Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes Island Strategic Action Committee - 10/02/2012Island Strategic Action Committee Padres Isled Country Club 14355 Commodores Dr. Corpus Christi, TX 78418 October 2, 2012 5:30 PM — 6:30 PM 1. Call to order ➢ Chair called the regular meeting of the Island Strategic Alliance Committee to order at Meeting called to order at 5:32 PM on October 2, 2012. 2. Roll Call ➢ Chair conducted a roll call. Committee Members Present John White Gabrielle Hilpold Charles Mader Committee Not Present: Gregory Smith Jyoti Rakesh Patel John Trice William F. Goldston Jay Gardner — Ex Officio Paul Schexnailder Keith Arnold — Ex Officio J.J. Hart Alex Harris Bryan Gulley — Ex Officio Wes Pierson — Ex Officio Staff Members Present: Oscar Martinez, Assistant City Manager — Public Works Dan Biles, Director of Engineering Michael Morris, Director of Parks and Recreation Natasha Fudge, Engineering Ruth Brown, Engineering Derek Herzog, Parks and Recreation Alyssa Michelle Barrera, Business Support Services 3. Approval of Minutes for Sept September 6 2012 minutes were approved. Motioned by John White and seconded by J.J. Hart. 4. Public Comment Maybeth Christensen: Question about paying for Port -A- Potties at Village Park. I learned last week that for every building permit on the island, an impact fee of $100 is collected. If there are 75 houses under construction, that is $7,500 that should be able to go towards Park's maintenance, especially Port -A- Potties. Gabriele Hipold: Please have information on this on our next agenda. ** ON NEXT AGENDA S. Welcome new members Gabriele Hipold: We have three 3 new members, one of them is Jodi, would you please introduce yourself? Jodi Steen: Hello, I'm an Island resident and have an island business; I'm a new home builder. Ralph Tapscott: Hi, I'm Ralph Tapscott, a relatively new resident, I've been here for a year and a half. I'm a commercial real estate lender for Frost Bank. Stan Hulse: I've been a resident for a little over 4 years, am Executive Director of Padre Island Business Association, and on the POA Board and I also own my own business on the Island. Gabriele Hipold: Thank you very much. We basically had 3 vacancies, we originally thought we had an environmental space open but actually Charles Mader is our environmental specialist, so for the record, whoever applied for that spot, applications will be kept but we didn't need a replacement on that. Stan was nominated by POA, Jodi and Ralph were nominated by our ISAC Committee. I'm very, very happy to have you guys. JJ Hart: Just out of curiosity, what places were filled? Gabriele Hilpold: At large, those two were two at large places and Stan's was POA. I'm not aware of whether its 2 or 3 year period, if you need to know you'll need to get with Michelle. 6. TxDOT Presentation Gabriele Hipold: John will give us an introduction because he went to a pretty long TxDOT meeting about the overall plan of TxDOT, what they have in the works where they have money. I'm planning to put a subcommittee together just for traffic because we have not been getting a lot of traction on it in the past one and a half years. John White: This is going to be focused very far in the future. The Metropolitan Planning Organization has been working on document for a Regional Parkway. I'm going to talk about the piece that will be from somewhere on 1 -37 toward Calallen going across the Southside, and in the future plans to come across to the Island someplace south. Status is they're in the brainstorming stage and have generalized locations. They started discussion by picking a 5 mile wide corridor, and then narrowed it down to a 2 mile, then 1 mile corridor, with a final area selection of about 600 feet. TxDOT has hosted a series of public meetings on it, but have not identified funding sources and are just looking at feasibility. 10 to 12 years is the crystal ball estimate, but now is when locations are being chosen, and what it will mean for the future. Del Mar interested as far as a south side campus. Very preliminary but the group is meeting monthly. Need to know that it's out there, need to know there are a lot of people for it and there are people against it. A group of farmers in the outskirts of Robstown are very upset, the want to shut the whole thing down. Alex Harris: They wanted us to do research to find restrictions to stop it, and we told them we weren't interested in working for them. JJ Hart: Why don't they want it? John White: It's their farm land, they don't want to have to drive further. I think its very early to put yourself in a situation. Alex Harris: That was pattern with the wind farms. John White: The big issue is that they need to identify funding and they've decided they're going to call it a regional parkway. It won't look like a freeway, there will be a big landscape median. The entire right of way is less than 600 ft. That brings you up to date. Meeting on monthly basis, will have public meetings ongoing. Gabriele Hilpold: On the island, did they give any specifics as to the location? John White: No just that they intend for it to link up to the Island. Alex Harris: We might get you a picture but it's a pretty wide swath, Calico Road back towards 2444, which is Staples, and comes across the county line. Gabriele Hilpold: What's your impression, what would we need to do to get TxDOT's radar in terms of improvements we'll need in the long run? We have one bridge that needs attention; if everything keeps growing we'll have traffic issues. John White: We need to stay aware of the meetings they're having, I have us on the mailing list. My wife is part of the group, on MPO. Funding sources are way out there. Gabriele Hilpold: Question for Wes, improvements on traffic crossings on the island, or changes, is that a TxDOT question or a traffic engineering of the City? Wes Pierson: That's actually a Dan question. Gabriele Hilpold: I'm talking about the two big crossings, but also smaller crossings on the Island. We've had these questions before in terms of changing them from traffic lights to something different or changing the entire crossing a little bit. Dan Biles: I control light timing and signals, but Park Road 22 is a TxDOT road, so I have to work with them to make any changes to those roads. Gabriele Hilpold: Changes to the crossing too? We have 2 or 3 things that come up periodically. We do have some problems on the first crossing, we can't really change anything there, we get complaints more and more about coming out of Gypsy, and it's especially dangerous when you go to the left, right lane that you implemented helped a lot but you can barely get out at 5 or 6 when there is heavy traffic. Our old suggestion was to try to do something different, like a roundabout, where you don't need a traffic light. Dan Biles: That's probably a place where a roundabout could work, though there might be some sight distance issues coming over the bridge. A roundabout would be better than traffic lights at that location. Gabriele Hilpold: If you could please look at that, it will help immediately. Dan Biles: We can have Charlie look at it; put it on his list of things to do, we'll have to do a traffic study. *FOLLOW UP Gabriele Hilpold: On Whitecap, when you take a left on SPID, potholes always open up. Maybeth Christensen: I'll follow up with TxDOT. Gabriele Hilpold: Is anyone willing to be a liaison to TxDOT in terms of monitoring what they are doing and keeping us posted? Should we invite them to a presentation of what they can do, where their funding comes from? John White: I'll do it. Jodi Steen: I'll be back -up. Bryan Gulley: Remember a long time ago we had a plan to remove that center light, and we talked to TxDOT and they said they were going to do something about it? What happened with that? Gabriele Hilpold: Lets invite them for next time or the time after and say look we really need a little bit of attention there. Michelle, for next time let's see if we can get someone from TxDOT out. Let's put light on 361 Bridge on the agenda for next time.' *ON NEXT AGENDA Ralph Tapscott: Somewhere read about that in a 2003 development plan. Gabriele Hilpold: They obviously want to be included because they see we have stuff like this on the agenda. Do we have any ideas for future? Dan Biles: For future TxDOT construction projects, MPO runs those, not TxDOT. They have 2 committees, Technical committee; which Oscar Martinez sits on, and the Transportation Advisory Policy committee, which Mayor and Commissioners, etc., sit on. They set the priorities for TxDOT within the MPO. Not maintenance projects, just new construction. Go through MPO not just TxDOT. Gabriele Hilpold: Ok, so get with Mayor? Dan Biles: Work with Tom Niskala from the Corpus Christi MPO and he'll give you guidance. 7. Engineering Project Status Report Dan Biles: Just a few highlights, and then you can ask questions on any of them. ➢ Buildings and Clems Dan Biles: We're waiting on final plans to be reviewed by TxDOT, it's in their right of way. Also working with consultant to structure bid to have bid additives, the budget tight structure wise, want to see how it bids so we can see if we get the things we want, and then move forward to council. Budget wise, it's really tight on where we are. Gabriele Hilpold: Concrete or asphalt. Dan Biles: Yes, we're going to try to have a middle option which is asphalt for the parking lot and approaches to the ramp are concrete, there may be different options in there, but this is a budget constrained project because it's funded through a grant and I just don't have a place to get additional money. Gabriele Hilpold: We need to do this to be a high quality project. Dan Biles: If we don't have the money, we can't do concrete. Gabriele Hilpold: Can we use bond money? Dan Biles: No, we have to do it in budget on bid. Right now, the inflation that has hit other construction hasn't hit my construction yet. As long as that stays consistent, we should be ok for the base bid. We're shooting for award to council by end of the year, construction at the beginning of next. ➢ Packery Channel Dredging and Beach Re- Nourishment Dan Biles: Working with dredging contractor to get him back out here, you saw report; work still have to do channel. He'll probably start next month but he a smaller window this time because there is a smaller load. Confusion about what line is on the permit, need to get that clarified with the Corps. ➢ Park Road 22 Bridge Dan Biles: Regarding Park Road 22, we should be submitting scoping document to TxDOT any day. We've already started the environmental process. This is next step in the environmental process. JJ Hart: What type of timing are we looking at? Dan Biles: We're planning parallel construction, we're doing two things. The lift station I have to install to get under the new channel and it's also needed for any development on the private property on the other side, that's under design already. The project is going to be bid in the next 4 to 5 months. Bridge is on a separate track; we're expecting environmental clearance from TxDOT early next year, then design and bidding after that. It's difficult to nail down completion schedule on environmental permit projects. ➢ Aquarius Dan Biles: We have temporary barriers up, doesn't look like anyone's moving them, we're going to fabricate permanent ones to put there, but for now we'll keep at least the honest people off of that. Maybeth Christensen: Some of the plants were stolen. Not the trees, just the plants. John White: Probably guys from Cole Park. Dan Biles: AEP is designing lights, we've agreed to poles and everything, will give cost any day. Depending on cost may move to council. ➢ Alternate Water Supply Dan Biles: Part of meeting with Army Corps of Engineers tomorrow is to define the two ways to go with that. After, go to full board design with intent to build next fiscal year. Still work to be done. I think AEPs started putting material on site for Packery channel parking lot. Once that's done, all that side will be lit, both the parking lot and phase 2 stuff will also have power and be lit. ➢ Whitecap Dan Biles: Consultant gave wastewater details that should lead to long term solution. Our effluent hasn't changed, the standard has changed. It's not that we're discharging what we weren't before, but the federal government significantly lowered the standard on our permit. Other than that, any questions on anything? Jodi Steen: Who maintains the Packery Channel benches because the leaves are right above my head? Derek Herzog: We've finished that maintenance yesterday. John White: We have a question about lights. There seems to be confusion of who maintains big light bulbs. A couple of years ago we had 9 of them out at out time, 6 months they were out and on the ground. We haven't had many lately but we have one now that was out for about two months. Natasha Fudge: Charlie knows about it and he told me this morning, he is addressing it. John White: They were notified over 2 months ago. Alex Harris: Regarding item number 11, wastewater force main, we're having nightmares at Whitecap & SPID of sewer gas smell backing up. We have businesses that are trying to shut down. We've tried everything but it's not working because it's backing up the sewer line. Gabriele Hilpold: It's a real issue for restaurants, they have had people complain and walk out because of the smell. It is periodic. Dan Biles: We'll talk to wastewater. **ON NEXT T AGENDA Paul Schexnailder: Isn't gravity feed in that direction? Dan Biles: Yes but there is a lift station; I'll follow up with wastewater to see what's going on. 8. Bond 2012 Report Dan Biles: Do you want me to go into detail? You have handouts. I cannot advocate we're only educating. We'll be out here again tomorrow night. If anyone has any questions now, I can address them. Gabriele Hilpold: At 6 PM tomorrow, we will be having a town hall meeting at Seashore Learning Center. We can go ahead and skip that if you're doing it tomorrow. Stan Hulse: I'd like to emphasize, because there's going to be all types of people at that meeting, I'd like to state all projects are stated generally and final scope may vary due to cost, design and other factors. That's what seems to be a sticking point every single time, is that every project, when it gets to construction, someone's making noise. part should be a sticking point. Dan Biles: I will say the JFK one is pretty well outlined in infrastructure report. This project should be pretty on point, yes when we begin design it may vary slightly but not significantly. Bryan Gulley: I was looking at this guide, and it lists an amount for street improvements and for utilities, did you separate those out? Dan Biles: Yes, for these improvements, utility costs are separate costs. For Proposition 1, the utility costs are being paid for out of the utility department's capital budget, so it's a separate cost. 9. Beach Management Derek Herzog: It's winter for us, so now that turtle nesting season is officially over, in 3 weeks we're going to be wintering the beach, we're going to be moving the sand. What our permit tells us to do is taking the maintenance dunes that we put up; we're pushing seaweed to the dunes, bringing things back to normal. By the end of October our machines will be off the beach, all the way till February, letting the beach regenerate. If you see the guys out there, with the exceptions of Whitecap, where they will be doing dredging, and around the Sea Wall, and up north towards Port Royale we're going to be moving sand back down, but other than that trash and debris will continue to be picked up through the winter, but we're not going to have equipment out there. We'll make sure the access roads are good and drivable. Other than that there won't be any machines out between November and February. We're saying it will take a month but it shouldn't take more than a week and half or two weeks. Gabriele Hilpold: We will have a discussion about method of beach cleaning and it has to do with front loading. I know we've discussed this before, Greg is not here and he's pretty much the most knowledgeable guy on beach maintenance stuff. I would like for you and him, and maybe me, to meet before next meeting or when you have time, to look at some of the practices before we bore the committee with the technical details. Derek Herzog: We have a committee that does the technical details, the Watershore and Beach Advisory Committee, created by the City Council that goes through that. Our practices are not mandated by anyone but the Army Corps of Engineers, so we can't just come up with new practices and say these are going to be the best thing. The front stacking and trenching are the only two practices we're approved to do by the Corps. We will be looking into new practices, like front notching, but there are more that we're going to look into when amending comes up, in December 2014. The amending process starts July 2013. We have a committee that has those things. Greg has come and spoken about it. Five years ago, our current method was the most innovative way to maintain a beach; however we can't change unless the Army Corps approves and they won't even look at it until amending comes up. Gabriele Hilpold: Ok, second is what about a 2 nd guy for sales of parking permits? Derek Herzog: We've hired temporary worker until we find permanent replacement. Best year of parking we've ever had. We can't justify having three full time during the winter, but we've hired a second person through an agency until the position is created. Gabriele Hilpold: When will you have them? Michael Morris: It is currently not a permanent position but we've hired a temporary worker. 10. Duck Hunting Updates William Goldstone: I've had the pleasure of meeting with the City Attorney's office and they gave me information about ordinances and state laws and work thats been done. Spoke with Jesse Garcia about some of the enforcement issues that CCPD has. Also talked through Jesse with Parks & Wildlife and learned about what they can do. As you know, one person owns all the land, so the only way to get better enforcement is Paul has to post it and call the police when he gets a complaint. City has an ordinance, 33.75, discharging firearms, under C it states - no waterfowl hunting is permitted between 1000 feet of a residence or business establishment, as well as JFK Causeway. We could ask the City, 1000 feet from residences, put up signs that say no duck hunting and cite ordinance. It's a visual signal that will deter legal hunters. We should make a recommendation to request some signage. Just as an example, down in the National Seashore they staked their boundaries. If city needs help we can probably help getting signs set up. Gabriele Hilpold: William worked hard on this. When he told me about signage I think something about "respect city ordinances and respect your neighbors." We're not just forbidding, but it is an ordinance that there is no duck hunting on this premises, but its also a courtesy issue. I think that's the only thing we can do within the scope of our group. If we could do something like that, I think it would be cost effective. We have estimation, between POA and the other neighborhood watch organizations, that we have 10% duck hunters, if at all. So if we can reach 5 -8% of those bad ones, then we are almost there in taking care of the problem. If not we have to rethink it but it's worth the try, without making a big fuss. I'd like all of your input in what those signs should look like. I'd also like William to make a motion of what he'd like to have done. William Goldstone: I'd like to make a motion to ask city to post signage in support of existing ordinance to show duck hunters where they're not allowed. Jodi Steen: Where are they approaching from, land side or intercoastal? Ralph Tapscott: What can we do about the area up and to the left? William Goldstone: Well that's Paul's property. Bryan Gulley: I came in there one time with a dozer to put a big berm up, and I got 500 feet down and came back and some guys had gotten shovels and dug right through it and took four wheelers over. It was still damp sand, that's how bad it is. Paul Schexnailder: We literally dug a canal around the whole thing, they went right through. We had large concrete blocks with 1 % inch cable between them, couldn't keep up them out. A no trespassing sign's shelf life is about 3 seconds. Maybeth Christensen: That new sign is staying up. Paul Schexnailder: The only sign I've seen stay is the City's, I think because it's not a private sign. JJ Hart: Would the city enforce it anyway, I thought the whole point was the city won't enforce it so we can put up signs to scare people but ... Gabriele Hilpold: No, enforcement is possible, because it is a city ordinance, but we need signs. Way to enforce it but it is hard. If we have the signs with right footage it will help law enforcement. Stan Hulse: I don't think we need to reinvent the wheel, there should be signs used by other cities. Oscar Martinez: We don't have signs prefabricated, but we do have a sign shop. The big problem will be ability to enforce. Gabriele Hilpold: No we know, but when we tell people who shoot, they say they don't know they can't do it. If we have a sign, they have no excuse that they didn't know. It doesn't mean that everyone will respect it, but if 70 -80% do, we'll be down quite a bit from last year. William Goldstone: Also had thought if we did it on right side, we might be able to put signs on Paul's property. Paul Schexnailder: I am happy to cooperate in any way. We've had a letter at the police department for years that says if you catch them out there, arrest them. John White: What is the origin of the sign you have now? The City's sign is on Pharaoh & etc. Paul Schexnailder: Several months ago we had big rain — they stacked concrete signs. 2 nd of motion from Jodi 49 Gabriele Hilpold: So are we agreeing that we want to place them there and then we will look at the technical details? I have a motion from William and a second from Jodi? Jodie Steen: Yes. Gabriele Hilpold: Can Stan work with sign department? Oscar Martinez: We don't have templates for no hunting signs. How many signs? William Goldstone: Every couple 100 yards. Stan Hulse: I can work up graphics for design and send to city sign shop. Then William, Paul, myself and Maybeth can get together and actually stake out where we recommend the signs go. We'll set up sign that satisfies committee and cites actual ordinance. Oscar Martinez: That would be very helpful. If we have template and then the number of signs that would be needed, we will do whatever we can. Gabriele Hilpold: Ok, we will get all that so that you guys are limited to print and we will even figure out which materials to use so that they will stay in. 11. Schlitterbahn Updates Paul Schexnailder: Jeff Henry was here this morning; they're doing drawings and surveys, documentation being finished up. Expect to be moving equipment on site soon. Bryan Gulley: People still ask me if it's not going to happen, amazes me that people think it's not going to happen. 12. Schedule Next Meeting ➢ November 6, 2012 at 5:30 pm at Padre Island Country Club 13. Adjournment ➢ Motion to adjourn the meeting by J.J. Hart, second by Wes Pierson. Meeting adjourned at 6:30 PM.