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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes_GTEC_04.18.2007Minutes of the Meeting of Georgetown Transportation Enhancement Corporation and the Governing Body of the City of Georgetown, Texas Wednesday, April 18, 2007 The Georgetown Transportation Enhancement Corporation of the City of Georgetown, Texas, met on Wednesday, April 18, 2007. Board Members Present: Gabe Sansing - President, Ray Armour - Secretary, Paul Brandenburg - General Manager, Micki Rundell - Finance Director, Henry Carr, Farley Snell, Ricki Salazar Board Members Absent: Henry Boecker, Pat Berryman Staff Present: Jim Briggs, Jana Kern, Joel Weaver, John Aldridge, Ed Polasek, Mark Miller OTHERS PRESENT: Kim Molar - Citizen, G. E. (Sonny) Kretzschmar, P.E. - HDR Engineering, Inc Minutes Regular Meeting REGULAR MEETING CALLED TO ORDER Regular meeting called to order by Mr. Gabe Sansing on Wednesday, April 18, 2007 at 2:00 p.m. Board may, at any time, recess the Regular Session to convene in Executive Session at the request of the President, a Board Member, the City Manager in his capacity as General Manager of the GTEC Corporation , the Assistant City Manager, or legal counsel for any purpose authorized by the Open Meetings Act, Texas Government Code Chapter 551, and are subject to action in the Regular Session that follows. PUBLIC HEARING PUBLIC HEARING CALLED TO ORDER Public Hearing called to order by Mr. Sansing at 2:01 p.m. A. Public hearing by the Georgetown Transportation Enhancement Corporation (GTEC) regarding the expenditure of 4B sales taxes for the proposed 2006/07 GTEC transportation improvement plan. -- Micki Rundell Discussion: Rundell stated that this is a public hearing to expend fund on the Northwest Blvd. Bridge these funds are for the study to ensure the route and this is the first step in this project. Funds will be made available 60 days after the date of this public hearing. Mr. Sansing asked if there was anyone wishing to speak. With no one from the public wishing to speak. We will close this public hearing. Public hearing closed at 2:03 REGULAR MEETING CALLED TO ORDER Regular meeting called back to order at 2:04 p.m. B. Consideration and approval of the minutes from the regular meeting held March 21, 2007. -- Paul Brandenburg Discussion: None Action: Motion by Snell, seconded by Carr to approve the minutes as written. Approved 5-0 (Henry Boecker and Pat Berryman absent) C. Discussion and possible action regarding the Project Progress Report and timelines (including but not limited to items listed). -- Joel Weaver/Tom Benz Discussion: Weaver presented the monthly project report: IH 35 Frontage Road: The deck pours are complete. Should be open to traffic by mid May 2007. Question from Sansing asked what was is causing the delay. Weaver stated that TxDOT has some issues with the wall on the south side of the bridge. That wall, per the plan, was to be a natural sawed rock wall. TxDOT did not come up with what they thought they have for this wall so they are re-biding this wall to do it a different way. What this means is that section needs to be re-engineered, etc. and TxDOT is getting new numbers on this. What is going to happen is they will have to open this road up then immediately do a lane closure to work on this wall. Sansing asked if TxDOT would be coming back to the City for anything. Weaver stated that the City is not a part of this wall. The City’s involvement only included the bridge. Park Central: Demo of the southern portion of the existing roadway is complete. Lime treatment of the sub-grade is also complete. Testing of the forming concrete began in mid April. Concrete placement began on April 17, 2007. Lakeway Drive Overpass: Project has been cleared environmentally. 90% plans are due in May. Preparation for the September 2007 letting date for this project is now in the hands of the division office and may be pushed to later in the calendar year. SE1: New alignment and ROW width approved by GTEC & Council. Preparing to resurvey and redesign to two lane section. Snell asked if the project description that was listed is still the old description and if it was could this be brought current. Weaver stated that it would be updated at the next meeting. Southwest ByPass: Staff has been directed to engage the services of TxDOT - to conduct the environmental study for the entire bypass route - east SH 29 to west SH 29 - and the services of CTRMA - to conduct mobility and feasibility study. Action: None D. Presentation of Georgetown Transportation Enhancement Corporation monthly financial report for March 2007. -- Micki Rundell Discussion: Rundell presented the monthly financial report. Action: None E. Consideration and possible action on the 2007/08 GTEC TIP Process. -- Ed Polasek, John Aldridge Discussion: Polasek presented this item. The good news is that this Board does not have to the entire Thoroughfare Plan anymore. With the change in process the Georgetown Transportation Advisory Board (GTAB) now reviews the Thoroughfare and does the ranking of the projects. What GTEC now has is the top ranked projects the GTAB feels are GTEC eligible and these projects need to be looked at as part of GTEC's Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP) process. In this years process GTAB is presenting to GTEC a list of nine (9) projects. At the March 27, 2007, City Council Meeting, staff was directed to move forward with amendments to the current TIP and Overall Transportation Plan (OTP) related to several projects in the proposed TIP. Projects 14a, 14b, & 14c, all relate to State 29 Bypass/Southern Inner Loop, are to be modified to a new cross sections and route. TxDOT has agreed to begin the Environmental Impact Study of the ultimate Bypass route, if the City shows some interest/commitment to building the roadway. This commitment is taking place in the form of an OTP amendment that will adopt the realignment of the SE1 portion of the Bypass, and adoption of the TxDOT ROW standards for Freeways. With that said, the proposed project list and project descriptions have been prepared with the amended TIP to reflect the March 27th, City Council action. Projects that have been added to the list: Project AH - NW Inner Loop widening at the intersection of Williams Dr. This was added as a potential economic development and safety project. The project would allow greater queuing at the intersection, and increase access and safety to commercial development east of Williams Dr. Project 19a - Southeast Inner Loop widening to 4 lanes from IH 35 to SE 1. This project was added as information only. It is shown to reflect the continued improvements to the SH 29 Bypass from IH 35 to SE 1. The City is requesting Williamson County fund the project through the recently adopted Bond Program. Project QQ - Northwest Blvd. Bridge. This project has been moved into the current 5 - year TIP. GTEC has $18,000.00 budgeted to do a route study. Lengthy discussion on projects, funding, economic development areas. Full version is on tape. Polasek continued to say that the GTEC Board has done all of the eligibility findings of on the listed projects except for project 12c. Polasek also stated that the GTEC Board has all of the eligibility pages for all of the projects list. It will be up to the Board if you want to do all of the projects, or just project 12c since all of the other projects are the same as last year. Snell stated that it was his understanding that once a Board found a project eligible, that finding remained in place until the Board undid it. And unless the new members of this Board feel otherwise, I would like to just do the fin dings on the projects that have not been done before. All of the Board members were in agreement with Snell. Polasek stated that on the question sheets you only have to answer for project 12c. Then fill out the ranking and evaluation sheets. All sheets are due back to Ed Polasek or Jana Kern no later than Friday May 4, 2007. Polasek or Kern will get the workbooks to the absent Board members. Due to the fact that the results of this Board needs to be returned to the GTAB so that Board can see what is funded and what is not.Briggs suggested that the two meeting switch - GTEC will meet on Monday May 14, 2007 at 2:00 p.m., and GTAB will meet on Wednesday, May 16 2007 at 1:00 p.m. Briggs/Kern will check with the Chair of the GTAB Board to ensure that we are able to switch the meeting dates. Action: None Motion by Snell, seconded by Salazar to adjourn meeting Approved 5-0 (Boecker & Berryman absent) Adjournment The meeting was adjourned at 03:25 PM. Approved : Attest: _______________________ ________________________ Board Member Name Secretary