2018.06.12 CC - Laserfiche WebLink

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Council Worksession May 22, 2018 5:00 pm Present: Mayor Valerie Johnson Councilmember Graeme Allen Councilmember Mary Burg Councilmember Emily Dunsworth Councilmember Paul Jacobsen (arrived at 5:05 p.m.) Absent: None Staff in Attendance: Dean Lotter, Craig Schlichting Guests in Attendance: Bryant Ficek and Jonah Finkelstein, Spack Consulting Quiet Zones Railroad Crossing Study and Discussion Lotter stated at the request of City Council, staff has engaged Spack Consulting to re‐examine the 2014 Quiet Zone Evaluation of the at‐grade railroad crossings in the City. The purpose of this study is to update the evaluation criteria, cost estimates and potential funding sources. This update accounts for recent improvement to the public infrastructure and the latest traffic/train data. Many of the crossing areas analyzed are low volume, low speed tracks, but the impact of the train horns in those areas can still generate resident concerns. He noted representatives from Spack have a PowerPoint, and noted staff was available to address questions or concerns. Bryant Ficek and Jonah Finkelstein, Spack Consulting, discussed the Quiet Zones Railroad Crossing Study with the Council. They commented on the locations within the City that were at-grade crossings and reviewed the safety measures that had to be in place in order to not require a train whistle. They explained with the number of crossings in the City a quiet zone was not possible, but noted a wayside horn may be a possibility. They discussed the expense of adding medians and gates in order to create a quiet zone for some portions of the City. They reported the expense to implement all quiet zone areas would be $4 million. Further discussion ensued regarding funding options available to the City. The next steps to implement a quiet zone were reviewed with the Council. Lastly, they described the annual maintenance and updates that would have to occur within the City in order to ensure the quiet zone was still effective. Councilmember Burg asked which areas of the City were of the greatest concern or were receiving the most complaints. She believed it was important to have a train horn sounding at Park Drive. Schlichting discussed the primary areas of concern throughout the City. Councilmember Burg questioned if trains were running through the City 24/7 or were there certain times that were of most concern. Schlichting noted complaints have been received from the southern portion of the City for train whistles at 4:00 a.m. The representatives from Spack Consulting reported this information was becoming increasingly difficult to ascertain due to the tightening of National Security measures. For this reason, they did not have an accurate handle on when trains were coming through the community. Mayor Johnson commented trains are not restricted from going through the community in the middle of the night. She asked if trains were restricted as to how long they could blow their horn. Schlichting commented