09-24-2007 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Mounds View City Council September 24, 2007 Regular Meeting Page 4 Director Lee indicated that Staff is recommending moving the valve further to the west near the • driveway entrance to Walgreens, as there are already structures there for utilities, and Staff feels it would fit in better in that location. Council Member Mueller said that she agreed with Staff to locate the valve closer to the driveway, and said she would like Option 4 with the landscaping. Council Member Mueller asked about the safety valve. Director Lee indicated that there was a letter from Xcel in the packet. Dan Woehrle, Manger of Gas Engineering for Xcel, indicated that if there is a large pressure drop they would check the electronics to ensure the reading is correct, and then if it was showing a pressure drop, instructions would be given as to how to handle the situation. Council Member Flaherty said that his concern with the original location was a vehicle leaving the roadway and hitting the valve causing an explosion. Council Member Flaherty indicated that this location solves the problem. Council Member Flaherty indicated that automatic valves are not required for this type of application and the automatic valve would require a lot of above ground piping making the pipe more noticeable. Council Member Flaherty asked what happens if the pressure situation is not noticed. Mr. Woehrle said that they odorize the gas and would rely on peo le to re ort the smell of as. • P p g Council Member Flaherty asked whether a sniffer or monitor that could detect and alert Xcel in the event of a leak could be used. Mr. Woehrle said that they do not usually have a monitor on the outside. Council Member Flaherty said that he would look for some redundancy to ensure there is not a leak or an issue other than just pressure, because there are not a lot of people in the area, so the smell may not be noticed right away. John Wertish, Community Relations Manger for Xcel, indicated that they have ongoing gas leak detections throughout the communities each year that travel around sniffing the pipes to determine if there is any leak. Xcel indicated that they are highly regulated and are mandated to have numerous safety standards in place. Torri Johnson of Long Lake Road said that she is a Mounds View Resident and also works for Xcel Energy, and there are several employees who live in Mounds View. She then said that safety is very important to Xcel and they strive to ensure that everything is as safe as it can be for •