us if there were other options to come about.

D

For recycling process to do proper notice and enter into other.

D

Contracts right now, there are very few options for recycling processing.

D

Especially with uh trying to transfer from bloomington to other facilities, so.

D

uh We're asking for the board support in this, and this would take us through.

D

Through 2022 and through 23, um at rates that we find to be more than.

D

Acceptable right now.

C

Thank you questions from the board on this item. The only question I had was.

A

That I noticed like on the original contract, it said that it could be.

A

Renewed through 2024 through 24 is there a reason we're.

A

Stopping here early, um in all honesty, we've we've tried not to.

D

Extend these types of contracts beyond election cycles.

D

With uh um you know to you know, just that's kind of a common.

D

Standard practice in all my years in city government, um and so it doesn't preclude us in the future. If you know we're seeing things.

D

To say uh that you know really are.

D

Indicating that we would want to you know, go ahead and do that right away.

D

um We can certainly do that um and again this as a standard language and all of.

D

Our city contracts, we've got quite a few options for opting out, or um you know if that were to need to be the case. So.

C

Okay, thank you um and I will speak to you know. I know we talked in the work.

D

Session yesterday, uh about probably preempt kyle's.

D

Question here or um kyle asks us to just kind of address.

D

You know what we're doing with addresses where we're having issues or.

D

What we're doing to communicate community with recycling you know.

D

Anymore, a lot of our communications are through social media working with the.

D

Mayor's office and others um and then.

D

Outside of that, it's a lot of direct and we've worked with local media outlets.

D

To get information about, you know, changes to our recycling.

D

System to the residents we put notes in the utility bills.

D

But the biggest thing I want to point out is that a lot of our communication.

D

With our problem addresses or direct communications, whether through leaving notices on the recycling bins to.

D

Say: here's what here's! Why we're not picking up or here's what you're doing wrong! You know that can include knocks on.

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Doors, we do a lot of different things where we're.

D

You know just knocking on doors and saying: hey.

D

I can tell you, adam in a yellow, vest, has knocked on lots of yellow doors.

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Especially around 8th and washington, but.

D

Still, you know we do a lot of that direct type outreach and such.

D

One of the things that we're looking and working on right now is another clean.

D

Recycling campaign we're still seeing recycling contamination levels higher than we want, and so what we're trying to do? You know.

D

We got more people at home, so we're working on some communications.

D

There to really hit folks directly with information.

D

You know it's expensive to do. Mailers it's expensive to do.

D

uh Bill inserts, but we're trying to figure out some creative ways to get.

D

That information to folks thanks, adam um yeah, it's probably a good.

A

Opportunity, you know, as we do these renewals just to.

A

um Remember that uh it's very costly uh to the city to have.

A

Contaminated um waste, and so if it's a recyclable.

A

That you're not really sure, can be recycled. If you've, you know, checked the.

A

Website or maybe it's just extra hard to clean, it probably does.

A

Have to go into the trash. Unfortunately, I know um we all want to recycle as much as we can, but.

A

uh It's important to just pay attention to what things are.

A

Recyclable and what things aren't yeah, you know absolutely. You know.

D

Clean dry recycling is the biggest.

D

And the other part too, is it, as you alluded to it's kind of that.

D

Wish recycling that wish cycling? You know I wish this was recyclable.

D

You know styrofoam no longer recyclable plastic bags, no longer recyclable.

D

And that's why we had to do the change to the graphic on the lids of the carts.

D

um You know I looked back four years ago three years ago, when we changed over the program, I don't think we would have ever.

D

Put a graphic on it. That said, here's what's acceptable and here's what's not.

D

uh Because that's changed so much and not just so much but that's the.

D

Any change is then inaccurate. Information on the on the cart so we're.

D

All you know, that's that's the other part of this as well, and I would just note, too that that is.

A

You know not just a local issue, that's a national international issue, so they're.

A

The recycling market is a hugely volatile.

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Situation right now um with materials that we used to.

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Ship off for processing that may or may not have been.

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You know processed the way we would have preferred.

A

And now it's becoming to the point where there's not even a market for some of.

A

Those materials right, I have dreams about what could happen.

D

With our local recycled commodities like asphalt and.

D

You know manufacturing here locally and you know I can tell you hoosiers more.

D

Than willing to work with us on getting materials back in our hands that.

D

Pre-Covered we were having some really interesting conversations with the bedc.

D

And the trades district folks about you know innovative ways to use recycled.

D

Commodities, um you know the old saying of reduce reuse.

D

Or reduce uh re, recycle, reuse.

D

uh You know the um you hate to put a recyclable into an end use, but at the.

D

Same time with the markets like they are now it's, but it's better that than ending up in a landfill. So.

D

um Yeah lots of interesting things that can happen there. I know with our.

D

Recover forward discussions with our innovation district discussions with.

D

Trades district and the mill and all those folks there's interest there. It's.

D

Trying to harness that energy in this covid environment.

A

Well, thanks for the update on recycling and waste disposal in general, as we take.

A

A look at this any other questions from the board on.

A

This contract- yes, I just um adam since you have these.

B

New barrels uh has it reduced the number of injuries.

B

To workers I know a few years ago, we had a situation in our neighborhood and someone just deliberately packed the.

B

Barrels so heavy that um they couldn't be lifted without.

B

Injuring someone, so I just wondered if that has changed or you're still having.

B

Some complaints about.

D

uh For um vast majority of the accounts in the households we serve. Yes, it's been.

D

A huge improvement, our injury numbers are down our workers. Compensation numbers are down.

D

You know the thing about workers coming one big injury can have a huge impact in.

D

Sku numbers and such but we've had way less strains way less.

D

Sprains things that were associated with the actual lifting.

D

What I can say too, though, is with the carts folks, have tried to take advantage.

D

With really packing them full, I was just doing a staff meeting last tuesday with staff staff, and they said you know when we do a code update. It would be great if we.

D

Could still do a weight limit? um You get some folks that you know one of.

D

Those 96 gallon containers and you pack it with.

D

Any number of different things can make it very, very, very heavy.

D

You know a normal trash can filled with just trash bags from say your kitchen.

D

Trash can that's not a worry to us. It's more of.

D

The debris construction debris that gets packed into the bottom that we don't.

D

Know is in there it's the um folks that pack in yard waste.

D

Underneath the trash, that's super heavy and I can tell you when you get to a 96 gallon and you need to.

D

Move it and it's fully packed, it's still difficult.

D

And we've had a few: in our worst case scenarios, we've had a few.

D

Of those carts break because people are packing so full of dense material, so.

D

uh Yeah to answer that yeah. Thank you. I think that's uh it's.

B

Important to think about the safety of the workers, because they work so hard all day and long hours, and this this can be a real problem. So good. Thank.

D

You yeah I'll, tell you about you know when we did the sanitation modernization program. um That was literally the number one.

D

Reason for us to think about a more automated system. We knew that we were.

D

Operating a 1950s system of of you know, lifting and, and so I.

D

I'm proud of the new system. You know it's still got its hiccups from time to time, but overall, very proud of the new system.

B

Okay, okay, I like it. Thank you.

A

Any other questions on this item.

A

Are there any public comments on this item.

A

I saw a chat, I don't know if you saw that adam.

D

um Yes to um so emily earnsberger asked, are we seeing.

D

An increase in solid waste collection, since more people are at home.

D

If that's even possible, we'll measure? Yes, we absolutely measure the tonnage.

D

Per truck per day, we can tell you that, march and april or.

D

Lar, where he were, I think 30 and 40 increases over.

D

Last year and we've uh reported some of that back.

D

To the city council, the board of public works. um I looked.

D

Through june and july tended to steady off a little bit more, I think there were still slight increases. I haven't seen august numbers yet, um but yeah.

D

The first few months of march april and into may the.

D

Series, they were steep increases which have a cost.

D

uh You know we pay per ton, so there was a significant cost to that.

D

uh Anecdotally, we did hear from commercial haulers that.

D

Their tonnages were slightly down, so you know if the restaurants aren't operating.

D

Like they were and such so but yeah we definitely saw.

D

A

Any other public comment on this item.

D

I don't see any.

A

All right, seeing none is there a motion from the board.

B

I move approval of our renewal number one to agreement with republic services.

B

For municipal, solid waste disposal and single source.

B

Recycling, second, all in favor.

A

Hi motion passes next up, we have staff reports and other.

A

D

uh No major staff reports today, um you know: we've got several projects out.

D

To bid right now, with our sidewalk recover forward dollars for sidewalk.

D

Improvements, so we got a quarter million dollar package.

D

Of sidewalk rebuilding and the near west side that interested.

D

Contractors should look to our city website for that information.

D

We've got some smaller packages of sidewalk repairs.

D

Specific to kind of single panel repairs due to.

D

Sidewalk heaving from street trees, so um lots of sidewalk work, that's hit the.

D

Ground uh we've got our alley project that should kick off in the next.

D

Several weeks uh on the north side of the square to um fix all that pavement put down fresh, concrete.

D

um So lots going on still busy into the paving.

D

Season and just to say my thanks to all the.

D

Staff in public works for all that they do each and every day.

C

Thank you adam. Do you have a report on the.

B

Restaurants, downtown behind the bollards. Are they uh having a good uh turnout for for dinners and lunches.

B

You know I don't have any sales information if.

D

If uh you know sales information, sales, information from a restaurant tour is.

D

uh Is about as difficult of anything to obtain, but.

D

um What I can tell you is they're very appreciative. um I know that it's helping.

D

Them they've told us, so it's certainly.

D

Helping um you know they're definitely.

D

A lot of restaurants still struggling, though.

D

You know, like I said I wouldn't know any specific in terms of sales figures or.

D

Anything else we could see, we can, you know we can see what the.

D

Trends were from the food and beverage tax collections. If you wanted to dig into that data- and it's definitely down.

D

But I've got a lot of friends in the restaurant industry a lot of folks that.

D

I've known for many many years- I don't know if you know beth, I waited.

D

Tables at upland until uh just a few years ago,.

B

Someone told me they'd met you there, so yeah.

D

But what I can say is that um you know we've got a lot of our restaurants.

D

Hurting they're struggling it's hard enough to keep a restaurant open with a hundred percent capacity um in terms of seating capacity. It's even harder when you're.

D

Dealing with 50 percent capacity and all the struggles that.

D

You know sanitary requirements, all the things that restaurants are going.

D

Through right now, so this is my adam weisen plug to the.

D

Community go visit, a local, independent restaurant.

D

Go visit a restaurant that is one of your favorites, spend your dollars.

D

With them- and let's hope we get through all this- get through this with as many.

D

Local restaurants, still in business as possible,.

B

Yeah, I just wanted some encouragement for people to go downtown and.

B

Eat so good. Thank you all right next up is claims.

A

Are there any questions on claims? No, I have no questions.

A

Is there a motion from the board on claims.

B

I move approval of claims. One million three hundred eighty four thousand four.

B

Hundred thirty six dollars and thirty one cents.

A

Hi, second, all in favor.

A

Motion passes and if there is nothing else then I will.

A

Call for adjournment thanks all thank you. Thanks.

G

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