Meeting Information
Amended agenda
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2012
4:00 p.m.
-Consider approval of a Proclamation to declare September 7, 2012 and "International Literacy Day"
(Karen Wycoff, Altrusa International)
-Consider approval of a Proclamation declaring September 16-22, 2012 as "Just Food Fight Hunger"
(Jeremy Farmer, Just Food)
CONSENT AGENDA
(1) (a) Consider approval of Commission Orders;
(b) Consider acquisition of right of way for bridge no. 0.33N - 9.00E (Michael Kelly); and
(c) Consider approval of a three-party agreement with KDOT and BNSF Installation of railway-highway crossing signals on E 950 Road, Project No. 23 X-0244-01. (Keith Browning);
(d) Consider approval to purchase culvert pipe liners (Keith Browning); and
(e) Consider executing Quitclaim Deed to KDOT for material mixing strip on west side of Noria Road/Route 442 intersection (Keith Browining)
REGULAR AGENDA
(2) Consider continuation of a Burn Ban in the unincorporated area of Douglas County (Jillian Rodrigue)
(3) Accept 2011 Audit/Financial Statements. (Shelly Shammond, AGH/Sarah Plinsky);
(4) Consider approval to waive the formal bidding process and authorize staff to access the State of Kansas, Western States Contract Alliance, and related MARC (Mid-America Regional Council) contracts for the purchase and implementation of a new P25 800 MHz Digital Simulcast Radio System. Second, support and fund upgrades and improvements to the DGCO Emergency Communications Center located at the DGCO Law Enforcement Center directly related to new radio system implementation. (Scott Ruf)
(5) Consider approving the reconfiguration of DGCO Emergency Management and Emergency Communication offices and workspace areas. (Scott Ruf)
(6) Consider approval to solicit bids for replacement of the Law Enforcement Center's generator with new generator capable of providing long term back-up power for the entire LEC in the event of power loss/failure. (Scott Ruf)
(7) Consider improvements and repairs to LDCFM Station #11. (Sarah Plinsky)
(8) Other Business
(a) Consider approval of Accounts Payable (if necessary)
(b) Appointments
(c) Public Comment
(d) Miscellaneous
RECESS
RECONVENE
6:35 p.m.
(9) Consider new policies for dispatched towing in Douglas County (Jim Flory)
(10) Adjourn
Gaughan called the regular meeting to order at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, September 5, 2012, with all Commissioners present.
PROCLAMATION 09-05-12
Gaughan moved to approve a proclamation declaring September 7, 2012 as "International Literacy Day." Motion was seconded by Thellman and carried 3-0.
PROCLAMATION 09-05-12
Gaughan moved to approve a proclamation affirming the week of September 16-22, 2012 as "Just Food Fight Hunger Week." Motion was seconded by Thellman and carried 3-0.
CONSENT AGENDA 09-05-12
Gaughan moved approval of the following Consent Agenda items:
► Commission Order No. 12-032 (on file in the office of the Clerk);
► Acquisition of Easement for Project No. 00330900, Road No. 76 (E900 Road, Route 1039 with the following landowners: Robert s and Alanes Sawin, Lawrence, KS; and Gary L. and Shirley A Rochester, Baldwin City;
► A three-party agreement between Douglas County, KDOT and BNSF Railroad for the installation of railway-highway crossing signals with gates on E 950 Road approximately 1/4-mile south of N 2000 Road in Lecompton Township;
► Authorization for Public Works to purchase "Culvert Renew" pipe liners from Poly Systems, Inc. in the amount of $96,502.60 and pay for the purchase from the CIP; and
► Execute a Quitclaim Deed with KDOT concerning old K-10 right-of-way west of the Noria Road/Route 442 intersection.
Motion was seconded by Thellman and carried 3-0.
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT/BURN BAN 09-05-12
The Board considered the approval of a resolution to continue the burn ban through September 19, 2012 in the unincorporated area of Douglas County. Teri Smith, Director of Emergency Management, stated she consulted with the township fire chiefs regarding the continuation of a burn ban and it was the consensus the ban should stay in force.
Gaughan opened the item for public comment. No comment was received.
Gaughan moved to approve Resolution 12-36 providing for the imposition of restrictions on certain burning practices in the unincorporated area of Douglas County through September 19, 2012, unless the County Commission Chair terminates the ban prior to September 19, 2012; and with the added wording to the resolution to include "prohibiting the discharge of fireworks." Motion was seconded by Thellman and carried 3-0.
2011 AUDIT 09-05-12
Shelly Hammond, AGH, presented the Commission with a summary of their 2011 Audit/Financial Statements audit review. From a compliance perspective, AGH didn't have any findings related to the County's use of funds in relation to grant funding. AGHs gave a "clean opinion" of the findings.
The only suggestion for improvement related to separation of control when working with funds for the Health Department. However, it was determined that the Health Department's situation is unusual and being a small office there is little to recommend for improvement other than hiring more employees to eliminate job overlapping or the extension of supervising duties.
Gaughan opened the item for public comment. No comment was received.
No action was taken.
EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS 09-05-12
The Board considered a request from Emergency Communications to waive the formal bidding process and authorize staff to access the State of Kansas, Western States Contract Alliance, and related MARC (Mid-America Regional Council) contracts for the purchase and implementation of a new P25 800 MHz Digital Simulcast Radio System. Second, the Commission was asked to support and fund upgrades and improvements to the DGCO Emergency Communications Center located at the DGCO Law Enforcement Center directly related to new radio system implementation.
Scott Ruf, Director of Emergency Communications, gave a presentation to the Board on the tower coverage, the need to expand dispatchers from 6 to 8 employees, backup dispatch shared with the University of Kansas dispatch, the County's tie in to the KDOT/State radio system, and coverage and improvements by the system upgrades on how the funding through the Interlocal Funding Agreement between Douglas County and the city of Lawrence will be spent towards the radio system upgrade. A total of $6,001,222.00 includes the radio system, work-station upgrades, and building and technology improvements. Additional costs for HVAC Separation improvements, electrical improvements, and architectural / remodeling costs bring the final project cost to $6,537,533.00. This amount reflects all necessary costs to bring in the new system and to make the Emergency Communications area functional.
Gaughan opened the item for public comment.
Rick Hird, 856 E 11th Street, Baldwin, stated he feels the radio system upgrade is a necessity but he has concerns about a sole source contract with Motorola. He said he has experience with other vendors who provide a good project.
Ruf responded the decision to contract with Motorola was based on the contract with KDOT. His research indicated other companies were not compatible with the KDOT network.
Gaughan moved to 1) waive bidding process and authorize staff to access the State of Kansas, Western States Contract Alliance, and related Mid-America Regional Council (MARC) contracts for the purchase and implementation of a new P25 800 MHz Digital Simulcast Radio System; and 2) for the County to support and fund upgrades and improvements to the DGCO Emergency Communications Center located at the DGCO Law Enforcement Center directly related to new radio system implementation. Motion was seconded by Thellman and carried 3-0.
EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS 09-05-12
The Board considered a request to for the Emergency Communications Director to solicit proposals for the reconfiguration of Douglas County Emergency Management (EM) and Emergency Communication (EC) offices and workspace areas. Scott Ruf, Director of Emergency Communications, presented the item.
Ruf feels based on the nature of the Emergency Communications and Emergency Management departments working in chaotic environments, the two should be separated in order to function effectively. Ruff proposed a layout separating the two departments with electrical and architectural upgrades at a cost of $425,000, total funding by Douglas County. He feels it is beneficial to make these upgrades at the same time as the radio upgrades since the Emergency Communication offices will need to be temporarily relocated anyway, architectural improvements at this time will save the County money in the long run.
There was discussion on how firm the $425,000 proposal is and whether there is some overlap between the radio-required improvements and the architectural improvements.
Dan Rowe, Trainer Architects, stated the $425,000 number is high because this project is hard to estimate. He mentioned a need to upgrade the electrical capacity and add protective glass to the office. However, when asked if the architectural upgrades were necessary to function, Rowe stated they are not. He feels the costs for completion could fall 25-30% under the proposed $425,000.
Flory asked if the next step would be an RFP to come to the Commission. Sarah Plinsky, Assistant County Administrator, stated the numbers presented should not include any duplicate costs. She d s not want to solicit proposals unless the Commission is comfortable with the expense involved and is interested in approving the upgrades.
Ruf stated he feels the $425,000 is accurate. Rowe suggested taking another look at the projected costs for duplication.
Thellman stated she has a problem looking at this in isolation when we have other major capital projects coming up. We have to look at wants versus needs. We have requests for improvements for the County Fairgrounds, Baldwin Fire station, Public Works, renovations of the courthouse which are all important. We need to look at this in light of the other projects and know what our priorities are. This plan would optimize the efficiencies, but the present layout d sn't keep staff from doing their work.
Flory stated it is logical to consider these improvements now.
Ruff replied it's the timing that's necessary because doing the improvements at a later date will require moving out the 911 department twice.
Gaughan stated he supports looking at this project now, but shares the concerns about the overall costs. He said he struggles with the idea that we can implement an $8 million radio project with only $425,000 in improvements to the layout.
Rowe added this is a good investment if the County plans to keep the 911 center in this location in this building for the next 15 years.
Plinsky added she would also like to discuss where the 911 Department plans to relocate during the construction and how long the relocation is needed.
Gaughan asked Teri Smith, Director of Emergency Management, how the current setup affects her day-to-day operation. Smith stated the current setup is the administration services are on one side with the dispatch center is in the middle and Emergency Management on the other side. In day-to-day operations, it's inconvenient for Managers to keep track of staff. During an emergency it becomes more difficult to manage because you are not all together, especially if the operations manager is not in the office, someone on the other side has to vacate their office to run the operations. It's inconvenient for the department to be separated.
Gaughan asked Smith if the Board decides to only do the radio project, how that decision would affect her operations. Smith said her department will continue the way they have been. She added the layout is inconvenient, but they can continue as is.
Gaughan asked if there are any changes during the implementation of the radio project that will affect Emergency Communications operations. Plinsky stated it will affect EC operations. You can't shut off 911. We are looking at using the EOC area which would impact Emergency Management. Smith stated the EOC room is used for training 3-4 days a week.
Plinsky added we still have to work out issues regarding EC and EM shared administration staff. We do not want to add staff because the current staff can't be accessible to both operations.
Jim Larson, Director of Information Technology, stated he supports the project but has concerns for the kitchen area plans and the need to move nine major electrical panels; and whether there is room on the current generator to support both EC and EM during the construction time.
Jim Denney, former Director of Information Technology, stated he has been involved in building three communications centers. Communication center equipment is sophisticated and he suggested not moving it once it has been set in place.
It was the consensus of the Board for staff to review the project for overlaps, duplications and any unnecessary expenses; for staff to look into the impact of debt financing this project; and for staff to bring back firm numbers to the Board for review within 30-45 days.
EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS 09-05-12
The Board considered a request from Emergency Communications to solicit bids for the replacement generator for the Law Enforcement Center. Scott Ruf, Director of Emergency Communications, presented the item.
The current generator is insufficient to the LEC in the event of a power failure or long-term outage and currently provides back-up power for Emergency Communications, Emergency Operations Center and some Lawrence Police and Douglas County Sheriff functions. Studies show the LEC would require a 900 KW, 1125 KVA 277/480 ACV 3-Phase Generator, which is proposed.
Gaughan opened the item for public comment. No comment was received.
Gaughan moved to authorize the Emergency Communications Director, subject to review and approval by County Facilities and Maintenance and County Purchasing to solicit bids for a new LEC generator and relocation of existing generator to a County facility to be determined later. Motion was seconded by Thellman and carried 3-0.
FIRE STATION/BALDWIN CITY 09-05-12
Sarah Plinsky, Assistant County Administrator, asked the Board to authorize staff to use the informal bidding process to repair the foundation at the Baldwin EMS Station. Staff has worked with Treanor Architects to determine the following options: 1) Accept bids for previously documented work; 2) foundation stabilization repair work; or 3) build a new EMS Station on the current site. Staff recommends Option #2 repairing the existing facility by stabilizing the foundation.
Gaughan opened the item for public comment. No comment was received.
Flory moved to authorize staff to pursue Option #2 repairing the foundation at LDCFM Station #11 and authorized staff to solicit informal bids for foundation repairs at Baldwin Fire Station, and give administrative approval toward the contract up to the estimated cost of $20,000.00 plus 10%. Motion was seconded by Gaughan and carried 3-0.
DEFERRAL
The Board deferred "Other Business" items to the 6:35 p.m. agenda.
RECESS
Gaughan moved to recess until 6:35 p.m. Motion was seconded by Flory and carried 3-0.
TOWING ISSUES 09-05-12
The Board considered new policies for dispatched towing in Douglas County.
Evan Ice, County Counselor, presented three documents to the Commissioners: 1) a resolution written to fit into the Douglas County Code, with no fee list; 2) a fee schedule that can be changed without affecting the resolution; and 3) a contract between Douglas County and tow companies who wish to be on the tow list.
The general idea is when a car has to be towed because of an accident or seizure a deputy can use a County tow list where tow companies on the list have agreed to a maximum tow rate set by the County. This gives the County some control over what is being charged.
Flory said this process d s not regulate fees when an individual calls for a tow company to have their car towed. The tow list only comes into effect when someone d sn't have a choice and their car is towed. This is referred to as a "non-preference tow."
Ice clarified cities, counties and states cannot regulate tow fees. By going the direction discussed, the County would be considered a "market participate." We are moving cars that need to be towed out of the street. This d sn't necessary impact cars broken down along the side of the road that are not in a tow area or creating a traffic hazard.
The Board discussed a suggested starting date for the tow list as November 1, 2012.
Gaughan opened the item for public comment. No comment was received.
It was the consensus of the Board for staff to finalize the documents to reflect the November 1, 2012 start date, add an exemption of vehicles over 18,000 pounds and bring the documents back to the Commission for approval on the September 19, 2012 agenda. Motion was seconded by Gaughan and carried 3-0.
ACCOUNTS PAYABLE 09-05-12
Gaughan moved to approve accounts payable in the amount of $1,633,069.50 to be paid on 09/06/12. Motion was seconded by Thellman and carried 3-0.
APPOINTMENT 09-05-12
Gaughan moved to approve the appointment of Diane Fishburn to the Food Policy Council to fill the unexpired term of Clint Hornberger. The term will expire 12/31/2012. Motion was seconded by Thellman and carried 3-0.
APPOINTMENT 09-05-12
Nancy Thellman appointed Ashley Jones-Wisner to an At-Large position on the Food Policy Council to fill the unexpired term of Lori McMinn. The term will expire 12/31/2012.
Gaughan moved to adjourn the meeting; Flory seconded and the motion carried 3-0.
____________________________ ____________________________
Mike Gaughan, Chair Nancy Thellman, Vice-Chair
ATTEST:
____________________________ _____________________________
Jamie Shew, County Clerk Jim Flory, Member
Time and Date