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Home My WebLink About1967/04/10-Agenda-Pre-Council t MINUTES PRE-COUNCIL CONFERENCE April 10, 1967 t'rc nt Late Absent 1 . McKinley 8. Jones (Item 1) None Kemble 9. Shannon (Item 3) Eagle I, . Flamm Deed Hoover Stovall 1 t c m l ollow-Up i , rx)untown Traffic i .;nal Control Improvements NAN (M&(, C-930) The City Manager announced that Mr. Dick Conley of 'il i,ui ;smith and Associat. , and the Traffic Engineer ,.ere present to answer questions on this matter. Councilman Hamm asked if the system will be run on line voltage or low voltaize. Mr. Conley replied that the :;vst.em is fully transistc rizc.d ;tnd will be operated on loll voltage in one 15 pair, L tri-twist cable installed [u , onduit. The 'Traffic Engineer explained that there would be two separate circuits - the low voltage circuit in cr)nduit to control the signal: , and the line voltage cir- cuit - at eak h intc•rsecti on for powering the signals. lie • :cid there are t;,o t;eparate set:, of conduit in the downtown arca - one for traffic signals and one for street lights. l!c• said ( liere would be one 1.04 inch -: ble installed in the .:o-inch conduit for the si,�;,rdls and that the excess room ill the conduit is nect�::vary to string the cable and provide bends and turn. . Mr. Conley described how the control system would work. iic• , aid a big advantage of it ir; that it will be able to an- iicipatc traffic volumes in advance and set signals accordingly. Councilman Kemble asked if the ystem could later be t-%Iendcd. Mr. Conley said it could. Councilman Hamm :.:,ked if I ore wi! ! ')e any more street cuts. The Traffic Engineer said ilii cc would not be except in the t%,.,, area: where the conduit .1. not yet_ installed. Councilman 11'Lmm asked if the system is within the CLP allocation. The City Manager repl.iec it is. Councilman Hoover asked if the system will be progressive. Vic Traffic Engineer said theoretically it will be . Councilman Hoover asked what type detectors will be u:�ed measure traffic volume. Mr. Conley replied that loop de- tecLors will be used. 'There were no further questions and at the regular Wt-Pt i n , M&C C-930 was approved unaniz::ously. Purchase of Ice Rink Resurfacer , nd Pipe NAN (M&C P-577 , pages 4 and )) There were no questions on the purchase of an ice rink resurfacer, and thi.� item was approved as recommended 1 the regular meeting. Councilman Eagle asked if copper pipe had been coiT- i.lured for ice rink use. The Public. Works Director re- ! iLed that it had been, but that the coefficient of thermal L s expansion of copper is not satisfactory for ice rink r,ysL.., ms, and uo one uses it. He r lid for this reason no ai.ternate bid on copper pipe were taken. At the regular meeting, the pipe purchase was ap- rovtd as recommended. 1. Purchase of Trucks (M&C P-578, Page 1, and IR #1169) The City Manager reminded the Council that a de- cision 7.. needed on this matter. Councilman Hamm said he thought all bidders should come . - e_:h the minimum spec ifi( itions. lliu City M,ia ,�,,er reviewed the problems with Jack c tui%s Dodr;e Company over the past year or so, but lie .,aid the experience has not yet been bad enough to warrant removing the company from the bidding list. Mayor Pro-Tem Jones asked if the practice hasn't hCO11 to study exceptions to bids and evaluate them in each ca:,t:. The City Manager said this has been the practice, ind that with vehicle•: , bidding exactly to specifications i- particularly difficult. Councilman Hanan said the City should not allow a sub- ::titution of different equipment after bids are opened. Councilman Shannon, just: arriving .it the meeting, asked ,;hit it is planned to do in this matter. Mayor McKinley said Lt thought the Jack Scruggs Dodge <;iiould not be allowed to . 11h�,Litute a larger engine after the bids were opened. The City Manager said that an attumpt is made to get the best price for the City since the taxpayer is paying the bill , and he believes since .lack Scruggs Dodge would substi- til t. a larger engine meeting specifications, it would be the hu t alternative. Councilman Hamm said that the City can't let bidders negotiate once bids have been received. Councilman Shannon said he felt also that this kind of uc„o, iation i:, not fair to the rest of the dealers. At the regular meeting, Councilman Eagle made a motion to ,sward the purchase to Jack Scrul;t;: Dodge on its revised low bi.d meeting specifications (Alternate 1 of M&C P-578, p:i,;e 1) and Mayor Pro-Tem Jones seconded the motion. 'Hien followed a lengthy discussion during which Mr. C. E. , cirris of International Harvester and Mr. R. R. Lorr of South- e: t Chevrolet stated their objections to this procedure, A subr,titute motion by Councilman Hann to reject the bid tit .Leek Scruggs Dodge and award the purcha:;� to Southwest iaittr let on its original bid meeting specifications (alternate approved. _ " . Contracts for Engineering Services on East Fourth, NAN Galve::, and East First (M&C C-927) and Guilford Road Overpass (M&C C-9:'8) Mayor 11ro-Tem Jones asked if there is anything unit ual or difit•rent about these contracts. The City )!tanager replied there is not. At the regular meeting M&C C-927 and C-928 were „ > >i-oved unanimously. Ambulance Service GENE - lig,t on 10/17/0 age, I.+ Councilman Eagle said that his Council Committee had .i meeting before the Pre-Couiicil Conference and is having net opies of the ,,uggested ordinance made for all Council Meml,er>; He said that the recent letter from Gold Cross Andik. tance Service indicates a serious situation which needs prot.ipt action by the Council. He said that the cost of the City operating ambulances fall was $126,204. He said the City has only received W,,000 in fees plus $36,050 in fine from traffic offenses cited by ambulance operators, giving a net loss of $75, 154 Lui the Cit} 's operation of ambulances. Mayor Pro-Tem Jones asked if the Committee had ever re- ceived ra final ruling on whether the County could operate :anlLulances . Councilman Eagle said the Attorney General ap- proved County operation, but that the Hospital District board di-ipproved any action in the matter. Mayor Pro-Tem Jones asked Iry (his alternative is not being considered. Councilman Eagle yid it can be considered, but there is not sufficient time to tike this alternative now. He said he hopes it comes to this, 11 Ute public must operate the ambulance service. Councilman Eagle said it is unfair that the present group of emergency ambulance operators, except Gold Cross, Vaal operate ar their own convenience and with less equipment .iud pi,rsonnel than Gold Cror;s. Councilman Kemble said h( would like to keep the ambulance ✓ .ce in private business if possible. Mayor Pro-Tem Jones :..iid lie agreed with this, but that there comes a time when it can' t be handled this way and the public may have to take it. Mayor McKinley said there is something wrong when it c,-a,ts $10 to $15 a mile to provide ambulance service. He .Aid "the proof of the pudding is in the eating. " Councilmen ''li:uiuon and Eagle assured the Mayor that the cost of ambulance crvicu is whai Gold Cross is charging, as indicated by the t.mipetitive bids taken to do the service. This ended the discussion at the Pre-Council Conference, and at the regular meeting Councilman Eagle announced that his coaunittee would hold a hearing with anyone interested in the uvw ordinance provisions, during the lunch recess of the Council. ..uch hearing was held at that time. Following a lengthy hearing at the continued Council Noct_iig, the Council deferred action on the new ordinance regu- I:cting emergency ambulance service untiiche April 17th meeting.