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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2003-11-13 TAC MINUTES• • • City of Englewood, Colorado ENGLEWOOD TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE Minutes of November 13, 2003 The regular monthly meeting of the Englewood Transportation Advisory Committee was called to order by Chairperson Anderson at 7:02 p.m. in the City of Englewood Community Room. Members Present: David Anderson Joe Christie Gary Dounay Betty Goosman Ken Ross, Director of Public Works, ex officio Members Absent: Cinda Losee A quorum was present. Also Present: Ladd Vostry, Traffic Engineer Approval of Minutes Wendy Weiman, Transportation Analyst Linda Wilks, Recording Secretary Erik Lutz, Police Officer, Traffic Unit See attached sign-in sheet Chairperson Anderson asked if there were any additions or corrections to the minutes of October 9, 2003. There being none, a motion was made and seconded to approve the minutes as presented. Motion passed. Public Comment Chairperson Anderson invited visitors to address the Committee regarding any concerns they may have. Mr. Scott Smolarczyk, 3195 S. Acoma St., presented a petition to staff for permit parking in the 3100 block of S. Acoma St. Mr. Smolarczyk noted that of the 28 residents, only 2 residents disagreed with the permit parking and 1 resident was neutral. The petition specifies "24 hr. permit parking only" for this area, to alleviate parking overflow from the Englewood Beauty College and the Gothic Theater. Director Ross noted that he recently visited the College regarding parking concerns and possible solutions, and, additionally, the Police Department visits the College each year to stress consideration for the neighborhood. Mr. Ross stated that the College is a licensed entity, and their license can only be revoked in the event they are determined to be a public nuisance. At Mr. Smolarczyk's inquiry, Mr. Ross stated he will provide information that stipulates the qualifications required in order for an organization to be identified as a public nuisance. Traffic Engineer Vostry advised that a petition for permit parking has also been received for the 3100 block of S. Bannock St. Flye·rs will be distributed to the residents in the 3100 blocks of S. Acoma St. and Bannock St. informing them of the process for obtaining their permits, and signs will then be installed. Brief discussion ensued regarding the effect permit parking on these blocks will have on other streets in this area . Ms. Mimi Davis, 3182 S. Bannock St., stepped forward. Ms. Davis explained that what we referred to as her "flyer" was, in fact, not a flyer, but part of a 10 page handout for her block meeting. Regarding an item listed in Ms. Davis' handout, Director Ross advised that the City's 2001 Transportation Plan did not promote widening Dartmouth Ave. to four lanes, but, rather, roundabouts, neck downs, etc. to slow down traffic. Chairperson Anderson opined that, before traffic adjustments are put into place, the ETAC group • would be involved with resident discussions on issues of this type. Brief discussion ensued regarding possible routing of shuttle buses. Ms. Davis stated that about 50% of the residents in her block on Bannock St. attended the block meeting. Some residents wondered about permit parking on only the south end of the block, and questions were raised regarding code violations, the process for obtaining the permits, etc. Mr. Ross explained that partial block permit parking would allow residents with permits to park in the non-permitted areas, leaving the space adjacent to the signed property open and free of parked vehicles, which could cause conflict between neighbors. Ms. Laura Strickland, 3195 S. Acoma St., stepped forward. Ms. Strickland inquired about possible agreements with the medical building on the corner of Eastman Ave. and Broadway, and the Baptist Church on Eastman Ave. and Acoma St. to allow use of their parking lots for events at the Gothic Theater. Mr. Ross stated that the Church made that arrangement with the Gothic for a period of time, but withdrew because of liability issues. It was suggested that these two organizations could charge a fee for parking. Brief discussion ensued. Mr. Anderson suggested that perhaps this issue could be revisited at a later date. Ms. Strickland opined that if Gothic parking was concentrated in one or two parking lots, it would provide the possibility for Gothic staff to take some responsibility and pick up after their patrons, and additionally, the police would know where to focus their attention. Mr. Vostry stated that the City can only request that businesses cooperate, but cannot require that they do so. A brief recess was called at 8:40 p.m. The meeting reconvened at 8:45 p.m. Chairperson Anderson invited any interested visitors to apply to fill ETAC's currently vacant alternate member position. New Business Chairperson Anderson requested that, because of the topics of discussion, Old Business follow New Business. There were no objections. • Regarding his draft Proposed Rules, dated November 13, 2003, Chairperson Anderson made a motion, seconded by Committee Member Goosman, to approve item nos. 1 and 2, wherein it states that (1) "Members are to have information they need before the meeting so they can have their ideas well formulated before they discuss them. Proposed motions and any background information supporting a proposed motion must be provided to members at least 48 hours in advance of the next scheduled meeting preferably provided to the Secretary one week before the meeting for inclusion in the mailed agenda packet." (2) "Materials provided fresh at the meeting may be discussed for vote action at the next month's meeting. This rule can be suspended only by a unanimous vote (100% of members present)." Discussion ensued. It was agreed that email notification may be sufficient on some issues to meet the 48 hr. notification. Mr. Anderson asked for the question. The motion passed. 2 • • • • • Mr. Anderson stated that he included item no. 3 to ensure that parliamentary procedure is being followed during the meetings. Mr. Anderson offered that if it is not clear that an issue is a voting item, then it probably is not, but that during discussion, it could, in fact, turn into a voting item . Following discussion, Mr. Anderson opined that item no. 3, "An adion item may not be discussed unless a motion is made first and then seconded. If a motion isn't seconded, it isn't discussed.", is perhaps an internal responsibility of the chairperson, and requested that issues on the agenda be stated precisely so that Committee Members are aware of what action is expected, whether it be for a discussion resulting in a consensus or discussion resulting in a motion. Mr. Anderson then requested that item no. 3 be kept in mind, but not included as a committee rule. Director Ross expressed his agreement. Mr. Anderson stated that he is not seeking a vote on item no. 4, which addresses opposition statements. Mr. Anderson requested that, instead, members use no. 4 as a guideline. Director Ross suggested that when members vote on an issue, but have reservations, those reservations should be discussed at the meeting. Mr. Anderson offered that receiving information 48 hr. in advance will hopefully give members the time they need to review issues prior to the meeting. Mr. Anderson stated that, should opposition statements be necessary, they should be kept short and to the point. Committee Member Dounay suggested that it might be helpful to City Council if ETAC follows a problem formulation approach to identify t he problem or issue in simple terms, and perhaps include a hypothes is of what the issue is and what the objectives are, like a blue book approach, i.e. provide the pros and cons of the resulting recommendation so that Council can see the whole picture to be informative to them when they make a dec ision. Mr. Dounay suggested when first making the motion, it would be helpful to go through this approach during the discussion, summarizing the process of how the end result was reached. Discussion ensued regarding inclusion of this approach in the minutes. Secretary Wilks requested that members be specific in stating the issue, pros, cons, recommendation, etc. Mr. Dounay suggested us ing a chart or board at the meetings for that purpose. Mr. Anderson summarized that Members should take steps to address their thoughts on issues during the meetings and avoid the need for opposition statements. • Chairperson Anderson advised that ETAC is approaching the end of its second year of operation. The Ordinance that created the ETAC group included a two-year sunset provision. Mr . Anderson inquired about the process for extending the Committee's operation. Director Ross stated that the City Attorney will either prepare an ordinance for City Council's consideration, or will ask for this item to be placed on the Study Session agenda for discussion. Mr. Anderson asked Members for their input regarding the Committee's future role in Englewood's transportation management. Mr. Anderson opined that the role of the ETAC group perhaps should be to have a larger role in solving and identifying transportation issues rather than waiting to be approached by members of the community, or to be notified of issues by Director Ross. Committee Member Dou nay commented that City Council, in some cases, does not refer transportation issues to ETAC for recommendation. Director Ross reminded the Committee that ETAC is advisory to City Council. Discussion ensued, using the stop sign issue on Tufts Ave . at Knox Ct. as an example. Mr. Ross reiterated that, in that 3 case, there was no cause for City Council to again refer the stop sign issue back to ETAC. Mr. Anderson offered his concern that ETAC seems to have not earned the respect that it should have. Mr. Ross asserted that all advisory committees accomplish their job by reviewing and analyzing issues presented to them and • making recommendations to City Council; it is then Council's job to take the action they feel is most prudent. Mr. Anderson agreed with Mr. Ross' statement, but added that he would like for ETAC to be operating more efficiently so that they are better prepared to make informed recommendations. As a side note, Mr. Ross offered that a City Council member is going to be assigned to ETAC as a liaison, which should provide ETAC with a "voice" on City Council. The City Council liaison will be a non-voting member. Brief discussion continued regarding the stop sign issue at Tufts Ave. and Knox Ct. Mr. Anderson reiterated his thoughts regarding ETAC's operational role, and stated that he, personally, intends to challenge himself in the future to take steps to make himself more aware of transportation situations, make calls to citizens, etc., and suggested that perhaps other Members do the same. To get "the ball rolling", it was suggested putting together a "wish list" for some time in the future when the City is in a better financial condition to fund infrastructure type solutions to transportation issues. Old Business Chairperson Anderson expressed his desire to revisit adopting a strategic plan for ETAC, discussion of which was previously discussed and tabled at the April 10, 2003 meeting. Secretary Wilks read the motion that was made at the April 10th meeting to table discussion of this topic. Mr. Anderson made a motion, seconded by Vice-Chair Christie, to revive discussion of the draft Strategic Plan. Motion passed. (Secretary's note: A brief intermission was necessary to rectify a malfunction of the recording system.) Mr. Anderson referred to the draft Strategic Plan contained in Committee packets, which had been revised according to discussion at the January, 2003 meeting. Mr. Anderson made a motion, seconded by Vice-Chair Christie, to accept the revised draft Strategic Plan as the strategic plan for ETAC's operation. Committee Member Dou nay summarized that the purpose of the strategic plan is to provide a framework that will provide goals to work toward. The goals listed in the draft were taken from the original ordinance to help provide a purpose for the Committee. Mr. Anderson voiced his approval of this revised draft; Committee Members Christie and Goosman approved of the content. At Vice-Chair Christie's inquiry, Committee agreed that the "figure" should be removed from the plan. Mr. Anderson asked that Mr. Dounay put the document into final form. Mr. Anderson amended the motion to accept the revised draft Strategic Plan with the elimination of the public outreach flowchart. Motion passed. Director's Choice • With regard to the proposed motorized skateboard ordinance changes discussed by ETAC and presented to City Council, Director Ross ad vised that City Council requested that the proposed age limit be removed, and that the City Attorney prepare an official ordinance for Council's consideration at the Study Session on December gth. Mr. Ross sta t ed that, with the exception of the age limit, Council seemed • receptive to the proposed changes. Vice-Chair Christie offered his apology that he was unable to provide an • opposition statement on this subject, but felt that his views were captured in the minutes. Mr. Christie 4 • • • added that, since discussion at the October meeting, he has had additional concerns with this issue. Discussion ensued. Mr . Ross stated he will advise ETAC if there is a change in the date of Council's discussion of this issue. There was brief discussion regarding the benefits of attending Council meetings to hear their discussions of ETAC topics. • Director Ross noted that signs have been posted in the Tufts Ave. and Knox Ct. neighborhood advising of the public hearing that is scheduled for November 17th soliciting citizen input regarding a request for an all-way stop at that location. City Council will not approve this issue until the December 1st Council meeting. Chairperson Anderson noted information he has obtained from the internet regarding placement of all-way stops. Mr. Anderson reiterated his concern that ETAC is being overlooked in the decision making process for transportation issues, and stated that he believes ETAC should have more of an impact in decisions such as placing all-way stops, emphasizing that he does not want to see anymore stop signs being placed without ETAC's input. Committee Member Dounay interjected the importance of creat ing a uniform system, and avoiding setting a bad precedence that will result in traffic signage inconsistencies throughout the city. Vice- Chair Christie added that that is the purpose of following the Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). Discussion ensued regarding the t imeliness of ETAC's involvement with transportation issues. Mr. Ross re iterated he ex pects that the appointment of a City Council liaison to ETAC will have a positive effect on ETAC's involvement. Further discussion continued regarding the petitioning process for, and placement of, all-way stops at Tufts Ave. and Kno x Ct. • Traffic Engineer Vestry discussed the variable speed message signs placed on Quincy Ave., westbound at Jason Park, and on Logan St., southbound at Bates Ave . Mr . Vestry indicated that the speed studies at these locations performed before and after installation of these signs indicate the following results: Logan St. 38 mph before 34.6 mph after Quincy Ave. 37 mph before 32 .8 mph after Mr. Vestry stated the speed studies will be repeated in approximate ly 3 months. Mr. Vestry noted that these particular signs are not visible to oncoming traffic unless the driver is speeding, at which time the sign will change color and begin flashing to indicate the driver is exceeding the 30 mph speed limit. Chairperson's Choice • Chairperson Anderson advised that the phone number listed for Committee Member Losee was inoperable, and asked Secretary Wilks to check into that. • Mr. Anderson commented on the educational information he has collected from the internet pertaining to transportation issues, i.e., anti and pro-traffic calming, various traffic studies, the operation of transportation committees in other jurisdictions, etc. Mr. Anderson forwarded these links to Committee Members and encouraged them to review the information . 5 Committee Members' Choice • Committee Member Dounay observed that, as previously suggested, perhaps certain Englewood businesses might want to contract with parking businesses to capitalize on the increasing traffic and parking problems. As parking becomes more restricted in some areas, i.e., the Gothic Theater neighborhood, and people realize they are going to have to park farther and farther away from their destination, businesses closer to the Gothic may be able to charge for parking and earn some money for that service. Brief discussion ensued. • Committee Member Goosman inquired about the process for applying for reappointment to ETAC for members whose terms are expiring in February. Secretary Wilks stated she will email the application form to members whose terms are expiring. Adjournment There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 9:27 p.m. Linda Wilks, Recording Secretary 6 • • • • • • City of Englewood ENGLEWOOD TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE ,. '. NAME ' " '" VISITOR SIGN-UP SHEET Regular Meeting November 13, 2003, 7:00 p.m. Englewood Civic Center, Community Room 0;~~-;_[, ·" "' ,. ;..,..~·~. -~-: "~ ·:.;~'r. :~fi}f~.~ ADDRESS }ff \t . 'Wl"=~ • ~. ,.....~..... 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