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01-05-1999 Council Minutes Special Meeting APPROVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL ON JANUARY 12, 1999 CITY COUNCIL MINUTES ORANGE, CALIFORNIA OF A SPECIAL MEETING January 5, 1999 The City Council ofthe City of Orange, California convened on January 5, 1999 at 5:00 p.m. in a Special Meeting in the Weimer Room, 300 E. Chapman Avenue, Orange, California. 5:00 P.M. SESSION 1. OPENING 1.2 PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG Led by Mayor Coontz 1.3 ROLL CALL PRESENT - Spurgeon, Murphy, Mayor Coontz, Slater, Alvarez ABSENT - None 2. PUBLIC COMMENTS - None 3. CONSENT CALENDAR 3.1 Declaration of City Clerk, Cassandra J. Cathcart, declaring posting of City Council agenda of a Special Meeting of January 5, 1999 at Orange Civic Center, Taft Branch Library at 740 E. Taft Avenue, Police facility at 1107 North Batavia, the Eisenhower Park Bulletin Board, and summarized on Time-Warner Communications, all of said locations being in the City of Orange and freely accessible to members of the public at least 24 hours before commencement of said Special Meeting. ACTION: Accepted Declaration of Agenda Posting and authorized its retention as a public record in the Office of the City Clerk. MOTION - Murphy SECOND - Mayor Coontz AYES - Murphy, Slater, Mayor Coontz, Spurgeon, Alvarez Item No. 3.1 was approved as recommended. END OF CONSENT CALENDAR 4. REPORTS FROM MAYOR COONTZ - None 5. REPORTS FROM COUNCILMEMBERS - None 6. REPORTS FROM BOARDS, COMMITTEES, AND COMMISSIONS - None PAGE 1 ~ CITY COUNCIL MINUTES January 5, 1999 7. ADMINISTRATIVE REPORTS 7.1 Widening of the SR-55 Freeway. Tape 47 Presentations by CalTrans, Orange County Transportation Authority and City Staff on improvements, closure schedules and Traffic Mitigation Program. Mayor Coontz announced the Special Meeting was called by the City in order for Caltrans to provide information to the businesses along the SR-55 Freeway who may be affected by the construction plans for the freeway widening. Notification of this meeting was sent by the City to businesses along the corridor. Barry Rabbitt, Caltrans Chief of Construction, reported construction is due to begin this month on the southernmost segments. By the summer of 1999 it is expected that construction will be underway on the entire length of the freeway. All of the local street overcrossings will be demolished and reconstructed, with the bridges at Meats and La Veta widened to four lanes. In areas where overcrossings are being reconstructed, traffic will be detoured to use other streets. The demolition and reconstruction will be done to accommodate detouring of traffic so that no two adjacent structures are under construction at the same time. Construction is anticipated to be completed by about December, 2001. What is proposed is to continue what was already done south of the SR-22 by adding an additional lane to the freeway (four lanes in each direction plus a carpool lane). Interchanges will be modified so that some of the difficult driving conditions will be corrected. Auxiliary lanes will be constructed between the on- and off-ramps to allow more room for motorists to weave in or out of traffic. The project will be done with as little impact as possible on the local circulation. Demolition of structures will occur during the night in order to close the freeway. When a full freeway closure is necessary, work will occur during the week between the hours of midnight and 5:00 a.m. The community will be advised when demolition will take place due to the noise factor. The project is a joint effort of Caltrans and Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA), with City participation in the local street bridge widenings and a ramp realignment at Katella. Caltrans is the lead agency for the project and will be the lead entity in conducting the public information and awareness campaign. The project is approximately 4.8 miles long. Four contracts will be awarded, which will not be incentive based for early completion. The project to widen the 55 freeway between the SR-55122 and the SR-55/91 freeways consists of four segments. SEGMENT E Mid-1999 - Estimated Construction Start Lincoln Avenue - A more efficient easier on- and off-ramp system to improve traffic flow. Undercrossing widened. Meats Avenue - New overcrossing. Taft Avenue - Undercrossing widened. PAGE 2 CITY COUNCIL MINUTES January 5, 1999 7. ADMINISTRATIVE REPORTS (Continued) SEGMENT D Mid 1999 - Estimated Construction Start Katella Avenue - On- and off-ramps modified and widened. Northbound on-ramp added. Collins Avenue - New overcrossing. SEGMENT C Early 1999 - Estimated Construction Start Walnut Avenue - New, widened overcrossing. Chapman Avenue - New on- and off-ramps. Undercrossing widened. SEGMENT B Early 1999 - Estimated Construction Start La Veta Avenue - New, widened overcrossing. SR-55/22 Interchange - A wider, more efficient and easier transition with a new lane in each direction. Hamid Bahadori, City Traffic Engineer, explained the construction project. The detours will impact the east/west arterial capacity in the City. Mitigation measures have been developed which involve modifications as needed at eleven locations throughout the City. Most of the improvements will be minor restripings and retiming of traffic signals. The City will be fully reimbursed by Caltrans/OCT A for the costs of the mitigation. Three agreements being worked on for Caltrans to reimburse the City are: I) $130,000 for implementation of the mitigation measures; 2) police officer time needed to direct traffic; and 3) approximately $100,000 for the additional staffing time needed during the 3 11 year period to accommodate the impact of the project on the City's circulation system. Caltrans and aCTA have been communicating with Orange Unified School District (OUSD) relative to the impact to school traffic due to bridge closures and demolition which will occur for extended periods of time. The Chapman interchange will be under construction during the duration of the project. The City meets weekly with Caltrans and their contractors to coordinate, identify and address all the traffic problems in a timely fashion. The City is working with Caltrans to reduce the amount of closure during the first year and to address concerns relative to the SR-22 and SR-55 connectors and lane restrictions. Deborah Harris, Caltrans Public Information Officer, explained the extensive, comprehensive public awareness campaign that Caltrans is putting in place. The public awareness campaign is being coordinated with OCT A. CSP Communications of Corona, a private contractor, will assist with the implementation of the campaign. Ms. Harris referred to a map depicting the radius that will be used to get information out to the community. Radius 1 - Geographical area is west to Glassell; south to the SR-55/22; east to Prospect; and north to the SR-55/91. This radius will be used for work done on the freeway that has a direct impact. PAGE 3 CITY COUNCIL MINUTES January 5, 1999 7. ADMINISTRATIVE REPORTS (Continued) Radius 2 - Geographical area is west to the SR-57; east to Jamboree and Chapman; north to the SR-91; and south to the SR-5/55. Larger activities such as ramps closures or a full freeway closure. Notification can be done either by direct mail, walking throughout the community, newspaper notices, and press releases. There will also be signage at the ramps before closures take place. Radius 3 - Countywide Area. The media would be used to inform everyone in the area of the project and anyone who might have the potential of going through the area. The first of a series of public meetings is scheduled for January 28, 1999,4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. at the YMCA which will provide more information about the project. Updates will be sent out on a regular basis. A coupon program will be implemented for merchants and businesses. For more information, the Transportation Helpline number is (949) 724-2077. COUNCIL COMMENTS Mayor Coontz indicated that she and Councilman Slater serve on the Community Involvement and Outreach Program Committee for the SR-55 Freeway widening project and will address the City having a toll free number. It was noted from Council's experience with the 1-5 freeway widening that it is critical there be direct contact with the businesses and that signage on the SR- 55 is very important. Councilman Slater stressed the importance of extensive notification getting out to the community when ramp closures are to occur. Mailing of notifications should be done, if possible, as he feels that is the best way. He asked that any information that would be helpful to the community be placed on the local cable channel. Councilman Murphy encouraged a direct mail be sent out a least once with a master calendar to everyone involved. Information to the community should be placed on the City's web site. Ms. Harris responded Caltrans would like to include all notification approaches noted under Radius 2 as each are good and serve a purpose. A project brochure is targeted to go out in mid-February which will show the timeline and information about the project. Councilman Murphy asked if Caltrans has e-mail distribution? In response to Councilman Alvarez, Mr. Rabbitt explained the plans for bridge closure are subject to weather, rate of progress of contractors, etc. The early structures that will be closed are LaVeta Avenue, Walnut Avenue, and approximately mid-year, Meats Avenue will be closed. The bridge closure at Collins Avenue will take place in the year 2000. All land that is necessary has already been acquired. Ms. Harris indicated that Caltrans does not have e-mail distribution at this time. ******** PAGE 4 CITY COUNCIL MINUTES January 5, 1999 7. ADMINISTRATIVE REPORTS (Continued) Dick Yarger, Chairman, City Traffic Commission, commented Chapman Avenue is the highest traffic volume street in the City. There are presently traffic problems in the morning and evening hours at Yorba overpass area to Tustin Avenue. Will notifications be sent that alternate routes should be used? Ms. Harris responded because Chapman Avenue is so widely used, it would fall into one of the larger radiuses. A major effort would be made to inform as many people as possible countywide. QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC: Jim Cameron, Midas Shop, Tustin Avenue Dana Bosch Leah Eaton Joanne Alonzo Lisa Ackerman Peggy Calvert Business Owners (3) CONCERNS AND QUESTIONS ADDRESSED WERE AS FOLLOWS: . The message Caltrans sends in their direct mail is critical to businesses. . When will notification be sent and by what means? . Will there be an off-ramp at Meats Avenue? . General impact of construction on residences and businesses. . Advance notification to employees of 24-hr. businesses. . Impact the project will have on the Tustin Street repaving project. . Lack of notification received on the Collins Avenue storm drain project. . When will sound wall installation take place? IN RESPONSE TO QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS: . The City Manager explained an off-ramp at Meats Avenue is an option the City may elect to follow up on in years to come. . Caltrans representative Mr. Rabbitt explained the work has been staged so that there may be some access restrictions, however, access will not be denied to any business or residential property. . Mr. Rabbit explained with 24-hr. operations arrangements can be made for courtesy signs with updated information to be placed by the business at a location where employees exit. Caltrans representative Ms. Harris indicated she would be happy to speak with the employees at PacBell. PAGE 5 CITY COUNCIL MINUTES January 5, 1999 7. ADMINISTRATIVE REPORTS (Continued) · The Director of Public Works explained it is vitally important to rehabilitate the pavement on Tustin Street before traffic increases as a result of the freeway widening project. The repaving will start in late Spring, 1999 and will take approximately 80 days to complete. · Caltrans representatives responded to questions and concerns addressed and invited residents and businesses with further concerns to meet with them after the meeting. 8. REPORTS FROM CITY MANAGER - None 9. LEGAL AFFAIRS - None 10. ADJOURNMENT MOTION SECOND AYES - Mayor Coontz - Murphy - Murphy, Slater, Mayor Coontz, Spurgeon, Alvarez The City Council adjourned at 6:07 p.m. ~c~ CASSANDRA J. HCART, CMC CITY CLERK PAGE 6