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HomeMy WebLinkAbout5I Public Works Policies Report Phone 952.447.9800 / Fax 952.447.4245 / www.cityofpriorlake.com 4646 Dakota Street SE Prior Lake, MN 55372 CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT MEETING DATE: NOVEMBER 28, 2016 AGENDA #: 5I PREPARED BY: KATY GEHLER, PUBLIC WORKS/NATURAL RESOURCES DIRECTOR PRESENTED BY: KATY GEHLER AGENDA ITEM: CONSIDER APPROVAL OF A RESOLUTION UPDATING THE PRIOR LAKE PUBLIC WORKS OPERATIONS MANUAL TO INCLUDE POLICIES ON SANITARY SEWER OPERATIONS AND FROZEN WATER SERVICE THAWING DISCUSSION: Introduction The purpose of this agenda item is to consider updating the City of Prior Lakes Public Works Operations Manual to include two new polices on sanitary sewer operations and frozen water service thawing. History The City has several procedures related to operation and maintenance of city assets. There are certain procedures that have a greater benefit of having written policy in place. The purpose of having written manuals or policies is to provide expectations of service for City Council and staff and to inform residents of the City’s procedures and priorities. The League of MN Cities (LMC) encourages every city to adopt written maintenance and operation policies for liability reasons. There are two policies which garner consideration by the City Council; policies related to sanitary sewer operations and water service thawing. Sanitary Sewer Policies Sewer backup claims comprise a significant portion of liability costs for the League of Minnesota Cities Insurance Trust (LMCIT). Not only do sewer backup claims have a significant cost, sewage that backs up in homes is unpleasant and can be a disturbance for property owners. In order to better understand how cities might prevent sewer claims, LMCIT conducted an analysis of sewer backup claims from 2003 – 2006. The main findings were: • More than 63 percent of paid claims were for an obstruction in the sewer line. Obstructions were the most prevalent and expensive cause of sewer backups among paid claims from 2003-2006. • The second most prevalent and costly cause of sewer backups was lift station problems, which caused more than 15 percent of 2003- 2006 paid claims. The total incurred cost for backups caused by lift station problems was $1.1 million. • Backups caused by the design/construction of the system had the second largest median cost per claim (damages), even though they occurred with the least frequency. The median is the middle of a 2 distribution: half the scores are above the median and half are below the median. The median is less sensitive to extreme scores than the “arithmetic mean” and this makes it a better measure than the “mean” for highly skewed distributions. In the study, the median claim cost (damages only) for backups was nearly $4,000 per claim. • Sewer backup claims with multiple claimants were a great deal costlier than those with a single claimant. • City liability primarily was due to maintenance and inspection issues of sewer lines. Total costs incurred due to maintenance and inspection issues were $2.4 million. • There was no difference in the cause of sewer backups for claims in which the city was liable (paid claims) and for claims in which the city was not liable (zero-pay claims). Minnesota cities need to exercise reasonable care for sewer systems to avoid sewer back-up liability. This means cities must establish an inspection and maintenance program and emergency procedures. The League has prepared model policies for cities to create their own policies to show they are exercising reasonable care. Water Service Thawing There are roughly 9,000 water service connections within the City of Prior Lake. Typically, these service connections are buried below the average frost table depth to ensure they do not freeze. If the water service is above the average frost table or we experience an unusually harsh winter driving the frost table deeper, some service lines become susceptible to freezing. When this happens the City receives requests for assistance in thawing service lines. The service line is the responsibility of the property owner from the meter to the curb stop, typically located at the right-of-way (ROW) line. The curb stop and remaining service line to the watermain in the street are the responsibility of the City. If the service line freezes, it is difficult to determine where the issue has occurred and whom is responsible. The City has historically worked with property owners to address frozen service lines responding to 4-5 requests per year. However, during harsher winters we have experienced over 50 requests. The policy and procedures were developed to standardize the practice of thawing service lines to the best of our ability while remaining cognizant of our limited resources and also reducing our liability when entering into private properties. Current Circumstances Sanitary Sewer Policies – Using the LMC model polices, staff has prepared three policies related to sanitary sewer operations; Maintenance, Emergency Response, and Sewer Rehabilitation. These policies are attached. The policies capture the current unwritten procedures that staff has been following for several years. Once officially adopted by the City 3 Council, staff will be able to take credit for these policies in two ways: these policies will act as documentation that we are operating our system with reasonable care when claims are processed, second we will be able to apply for a reduction on the City’s insurance deductibles. Water Service Thawing In 2003 the City purchased a Magikist machine which uses a hot water jet to thaw frozen pipes from the meter to the curb box. This is done by removing the meter and any adjacent plumbing within the building and inserting a tube in the water service line that uses a jet of heated water to thaw the ice. There are other methods that have been used and are more popular for thawing service lines that include using an electrical welder. This method includes running electrical current through the service line to thaw it. While this method is quick and easily accomplished, there are risks for the electrical current to stray on an underground path along the water lines and damage neighboring properties. The City does NOT encourage the use of electrical welder to thaw frozen water services. The heated water jet method is a preferable however we have found that this type of service is not available in the private market. In fact, we have had other City’s want to borrow our water jet. Within the average winter, staff has been able to manage the 4-5 requests we receive. However, during colder winters, staff has to prioritize our resources. This policy has been drafted to set procedures for completing this work. This policy also addresses the means of limiting the amount of time spent on each frozen service and prioritizing other city work with increased frozen water service requests. The draft is attached. Conclusion It is recommended that the Council approve the two new policies to the Public Works Operations and Maintenance Manual. ISSUES: Sanitary Sewer Policies – The proposed written policies document existing procedures that staff have been following for several years. However, by formalizing these documents, staff will be able to apply for a reduction in the insurance deductible. Water Service Thawing Like the sanitary sewer policy, staff has been following the procedures set forth in the draft policy. However, by adopting this policy, it helps to formalize the priorities. The draft also proposes a cost structure for providing this service. Once a service is frozen, staff encourages property owners to follow a number of tips to keep the water service from freezing again including running a continual small stream of water. However, from time to time, a property owner does not follow these tips and the City has assisted multiple times in 4 one winter season. We are suggesting a fee for this service after the first event. FINANCIAL IMPACT: The City currently has a deductible of $25,000 per occurrence/$50,000 annual aggregate/and a $1,000 per occurrence “maintenance deductible” after the aggregate is reached, except a $2,500 “maintenance deductible” penalty applies for sewer backup claims. By qualifying, the separate $2,500 sewer backup penalty “maintenance deductible” is eliminated. With these policies in place, the City has the potential to save (assuming we meet the annual aggregate) between $4,500 - $7,500 annually. ALTERNATIVES: 1. Approve the resolution updating the Winter Maintenance Policy as presented. 2. Approve a resolution updating the policy as modified at the meeting. 3. Table the item and direct staff to make further modifications or conduct additional research. RECOMMENDED MOTION: Alternative #1 4646 Dakota Street SE Prior Lake, MN 55372 RESOLUTION 16-xxx A RESOLUTION APPROVING PUBLIC WORKS MAINATENANCE POLICIES Motion By: Second By: WHEREAS, The City has several procedures related to operation and maintenance of city assets that are not formally written; and WHEREAS, Written manuals or policies set expectations of service for City Council and staff and can be used to inform residents of the City’s procedures and priorities; and WHEREAS, The League of Minnesota Cities encourages every city to adopt written maintenance and operation policies for liability reasons; and WHEREAS, Policies have been drafted to address operations and maintenance of the City’s sanitary sewer system; and WHEREAS, A Policy has been drafted to address Frozen Water Services. NOW THEREFORE, BE IT HEREBY RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF PRIOR LAKE, MINNESOTA as follows: 1. The recitals set forth above are incorporated herein. 2. The City Council approves the Frozen Water Services Policy dated November 28, 2016. 3. The City Council approves the Sanitary Sewer Maintenance Policy dated November 28, 2016. 4. The City Council approves the Sanitary Sewer Rehabilitation Policy dated November 28, 2016. 5. The City Council approves the Sanitary Sewer Emergency Response Policy dated November 28, 2016. PASSED AND ADOPTED THIS 28th DAY OF NOVEMBER 2016 VOTE Hedberg Keeney McGuire Morton Thompson Aye ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ Nay ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ Absent ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ Abstain ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ______________________________ Frank Boyles, City Manager 1 Water Service Thawing City of Prior Lake VII. WATER SERVICE THAWING POLICY Adopted by City Council ____________ SUMMARY/PURPOSE There are roughly 9,000 water service connections within the City of Prior Lake. Typically, these service connections are buried below the average frost table depth to ensure they do not freeze. If the water service is above the average frost table or we experience an unusually harsh winter driving the frost table deeper, some service lines become susceptible to freezing. When this happens the City receives requests for assistance in thawing service lines. The City has created this policy to define how the city will respond to these requests. POLICY The service line is the responsibility of the property owner from the meter to the curb stop, typically located at the right-of-way (ROW) line. The curb stop and remaining service line to the watermain in the street are the responsibility of the City. If the service line freezes, it is difficult to determine where the issue has occurred and whom is responsible. The City has historically worked with property owners to address frozen service lines responding to 4-5 requests per year. However, during harsher winters we have experienced over 50 requests. This policy and these procedures were developed to standardize the practice of thawing service lines to the best of our ability while remaining cognizant of our limited resources and also reducing our liability when entering into private properties. a. The water service lateral from the curb stop to the meter is the responsibility of the property owner. b. The City will assist property owners by offering, at no charge, to thaw the service if it can be accomplished without digging and if it is the first occurrence of the season for the property. A fee will be charged for subsequent thawing services within a single season (November-March), which can be found on the City’s fee schedule. c. The City will attempt to thaw the service up to four (4) hours. If not successful, staff will re- evaluate availability of resources at that time. d. The property owner must sign a Right of Entry and Release of Liability before any work is completed. e. The City will not assist with any frozen water pipes on the house side of the meter. f. The City has the right to refuse to enter a residence due to health and/or safety concerns g. The City of Prior Lake does not guarantee a frozen water service can be thawed with City resources. h. The City reserves the right to deviate from this policy at any time if deemed to be in the best interests of the City and its residents based on safety, political and economic considerations. Any deviation and the reason for the deviation shall be documented in writing. 2 Water Service Thawing City of Prior Lake PROCEDURES 1. Property owners who believe their service line may be frozen should call 952-447-9800 for assistance during regular working hours. For assistance outside normal working hours property owners should call the Scott County non-emergency dispatch at 952-445-1411. 2. The property owner must request the service, sign the appropriate releases, and be present during the service call. 3. The City will respond to calls in the order they are received. 4. Before any work begins, resident must sign the appropriate release forms. 5. Calls received during regular working hours shall be responded to as resources allow. Calls received outside of normal working hours will be responded to by on-call personnel, who will assess the situation and determine action needed and assist as resources allow. 6. Staff will spend up to 4 hours per residence, at that time of the initial call response. After that time, they will assess the progress being made and make a decision whether to continue. 7. Any property owner who uses electrical welding methods to thaw services will do so at their own risk and assumes any responsibility for damage. VIII.A. SANITARY SEWER MAINTENANCE POLICY Adopted ____________ SUMMARY/PURPOSE It is the policy of the City of Prior Lake to comply with all applicable state and federal regulatory requirements. The City intends to provide effective and efficient maintenance to its sanitary sewer system by evaluating political, social, safety, and economic concerns, among others. Procedures identified in this policy are intended to maintain the sanitary sewer system to prevent sewer backups. These procedure, when implemented, may also extend the service life of various components of the sanitary sewer system. The City has 660,475 feet of public sanitary sewer mains, 3,075 manholes and 40 lift/pump stations within its sanitary sewer system. Procedures identified in this policy are intended to maintain the City’s sanitary sewer system to prevent sewer backups and to extend the life of the system. The City has developed and implemented this policy that takes into consideration public safety, the City’s budget and personnel, environmental concerns, and the cost of implementation versus the benefit to be achieved. The City will use its employees, equipment and/or private contractors to provide this service. While the City fully intends to meet the guidelines established in this policy, there may be times when this is not feasible. Issues including, but not limited to, budget constraints, critical equipment failure, or weather and other emergencies may prevent the City from meeting the guidelines established herein. The Maintenance Supervisor, Sewer Foreman or Water Foreman may override provisions established within this policy. Deviations from the goals established in this policy will be documented. The City will use this policy to guide any sanitary sewer maintenance activities to be provided by a contractor or a party other than the City. ROUTINE MAINTENANCE AND INSPECTION GOALS A. Sanitary Sewer Mains Scope of City’s Responsibility - The City will maintain the components of the public sanitary sewer system. This includes sanitary sewer mains, manholes, lift stations, and other components. Private property owners are responsible for the maintenance of sanitary sewer components from their property up to and including the connection to the public system. Schedule – The City’s goal is to inspect and maintain the components of its sanitary sewer system according to the attached schedule. (Map included) Equipment – The equipment used to perform maintenance will depend upon the equipment available and its effectiveness as determined by qualified staff. Television Inspection – The City’s sanitary sewer mains will be inspected by television camera in accordance with the attached schedule. Any sewer mains located on a street where a street maintenance project is planned will be inspected before and after such a project. Sanitary sewer mains in a new development must be televised before said mains are turned over to the City. Television inspection may also be used to inspect the system where there are possible problems. In addition, the City may require any main near a construction site to be televised before and after the construction (i.e., near blasting, digging, other activities that might disrupt the main, etc.) Visual recordings of sewer main televising will be required of any vendor performing this service for the City. A written report summarizing and interpreting the findings of the televising will also be required. These records will be kept by the City for a minimum of 12 years. B. Problem Areas The sanitary sewer mains and facilities identified as Districts will receive ordinary routine maintenance as noted on sewer maps. The sanitary sewer mains and facilities identified on the sewer map as Yearly will receive more frequent maintenance and those identified as Large Diameter. will receive less frequent maintenance. When a sewer main or facility is identified as anything other than Category 1, the reasons why maintenance is needed on a different schedule will be documented. Sewer mains and facilities will receive maintenance according to the attached schedule. (Map included) The Sewer Foreman will determine whether a main or facility is a District, receiving routine sewer maintenance, Yearly, receiving more frequent maintenance or Large Main, receiving less frequent maintenance. Based on periodic assessment, maintenance will be adjusted and a sewer main may be moved from one category to another. C. Sanitary Sewer Lift Stations The City maintains lift stations using specific maintenance that is reasonable and recommended. The number of lift stations, location, date of installation, and capacity of each lift station is kept on record. Maintenance for each lift station is reflected in Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) and Standard Maintenance Procedures (SMP). Components of SOP and SMP include: • Easy availability of original manuals with manufacturers’ recommended maintenance schedules for all lift station equipment • Operating procedures for manipulating pump operations (manually or automatically) during wet weather to increase in-line storage of wet weather flows • Setting wet well operating levels to limit pump start/stops • Cleaning wet well • Conducting draw down tests • Regular rotation of lead, lag, and backup pumps • Regular inspections of lift station, alarm systems and electrical components • Maintenance of operation logs and general records for all lift station activities, including inspections • Clean force mains • Identify problem areas/components INFLOW AND INFILTRATION Inflow and infiltration occur when clear water gets into the sanitary sewer system. This may occur through cracks or leaks in the sewer pipes and manholes or through sump pumps incorrectly connected to the sanitary sewer system. Inflow and infiltration can lead to backups, overflows and unnecessary and expensive treatment of clear water. City employees will periodically inspect manholes to identify any that contribute to this problem. Sanitary sewer mains will be maintained and inspected pursuant to the City’s Sanitary Sewer Maintenance Policy. PERSONNEL RESPONSIBILITIES AND REQUIREMENTS A. Exercise of Professional Judgment It is expected that City employees, in accordance with their job duties and responsibilities, will exercise their professional judgment in the implementation of this policy. Further, it is expected that in emergency situations (see Emergency Response Policy) City employees will be required to exercise their discretion and weigh political, social, and economic considerations including but not limited to public and employee safety, the potential for damage to private property and the City sanitary sewer system, and environmental concerns. B. Training and Education The City will provide training to employees responsible for maintenance of and emergency response to issues with the sanitary sewer system. Training of employees will include education necessary to earn and maintain appropriate operator certifications. Training will also address standard operating procedures, proper use of equipment, emergency response and other topics required by state and federal regulatory agencies. C. Work Schedule Full-time City employees in the Streets and Utilities departments will be expected to work eight- hour shifts. In emergencies, employees may be required to work in excess of eight hours. Budget and safety concerns may limit the length of time an employee is permitted to work. D. Weather Conditions Regular sewer maintenance operations will be conducted only when weather conditions do not endanger the City employees and equipment. Factors that may delay sewer maintenance operations include, but are not limited to: severe cold, severe heat, flooding, rain, snow and other severe weather events. DOCUMENTATION The City will document all of its inspection and maintenance activities and emergency responses for its sanitary sewer system. The City will also document circumstances that limit its ability to comply with this policy. A report should be prepared periodically for the purpose of evaluating maintenance activities and for determining goals for the future. These records will be kept in accordance with the City’s records retention schedule. PUBLIC EDUCATION Periodically, the City will inform residents of their responsibilities related to sanitary sewer service from the City of Prior Lake. OTHER SANITARY SEWER SYSTEM POLICIES The City has a number of other policies and/or ordinances that are important to the ongoing operation of the City’s sanitary sewer system. The following documents are available on the City’s web site and in the Public Works Department. • Emergency Response Policy • Public Sanitary Sewer Use Ordinance • System Rehabilitation Policy VIII.B. SANITARY SEWER SYSTEM REHABILITATION POLICY Adopted ________________ SUMMARY/PURPOSE It is the policy of the City of Prior Lake to comply with all applicable state and federal regulatory requirements. The City intends to provide effective and efficient rehabilitation of its sanitary sewer system by evaluating political, social, safety, and economic concerns, among others. Procedures identified in this policy are intended to maintain the sanitary sewer system to prevent sewer backups. The City has approximately 660,475 feet of public sanitary sewer mains, approximately 3,075 manholes and 40 lift/pump stations within its sanitary sewer system. Procedures identified in this policy are intended to extend the life of the system. The City has developed and implemented this policy that takes into consideration public safety, the City's budget and personnel, environmental concerns, and the cost of implementation versus the benefit to be achieved. While the City fully intends to meet the guidelines established in this policy, there may be times when this is not feasible. Issues including, but not limited to, budget constraints, critical equipment failure, or weather and other emergencies may prevent the City from meeting the guidelines established herein. Deviations from the goals established in this policy will be documented. MAJOR COMPONENTS OF SANITARY SEWER SYSTEM A. Sanitary Sewer Mains Scope of City's Responsibility - The City will repair the components of the public sanitary sewer system. This includes sanitary sewer mains, manholes, lift stations, and other components. Private property owners are responsible for the maintenance of sanitary sewer components from their property up to and including the connection to the public system. B. Sanitary Sewer Lift Stations The City will repair, rehabilitate, and/or upgrade sanitary sewer lift stations based on the data collected from Public Works staff and from others. (Engineers, developers, State of MN, etc.) SCHEDULE The City's goal is to perform thorough research of each section prior to a major project that is being planned for the immediate area. VIII.C. SANITARY SEWER EMERGENCY RESPONSE POLICY Adopted ____________ PROCEDURE It is the City’s policy to respond to sewer backups, lift station problems or failures, or other system problems or failures 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. During normal business hours, all calls and reported problems will be routed to and employees dispatched by the sewer or water foreman. Normal business hours are from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. At all times other than normal business hours, emergency calls will be routed to Scott County Dispatch. The Maintenance Supervisor will designate one or more employees as “on call” during non-business hours and will develop an on-call schedule and on-call response procedures. RESPONSE It is the goal of the department to provide an initial response within one (1) hour or as soon as possible under the circumstances, of receiving report of a problem or an emergency call. The time necessary to remedy a problem will vary depending on the number of calls, the nature and seriousness of the problem, weather, and other factors that may impact the department’s ability to respond, find and correct a reported problem. When appropriate, a City employee will check the City’s sanitary sewer main at the point of the problem. Corrective action will be taken if the City’s sanitary sewer main is found to be blocked or obstructed. When a blockage found in a sanitary sewer main is causing a backup into a private portion of the system, the first priority will be to address the problem in the City’s sanitary sewer main. After a sanitary sewer backup is remedied, efforts to determine the cause of the blockage or backup will be undertaken by those responding to the emergency. Written records of emergency response will include information and documentation concerning the cause(s) or possible cause(s) of the blockage or backup. When investigation of a backup determines that the problem is within the private portion of the sanitary sewer system, the sewer customer will be informed of possible corrective action they may have to perform on their portion of the system. REPORTING The State Duty Officer (1-800-422-0798 or 651-649-5451 in the metro) must be notified when bypassing the City’s sanitary sewer system or otherwise discharging sewage anywhere other than to the City’s sanitary sewer system. The State Duty Officer must be notified within one hour of discovery of sewage being discharged anywhere other than to the City’s sanitary sewer system. All sewer backup claims must be referred to the League of Minnesota Cities Insurance Trust (LMCIT) for determination of liability. City employees are instructed to not admit or mislead residents about City liability for backups in the municipal sanitary sewer system.