CITY OF ROCKY RIVER

OCTOBER 1, 2007

The Committee-of-the-Whole was called to order by Mr. Hagan, President of Council, at 8:00 p.m.

Council Members Present: Mr. Gollinger, Mr. Moran, Mr. Hunt, Mr. Hurtuk,

Mrs. Bartolozzi, Mr. Long, Mr. Hagan

Administration: Mayor Bobst, Mr. Linden

Law Director: Mr. Bemer

Press: Mr. Saylor

The meeting was opened with the Pledge of Allegiance.

MAYOR'S REPORT:

The Mayor thanked Council members for their attendance at a very important committee meeting this evening where a sewer map and information were presented by the Safety-Service Director. The Administration plans to move forward to discuss the financial piece to this program.

The Heritage Home Loan Program report for the period through August of this year has been received. A number of residents have taken advantage of the program's technical assistance as well as loans through the Cleveland Restoration Society and the County Treasurer's office.

A meeting of the Federation, with representatives of Rocky River civic organizations, was held on Tuesday. Among those present at the well-attended meeting were Superintendent of Schools Michael Shoaf and Jane Platten, Director of the Board of Elections. Ms. Platten indicated that the Board is currently working on poll worker recruitment and retention. Anyone interested in working at the polls on election day should contact the Board. An e-update will be sent and a link to the Board of Elections will be available on the City's website.

On Thursday, a 9/11 program was held at the Middle School with a ceremony dedicating a display including a fragment from the World Trade Center, a bell from the Fire Department and a crystal plaque etched with thoughts and perspectives of eight graders in 2001. Dr. Diana Foley expressed great pleasure at the unveiling and praised the efforts of Middle School students who not only raised funds to pay for the memorial, but also enough to fund a scholarship for students aiming at a career in the safety forces.

The Business to Business Expo will be Thursday, October 11 from 2 to 7 p.m. The Mayor encouraged all to attend.

The Rocky River Kiwanis has donated $100 to the Senior Center in support of its social services. The Mayor thanked Councilman Tom Long, Kiwanis chairman of that committee as well as Kiwanis President Frank Kollath.

This year, the City employees' United Way campaign was a great success. It featured a cookout arranged by an enthusiastic committee which was well supported and resulted in a total employee contribution of $4800. The Mayor observed that it is very important to support those agencies which serve our community and congratulated City employees.

The next shredding event will be this Saturday, October 6 from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. outside the fire station. Residents are requested to limit their materials to two standard boxes.

Cox Communications has sent a letter following passage of Senate Bill 117, notifying the City that beginning today, a Video Service Authorization (VSA), as provided in the bill, will become available. The Mayor has surveyed the school district and will be working with them. She spoke with an AT&T representative and learned that they have submitted an application to the Department of Commerce and should receive an authorization within 45 days. The City will then have 10 days from notification that the VSA has been granted to notify any new provider of the franchise fee and make PEG (Public, Educational and Governmental) channel requests. The Mayor pledged to work with all providers to continue the service that residents have come to expect. When AT&T begins to offer video services, arrangements may change, and that will be discussed by the Mayor.

The Mayors and Managers Association met last Thursday. County Treasurer Rokakis was in attendance, and a motion was passed to ask the state legislature to protect communities from foreclosure issues, a field in which Treasurer Rokakis has become a leader. Four steps need to be taken and are in motion:

• •Prevent further irresponsible lending
• •Prevent deterioration of foreclosed properties
• •Restore stable neighborhoods
• •Support housing counseling, foreclosure prevention, and victim assistance activities of nonprofit agencies.

The motion seeks to encourage the state legislature to focus on this issue this fall.

Also attending that meeting was Jane Platten, Director of the Board of Elections, who asked cities to consider holding fall primaries on the same day. Rocky River's primary this year was on September 18, while other cities had primaries earlier or later. If all primaries were on the same day, it would streamline the process and effect cost savings. She suggested the second Tuesday in September. Because this is an issue regulated by the Charter, written communication will be forwarded to the next Charter Review Commission which will meet next year.

UNFINISHED BUSINESS: NONE

MISCELLANEOUS BUSINESS: NONE

COMMITTEE REPORTS:

Environmental Committee: Mr. Hunt reported that the Environmental Committee had met at 7:00 p.m. prior to this meeting to discuss the Administration's Sewer Rehabilitation and Maintenance program. The committee heard presentations by Safety-Service Director Linden, the Mayor and City Engineer Mackay. He indicated that he hopes to reconvene the committee to discuss the topic further with recommendations for sewer rehabilitation projects.

NEW BUSINESS:

Ordinance No.94-07: This ordinance will authorize changes to the fees charged by the Recreation Department for use of the walking track by seniors. Mrs. Bartolozzi explained that the changes take into consideration comments received by those who wish to use the walking track during expanded hours, and will authorize their use from Monday-Friday, 9 to 4 and Saturday, 9-7. This has been recommended by the Parks and Recreation Commission and by Director Patterson.

Mr. Moran remarked that although some seniors use only the walking track, he encouraged them to use all the center's many facilities.

Mayor Bobst noted that the City has received a number of requests for various specific partial memberships. These will be carefully reviewed because the City would like to meet the needs of its residents. However, for now, it would like to take the time to evaluate usage of the Center and receive input from the Commission. The fee schedule will be reviewed in January and recommendations forwarded.

Mrs. Bartolozzi asserted that having many types of memberships can be confusing and difficult for the staff.

Mr. Hunt confirmed that seniors would also be invited to use the equipment that is around the walking track (Consent Agenda)

Ordinance No. 95-07: Mr. Gollinger indicated that this ordinance addressed changes in regulations for projecting and temporary business signs. He thanked the Law Director for preparing this legislation and noted that he has had no feedback from Council members. He said that he intends to have a first reading next Monday and refer the ordinance to the Planning Commission.

Ordinance No. 96-07: This ordinance will authorize a contract for maintenance of the City's telephone systems for one year. Mr. Hagan turned to Mr. Linden who said that this firm has maintained the City's phones for the past three years and has given excellent service, usually responding within 45 minutes to an hour. He requested passage to keep the contract in force. (Consent Agenda)

As there was no further business by members of Council, the meeting was adjourned at 8:30 p.m.

________________________________ ______________________________

Brian F. Hagan Misao Kurokawa

President of Council Clerk of Council

CITY OF ROCKY RIVER

OCTOBER 1, 2007

Environmental Committee

The meeting of the Environmental Committee was called to order by the Chairman, Mr. Hunt, at 7:00 p.m. in the Committee Room.

Environmental Committee Members Present:

Mr. Hunt, Mrs. Bartolozzi, Mr. Gollinger, Mr. Moran

Council Members present: Mr. Hurtuk, Mr. Long, Mr. Hagan

Administration: Mayor Bobst, Mr. Linden, Mr. Mackay

Law Director: Mr. Bemer

Press: Mr. Saylor

Mr. Hunt thanked members for their attendance and turned to the Mayor for presentation of the proposed Sewer Maintenance and Rehabilitation Program.

Mayor Bobst observed that for the first time in her recollection, a sewer map has been prepared for members of Council which shows the needs of the City's 180 miles of aging sewer infrastructure. Discussions for this rehabilitation and maintenance plan began in June and July of 2006 following review of documents forwarded by CT Consultants and reports from URS and other firms hired to televise and dye test sewers. Evaluation of sewers involved televising sewer connections and mapping of resident calls, particularly following the heavy rains of August 7.

The Mayor commented that Safety-Service Director Linden has a great deal of knowledge about sewers, connections, flooding and repairs. Much information has been collected, and if a plan had been in place in the past, the City would know in what direction it is going to upgrade the system. Past actions have focused on improvements at the Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) and replacement projects which have been undertaken on an emergency basis as well as the placement of restrictors, but an organized plan is something that has never been undertaken. The plan has two parts: rehabilitation and replacement of the collection system and maintenance. It is important to prioritize in order to know how to move forward, aided by dye-testing, sewer jetting and other means.

The Mayor indicated that she has always considered sewers both a public and private endeavor. There is a great deal to do on the public side, with short term, intermediate term and long term needs and goals.

• •In the short term, restrictors have been effective in retention and have been the focus of much attention over the past several weeks. A meeting with other area communities has provided some programs to handle stormwater management through placing restrictor and redirecting downspouts.



• •In the intermediate term, the goal is to build capacity which will allow time for the City to move forward with its long term goals.

The grant application for the Valley View project was submitted on time to Ohio Public Works, and the Administration is waiting for word of its outcome. This project is a priority because of EPA overflow concerns which would necessitate the building of a pump station. The flow from this area currently flows by gravity into the Metroparks and to Lakewood.

• •The long term goal is to eliminate inverted sewers and prevent storm water from flowing to the WWTP.

The long-term cost of these programs is estimated to be $55 million for replacement and rehabilitation. Funding is a separate issue and the Mayor has had preliminary discussions with Mr. Hurtuk, Chairman of Council's Finance Committe, and Finance Director Thomas to formulate recommendations.

The Mayor then turned to Director Linden to discuss more specific recommendations.

Mr. Linden came forward with a large sewer map of the City, explaining that interceptor sewers

were marked in red. These included Lake Road, the railroad track (a 42" pipe replaced in the early 1980's), the county sewer line and Westway Drive. The main sewer lines lead to the WWTP which is marked as the heart and receives all of the water in the system. The seven gates of the WWTP open in sequence and take 30 minutes to open. In flood mode, no flow is restricted from main arteries.

Mr. Linden said that the City's long term goal is to replace storm and, especially, sanitary sewers. In Rocky River, while a 5" rain in 5-6 hours does cause some flooding, the worst problems occur with a 3.5' rain in 45 minutes to an hour, a so-called "storm of the century" which has been experienced three or four times in the last year. During one such storm on August 7, the flow to the WWTP jumped from its normal 11.2 million gallons daily to 138 million gallons very quickly. Mr. Linden indicated that this was because of infiltration caused by inverted sewers, misconnected downspouts, and side by side sewers with faulty joints. Old sewers need to be fixed.

• •Mr. Gollinger asked about flow monitoring on August 7 which would indicate how much of the flow came from each city. The Mayor explained that monitors are not permanently placed, but are used only during the flow study which determines how costs are shared among cities which are a part of the sewer district.

Mr. Linden indicated that the City is currently working on retention which is most quickly addressed by sandbags on catch basins. Restrictors cut the flow of water dramatically. One area with significant downspout problems are in "Tangletown". He said this occurred because in the 1920's and 30's, builders were allowed to connect up to five drains into the sanitary sewer.

The Valley View area, which flows by gravity to Lakewood, needs to be addressed immediately. The second most urgent area is the Hampton interceptor which feeds the railroad track interceptor. Ward 4 has fewer problems following recent projects. On Mr. Linden's map, blue lines indicated streets with inverted sewers which should be replaced in the future, because even if there is no problem now, at some point, storm sewers will leak and storm water will go into the sanitary system. Pink lines indicated sewers which, in his opinion, should be addressed within 10 to 20 years, including Morewood, Wooster and Westway interceptors.

• •Mr. Hunt asked about the duration of the flow statistics. The Mayor responded that by agreement, flow studies are conducted every three years. In the interim, if any city wishes to have an independent study, as Bay Village did recently, it pays the expenses involved. Asked about the possibility of permanent monitors, Engineer Mackay said it could be done, but the cost would be a deterrent.



• •Mrs. Bartolozzi asked about vacated and live sewers. Mr. Linden said that vacated sewers are cemented because they are damaged in some way, and cannot be used. The flow is diverted to the closest larger pipe.

Mr. Linden noted that the City has done several projects recently including Wagar Road with laterals, T's, sanitary and storm, Aberdeen, Westover, Tonawanda, Inglewood and Maplewood. He believes that before repairing smaller streets, main arteries should be televised to be certain that there are no problems and that the water will continue to flow once it reaches the larger artery. Even when there are no obvious problems, televising is necessary to be sure.

• •Mr. Gollinger recalled that Council voted funds for a retention facility. He asked if the water there comes only from Rocky River and if that water is treated. Mr. Linden responded that the water comes from the entire district and that it holds 40 million gallons, but must be at least partially treated before retention.

On Lake Road, from Linda Street to the clock tower, two inverted sewers are not in good condition. It is imperative that these be replaced before the 2008 resurfacing project. Larger pipes will replace smaller ones, and that will increase the holding capacity to allow the City a longer time before all sewers need to be replaced. This is in line with the City's intermediate goal of increased capacity.

• •Mrs. Bartolozzi confirmed her understanding that repairing smaller streets without first making certain that the mains are in good working order would eventually create a larger problem.



• •Mr. Moran asked if there is a "good" inverted sewer. The Mayor noted that inverted sewers cannot be built today. Mr. Linden said that eventually, they will all have problems. He further believes that the best remedy is to replace them, not to place a sleeve in them because of problems which can occur if the lining or grouting is not perfectly done.



• •Mr. Gollinger asked if a map has been prepared which identifies properties impacted by high amounts of rain. He cited a particular property which has had multiple flooding problems. The Mayor noted that sewer correction looks at downspouts, at tree roots and other factors which can cause leakage. Mr. Gollinger said that residents need relief and knowledge that flooding will not recur. Mr. Linden explained that a guarantee can never be given that flooding will not recur. In the case of the property cited, it may have laterals at the lowest point, and gravity causes water to flow in that direction. Further, window wells may be at the root of the problem. The only map prepared was following the rain of August 7. Those properties are each being investigated, and the City has looked at approximately half of the properties, finding that many problems were caused by tree roots. The City is able to help homeowners identify the problem. During a second storm which followed in August, there was very little flooding



• •Mr. Long asked about the percentage of inverted sewers in the City. Mr. Linden said a percentage is difficult to estimate, but he believes about 47 streets, or all the blue on the map, have inverted sewers.

Responding to a question from Mr. Hunt, Mr. Linden said that the City's goal in leaving restrictors in place is to reduce the flow by 50%. Fairview Park and Bay Village will also begin a restrictor program to reduce the flow. Mr. Linden emphasized the importance of Mayor Bobst's meeting with other mayors because all cities have similar problems and may be able to help each other.

• •Mr. Bemer asked how many effective storm sewers there are in the City. Mr. Linden named those that are next to the Lake or other water and which flow directly into the water. He mentioned that Spencer Creek receives a great deal of direct flow.



• •Discussing the area around the northern end of Wooster Road, Mr. Linden said that it was one of the oldest mains in the City with an 8" sanitary and a 15" emptying into it; this situation needs to be addressed. The Mayor added that if the City is not able to stop the excessive flow and continue to use gravity, then the flow will have to be diverted to E. Shoreland which will require additional construction and a new pump station. To reduce infiltration and avoid a costly construction project, every sewer must be replaced.

Mr. Linden then turned to Mr. Mackay, the City's consulting engineer. Mr. Mackay began by praising Mr. Linden's intimate knowledge of the system and noting that that information is invaluable. He fully endorses the sewer plan to work on arteries first, then address smaller streets. He is familiar with the sewers in Fairview Park where his firm is also the consulting engineer, and their program is based on a 2005 study which prioritized their sewer projects to help eliminate infiltration. This year their projects include Eastwood and a trunk on Addington which carries water from Fairview Park and Rocky River and will have a new 30" pipe. Fairview Park does not have as many inverted sewers as Rocky River, but they do have a program in place to guide future projects. The Mayor said she appreciated Mr. Mackay's expertise, and noted that his information would help the cities work together to address sewer problems.

• •Mr. Gollinger asked if there are other areas affected by microbursts and wondered how those communities are dealing with the problem. The Mayor mentioned retention basins, noting that a 1 million gallon basin was built for Westgate. Mr. Gollinger suggested that may be a solution for the Linda St. area. Mr. Mackay said the costs, if not borne by developers during new construction, could be prohibitive.



• •Mr. Hunt asked if the 2007 street evaluation and paving program can incorporate any projects which need to be done. The Mayor responded that televising has been done for the streets at the top of the list including Gasser, Cottonwood and Avalon. As in the past, the City will not repave unless necessary sewer work is done first.

Mayor Bobst also noted that although Avalon is a top priority on the street evaluation list, work there will be delayed because of the Lake Road project and will not be done until after the completion of that project.

• •Mr. Gollinger suggested creating a map of properties impacted by the first flood which have been impacted in the past. This may give the Administration an idea of where problems are likely to recur.

As there was no further business by members of Council, the meeting was adjourned at 8:00 p.m.

_______________________________ _______________________________

Thomas B. Hunt, Chairman Misao Kurokawa

Environmental Committee Clerk of Council