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HomeMy WebLinkAbout02-15-2012 CDBG MinutesCDBG Minutes February 15, 2012 Page 1 of 10 CITY OF ORANGE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM COMMITTEE MINUTES WEDNESDAY,FEBRUARY 15, 2012 6:30 P.M. Economic Development Conference Room MEMBERS PRESENT Mary Ellen Manning Eva Perez Fernando Rico Gina Scott Robert Tunstall MEMBERS ABSENT None STAFF PRESENT Mary Ellen Laster Aaron Schulze I.CALL TO ORDER The meeting was called to order at 6:36 P.M. II.APPROVAL OF MINUTES –FEBRUARY 8, 2012 Committee Member Scott stated the minutes should reflect that she asked Ms. Laster whether CDBG funding can go towards the payment of window treatments. Committee Member Scott moved, seconded by Committee Member Manning, to approve the February 8,2012, Minutes as amended. Motion carried,5-0. III.FUNDING PRESENTATIONS BY CITY DEPARTMENTS Committee Member Manning asked for clarification on the City’s use of Friendly Center with the After-School Community Programs at the three parks. Ms. Laster explained that the After-School Community Programs are still City programs but are outsourced to Friendly Center. CDBG Minutes February 15, 2012 Page 2 of 10 AGENCY:COMMUNITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT PROJECT:El Camino Real Park, Prospect/Grijalva Park,and Killefer Park After-School Community Programs Request funding to supplement supplies and the salaries of part-time staff. Amount Requested:$43,170 Total Project Cost:$342,417 Recreation Services Supervisor Emily Robinson advised that she is the new supervisor overseeing the Orange After-School Community Programs that are being offered at El Camino Real Park, Grijalva Park, and Killefer Park;and stated they are currently serving approximately 450 low income students from the ages of 5 to 12. She noted that this program is now more focused on tutoring, skills development and evaluation, homework help; and that they still offer the recreational component,nutritional and snack program.She stated that the recreational component includes crafts, arts, sports, group activities, team building, special events,and outreach programs. Committee Member Manning asked for clarification on Friendly Center’s involvement with this program. Recreation Services Supervisor Robinson explained that the City does partner with Friendly Center tutoring staff who provides the same after-school programs; and noted that it is still a City program and offered on City sites. Ms. Laster noted that last year, due to budget issues,the City Council directed the Community Services Department to contract out the After-School Community Programs.She added that the department subsequently subcontracted with Friendly Center to administer the Programs. She stated that the City no longer funds the salaries of City staff for the Programs,Friendly Center staff now provides the Programs for the City, and volunteers from Chapman University provide tutoring. Recreation Services Coordinator Valadez explained that the CDBG funds will be used to support the staff of Friendly Center for the Programs; and explained that the City monitors their contract and makes sure Friendly Center follows the City’s structure, placing more focus on the tutoring component. Recreation Services Supervisor Robinson stated that the City continues to see the after-school program as its own; that they meet with Friendly Center staff monthly to make sure they are carrying out the components the City has put in place and to make sure they are providing the level of service the City expects. She added that the City is partnering with this agency with the aid of CDBG funds; and stated that the only change the children see is that they get more tutoring. CDBG Minutes February 15, 2012 Page 3 of 10 Committee Member Manning asked what happened to the City staff who were previously performing these duties. Recreation Services Supervisor Robinson noted that many of those employees stayed as seasonal employees and that four of them were hired by Friendly Center to continue the programs. Committee Member Manning asked if the programs are offered during summer. Recreation Services Coordinator Valadez explained that currently, they are not going to be offering any free programs during the summer; advised that the City does offer three fee-based summer day camps --one at Handy,Shaffer, Hart for children ages 11 through 15; and noted that Friendly Center has a tutoring camp wherein they work with schools, serving the kids two times a week within the Orange community and throughout the Orange Unified School District. Recreation Services Supervisor Robinson handed out to the Committee members handmade thank you cards from some of the children in the programs. AGENCY:POLICE DEPARTMENT PROJECT:Bike Patrol Program Request funds for salaries and benefits of the Orange Police Department Bike Team. Amount Requested:$120,000 Total Project Cost:$532,070 Corporal Stanley thanked the Committee for last year’s support, noting it was a successful year;stated that last year,the bike team wrote 258 reports,half of those were felonies; that they completed 158 field interview (FI) cards on all police contacts that might be involved in criminal activity; that they filed 69 parking citations;identified 16 new gang members;abated 11 abandoned vehicles from the streets; assisted Code Enforcement Officer Michelle Echeverria with 792 code enforcement inspections;and rode a total of 4,433 bike miles last year.He added that the Bike Team also performed fugitive apprehension the entire year; and that they added two long-term crime reduction operations, which are usually in a CDBG area, and also worked with the gang suppression units in those areas. Corporal Stanley advised that the Bike Team is also responsible for handling all police-related Mayor’s hotline complaints,wherein Orange citizens call complaints into the hotline number and the Bike Team attempts to resolve those problems. He advised that the Bike Team also attends special events in the CDBG areas; that they work at the community parties;organize neighborhood cleanups, with the assistance of volunteer groups, such as church groups;and that they also perform transient camp abatement sweeps throughout the year. He pointed out that private property graffiti is increasing, CDBG Minutes February 15, 2012 Page 4 of 10 noting the Bike Team closed 542 cases last year on private property assisting Code Enforcement Officer Echeverria.He explained that it is necessary for the Bike Team to protect Code Enforcement Officers on those efforts because the graffiti is largely committed by gang members.He added that they were successful in performing several undercover graffiti stings throughout the City, noting in one sting effort, they arrested six people in four days; and advised that they will increase these undercover graffiti sting operations. Corporal Stanley stated that the Bike Team also performed some bicycle theft stings,noting there was a big problem around Chapman University and other CDBG areas and advised that they did make some arrests.He added that the Bike Team performs weekly downtown plaza business checks; that they also have started to perform sober living home inspections, noting that many of the sober living homes are located in CDBG areas; and explained that they perform quarterly inspections of each sober living home because many of the residents are probation parolees. Committee Chairperson Perez asked if the sober living homes are licensed. Enforcement Officer Echeverria stated that they City recently adopted a new ordinance that now requires sober living homes to be registered and licensed with the City;and advised that the City limits the number of probation parolees that can live in one house and limits the maximum occupancy of that house. She noted it is consistent with State laws and regulations and ADA requirements. Corporal Stanley pointed out that since they have been doing these sober living home inspections, four of these homes have closed down due to the pressure to adhere to the requirements; advised that they were starting to see some crimes in the neighborhoods around these homes; and that those crimes were tied to some of the people living in these homes, noting the importance of these inspections. Committee Member Manning asked how many gang members live in Orange. Corporal Stanley stated there are hundreds, if not thousands of gang members in town, stating that it is not as bad as Santa Ana or Anaheim. He stated that Orange police keeps good tabs on the gang members, highlighting one of their recent gang sweeps in Orange with warring gangs. He mentioned that they were able to arrest three of them last week. Committee Chairperson Perez asked how many gangs are in Orange. Corporal Stanley stated there are four big ones and several small ones. Enforcement Officer Echeverria noted that they also have tagging crews that aren’t always affiliated with gang members. CDBG Minutes February 15, 2012 Page 5 of 10 Corporal Stanley stated that gang tagging usually picks up when they are recruiting young/new gang members. Committee Member Manning asked how often the Bike Teams are out on the streets. Corporal Stanley stated the Bike Teams are on the streets every day except when it’s raining. Enforcement Officer Echeverria stated that each Bike Team is on a 4-day work week. Corporal Stanley stated that the hours are guided by the crime statistics, which are done on a weekly basis,and that the focus is given to those areas needing it the most. He mentioned that the Bike Team also assists with the drunk driving check points. Enforcement Officer Echeverria explained that they have the luxury of being able to study problem areas, evaluate how best to approach and solve those problems and then implement the plan to resolve those problems. AGENCY:PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT/ENGINEERING PROJECT:Cypress Street Rehabilitation Request funds to remove existing deteriorated cement concrete pavement and construction of a new 6” thick cement concrete section. The project will also include adjusting water valves to grade, upgrading non-compliant and/or construction of ADA compliant access ramps within the project limits. Direct construction costs, $129,456; Engineering and Administration, $19,344. Amount Requested:$148,800 Total Project Cost:$148,000 PROJECT:Lemon Street Rehabilitation Request funds to remove existing deteriorated cement concrete pavement and construction of a new 6”thick cement concrete section. The project will also include adjusting water valves to grade, upgrading non-compliant and/or construction of ADA compliant access ramps within the project lines. Direct construction costs, $127,368; Engineering and Administration, $19,032. Amount Requested:$146,400 Total Project Cost:$146,400 CDBG Minutes February 15, 2012 Page 6 of 10 PROJECT:Clark Street Rehabilitation Request funds for cold planing, installation of pavement reinforcing fabric, asphalt concrete overlay, adjustment of manholes and water valves to grade. The project will also include upgrading non- compliant and/or construction of ADA compliant access ramps within the project limits.Direct construction costs, $62,848; Engineering and Administration, $9,392. Amount Requested:$72,240 Total Project Cost:$72,240 PROJECT:Parker Street Rehabilitation Request funds for cold planing, installation of pavement reinforcing fabric, asphalt concrete overlay, adjustment of manholes and water valves to grade. The project will also include upgrading non- compliant and/or construction of ADA compliant access ramps within the project limits. Direct construction costs, $19,105; Engineering and Administration, $2,855. Amount Requested:$21,960 Total Project Cost:$21,960 PROJECT:Birch Avenue Rehabilitation Request funds for cold planing, installation of pavement reinforcing fabric, asphalt concrete overlay, adjustment of manholes and water valves to grade. The project will also include upgrading non- compliant and/or construction of ADA compliant access ramps within the project limits. Direct construction costs, $66,260; Engineering and Administration, $9,900. Amount Requested:$76,160 Total Project Cost:$76,160 CDBG Minutes February 15, 2012 Page 7 of 10 PROJECT:Fairmont Street Rehabilitation Request funds for removal of existing asphalt concrete pavement and repaving with new asphalt concrete, adjustment of manholes and water valves to grade. The project will also include upgrading non-compliant and/or construction of ADA compliant access ramps within the project limits. Direct construction costs, $62,250; Engineering and Administration, $9,750. Amount Requested:$75,000 Total Project Cost:$75,000 PROJECT:Citrus Street Rehabilitation Request funds for cold planing, installation of pavement reinforcing fabric, asphalt concrete overlay, adjustment of manholes and water valves to grade. The project will also include upgrading non- compliant and/or construction of ADA compliant access ramps within the project limits.Direct construction costs, $14,565; Engineering and Administration, $2,175. Amount Requested:$16,740 Total Project Cost:$16,740 PROJECT:Grand Street Rehabilitation Request funds for removal of existing asphalt concrete pavement and repaving with new asphalt concrete, adjustment of manholes and water valves to grade. The project will also include upgrading non-compliant and/or construction of ADA compliant access ramps within the project limits. Direct construction costs, $68,000; Engineering and Administration, $12,000. Amount Requested:$80,000 Total Project Cost:$80,000 CDBG Minutes February 15, 2012 Page 8 of 10 PROJECT:ADA Access Ramps at Various Locations Request funds to construct sidewalk access ramps at various locations throughout the City.The construction of the ramps will be in compliance with the Federal Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG). Direct construction costs, $88,284; Engineering and Administration, $13,190. Amount Requested:$101,474 Total Project Cost:$101,474 Principal Civil Engineer Farhat thanked the Committee for its past support. Committee Chairperson Perez stated that the street lantern in front of her house at 711 North Highland Street needs to be repaired. Principal Civil Engineer Farhat stated he will get with staff to fix the problem with the street lantern. Principal Civil Engineer Farhat highlighted the list of projects they plan on improving in FY 2012-2013; noted that the paperwork includes a table from the Orange County Transportation Authority Pavement Condition Index (PCI), which shows the ranking of the condition of the streets; and explained that the PCI is used to determine which streets have the highest priority for being repaired.He explained that when the table shows a PCI between 59 to zero,it means the street is in very poor to poor condition;and advised that Cypress Street has a PCI of 11, which means it is in very poor condition. With the aid of photographs, he pointed out that Cypress Street has severe cracking; that grass is growing in the middle of the roadway through the cracks; and that the sidewalk has been lifted by the tree roots. Principal Civil Engineer Farhat pointed out that Lemon Street is in the same condition with a large crack in the roadway. He noted that Lemon Street is a concrete street, which is typical for Old Town Orange; explained that the rehabilitation will be only to those sections needing repair. He added that those poor sections of concrete will be removed in cross sections where there are severe cracks and settlement of one or two inches, noting those areas will be cut out and rehabilitated. Ms.Laster asked how many residential units are on Lemon Street. Principal Civil Engineer Farhat stated that other than the post office and the American Legion building, it is mostly all apartments and homes on that part of Lemon Street. Principal Civil Engineer Farhat advised that Clark Street has a PCI of 9, with very severe alligator cracks everywhere. CDBG Minutes February 15, 2012 Page 9 of 10 Committee Member Rico asked if the paperwork for Palm Street,Maple Street, and Parker Street are in error, expressing his belief there are errors in the description. Principal Civil Engineer Farhat stated the paperwork should indicate Palm to Northend, not Maple; and stated that staff will submit corrected applications for those streets. He stated it appears the map is incorrect, but that they will investigate where the errors are and correct those. Ms.Laster expressed her belief the map does not match some of the descriptions. Principal Civil Engineer Farhat stated that Citrus Street has a rough surface and that it will be repaired with overlay, which means they remove a section of the existing concrete --about 2 inches thick --near the gutter and feather it out to zero;that they will then add 2 to 2.5 inches of new asphalt,which will give the street a surface life of at least 20 years. Principal Civil Engineer Farhat explained that Loretta Street was deleted from the list and that instead,they will extend the work for Grand Street; explained that Grand is unique because it only has curbs, no gutters;that when water runs along the asphalt,which is somewhat porous,some moisture will penetrate to the subgrade; and that it will only be a matter of a few years before there will be very rough lines along the roadway, which will render the entire street in bad shape. He stated this street will receive curbs,gutters and overlay and some new driveway approaches.He mentioned that Birch Avenue and Fairmont Street are also in need of repair. Committee Chairperson Perez asked how they determine which streets to fix. Principal Civil Engineer Farhat reiterated that the County’s PCI program is used to determine the streets that should be repaired first;noted that staff makes a field visit to back up the PCI information; and that if they agree with the PCI, that street is put on the list for repair.He added that staff also becomes aware of streets which need repair by residents calling in to complain about the road conditions. He pointed out there are always more projects than there is money, so they fix the streets before it becomes necessary to do a total reconstruction. He noted that Fairmont Street is going through a total reconstruction, pointing out it is more expensive and takes longer to do a total reconstruction. Committee Member Manning asked how much it costs to do these repairs. Principal Civil Engineer Farhat advised that total reconstruction costs approximately $5 to $6 per square foot; and that overlay costs approximately $3 to $4 per square foot and takes less time to complete and is less of an inconvenience to the residents. Committee Member Rico stated that the work completed on Cambridge and Maple to Chapman was well done. CDBG Minutes February 15, 2012 Page 10 of 10 Committee Member Manning stated that Chapman to Fairhaven needs to be repaired and that west on La Veta, turning north on Cambridge needs to be repaired. Principal Civil Engineer Farhat stated that in addition to the CDBG money,they also spend around $2 million of gas tax money on roadway maintenance;and advised that resident complaints are put on a priority list and are done that year or the following year the complaint is received. Committee Member Rico expressed his belief that the streets in Orange are generally in good repair. Principal Civil Engineer Farhat explained that the streets in Orange have an overall PCI rating of 76, which is considered good;advised that staff aims to improve that rating point by at least one point from the previous year so Orange can qualify for a 10 percent discount when it applies for OCTA funds. He added that once these streets are repaired, they move up on the PCI from a typical PCI of 10 and 11 to a PCI of 100. Principal Civil Engineer Farhat stated they are seeking $100,000 this year for ADA ramps, noting there are only 19 left to do in the City that have a barrier of a 6-or 8-inch curb; that the following year,they will need to make ADA compliant the existing ADA ramps that have no yellow truncated domes. He stated that he will email staff a map of the ADA ramps still needing improvement. Committee Member Manning asked if City staff does the ramp work. Principal Civil Engineer Farhat stated that the ramps are put out to bid to private companies. VI.PUBLIC COMMENT None. VII.ADJOURNMENT At 7:49 P.M. the meeting was formally adjourned.