Infrastructure Committee Meeting
February 4, 2019
The Riverlea Committee on Infrastructure met at 7:00 pm on Monday, February 4, 2019 at 5704 Olentangy Blvd. The meeting was posted and open to the public. The following committee members were in attendance: Marc Benevento (Chair), Bill Charles (Street Commissioner), and Chad Lowe (Council). Jim Dippel of Burgess and Niple attended as a guest of the Committee to share updates on the infrastructure project design work. Mayor Eric MacGilvray was also in attendance. Resident members Greg Ross and Dan Schlichting did not attend.
The meeting agenda:
1. Street project update
2. Street maintenance plan and funding
3. Lift station improvements
4. Tree planting program
5. New business
At 7:09 pm, the meeting was called to order. Marc Benevento took minutes during the meeting.
1. Street Project Update: Work on the project is on hiatus for the winter and is expected to resume in April and to be completed in late May or early June. Burgess & Niple is working on a punch list of items to be completed prior to the conclusion of the project. This will include inspection of storm sewers in areas where the road base was not as deep as anticipated, as well as a plan to reverse the fire hydrant valves.
2. Maintenance Plan: One of the goals of the committee this year will be to develop a long-term plan for maintenance of Village infrastructure, estimate timing and expected costs, and recommend a funding methodology to Council. General categories of maintenance were identified as follows:
Pavement management: based on B&N’s experience and anecdotal information from surrounding communities, new streets generally require crack sealing after 5-7 years from installation, then every 1-2 years thereafter. It typically becomes necessary to patch potholes after 15-20 years, with a full mill and overlay at 20 years. This can differ based on the amount and weight of vehicle traffic. B&N will validate assumptions and provide a cost estimate for each step.
Sewer management (sanitary and storm): cleaning and inspection of the sanitary sewer should occur every 5-10 years. This was last performed in the Village in 2013. Repairs and improvements to the storm sewer system were made during the infrastructure project that is currently ongoing. A water quality unit (WQU) was installed at the south end of Olentangy Blvd during the street project to comply with current EPA standards. The WQU will require periodic cleaning. B&N’s asset management group will evaluate Riverlea’s sewer inventory and make a proposal to the Village for management of these assets.
3. Lift station improvements: A lift station located at the southwestern corner of the village pumps waste to the main sanitary sewer line, from where it is gravity fed to a treatment facility. The station pumps are electric powered, and overflow into the Olentangy River can occur during power outages. The village is investigating adding a gas-powered backup generator to the facility to avoid overflows during power outages. It may also be desirable to add water service to clean and flush the station when it is serviced. It is estimated that the station was installed around the time sanitary sewers were installed in the village, and the concrete base and tanks should be inspected to determine if they are in need of repair. B&N was requested to develop a rough cost estimate for each portion of this project. The village will solicit input from nearby property owners regarding plans for the station and options for placement and containment of a generator.
4. Tree planting program: A number of large trees have reached or are near their expected life and have fallen or otherwise been removed from properties in the Village. In order to restore the tree line, the Village is considering sponsoring a tree-replacement program once infrastructure work in the right-of-way concludes, with a target of late Summer or early Fall 2019. A subcommittee will be formed to investigate the type and sizes of trees in the program, criteria for residents to qualify, and overall cost.
5. New business:
Ice damming: Discharge from sump pumps has caused ice buildup in the streets in past years. The committee will evaluate locations of ice buildup now that streets have been re-graded and the gutter pan has been replaced. Mitigation strategies will be discussed for areas where icing causes a safety hazard or threatens to degrade curbs, gutters, or streets. These would include draining sump pumps to the storm sewer or dry well.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:30 PM.
Prepared by: Marc Benevento
Chairperson: Marc Benevento