05-42 - 06-07 - Amend City's Pavement Management Policy Resolution 05-42 June 7, 2005
Member Pentel introduced the following resolution and moved its adoption:
RESOLUTION AMENDING THE CITY'S
PAVEMENT MANAGEMENT POLICY
WHEREAS, Resolution 95-5, adopting a Pavement Management Program
("Program") was approved by the Golden Valley City Council ("Council") on January 17,
1995; and amended by Resolution 96-96, on October 15, 1996; and amended by
Resolution 97-88 on December 9, 1997;
WHEREAS, it is recommended the staff amend the Pavement Management
Program by amending the policy including the following elements:
• Changes the frequency of system re-evaluation from three years to five years.
• Requires 100% petition and waiver of special assessment appeals from home
owners wishing to have existing concrete pavement reconstructed with new
concrete pavement.
Linda R. Loomis, Mayor
ATTEST:
Donald G. a
The motion for the adoption of the foregoing resolution was seconded by Member Shaffer
and upon a vote being taken thereon, the following voted in favor thereof: Freiberg,
Grayson, Loomis, Pentel and Shaffer; and the following voted against the same: none,
whereupon said resolution was declared duly passed and adopted, signed by the Mayor
and her signature attested by the City Clerk.
Resolution 05-42 - Continued June 7, 2005
Pavement Management Policy
for
City of Golden Valley
January 17, 1995
Amended October 15, 1996
Amended December 9, 1997
Amended June 7, 2005
Purpose
There are approximately 119 miles of street to be maintained within the City of Golden
Valley. Of this total, 23 miles are designated as Municipal State Aid (MSA) roadways, and
the remaining 96 miles are local streets. Keeping the street system in good condition is
necessary to provide safe and reasonable transportation to the citizens of the City, to
maintain property values and to keep the City an attractive and desirable place to live and
do business.
The goal of the Pavement Management Policy is to establish a Pavement Management
Program (PMP) that systematically evaluates the street network to maximize the pavement
lifespan, at minimum long-term cost, by performing the proper rehabilitation measure at the
proper time.
Background
A street constructed to today's standards can be expected to have an average effective
lifespan of 50-60 years if proper maintenance measures (crack sealing, sealcoating, and
bituminous overlays) are performed at the proper times. The average age of the local
streets within the City of Golden Valley is 30 years. In general, streets more than 20 to 25
years old were not constructed properly when compared to today's standards. Most were
constructed without removing unsuitable soils from the street subgrade, which causes the
street to crack, distort and break-up under normal traffic loading. This breakup of the
pavement allows moisture into the subgrade, which further accelerates deterioration.
Streets with failed pavements will be evaluated for proper application of various
rehabilitation techniques, such as, but not limited to, total reconstruction and varying
degrees of in-place reclamation.
Many of Golden Valley's streets are newer, having been constructed to City standards
within the last 20 years. Although the pavement on these streets also exhibits some
distress, rehabilitation methods such as sealcoating and bituminous overlays are usually
appropriate for prolonging their usual life.
Resolution 05-42 - Continued June 7, 2005
The Pavement Management Program (PMP)
The entire street system under the jurisdiction of the City of Golden Valley has been
broken into segments which are evaluated by staff and consultants to determine the type of
pavement distresses present. Staff then records the severity and extent of each pavement
distress as well as the quality of the ride, traffic volumes and structural capacity on each
street segment. Using a pavement management computer program, staff analyzes the
recorded information and assigns a Pavement Quality Index (PQI) to each street segment.
For example, a PQI of 10.0 represents a newly constructed street with little or no distress
evident; and a PQI of 2.0 represents a street pavement that has completely failed. The PQI
of each street segment is then inventoried, and streets are selected for rehabilitation
measures based on staff opinion and the recommendations of the computer software. The
goal of the City is to maintain a street system with an average PQI of 6.0 to 7.0. Residential
streets shall be designated for an axle loading of 7 ton.
Because streets decay at different rates depending on subgrade and pavement conditions,
staff will evaluate the pavement and assign PQls every year. At a minimum of every fifth
year, a consultant will conduct a complete inventory and evaluation of the street system.
This will ensure that the baseline data being used for decision making is current and that
each street in the system receives appropriate rehabilitation measures when the need for
maintenance first arises. Rehabilitation measures will include sealcoating, edge and full-
width milling and overlays, varying degrees of in-place reclamation and total street
reconstruction.
Sealcoating
Sealcoating is a preventive maintenance measure used to extend the life of a bituminous
pavement. Oil and aggregate are applied to help seal out moisture, reduce abrasion of the
existing surface, increase skid resistance and help prevent older pavements from drying
out and prematurely deteriorating. A properly installed sealcoat should last approximately
six to 10 years.
Sealcoating will be applied to those streets in the system that have concrete curb and
gutter and do not exhibit distresses indicative of poor street subgrade. The PQI of these
streets will typically be greater than 7.0. The sealcoating process will include crack sealing,
routine patching and limited repair of concrete curb and gutter.
Bituminous Milling and Overlay
Bituminous milling and overlay consists of mechanically removing a portion of the existing
bituminous pavement, usually up to one and one-half inches (1.5"), and placing new
pavement. After placement of a bituminous overlay, properly timed sealcoating can extend
the life of a street for 20 to 25 years before another overlay is required.
Resolution 05-42 - Continued June 7, 2005
Bituminous overlays will be performed only on those streets that have been constructed to
City standards and do not have distresses indicative of a poor subgrade. The streets
receiving overlays also will be subject to crack sealing, curb repair, and patching before the
placement of the overlays. The PQI of these streets will vary between 6.0 and 8.0,
depending on the types of distress present.
Reconstruction
Reconstruction is defined as any major rehabilitation involving the removal or relaying of all
surface material for a particular segment of street. Reconstruction will be performed on
streets that have deteriorated to the point where reconstruction is the only cost-effective
method of rehabilitation. Sanitary sewer, water main, and storm sewer systems on streets
subject to reconstruction will also be investigated as part of the PMP. Those utilities that
exhibit inadequate capacity, maintenance problems, and that do not meet specific state or
federal requirements for the utility will be repaired or replaced as part of the street
reconstruction project. The City Forester shall comment on the proposed work via an
impact statement in the feasibility report.
Based on the street ratings previously discussed, staff will recommend streets for
reconstruction each year of the PMP. Highest priority for reconstruction is to be given to the
worst streets, or those with the lowest Pols. However, beginning in year 2000, streets will
be recommended for rehabilitation techniques within a geographical area, based upon their
condition, to limit the number of years a neighborhood is disrupted by construction.
Construction Standards
The City will strive to maintain the existing width and parking arrangements unless
there is an over-riding safety reason to change. Variation from existing conditions,
including parking and street width, will be considered in the following situations:
1. On Municipal State Aid streets where MSA standards must be
followed.
2. On collector and local streets where traffic volumes exceed 500
vehicles per day.
3. Where there are existing unsafe conditions.
4. Where maintaining existing conditions creates undue hardship on
adjacent properties or elsewhere on the project.
5. To avoid environmental impacts such as wetland filling and removal of
significant trees.
Drainage Improvements
The City will attempt to improve drainage conditions during reconstruction wherever
possible and feasible.
Landscaping Impacts
The City will endeavor to minimize landscaping disturbances whenever possible,
and shall consider reasonable replacements when disturbances are necessary.
Resolution 05-42 - Continued June 7, 2005
Concrete Curb and Gutter
Concrete curb and gutter provides structural support for the edge of the paved
roadway, aids in snow removal and facilitates drainage of storm water for water
quality treatment and minimizing damage to adjacent properties. Therefore,
preliminary design of streets subject to reconstruction will include concrete curb and
gutter. However, some residents may view curb and gutter as aesthetically
undesirable; in most cases, residents will have an opportunity before the public
hearing to petition to have curb and gutter removed from the proposed project. This
process is outlined in Appendix A of this report. Residents may not petition for
removal of curb and gutter in situations where curb and gutter has been determined
to be absolutely necessary, specifically when:
1. The grade of the street is one percent or less.
2. The grade of the street is eight percent or greater.
3. Property abutting the street is below the elevation of the roadway.
The above situations where curb and gutter is mandatory will often occur adjacent to
areas where curb is not mandatory. Strict adherence to these criteria could result in
situations where curb is intermittent on a roadway. Therefore, when determining the
extent of curb and gutter on each project, each situation will be reviewed individually
to ensure that hardships and/or functional problems are not created.
Property Owner Involvement
During the design phase of any reconstruction project, the City will hold two open
houses for affected property owners. Property owners will be consulted and
provided the opportunity to have input in the design process. One shall be held early
on in the process and one toward completion of the process. However, this is not
intended to exclude any other meetings with individual or groups of property owners
during the design and construction process. The City will also endeavor to keep
property owners informed during the construction phase.
Driveway Reconstruction
The City will work with property owners to improve driveway conditions where
possible. Contracts for street reconstruction will include contract unit prices for
bituminous and concrete driveway pavement. Residents along streets being
reconstructed will be given the option of having their driveways reconstructed at
these contract unit prices. If a resident elects to have his or her driveway
reconstructed, staff will measure the quantities installed. The cost of driveway
reconstruction may then be paid in cash by the resident or added to the assessment
against the property.
Petitions for Reconstruction
Petitions for street reconstruction will continue to be accepted under the PMP.
However, priority will be given to petitions on streets projected for reconstruction
within five years of receipt. Petitions for street reconstruction must be received by
the City no later than August 1 of the year before reconstruction is desired.
Resolution 05-42 - Continued June 7, 2005
Maintenance
The City will perform major maintenance procedures in a timely and cost-effective
manner to maintain condition over the life of the street, including overlays and
sealcoating. However, streets that need reconstruction also need maintenance
measures beyond what is required for streets built to City standards. These
maintenance measures must also be performed more frequently on poor streets,
resulting in an increasing burden on General Fund street maintenance and the need
for more taxes to finance them. Therefore, those streets recommended for
reconstruction consistent with the Pavement Management Policy but denied by the
City Council because of resident opposition will no longer be subject to maintenance
measures beyond those deemed necessary for public safety. Maintenance
measures required for public safety will include, but are not limited to, repair of large
potholes in the driving lanes and patching of utility openings.
Sidewalks
The construction of sidewalks will be evaluated for each street in keeping with the
goals of the Golden Valley Sidewalk Committee. Sidewalk construction will be
financed by the City.
Concrete Streets
Some of Golden Valley's streets currently have concrete pavement. Concrete streets can
either be repaired or totally reconstructed, depending on the amount and types of
distresses present. As with bituminous roadways, staff will recommend rehabilitation
measures on concrete streets, giving priority to those with the lowest ratings. The
rehabilitation of concrete streets will be included in the yearly PMP funding.
Repair
Repair of concrete pavement consists of crack sawing, routing and sealing, shallow-depth
patching, full-depth patching and panel replacement. In general, if more than one-third of a
block of concrete street requires panel replacement, repair is not cost-effective and the
street must be reconstructed.
Reconstruction
The cost of reconstructing a concrete street is approximately 49% higher than the cost of a
bituminous street. In addition, maintenance and rehabilitation of concrete streets is also
considerably more expensive than bituminous streets. Therefore, residents on concrete
streets will be given two options: Option 1 is to reconstruct the street as a bituminous
roadway, with an assessment consistent with the Special Assessment Policy. Option 2 is to
reconstruct the street as a concrete roadway, with an assessment following the base unit
assessment for a bituminous roadway, plus 100% of the increased costs resulting from
constructing the street with concrete.
To reconstruct an existing concrete street as a new concrete street, 100% of the abutting
property owners must sign a petition requesting the concrete reconstruction. The petition
form for a concrete street must be provided by the City. No other petition form will be
accepted.
Resolution 05-42 - Continued June 7, 2005
In addition to the petition process, a neighborhood wishing to have its street reconstructed
with concrete pavement must obtain Waivers of Special Assessment Appeals from 100%
of the affected property owners.
If new concrete pavement is constructed according to this policy, all property with frontage
on the concrete pavement will be subject to a concrete street maintenance utility fee that
will be adopted at the time the project is ordered.
Financing and Special Assessments
The City of Golden Valley Pavement Management Program is to be financed through the
General Fund and general obligation bonds. The bonds will be repaid through tax levies
and special assessments. Sealcoating will be financed completely through the General
Fund, with no assessments to adjacent properties. Bituminous overlays will be contracted
with the reconstruction portion of the program and will be financed through bonding as
funding allows. Special assessments will only be levied against those properties adjacent
to streets being reconstructed. The amount of the special assessments will be set in the
City's annual fee resolution based on the Special Assessment Policy.
Typical Yearly Project Schedule
The following schedule is typical for a specific project under the Pavement Management
Program:
June
City staff makes recommendations to the City Council regarding proposed reconstruction
projects for the following year. The City Council reviews the recommendations and orders
feasibility reports for projects.
July through November
Staff begins preliminary surveying as time permits during construction season and
completes surveying in the fall. Staff also completes soil borings and televising of the
sanitary sewer.
September through December
Begin preliminary design and hold neighborhood meetings.
December through January
Continue preliminary design, incorporating comments from residents. Prepare feasibility
reports based on the preliminary design. Hold another round of neighborhood meetings
before the public hearings. Mail forms for curb and gutter petitions.
Public hearings are also held during this time. The City Council will either order or deny a
project at the public hearing. The City Council will also authorize preparation of plans and
specifications and authorize bidding if the project is approved at the public hearing.
Resolution 05-42 - Continued June 7, 2005
January through March
Prepare final design and specifications. Staff reviews and revises plans (State Aid review
when needed).
March
Advertise for bids.
April
Bids are received and a contract is awarded by the City Council.
May though September
Construction begins in May, with completion dates no later than September 30 on each
contract.
Resolution 05-42 - Continued June 7, 2005
Appendix A
Pavement Management Policy
Procedure for Petitioning for Street Improvements
Concrete curb and gutter will initially be proposed for all streets being considered for
reconstruction. However, with the exception of the conditions outlined within the Pavement
Management Policy, property owners will be given an opportunity to have curb and gutter
removed from the reconstruction plans. Property owners will be made aware of this
procedure, as outlined in this Appendix.
The following procedure will be followed for petitioning to have concrete curb and gutter
removed from a project:
1. Project development will proceed through the public input and preliminary design
phases with concrete curb and gutter included in the design.
2. Property owners will be informed of their upcoming opportunity to petition to have
curb and gutter removed. Information will include discussion of the different special
assessment rates for reconstructed streets with and without curb and gutter.
3. Prior to the second open house meeting with the property owners, each affected
property owner will receive a postcard with the following three options:
a) Reconstruct my street with curb and gutter.
b) Reconstruct my street without curb and gutter.
c) Don't reconstruct my street at this time.
4. Property owners will have one week to return the postcard.
5. A minimum of 75% of the affected property owners must petition for the removal of
curb and gutter for it to be removed from the project.
6. Staff will tally the responses and present the information at the public hearing.