HomeMy WebLinkAboutSTUDY - 2017-11-13
CITY OF LIVONIA – CITY COUNCIL
MINUTES OF STUDY MEETING HELD NOVEMBER 1, 2017
Meeting was called to order at 8:00 p.m. by President McIntyre. Present:
Maureen Miller Brosnan, Jim Jolly, Cathy White, Scott Bahr, Brian Meakin, Brandon
Kritzman, and Kathleen McIntyre. Absent: None.
Elected and appointed officials present: Todd Zilincik, City Engineer; Don Knapp,
City Attorney; Susan M. Nash, City Clerk; Mark Taormina, Director of Planning and
Economic Development; Denise Maier, Director of Human Resources; Dan Putman,
Director of Information Management Systems; Brian Wilson, Assistant Director, Public
Works; Steve Mackie, Building Maintenance Supervisor; Public Works; and Dennis
Wright, Mayor.
AUDIENCE COMMUNICATION: None
1. RESIGNATION OF BENJAMIN A. SCHEPIS FROM THE ZONING BOARD OF
APPEALS: Benjamin A. Schepis, re: effective October 25, 2017.
Brosnan said she made the original appointment for Ben. She said he is
relocating to Maryland and has resigned from his appointment to the Zoning
Board of Appeals. She conveyed his appreciation for the time he served on the
Zoning Board of Appeals and found it to be very worthwhile work.
Brosnan offered the approving resolution for the Consent Agenda.
DIRECTION: APPROVING CONSENT
2. APPOINTMENT OF JANICE N. CENTERS TO THE ZONING BOARD OF
APPEALS: Councilmember Maureen Miller Brosnan, re: to fill the unexpired
term of Benjamin A. Schepis, which expires July 12, 2020.
Brosnan made the recommendation to appoint Janice Centers to the Zoning
Board of Appeals to fill the unexpired term of Benjamin Schepis.
Janice Centers, 11774 Farmington, addressed Council and said she appreciates
consideration and said she would be honored to serve the community in this
capacity.
Meakin commented on how many Zoning Board Members started out with the
Jaycees.
Brosnan offered the approving resolution for the Consent Agenda.
DIRECTION: APPROVING CONSENT
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3. AWARD OF BID: Department of Information Systems, re: for the purchase,
implementation and maintenance of telephone system replacement/upgrade not
to exceed $256,203.67, from budgeted funds.
Dan Putman, Director of Information Management Systems, presented the
request to Council. In 1997 the City purchased our first Telephone PBX system
from Lucent Technologies. Over the years Lucent became Avaya and in 2010 we
did an upgrade of this system to become a hybrid system from Avaya that
included some IP telephone capabilities. Over the past 20 years telephone
systems have gone through many changes. The systems have become much
easier to use, more reliable and the maintenance costs have become much
lower. In 2013 Avaya released a new product called IP Office to compete for the
small/midsize businesses in this new market. Our current product from Avaya
has been designed to have very little capability for redundancy and resiliency
which would allow the system to survive a piece of equipment failure. Over the
past year we have had some phone outages that have affected City operations.
Since 1997 the City telephone system has been administered by the Department
of Public Works. Because of some staff retirements, it has been decided that the
Telephone System needs to be transferred to the City Information Systems
Department. This loss of knowledge on the legacy system does also create some
pressure to move quickly on this migration. We would like to make the transition
to the new system while existing staff is still here versus having the IS staff learn
the old system and a new system. Because of these things, we felt that it was an
ideal time to look at modernizing our Telephone System so we brought in a
consultant from Integrated Design Solutions (IDS) to help us to develop a
Request for Proposals (RFP) and to assist with vendor selection. On September
12, 2017, we released the RFP that we developed with IDS on MITN for either a
phone system upgrade or replacement to a modern platform. We conducted a
pre-bid meeting September 19th with representatives from ten companies. We
had a formal bid opening on October 3rd. We had eight companies submit bids.
We have determined that the proposal from Rudolf Technology did not meet the
minimum specifications (among other things no bid bond) so we agreed to drop
that one from consideration. We reviewed the other seven proposals. On
Monday, September 9th IDS and the City Information Systems Department met
with representatives from the two lowest qualified proposals (SunTel and
Frontier) to review each their proposals. SunTel offered the two lowest cost
proposals, the lowest was using Avaya, but they also offered a Mitel solution as
an alternative at $317,719.94. A letter from Scott Smith, our consultant with IDS,
summarizing their recommendations is attached. We are also including a copy of
the RFP response and the summary from the interview for SunTel. The Avaya IP
Office solution has the advantage of allowing us to continue using 336 of our
current IP phones with licensing saving us substantial dollars, provides an easier
end user training experience, while changing the entire core components to a
newer, easier to use, more resilient to failure, and feature rich system. Some of
the new capabilities that this new system includes:
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Ability to offer voice mail to e-mail capabilities.
Mobile devices being able to be easily linked with the City telephone
system.
Single phone for all devices.
Integrated directory.
Integration with computers including the ability to dial by clicking on a
phone number or from Outlook.
Improved call reporting options.
In the past couple of years, Sun Tel has successfully migrated the cities of Novi
and Taylor to this platform and are currently migrating Dearborn. They have a
large presence in South East Michigan with approximately 90 technicians at their
Troy location. The proposed cost from SunTel for the Avaya IP Office system
with implementation and five years of system support is $232,903.67. The
vendors have indicated that it is best to allow some opportunities for the end user
to select things like the wireless headsets and such and sometimes unknown
requirements are identified, therefore we are asking to include a 10%
contingency in our council request, which comes to $23,300.00. This brings our
request to a not to exceed cost of $256,203.67. It is the recommendation of the
Management Information Systems Department that Council approve the
purchase, implementation and maintenance not to exceed $256,203.67, from
SunTel Services, 1095 Crooks Road, Troy, Ml 48084. No additional appropriation
is necessary since sufficient funds are budgeted in the Utilities -Telephone
System account for the 2018 budget year.
Bahr asked Putman what the cost is to maintain the current system per year.
Putman replied $30,000.00 per year. He said the new system for the next 5 years
is approximately $8,000.00 per year.
Jolly asked Putman what changes the average user would see. Putman replied it
depends on the user. He said one of the chief complaints of the current system is
it doesn’t provide a very user-friendly directory to be able to look up employee’s
phone numbers, he said the new system will have that capability. He said there
will be a mobile app.
White asked Putman about the timeline for the project. He said they are looking
at January and it is their hope to make the transition before some retirements
occur, noting it is probably a good idea to do it while the person with the most
knowledge of the current system is still employed here with the City.
Brosnan commented on the fact that the phone system will transition from the
DPW to the IT Department. She noted how phones are more technologically
advanced now. It’s a major resource used in the day to day operations of the
City.
Jolly offered the approving resolution for the Consent Agenda.
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DIRECTION: APPROVING CONSENT
4. PROPOSED CHANGES TO WAGES, CLASSIFICATIONS AND
QUALIFICATIONS FOR VARIOUS RECREATION CENTER JOBS: Civil Service
Department, re: to approve job level and classification adjustments, as well as
wage increases, in accordance with the State of Michigan minimum wage
increase.
Denise Maier, Director of Human Resources, presented the request to Council.
This is a request that has already been before the Parks and Recreation
Commission and the Civil Service Commission. She said the Assistant
Superintendent of Parks and Recreation is here with her this evening to answer
any questions Council may have. In a nutshell, it’s regarding job description and
wage updates for several of the positions within the Parks and Recreation
Department. Once again, in an attempt to remain competitive and to attract and
retain talent.
Vice-President Kritzman offered the approving resolution for the Consent
Agenda.
DIRECTION: APPROVING CONSENT
5. REQUEST TO APPROVE THE LIVONIA POLICE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION
(LPOA) CONTRACT AGREEMENT FOR THE PERIOD DECEMBER 1, 2017
THROUGH NOVEMBER 30, 2020: Civil Service Department, re: same.
Denis Maier, Director of Human Resources, presented the request to Council.
She said they are very excited about this agreement. The contract hasn’t expired
and they have already settled on the new contract. She noted that several of the
changes to the LPOA Contract are the same as the LSA Contract. Some of the
things in the LPOA Contract that are different were done in an effort to attract
and retain talent. Some of the changes were in the number of vacation days
provided to employees hired earlier in their career in exchange for a decrease
later in their career. She said they will be hiring police officers at Step 2 until they
are fully staffed. Any current police officers that are at Step 1 will be bumped up
to Step 2. They also incorporated language for employees who retire after the
ratification date will maintain healthcare provided by at the time of retirement.
She said this was very important to the union. She said it is something the City
has been doing but now it’s clarified and there is language on it.
Meakin asked Maier how long it would take to get to fully staffed. She said she
has been with the City for 2 ½ years and is still working on this. She said it is not
just in Livonia but all over there is a shortage in the police and fire field and they
are being recruited across the country when they get out of the academy. She
said they hope to attract more talent by incorporating these changes. The goal is
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to be fully staff in the next 18 months to 2 years. Meakin asked what exactly is
fully staffed. Maier replied she didn’t have the exact number but noted that they
are about 20 officers down. Maier also noted that the Public Service Aide (PSA)
program is helpful in getting prospective officers earlier. She said we put them
through the academy which gives them some loyalty and said it has been quite
helpful.
Jolly asked Maier to elaborate a little more on the increase in dispatcher tuition
and book reimbursement from $100 to $1,000. Maier said the $100 wasn’t really
a benefit for tuition and books, $1,000 is much more realistic of the cost.
Brosnan asked about condition number 18, granting permission to hire a police
officer at any step, whether it was part of the strategy to increase the number of
police officers on the force currently. Maier replied yes. Brosnan congratulated
Maier and the union on reaching an agreement prior to the end of the current
contract. She said there was a great deal of consideration given on how the City
becomes more attractive to prospective employees. She said there needs to be a
way to set Livonia above the rest. The revisions appear to be trying to address
that and she said she is really looking forward to those results coming about. She
wished them all luck in making that happen. Beyond luck it’s going to take a great
deal of appeals.
Bahr said he echoed Brosnan’s comments. He said he has one additional
question. He noted that it was previously noted they need approximately 20
officers to be at full staff, he asked how that compared to the past year or two.
Maier replied, approximately 22 officers previously. She added that it’s been
either newly hired officers haven’t made it through the probation period or left for
other employment and some officers have retired.
Meakin said in the next few years there will most likely be a large number of
retirees and asked if anything was being done to address that matter. Maier said
they did in the LSA Contract as best they could.
Brosnan offered the approving resolution for the Consent Agenda.
DIRECTION: APPROVING CONSENT
6. REQUEST TO ACCEPT PROPOSALS FOR CONTRACTED SNOW REMOVAL
SERVICE FOR MAJOR STORMS: Public Service Division, re: for snow fall of
over four (4) inches for the 2017-2018 season.
Brian Wilson, Assistant Superintendent, Public Works, presented the request to
Council. For over thirty years, the Public Service Division has relied on
contracted assistance to provide a high level of snow removal service for City
streets following major storms in excess of four inches. During these storms, the
contractor(s) provides approximately 35% of the total effort in cleaning all City
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streets. The Public Service Division has taken quotes for equipment and
operators to assist in plowing City streets. The City's main priority is for six to
eight graders and operators to plow streets along with City forces. If graders are
not available, tandem dump trucks and 4-wheel pickups will be considered.
Proposals were received from only two (2) companies. The Department has
solicited proposals from contractors for decades for snow plowing assistance.
Without this assistance, the Department would not be able to plow the 370 miles
of City streets in a timely basis following heavy snow storms. While many snow
contractors exist to do driveways and parking lots, we require road grader
equipment to move large quantities of snow quickly. The challenge each year is
to have the few contractors in the area who are willing to provide this service
remain interested in doing so. We always need to cajole them into returning the
pricing proposals and commit to providing this service for our public. The reasons
for reluctance on the part of contractors include:
Availability of equipment operators and unemployment compensation
issues.
Wear and tear on their equipment.
Insurance issues and potential liability for problems, such as damage to
parked vehicles.
Uncertainty of significant revenue, such as the winter of 2011-12 where no
storms occurred requiring city-wide plowing.
With this service need, the sealed bid process doesn't present a competitive
pricing advantage, because the contractors are not competing against each other
to obtain this work. Sealed bids will not change the outcome of what we will
ultimately pay. The greatest challenge is to have enough companies available
and willing to do this service. Having multiple contractors authorized to provide
this service allows the Department to:
Have backup in the event a contractor might not be available to respond
or the magnitude of the storm is such that much greater equipment is
required.
Determine the type and size of equipment based on the road conditions
and weather factors.
Utilize a contractor as a primary provider based on the years of
experience their equipment operators may have servicing Livonia
neighborhoods. Beyond the hourly rate for a piece of equipment, the DPW
factors into the overall cost the number of hours it historically takes each
service provider to clear a neighborhood. A contractor whose operators
are familiar with our service needs takes less time to service their
assigned areas.
The Department of Public Works regularly goes through the sealed bid process
where a potential competitive advantage exists for a multitude of projects,
services, equipment and supplies. This includes projects such as the sidewalk
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replacement program and the lane line marking program; services such as
municipal park mowing, household hazardous waste day, street sweeping, tree
planting, tree & stump removals, elevator maintenance; equipment needs such
as mowers, trucks, tractors, backhoes, boilers and supplies such as aggregates
& bituminous materials, custodial supplies, fuel, etc.
It is the recommendation of the Public Service Division that Council authorize the
use of Fiore Enterprises, LLC and Stante Excavating.
Meakin offered the approving resolution for the Consent Agenda.
DIRECTION: APPROVING CONSENT
7. REQUEST TO APPROVE EMERGENCY PURCHASE FROM SOLE SOURCE
SUPPLIER: Public Service Division, re: for replacement of the Camera Truck
Controller.
Brian Wilson, Assistant Director of Public Works, presented the request to
Council. In May 2017, the controller on the City's camera truck #313 failed,
disabling this vital piece of equipment. The controller operates the tractor and
camera on the truck and is essential to its operation. This truck is used to inspect
the City sewer pipes and homeowner connections to our sewers. Jack Doheny
Companies, the supplier of our camera truck, was contacted regarding our
options for repair and/or replacement. It was determined that the current
controller would not be cost-effective to repair, and a new one would cost
$19,700.00. A second option was to "lease" a camera truck at the rate of $11,000
per month. At that time, an emergency decision was made to replace the
controller. Since Jack Doheny Companies is the Council approved sole supplier
of our camera truck and parts, an emergency order was placed and the new
controller was installed. It is the recommendation of the Public Service Division
that Council approve payment to Jack Doheny Companies, in the amount of
$19,700.00 for the replacement of the camera truck controller and an additional
appropriation and expenditure from the unexpended fund balance of the Water
and Sewer Fund (592) in the amount of $19,700.
White offered the approving resolution for the Consent Agenda.
DIRECTION: APPROVING CONSENT
8. AWARD OF BID: Public Service Division, re: for the upgrading of the current
Building Automation/Energy Management System for the City of Livonia
buildings, from budgeted funds.
Brian Wilson, Assistant Director of Public Works, presented the request to
Council. The Public Service Division has taken bids for the upgrading of the
current Building Automation/Energy Management system of the City of Livonia
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buildings in accordance with the requirements of the Finance Ordinance, and the
2017 approved Capital Outlay budget. Specifications were prepared by the
Public Service Division and an advertisement for bid was placed in the August
27, 2017, edition of the Livonia Observer. Bid invitations were also placed on the
Michigan Inter-Governmental Trade Network (MITN). The following three (3) bids
were received and opened in the presence of the Bid Committee at 2:00 p.m. on
September 19, 2017:
Harpco ......................... $65,000.00
Johnson Controls ......... $73,765.15
Trane ............................ $89,830.00
They have investigated the bids and interviewed the companies involved and
recommend the bid be awarded to the second lowest bidder, Johnson Controls.
Johnson Controls had the only bid that met 100% of their bid specifications to
design an energy management system that included all City buildings and not
just bid on the installation portion of the bid specifications. In their opinion, they
have found them the most capable of performing the work required under this
contract. It is the recommendation of the Public Service Division that Council
award a contract to the second low bidder, Johnson Controls, Inc., for completing
all work required in connection with the upgrade of the Building
Automation/Energy Management System from monies approved in the Capital
Outlay budget and authorize the Director of Public Works to approve any minor
changes in the work as it becomes necessary.
Meakin asked Wilson why they are investing in this for the DPW buildings.
Wilson replied they have the equipment maintenance facility as well as the
building maintenance facility and they have the existing DPW administration
offices which they will continue to utilize in the future as well as potentially our
new facility. So each of these buildings they will have remote control access of
the HVAC systems.
Brosnan said she noticed Housing Department was written and asked if it was
being included. Wilson replied yes and indicated that it is actually one of the old
firehouses which is now utilized by the Housing Department. Brosnan asked if
this was all the City properties. Wilson said the main facilities, not the smaller
ones and not Greenmead. Brosnan asked Wilson how Greenmead is managed
and overseen. Wilson said Steve Makie, Building Maintenance Supervisor, was
present this evening and said he could answer that question.
Steve Makie, Building Maintenance Supervisor, Public Works, replied and said
Greenmead has no energy management system. He said basically they make
the call and they call someone in.to take care of it. Brosnan asked if there was
any desire to convert that to the new remote access system. Makie said not at
this time but depending on how well the new system works on the other
properties, perhaps in the future they would look at converting it to the new
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system. Makie said it is web based and expandable which is one of the reasons
they went with this system. Brosnan asked what they hope to be able to
accomplish with the new system, better temperature control in City buildings like
City Hall. Makie replied it will allow them to better monitor the buildings and
identify any areas that need closer monitoring and hopefully will provide a better
comfort level throughout the buildings.
Vice-President Kritzman commented on the choice of second low bidder noting
the lowest bidder bid on the installation not the design of the project. He said they
struck him as a bit odd. Wilson said there is a myriad of systems available. Vice-
President Kritzman said he appreciates that the City is engaging a better system
that is more internet based and engaging new technology to help with this
because energy management is immensely important. Vice-President asked if
any sort of energy management audit of the buildings had been conducted and if
so when was the most recent version done. He said the reason he asks is
because all of these things work hand in hand. He said for example if you can
control how high a furnace goes next to an open window it’s not really going to
help anything. He said building conditions will have a lot to do with how effective
this system is. Wilson replied they are in the process of obtaining that information
from the Honeywell system which is not all encompassing. Vice-President
Kritzman said he was looking for more of an assessment of the physical
condition of the buildings. Makie responded saying when the Honeywell system
was put into place back in the 1990’s an energy audit of each building was done
at that time. He said their hands are kind of tied the way the buildings are
constructed now their best opportunity to look at these are when they replace the
equipment. He said there really hasn’t been any change in the building since the
Honeywell project was done. Vice-President Kritzman said he can appreciate
that from an energy side of it but the other component is that facility condition
assessment. He said other nearby communities are about to complete their
facilities assessment. It’s just something Council and the administration may
want to think about. It could sincerely help inform our capital improvement
planning as we move forward. It something he thinks should be considered in the
future.
Brosnan offered the approving resolution for the Consent Agenda.
DIRECTION: APPROVING CONSENT
9. REQUEST TO APPROVE 2018 ROAD REPAIR PROGRAM: Engineering
Division, re: as reviewed by the Citizens Advisory Committee on roads for the
sixth year of the ten-year road paving millage approved by Livonia residents.
Todd Zilincik, City Engineer, presented the request to Council. Included in this
report is the suggested 2018 Road Repair Program as prepared by the
Department of Public Works and reviewed by the Citizens Advisory Committee
on Roads. For 2018, this will be the sixth year of the ten-year road paving
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renewal millage approved by Livonia residents for pavement repairs on the entire
road system in 2012.
2018 Road Repair Program Development
The Department of Public Works, using the PASER system, established a rating
for each road segment throughout the City to use in the evaluation of the current
road condition. The PASER Ratings were performed by City staff using
ROADSOFT Software by driving 371.61 miles of roads and were completed in
early August 2016. See attached pie chart depicting the breakdown by streets by
type: 58.7% or 218.13 miles of concrete; 39.5% or 146.8 miles of asphalt, and
1.8% or 6.68 miles of composite. The PASER Rating information is on the City
Website for the public to review and reference. The PASER Ratings are to be
completed every 2 years and are scheduled again for 2018. By performing this
task in-house, City staff gain first-hand knowledge on the condition of our streets.
The average PASER Rating based on the 2016 data for our network was 6.30 or
in "Good Condition". This rating is anticipated to increase upon the data
collection in 2018. Below is the breakdown showing the miles of streets by
PASER Rating:
RATING
8 to10 Excellent (55.93 Miles) - Blue
6 to 7 Good (210.576 Miles)- Yellow
4 to 5 Fair (1 01.03 Miles) - Green
1 to 3 Poor (4.04 Miles)- Red
The Department assigns the funding available for the year in each of the road
repair categories; reconstruction, rehabilitation, and planned preventative
maintenance. Our staff has analyzed the data and generated a list of streets and
scheduled the type of repair along with a cost estimate of those repairs. The list
has been reviewed by the Engineering and Road Maintenance staffs to verify the
road conditions, recommend the repair treatments, and better arrange the work
to efficient contract groupings. The list was then reviewed by the Citizens
Advisory Committee on Roads at two (2) separate meetings. The first meeting
held September 14, 2017, had Committee Members ride the proposed locations
on a bus provided by Community Resources; at the second meeting held on
October 11, 2017, the Committee heard public commentary on the roads. The
Department staff considered these recommendations for the Road Repair
Program and the list is contained herein for the Council's approval.
Recommendations
The list of repair locations including the repair method is shown on Attachment 1.
There is a total of 56 street segments. The estimated cost of street repairs is
approximately $6.6 million shown on the proposed list for 2018. However, we will
maintain a budget of $6,200,000 (anticipate $3.7 million for concrete and $2.5
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million for asphalt repairs based upon bids and final approval by City Council on
the 2018 Budget) to perform the street repairs. The anticipated mix of fixes for
our road network will consist of the following: 44% Reconstruction, 35%
Rehabilitation and 21% Maintenance.
The Citizens Advisory Committee on Roads has concurred with the list and
added consideration to consider selective slab replacements at 15622 Nola
Circle and east of Gill Road at Bretton, based on available funding.
In addition to these programmed locations, the following major road construction
projects are scheduled to begin in 2018.
Street Segment From/To Repair
Stark Road Schoolcraft Road to Lyndon Ave. Resurfacing
Inkster Road 6 Mile Road to 7 Mile Road Resurfacing
Haggerty Road 5 Mile Road to 6 Mile Road Concrete Rehabilitation
*Wayne County is responsible for the administration of the Haggerty Road
(Five Mile Road to Six Mile Road) and Inkster Road (Six Mile Road to Seven
Mile Road).
All of these road projects represent our proposed list for construction in 2018. It is
subject to change based on the consulting engineer's evaluation and final design,
the bid prices received, and the project programming by the Wayne County
Department of Public Services.
In order to proceed with the 2018 Road Repair Program, it is recommended that
the Council approve the 2018 Road Repair Program as proposed by the
Department of Public Works and shown on the attached Proposed 2018 Road
Repair Program list.
President McIntyre commended Mr. Zilincik and all others involved in the work
organizing the Citizens Advisory Committee meeting at DPW, despite only
having 6 people attend. She appreciates all they do to provide a forum for the
public to have an avenue to bring their concerns related to the road projects in
the City.
Jolly asked Zilincik when the PACER maps will be updated on the City’s website.
Zilincik replied 2018 it will be updated.
Brosnan commended the Citizens Advisory Committee on all their hard work.
She noted that Livonia is a leading model community in the State of Michigan
with its roads programs.
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Bahr asked Zilincik about the blue shaded roads on the map that are indicated as
completed. He asked completed since when. Zilincik said that’s probably since
the initial millage came into place back in 2002.
Meakin also commended the Citizens Advisory Committee on all their work.
Meakin asked Zilincik if the bike paths will be added to the road improvements on
Stark Road. Zilincik replied yes.
Bahr offered the approving resolution for the Consent Agenda.
DIRECTION: APPROVING CONSENT
Vice-President Kritzman stepped down from the podium at 9:00 p.m. to avoid any
perceived conflict of interest on the following item.
10. REQUEST TO AMEND THE CONTRACT WITH OHM ADVISORS FOR DESIGN
AND CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING SERVICES FOR THE 2018 ASPHALT
ROAD PROGRAM: Engineering Division, re: same. (CR 365-16)
Todd Zilincik, City Engineer, presented the request to Council. The City Council
approved Qualification Based Selection (QBS) firms pursuant to Council
Resolution No. 365-16, adopted September 19, 2016 to perform all professional
engineering services on various federal, state and locally funded projects through
fiscal year 2016. OHM has agreed to utilize the revised Attachment A dated
October 18, 2017 for the 2018 Asphalt Road Program. Under this procedure, we
are recommending that OHM Advisors (OHM) continue as our consultant for the
2018 Asphalt Road Program. See the attached letter dated October 17, 2017
from OHM Advisors for design engineering services.
OHM Advisors contract for professional design services will be based on
estimated construction costs of $2.5 million which forms the basis for the
Engineering contract.
In order to proceed with these projects, it is respectfully recommended that the
Council authorize the Mayor and the City Clerk to execute an amendment to the
Engineering contract with OHM Advisors, in the amount of $120,000 for Design
Engineering for the Asphalt Program. These amounts are based on the
preliminary construction cost estimates and may be adjusted based on the actual
bids; authorize an expenditure in the amount of $120,000 from budgeted funds in
the Road, Sidewalk and Tree Fund; and also, authorize the City Engineer to
approve minor adjustments in the work, as required.
Meakin offered the approving resolution for the Regular Agenda.
Mark Lock, OHM Advisors, 34000 Plymouth Road, addressed Council. He said
they are looking forward to getting started on this program. It’s a little larger
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program this year he added. He commented on the Citizens Advisory Committee,
how when it first began they didn’t have enough seats for all the people that
attended and now there was only six people at the last meeting. He attributed
that to the success of the program and improvement in the roads in Livonia and
said there less complaints now compared to the beginning of the program.
DIRECTION: APPROVING REGULAR
Vice-President Kritzman returned to the podium at 9:03 p.m.
11. REQUEST TO AMEND THE CONTRACT WITH ANDERSON, ECKSTEIN AND
WESTRICK, INC., FOR DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING
SERVICES FOR THE 2018 CONCRETE ROAD PROGRAM: Engineering
Division, re: same. (CR 365-16)
Todd Zilincik, City Engineer, presented the request to Council. He said, again,
this only for the design and construction engineering service for the 2018
Concrete Road Program which is based on a contract of $3.7 million. He said
Scott Lockwood with Anderson, Eckstein and Westrick, is present to answer any
questions Council may have. AEW has agreed to utilize the revised Attachment
A dated October 19, 2017 for the 2018 Concrete Road Program. Under this
procedure, they are recommending that Anderson, Eckstein and Westrick, Inc.
(AEW) continue as our consultant for the 2018 Concrete Road Program. In order
to proceed with these projects, it is respectfully recommended that the Council
authorize the Mayor and the City Clerk to execute an amendment to the
Engineering contract with Anderson, Eckstein and Westrick, Inc., in the amount
of $159,100 for the design engineering for the Concrete Program. These
amounts are based on the preliminary construction cost estimates and may be
adjusted based on the actual bids. Also, authorize an expenditure in the amount
of $159,100 from budgeted funds in the Road, Sidewalk and Tree Fund, and
authorize the City Engineer to approve minor adjustments in the work, as
required.
Scott Lockwood, Executive Vice-President, Anderson, Eckstein and Westrick,
addressed Council. He said the are very proud to be a part of this program. He
said it is a fantastic program and really is a model program for other
communities. He said it is pleasure working with Livonia City Council and the
hardest working engineer in the State of Michigan, Todd Zilincik. The team that
works on this program is comprised of many dedicated, hard-working individuals.
He said they are proud to be a part of the team implementing this fantastic
program.
Meakin offered the approving resolution for the Consent Agenda.
DIRECTION: APPROVING CONSENT
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12. REQUEST TO RESCIND COUNCIL RESOLUTION 268-17 AND REQUEST TO
AMEND WAIVER PETITION: Planning Department, re: Petition 2017-06-02-08,
as revised, submitted by Soave/Oro Construction, L.L.C., to develop a Planned
Residential Development under the Single-Family Clustering option (Bishop
Estates) located on the north side of Lyndon Avenue between Inkster Road and
Harrison Avenue (28200 Lyndon Avenue) in the Northeast 1/4 of Section 24.
Mark Taormina, Director of Planning and Economic Development, presented the
request to Council. This is a request to amend a previously approved site plan for
the project called Bishop Estates. It was initially approved in July of this year
under the Planned Residential Development Single-Family Cluster option. This is
the site of the former CB Swim Club located on the north side of Lyndon Avenue
just east of Harrison. The site is about 2.7 acres in area. It includes 346 feet of
frontage on Lyndon and has an average depth of 341 feet. It contains a former
swimming pool, club house and parking lot that are no longer in use and which
would be removed prior to the construction of the new development. At the rear
of the property, much of the site is undeveloped and maintained as an open field.
It was last Fall when the City rezoned this property from the RUF classification to
R-2, One Family Residential. In July, City Council granted the approval of a site
plan consisting of a total of nine condominium homes that included three two-unit
buildings and one three-unit building. All nine homes were designed to front on a
road that would extend north from Lyndon Avenue. Following that approval, the
petitioner obtained bids for all of the site improvements necessary to support the
development of the homes, including the road, water, sanitary and storm, etc.
According to the petitioner, the bids that came back, in addition to the cost of the
land, exceeded what was expected, and he determined that the project, as
designed and approved, would not be economically feasible. He is now seeking
an alternative that would lower the development costs. The revised plan show
three buildings each with two units for a total of six homes. This is a net reduction
in the density by three homes. All three of these buildings are located at the
south end of the property with direct street frontage on Lyndon Avenue so it
eliminates the need to build a road on the property. The balance of the site,
which is about 1.83 acres, would remain as open space. Each two-bedroom unit
would be similar in size and appearance measuring about 1,140 square feet and
containing a two-car attached garage. The front setbacks of the homes are
shown at 40 feet as measured from the outside right-of-way of Lyndon. The west
and east side yard setbacks would be 44.5 and 32.5 feet, respectively, and the
spacing between the buildings is 15 feet. The plan that was reviewed at the study
session had two buildings each containing three units and located approximately
10 feet closer to the road. The petitioner, in receiving comments at the study
session, has reworked the plan. It is now showing three two-unit buildings for a
total of six units, and pushed the homes back an additional 10 feet from Lyndon
Avenue. That allows sufficient space between the sidewalk and the front garage
for two cars to park. He’s also made some revisions to the landscape plan that
shows the trees along Lyndon, as well as along the east and west property lines.
There is no monument sign that would be provided as part of this development.
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The latest plan also relies on sheet flow drainage to the open field behind the
homes where there is an existing storm sewer with catch basins that crosses the
property in an east/west direction located about 140 feet north of the homes. The
plan shows the storm sewer easement in the rear of the property. Our
Engineering Department has reviewed this revised configuration, and because of
the lower density in the additional open space, he believes it will completely
forego the need for a stormwater detention basin. The Planning Commission is
recommending approval.
Bahr said it appears to have a lot of greenspace on the proposed plan. He
inquired how the greenspace would be accessed because it is all landlocked.
Taormina replied as it stands now that greenspace to the rear would be treated
as common property and would be owned by all the owners of the condominium
association and maintained by the association.
Meakin asked Taormina if they submitted a copy of the bylaws for the
association. Taormina said the bylaws were submitted as part of the original
request and said there really wasn’t any change to the bylaws. Meakin said he
would like language in the resolution stipulating that the association would
maintain the greenspace. The petitioner had no objection.
Meakin offered the approving resolution to include the stipulation that the
greenspace would be maintain by the association for the Regular Agenda.
Brian Duggan, 14345 Denne, addressed Council and requested that a monument
sign be eliminated if required by ordinance. He said the Planning Commission
was agreeable to excluding a monument sign, he said he forgot to add that as
part of this request.
Bahr said he wanted to be sure that the new resolution include language
directing some issues with the property be resolved that were part of the previous
resolution that is being requested to be rescinded. Duggan responded stating
those issues will all still be addressed. Bahr said he just wanted to be certain that
language is included in the new resolution.
Vice-President Kritzman noted this is the first time he has had an opportunity to
speak on this request. He said he was expecting there would be single family
homes developed on this site but said he understands the mechanism for
condominiums is relatively flexible. He said it surprised him to see this go through
that had connected homes. He said he was a little disappointed in the level of
detail presented in the drawings. He asked that this be placed on the Regular
Agenda.
DIRECTION: APPROVING - ADD STIPULATION REGULAR
GREENSPACE MAINTAINED BY
ASSOCIATION
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13. SITE PLAN PETITION: Planning Department, re: Petition 2017-09-08-09
submitted by Soave Homes, to develop a site condominium (Baci’s Estates)
consisting of four (4) detached single-family homes located on the east side of
Levan Road between Ann Arbor Trail and Plymouth Road (10014 Levan Road) in
the Northeast ¼ of Section 32.
Mark Taormina, Director of Planning and Economic Development, presented the
request to Council. This property is located on the east side Levan Road
approximately a quarter mile south of Plymouth Road and is situated at the
southeast corner of Levan and Parkdale. Earlier this year, the subject project was
rezoned from RUF, Rural Urban Farm, to R-1, One Family Residential. The
property is roughly .08 acre in size with 120 feet of frontage along Levan Road
and 300 feet of frontage along Parkdale. Currently, the site is vacant. Single
family residential surrounds the property all four sides. In 2015, this parcel was
created through the division of a larger parcel that included the property to the
south. At that time, the parent parcel was about 67,000 square feet in size or 1.5
acres. The parcel was split into two parts with the northerly half constituting the
land that is the subject of this petition with an address of 10014 Levan. The
southerly half containing an existing single family residential structure is not part
of this petition. The request is to develop four detached single-family home sites
that would be in the form of a site condominium project called Baci’s Estates. The
R-1 zoning requires a minimum lot area of 7,200 square feet with minimum lot
dimensions of 60 feet by 120 feet. The new home sites are identified on the plan
as Units 1, 2, 3 and 4. Units 1, 2 and 3 would each measure 64 feet in width
along Parkdale by a depth of 120 feet for a total lot area of 7,680 square feet
each. Unit 4, which is the westerly most unit at the corner of Parkdale and Levan,
would measure 76.9 feet by 120 feet for a total lot area of 9,229 square feet. All
four condominium lots would exceed the minimum lot size requirement of the R-1
zoning district. Additional right-of-way will be dedicated along the east side of
Levan Road to fully place the traveled portion of the road within the right-of-way.
The minimum home sizes provided in the Master Deed and bylaws are 1,200
square feet for all ranch-style or one-story homes, and all two-level homes would
have a minimum square footage of 1,700. They do not have any elevation
drawings of the homes, but the master deed and bylaws submitted do specify the
minimum percentage of brick which is normally what they require for any of these
developments as well as the minimum home sizes. The Planning Commission is
recommending approval. This does provide for additional right of way along
Levan Road to encompass that portion of the road that actually extends onto this
private property currently.
Brian Meakin, 14345 Denne, addressed Council and explained the property was
originally marketed as a splittable lot and at the title closing it was discovered it
was not able to be split as intended. This proposal will give them the 4 site
condos they originally planned to do when they ask for the rezoning.
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Alan Clemens, 9950 Levan, addressed Council. He owns the property two to the
left of 10014 Levan. He said his family has lived there since the 1910’s. He said
over time the area has changed. He said since his childhood that area has been
a great greenspace in the neighborhood. He said recently it has been used for
picnicking by the neighbors. He said they knew it would be developed eventually
but that had hoped that it would be single family homes and hoped it would be
kept RUF zoned. He said he is recently retired Livonia Police officer and has
always been aware of what goes on around him; however, he said he was never
notified of this proposal and said he discovered it in the newspaper. He said they
knew it would be redeveloped but hoped it would remain single family homes
with the home and land both owned by the property owner. He said he is not
aware of any other condominiums in the immediate area. He said if they want the
four separate homes he would like them to have to plat them and go about it in
the right way as was intended when his father sold the property. He said when
going over the minutes, it was noted that the monument sign was requested to
not be required stating that it was conflicting with the rest of the subdivision and
Mr. Clemens said for that same reason he thinks that condominiums should not
be allowed as they conflict with the rest of the area which is single family homes.
He noted there were also concerns with access from Levan and said it was
discussed but he is not certain it was addressed. He thanked Council for allowing
him to speak.
Bahr did note to Clemens that site condos have the appearance of regular single-
family homes. He also noted that the rear of these proposed homes would be
adjacent to the rear of his property. Bahr asked Taormina if there was any barrier
requirement between the site condos and existing subdivisions or homes.
Taormina replied no, he added that soil erosion measures will be temporary
during the construction phase. Bahr asked Taormina how the sizes of the
proposed lots compare to the properties across the street. Taormina replied very
comparable. Bahr said while he can appreciate Mr. Clemens comments and
desire to keep the property RUF, he said what is being proposed does appear to
be very comparable to the neighboring properties. Mr. Clemens responded
saying while they expected it to be developed into 4 lots, but the concern
becomes that these are now units that are owned by the association while the
building is owned by the homeowner. Taormina said these will be treated just like
any other single-family lot. Mr. Clemens asked why it wouldn’t just be platted as
single-family lots then. Taormina replied that process is very time consuming and
expensive and the condominium act provides an avenue to develop site condos.
He said this is more commonly the process in which land is developed these
days, nearly 100% of the time. He said it has been many years since a platted
development has been done in the City.
Vice-President Kritzman asked when it was rezoned from RUF. Taormina said
earlier this year, he didn’t have the exact date handy. Vice-President Kritzman
said that is usually included in the background information and he didn’t see it in
the packet.
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President McIntyre asked about the rezoning of the property to ensure the
process was completed.
Susan Nash, City Clerk, said she has notes to ask about the rezoning and said it
was not included in her packet either. President McIntyre said the question of
when the property was rezoned needs to be answered and ensured that all the
proper channels were taken and the process has been completed.
Meakin offered the approving resolution for the Regular Agenda.
DIRECTION: APPROVING REGULAR
14. PROPOSED 2018 CITY COUNCIL MEETING SCHEDULE: City Council
President Kathleen E. McIntyre, re: in accordance with the provisions of the
Open Meetings Act, 1976 P.A. 267, as amended.
President McIntyre presented the request to Council to approved the proposed
2018 City Council Meeting schedule.
Bahr offered the approving resolution for the Consent Agenda.
DIRECTION: APPROVING CONSENT
AUDIENCE COMMUNICATION:
City Clerk Nash reminded everyone about the City General Election on Tuesday,
November 7, 2017. Polls will open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. The City Clerk’s Office
will be open this Saturday, November 4, 2017 from 8:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. for election
purposes only. Voters may request an absentee ballot up until 4:00 p.m. Monday,
November 6, 2017. She said staff is very excited about the new voting equipment is
here and up and running. It’s going to be great and hopefully will make the whole
process run even more efficiently. Absentee ballots can be retuned up until 8 p.m. on
election day, they can be dropped off inside City Hall or in the red City mailbox in front
of City Hall. She said those who have received an absentee ballot and wish to vote at
the polls may surrender their absentee ballot at the polls and vote in person. If they
didn’t receive their absentee ballot they can sign a lost ballot affidavit at the polls and a
ballot will be issued to the voter. She encouraged everyone to get out and vote.
Diane Webb, Wayne County Commissioner, announced the Make A Senior Smile Day
event she is involved with will be this Saturday, November 4, 2017, from 8:30 am – 12
pm, volunteers can report at the VFW Post 345 at 27345 Schoolcraft Road, Redford,
MI. She noted that this is the first year a Livonia resident has taken advantage of the
event and said they will be assisting the senior resident by raking leaves for the
resident. She also noted that she is the Chairperson of the Public Services Committee
for the Wayne County Commission. She appreciates the great work Livonia does on the
roads, she said if a County representative is needed she would be glad to offer support
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Commissioner Webb also commented on the former CB Swim Club property and said it
has been an eyesore in the community and said it will be nice to see that property
improved. She also added that a Public Hearing should be available to residents to
voice their concerns regarding the redevelopment of the property if it hasn’t already.
As there were no further questions or comments, President McIntyre adjourned the
Study Session at 9:43 p.m. on Wednesday, November 1, 2017.
DATED: November 9, 2017 SUSAN M. NASH
CITY CLERK