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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOUNCIL - AGENDA ITEM - 02/20/2001 - FIRST READING OF ORDINANCE NO. 28, 2001, APPROPRI AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY ITEM NUMBER: 24 DATE: February 20, 2001 FORT COLLINS CITY COUNCIL Eric Bracke STAFF: Ron Phillips SUBJECT: First Reading of Ordinance No. 28, 2001, Appropriating Prior Year Reserves in the Sales and Use Tax Fund for Transfer to the Capital Projects Fund to be Used for Design, Acquisition and Installation for the City's Traffic Signal System Replacement Project. RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends adoption of the Ordinance on First Reading. FINANCIAL IMPACT: The total of unprogrammed reserve balances available for general use are $10.2 million, including $7.7 million available in the Use Tax Carryover Reserve. This Ordinance will appropriate $4.0 million from the $7.7 million in the Use Tax Carryover Reserve. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The City's current Traffic Signal System is outdated and declining in performance and usefulness. The City proposes to replace the existing system with a modern Traffic Management System, a new Traffic Management Center to house the system and department, and a fiber optic communication network. Total cost of designing, acquiring and installing/constructing the system is estimated to be$5,994,205. Currently, the City has appropriated$1.0 million dollars which has been utilized to complete a replacement assessment, begin design of the system, underground approximately 10.5 miles of fiber optic conduit and purchase 100,000 feet of fiber optic cable. The City has also been initially awarded a Federal Highways Administration Intelligent Transportation System(ITS)grant for $994,205. This Ordinance will appropriate $4.0 million dollars from the Use Tax Carryover reserve to this project. A future appropriation will be necessary for the $994,205 in federal funds when the grant paperwork is final. BACKGROUND: The City of Fort Collins has been operating the existing traffic signal system since 1979. In recent years the system performance has degraded considerably. On any given day as much as 30%of the system may be out of coordination due to communication or equipment failures. Upgrading the DATE: February 20, 2001 2 ITEM NUMBER: 24 9 existing system is not feasible due to reliance on proprietary parts and financial instability of the vendor. The existing system must be replaced. Staff and the engineering consultant envision replacing the system with a modern Traffic Management System(TMS). The core of the TMS is a modern traffic signal control system, which will reliably maintain coordination and synchronization of the traffic signal system while allowing enhanced service possibilities to transit vehicles, pedestrians and bicycles. This system has been designed to be consistent with the U.S. Department of Transportation's National ITS Architecture. Consistency with the Architecture will provide the City with an open, non-proprietary system. The current system communicates with the intersection signal via "leased" telephone lines from Qwest Communications. Over the past five to eight years the reliability of the service has degraded to the point that on any given day, 20-30% of the signalized intersections are not communicating adequately with the system master. This, in turn, interferes with the coordination of signals along sections of most of the City's arterials. Repair of those communications problems has been temporary at best. The City envisions moving away from the leased phone lines to its own fiber optic communication system. By installing and maintaining its own communications network, the City can have full access to troubleshoot problems and not rely on service from others. Additionally, fiber optic cable has inherent qualities that, if managed well, eliminates some of the problems common to "copper wire" communication lines. The final piece of the system is the Traffic Management Center. This will be the home of the system and will ultimately be expanded for the Traffic Operations Department. It will house the main computing hardware, the traffic management consoles, video screens, the test and repair facilities, offices, conference room and the Traffic Operations staff. It is the location from which the day-to- day traffic activity will be monitored and managed. The City has hired a private consultant team led by the URS ITS Group to assist in the design, acquisition and installation of the new system. The initial design process was recently completed and the Request for Proposals ("RFP") for acquisition of the first part of the system, the system software and related hardware has been finalized. The City held a discussion with a representative from Qwest Communications about the reliability of its lines and the needs of the City's new system. Although Qwest has tried to provide consistent service, it has not been able to do so. The design team believes the City needs its own communications system to properly support the new TMS system reliably. The City contracted with McLeod Communications Company to purchase and install approximately 10.5 miles of fiber optic conduit. McLeod was under-grounding its own conduit through the city and the City took advantage of considerable cost savings by going "in-trench" with its conduit installation. The City also recently issued an RFP for fiber optic cable and has awarded the bid and is proceeding with delivery of the cable. This initial fiber will serve the College Avenue signals from Harmony Road to the Poudre River. Additional fiber optic cable will be installed as the project progresses. ORDINANCE NO. 28,2001 OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS APPROPRIATING PRIOR YEAR RESERVES IN THE SALES AND USE TAX FUND FOR TRANSFER TO THE CAPITAL PROJECTS FUND TO BE USED FOR DESIGN, ACQUISITION AND INSTALLATION FOR THE CITY'S TRAFFIC SIGNAL SYSTEM REPLACEMENT PROJECT WHEREAS, the City has been operating the existing traffic signal system since 1979; and WHEREAS, the City's existing traffic signal system is outdated and declining in performance and usefulness, resulting in inadequate communications between twenty to thirty percent of signalized intersections on any given day, and frequent equipment failures; and WHEREAS,upgrading the existing system is not feasible due to reliance on proprietary parts and financial instability of the vendor; and WHEREAS,the City has proposed replacing the existing traffic signal system with a modern traffic management system,constructing a new Traffic Management Center to house the system and traffic operations personnel,and acquisition and installation of a fiber optic communication network (the "Project"); and WHEREAS, the cost of the Project is estimated at $5,994,205; and WHEREAS,City Council approved an appropriation_ of $1,000,000 in the Capital Projects Fund for 2000 through the adoption of Ordinance No. 174, 1999, on November 16, 1999; and WHEREAS, staff has recommended that funds available in the City's use tax carryover reserve in the Sales and Use Tax Fund in the amount of$4,000,000 be appropriated for transfer to the Capital Projects Fund; and WHEREAS,the City has received confirmation that it will be awarded a Federal Highways Administration Intelligent Transportation System(ITS) grant of$994,205 to fund the remainder of the Project; and WHEREAS, Article V, Section 9, of the Charter of the City of Fort Collins (the "Charter") permits the City Council to appropriate by ordinance at any time during the fiscal year such funds for expenditure as may be available from reserves accumulated in prior years, notwithstanding that such reserves were not previously appropriated; and WHEREAS,it is the desire of the Council to appropriate$4,000,000 from prior year reserves in the Sales and Use Tax Fund,for transfer to the Capital Projects Fund Traffic System Replacement Project for appropriation therein to be used to replace the existing traffic signal system with a modern Traffic Management System, construct a new Traffic Management Center to house the system and traffic operations personnel, and acquire and install a fiber optic communication network. NOW,THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS that the amount of FOUR MILLION DOLLARS ($4,000,000) is hereby appropriated from prior year reserves in the Sales and Use Tax Fund, authorized for transfer to the Capital Projects Fund Traffic System Replacement Project, and appropriated therein to be used to replace the existing traffic signal system with a modern Traffic Management System,construct anew Traffic Management Center to house the system and traffic operations personnel, and acquire and install a fiber optic communication network. Introduced and considered favorable on first reading and ordered published this 20th day of February, A.D. 2001, and to be presented for final passage on the 6th day of March, A.D. 2001. Mayor ATTEST: City Clerk Passed and adopted on final reading this 6th day of March, A.D. 2001. Mayor ATTEST: City Clerk