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Item No: 8B Meeting Date: August 8, 2011 Type of Business: Consent Agenda Administrator Review: ____ City of Mounds View Staff Report To: Honorable Mayor and City Council From: Nick DeBar, Public Works Director Item Title/Subject: Resolution 7828, Approving an Agreement with Ramsey County and New Brighton for Maintenance of Traffic Control Signals and EVP System at the Intersection of Silver Lake Road and County Road H Background: Discussion of a proposal to install a traffic control signal at the intersection of Silver Lake Road and County Road H began many years ago to improve public safety and service. In March 2004, the cities of Mounds View and New Brighton sent a joint letter to Ramsey County formally requesting that a traffic study be performed at the intersection to justify replacing the four-way stop with a traffic control signal. The County performed the traffic study and in October 2004, they recommended that a traffic control signal be programmed for construction in 2006/2007 and placed in the County’s Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). However, Ramsey County removed the project from the TIP and placed it in an “unfunded projects” category. The City Council adopted Resolution 6604 on August 22, 2005 supporting a traffic signal at this intersection and “strongly” encouraging Ramsey County to allocate funds for the project. Sunnyside Elementary School students and parents also began a push to have the project funded during 2007. The City Councils of Mounds View and New Brighton also continued to push for the project, including a joint session in April 2007 and subsequent letters to the County. Ramsey County finally did fund the project and programmed it for a June 2009 bid letting. However, easements were needed on three corners from private property owners, two in Mounds View and one in New Brighton. Each city needed to obtain and pay for their respective easements and jointly hired Evergreen Land Services for $5,000 to negotiate and acquire the needed easements. Evergreen struggled to obtain the New Brighton easement and a transfer of home ownership of one in Mounds View both delayed the project bid letting and construction. The project was finally constructed this past summer and the signals became operational in late-July 2011. All construction was paid by the County. Discussion: The last remaining formality for this project is the on-going operational and maintenance responsibilities. Ramsey County has a standard maintenance agreement with municipalities for traffic control signals and emergency vehicle pre-emption (EVP) systems. Since the signal system is located in both cities, New Brighton is also part of the agreement and shares the municipal responsibilities and costs equally with Mounds View. In general, the County will bear most of the responsibility and costs for the operation and maintenance of the traffic control signal, EVP system, and street lights. Mounds View and New Brighton will be responsible for painting the traffic control signals, in which New Brighton will perform and invoice Mounds View for 50% of the costs. The cities will also be responsible for paying the actual costs of the EVP system maintenance performed by the County. Ramsey County will invoice these costs to each city on an annual basis. A copy of the proposed maintenance agreement is attached to this report. The City is currently under similar agreements with Ramsey County for the County Road 10 traffic signals, including jointly with Spring Lake Park for the signal at Pleasant View Drive. Monies have