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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSection III Sign Maintenance PolicyIII. SIGN MAINTENANCE POLICY For Signs Located Within the Public Right - of - Way Adopted by City Council on December 7, 2009 Updated November 13, 2012 RATIONALE: The City of Prior Lake receives many requests for sign installations within the public right - of - way from residents and City Council members . Such requests are directed to Public Works, Engineeri ng, and Traffic Safety Committee . This policy establishes how the City will respond to such requests and allocate the resources necessary for determining need , installation, and maintenance. SIGN TYPES: This document classifies signing into six general categories: 1. Regulatory 2. Warning 3. Directional 4. Construction 5. Special Purpose 6. Not permitted 1. Regulatory Regulatory signing is defined as signing that informs drivers on how to function at an intersection or on a street. In the case of most regulatory signing there are certain criteria that must be met before they are installed. These criteria are set out in the Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) and the Minnesota Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MMUTCD). Both documents specify conditions for installation as well as requirements of maintenance. The courts look to this national publication, MUTCD, and also state publication, MMUTCD, when determini ng the reasonableness of installation and maintenance. Examples of Regulatory Signs: Stop signs, Yield signs, Do Not Enter, No U - Turn, etc. 2. Warning Warning signs are signs that provide advanced warning to drivers or pedestrians that something dangerous o r unexpected may be ahead. As with the Regulatory signs, these signs are generally mandated by the standards as to where and when they must be installed. The City uses the following warning devices in the stated circumstance: 1. Cones - used with any obstru ction less than 2” in depth and 25% or less of the roadway. 2. Flashing lights - used with any obstruction over 2” in depth and over 50% of the roadway. 3. Construction /Detours - will follow Minnesota Temporary Traffic Control Zone layouts, fixed or moving, through the Minnesota Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MN MUTCD). 4. Spray paint - used to mark buried utilities and to mark areas for repairs. 5. Flags - call attention to certain points of interest for utility infrastructure. City of Pr ior Lake Sign Request Policy: For Signs Located within the Public Right - of - Way 1 Examples of Warning Si gns: Curve Ahead signs, Steep Slope signs, Stop Ahead signs, etc. 3. Directional Directional signs provide additional information to help drivers find particular streets or to direct them in certain areas. Directional signs are required on higher speed roadw ays and are sometimes installed on lower speed roadways but they are not required. Examples of Direction Signs: Jamaica Avenue South, Ideal Avenue South, 70th Street South, etc. 4. Construction Construction signing is self - explanatory . These signs are insta lled to move vehicles and pedestrians safely through or around a construction zone. These signs provide safety to both vehicles and workers in the area. Their placement is mandated by law. Examples of construction signs: Detour Ahead, No Left Turn, etc 5. S pecial Purpose Signs Special Purpose Signs are signs that are not required to be provided by the City for general traffic purposes or to provide for the safe and efficient movement of people and goods. These signs are usually requested by a small group of people or individuals and benefit only a limited number of citizens. Examples of Special Purpose Signs: Crime Watch, Drug Free Zone, Special Events, Deaf Child, Dual Street Names, No Parking Between Signs, Building Entrance, Children Playing, Limited Time Parking, etc. 6. Not Permitted Not Permitted signs are those that are prohibited by State Statute, City Ordinance, or City Policy. These signs may create a false sense of security that actually worsens the situation, detracts from other signs which have a much higher public safety benefit or the cost of installation and maintenance far outweighs the benefit. Examples of Not Permitted signs: Garage Sale, Special Purchase, Home for Sale PROCEDURE FOR SIGN R EQUESTS All signs installed in the public right - of - way mus t be approved in advance by the Public Works department , Traffic Safety Committee or by City Council resolution. When a sign re quest is received, the Engineering department will complete a r equest form, including the requester’s information, and wil l forward the fo rm to the Traffic Committee member s . The committee will meet to discuss and act upon the request with the information prepared by Engineering as set forth below: City of Pr ior Lake Sign Request Policy: For Signs Located within the Public Right - of - Way 2 The Engineering department will gather information required and assign the r equest to one of the six sign classifications explained above. Once the sign has been classified, the necessary judgment will be applied and any studies and reviews required for that classification will be completed. This staff evaluation will result in on e of the following recommendations : Recommended for installation Engineering department recommends, or sees no harm in, installing the sign, installation of the signs will be approved and cost allocations for the installation will be set. The requeste r wi ll be notified by the Traffic Committee Chair Person by phone or mail . Not recommen ded for installation Engineering department determines that the sign not be installed. The department representative will send a letter explaining the decision to the requ ester, including available informational materials, and a summary of the following appeals process. The sign request will be completed and the documentation supporting the decision will be filed. Appeals Process The requester may appeal the Engineering De partment the not recommended for installation decision to the Traffic Safety Committee as follows : The requester may present their rationale and additional information at the next av ailable Traffic Safety Committee meeting. A decision regarding the sign r eques t will be made by the Committee and the requester will be notified about the decision in writing. Additional information needed If the department requires more information from the requesting party and / or other departments, the department will sche dule the sign request to be reviewed at the next a vailable Traffic Safety Committee meeting and will invite the requester to present addition al information to the Committee . A decision regarding the sign request will be made and the requester will be notif ied about the decision in writing. PROCEDURE FOR SIGN I NSTALLATION All signs installed in the public right - of - way shall be installed by the Department of Public Works or under the Department’s supervision. Once cost allocations have been determined, and a ll funding received, a work order to install the signs will be written. The Department of Public Works will administratively establish guidelines for the location, number, design and maintenance of the signs. Routine maintenance of the signs, once they are installed, will be performed by the Department of Public Works at no charge. Extraordinary maintenance, such as a high amount of vandalism or theft may result in the removal of the signs, or the costs of all maintenance to be billed to the requesting part y. PR OCEDURE FOR SIGN REM OVAL The City will inspect signs approximately every twelve years. At this time, all Special Purpose signs will be removed. If the Special Purpose signs are still desired, the requesting party must participate in the funding for r einstallation according to the schedule of fees for that year. City of Pr ior Lake Sign Request Policy: For Signs Located within the Public Right - of - Way 3 When a sign is scheduled to be replaced or removed, the Department of Public Works will attempt to notify the original re questing party . If the requested sign is to remind the public of a stat e law, statute or City ordinance, the Department of Public Works shall install and maintain the sign only after receiving a written request to do so from the Prior Lake Traffic Safety Committee . PROCEDURE FOR SIGN MAINTENANCE The City w ill inspect signs o n a yearly basis. Regulatory, Warning, and Directional signs that are damaged or faded will be replaced if deemed necessary . The City Maintenance staff will replace all damaged of faded signs with DG3 signs. The City will also upgrade all sign to DG3 sheet ing in a given neighborhood the year after an overlay if the signs have not yet been replaced. PROCEDURE FOR COST A LLOCATION When the City determines that a sign is necessary and/or a sign meets warrants, the City shall pay for engineering services requir ed (such as a traffic study), installation, and maintenance of the sign as follows: Regulatory, Warning, Directional, Construction Signs These signs are required to be installed and maint ained by the City of Prior Lake for the safe and efficient movement of people and goods. The City shall be responsible for all costs of installation, routine maintenance and refurbishing of signs. For extraordinary maintenance such as vandalism, theft, damage, etc., the City shall charge for the full cost of replacement t o the responsible party and they shall be held responsible according to state and local ordinances. For signs not recommended for installation by Engineering staff and Traffic Safety Committee but approved by Council through the appeals process, the reque sting party shall be responsible for costs incurred for engineering services, document preparation and sign manufacture and installation. Special Purpose Signs Special Purpose signs because of their temporary nature and private benefit are treated differe ntly. Because they serve a limited number of citizens and are not signs required for the safe and efficient movement of people and goods t he City will charge for installing such signs in order to defray installation costs and maintenance. If the Engineer ing Department recommends, or sees no harm in, installing a requested Special Purpose sign, the City will charge the requester per the City’s established fee schedule. The sign costs also will be determined based on the availability of other fund sources a nd the contribution that the sign makes to the public good. The public will be informed about the fees through the Sign Request procedure and the fees will be approved by City Council annually in the Schedule of Fees. For signs not recommended for instal lation by Engineering Department but approved by Council through the appeals process, the requesting party shall be responsible for costs incurred for engineering services, document preparation and sign manufacture and installation. City of Pr ior Lake Sign Request Policy: For Signs Located within the Public Right - of - Way 4