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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSafety Commission mins 1992/02/13 MINUTES OF A REGULAR MEETING OF THE CHULA VISTA SAFETY COMMISSION . Thursday, February 13, 1992 7:02 p.m. Council Chambers Public Services Building CALL TO ORDER 1. Roll Call: Present: Chair Braden, Commissioners Thomas, Koester, Padilla, Pitts, Chidester, and Matacia Also Present: Harold Rosenberg, Traffic Engineer; Frank Rivera, Associate Traffic Engineer; Sgt. Tom Schaefer, Police Department; Shirley Buxton, Recording Secretary 2. ODenina Statement There being no citizens in the audience, the reading of the Opening Statement was waived. 3. ADDroval of Minutes MSC (Koester/Thomas) to approve the Safety Commission Minutes of November 21,1991 as presented. Approved 5-0-0-2 with Commissioners Chidester and Matacia abstaining. MEETING AGENDA 4. Trial Traffic Reaulation - Restrictina on street Darkina within the Robinhood Point Subdivision . Frank Rivera reported that the staff will be changing the no-parking signs in the Robinhood Point subdivision. The current signs list the section of the Homeowners Association Covenants, Conditions, & Restrictions (CC&Rs). Appropriate signs will be posted that can be enforced by the police department. The streets were previously private streets, but are now public streets. Mr. Rivera explained the streets in the subdivision are narrow without curbs or sidewalks and all units are provided with adequate parking. Commissioner Matacia asked why the City was getting involved in this issue. Mr. Rivera explained that he received a call from a resident asking who had authority to enforce parking prohibitions. Since the streets have become public, it was in the best interest of the City to change the signs and avoid confusion. Staff is not changing any parking restrictions, only the signs. 5. Trial Traffic Reaulation - Affirmino various trial traffic reaulations Frank Rivera reported these trial traffic regulations were installed over the past several years, and staff did not return them to the Safety Commission nor the City Council to make them permanent. Staff needs to make the items permanent according to the Municipal Code. Frank Rivera and Hal Rosenberg explained trial traffic regulation procedures to the Commission. Chair Braden asked if any trial traffic regulations had been removed after the trial period. . Frank Rivera said he did not know of an instance where a trial stop sign had been removed. However, there have been changes to speed limits and parking zone restrictions at the end of the trial period. Safety Commission Minutes February 13, 1992 Page 2 Commissioner Padilla pointed out the intersection of Gothamrrulane was listed, but there are no stop signs at that location. Frank Rivera said the correct intersection is Gotham and Vassar. MSUC (Koester/Chidester) that the Safety Commission review the various trial traffic regulations and recommend that the City Council make them permanent. 6. Traffic Sianal Priority List - Fiscal Year 1992-93 Hal Rosenberg mentioned that this was a tentative listing of traffic signal candidate intersections. It is the basis for recommendation to the City Council for establishing the next fiscal year program. Generally, there are funds available for only three or four new signals per year. Co-Chair Thomas asked why the intersection of East H Street and Bonita Vista High School Driveway was on the list. He recalled the request being denied by the Safety Commission. Frank Rivera said that when this item came before the Safety Commission and City Council, staff reported that this intersection would be evaluated with all the intersections. It was placed on the list so that the City Council and the Safety Commission would know where it ranked with respect to other candidate locations in the City. 7. Oral Communications None. OTHER BUSINESS STAFF REPORTS: 8. 1991-92 CIP Status ReDort Item 1 Co-Chair Thomas asked staff for a briefing on the Broadway reconstruction project and also the economic impact on businesses in the area. He felt that this would be a bad time to put businesses at an inconvenience due to the recession. Staff went to Council regarding widening Broadway between F and I Streets from 70' curb to curb to 80' curb to curb. Each side of the road will be widened 5' which will not require any re-Iocation of buildings. This will allow for more on-street parking in the area. Staff recommended raised medians at signalized intersections, however, Council approved raised medians north and south of H Street. The reason for the reconstruction was that the road was resurfaced so many times which caused the crown of the road to be higher than the driveways. This made it difficult for cars to enter some of the driveways. Staff has been working with the business/property owners about the timing of the project. The project will be awarded in June 1992 with the scheduled work to begin January 1993, if possible. If the contractor must begin work this calendar year (in order to receive additional funding from the Federal Government), the contractor will only be allowed to work on small sections at a time. The work is to begin on the west side, proceed to the median, then on the east side. Any businesses needing special consideration regarding timing, will be accommodated by staff. Frank Rivera said that a clause is being written into the contract, that work cannot proceed during the holiday season, Thanksgiving to New Years. Safety Commission Minutes February 13, 1992 Page 3 . Hal Rosenberg said that this project will provide construction jobs that are needed in the area during the current recession. Item 8 Commissioner Matacia asked if there had been many accidents at the intersection of Otay Lakes Road and Telegraph Canyon Road. His concern stemmed from the new UPS center in Eastlake and the traffic it and Southwestern College generates and asked if traffic control measures could be utilized now. Frank Rivera said he was unaware of any increase in accidents at this location and said he report on any changes at the next meeting. Hal Rosenberg said staff has looked at an interim stop control at the intersection. However, the widening of Otay Lakes Road has begun, and due to construction, much of the traffic will be detoured in the area over the next few months. Item 5 Commissioner Chidester asked if the traffic signal improvements at 1-5 and Palomar would extend to Industrial Avenue and the area between the trolley tracks and Broadway. Hal Rosenberg said that this project will improve the on and off ramps of 1-5 at Palomar only. However, there is a project being proposed for the area between the Palomar Station and Broadway and the developer will be required to put in street improvements. . 9. Chula Vista Police Department Traffic Summary for October - December 1991 Distributed for Commissioners information. 10. Joint Meetina between Safety Commission and City Council Hal Rosenberg said that he was unsure of what the City Council wished to discuss with the Safety Commission. He suggested that one topic of the meeting might be to delegate more responsibility to the Commission. Chair Braden recalled that in previous years there was an agreement that if the Safety Commission and the Engineering Department agreed on a recommendation, the City Council would not overrule their decision. Hal Rosenberg said there was a referral regarding this, but it was tabled and no action was ever taken. 11 . Concrete Overlay on Bonita Glen Drive south of Bonita Road Frank Rivera reported the project is scheduled to begin on April 20, 1992 and should be completed by June 12, 1992. The Commissioners were given a copy of the construction schedule. . Co-Chair Thomas asked what medium was used for advertising this project. Safety Commission Minutes February 13, 1992 Page 4 Mr. Rivera repor1ed that the local newspapers and trade papers were used. The City and Shell Oil Company will be splitting the construction costs. Shell paid for the design of the entire roadway and the City will be providing free inspection on the project. 12. Asohalt Concrete Overlav Proaram FY 91-92 Per Chair Braden's request, Frank Rivera described alligator pavement and survey well monuments to the Commission. Mr. Rivera responded to a concern made by Co-Chair Thomas at the November 1991 meeting regarding striping on Bonita Road just east of East Flower Street. He checked into changing the striping and was informed that Bonita Road will be overlayed soon and the striping changed at that time. 13. Safetv Commission Budoet FY 92-93 Chair Braden asked about the reduction in the amount of employee services since it was being cut a great deal over the 90-91 actual budget. Shirley Buxton indicated that she accrued compensatory time rather than over1ime for the first few months in her position as recording secretary. Hal Rosenberg asked the Commission to look at the description of the Safety Commission in the budget to see if they would like to make changes. The Commission will evaluate their description. Chair Braden said if Commissioners would like to make any changes to the description, they should phone her and she will compile the responses. 14. Written Corresoondence: Letter to the Editor A copy of letters from Mr. Tom Davis to the Chula Vista Star News was distributed for Commissioners information. 1 5. Recent Council Actions Chair Braden asked if on each of the items listed, if Council followed the Safety Commissions recommendation. Frank Rivera repor1ed that on the First and Oxford item that the Council concurred with staff's recommendation of a speed reduction, but directed staff to repor1 back in six months as to whether this was an effective solution. If not, the City Council will probably take action to install an all-way stop. On Melrose and Talus, both staff and the Safety Commission did not recommend an all-way stop at this location, but Council approved an all-way stop be installed. On the 200 block of E Street, both staff and Safety Commission recommendations were approved by the City Council. However, the 100 block of E Street will be going back to City Council with other alternatives. Safety Commission Minutes February 13, 1992 Page 5 . 16. Commissioner Comments Chair Braden referred to Item 4 and suggested to staff the list of trial traffic regulations be published and asked if the public realized that these traffic control measures were temporary. She also inquired about the status of Nacion Avenue. Frank Rivera reported that the public is not aware that these are "trial" traffic regulations and, therefore, did not recommend publication. Regarding Nacion Avenue, botts dots were looked at, but this measure was not favorable due to the high maintenance cost. Frank is not aware of any accidents or complaints regarding this street since it originated. Co-Chair Thomas mentioned that he recently observed a City striping crew that was not using cones. Traffic then drove through the wet paint causing it to smear. He asked what could be done to allow enough time for proper drying to occur. Hal Rosenberg said that environmental law now required water-based paints for striping which doesn't dry as quickly as the previous paint used. Mr. Rosenberg spoke with the striping foreman and was told that in one instance staff had attempted to stripe E Street at the wrong hour of the day, so traffic went through wet paint and caused paint to spread on the road. He would check with the foreman again to make sure that cones were always being used when striping the road. . Commissioner Chidester said that Chula Vista has a high number of senior citizen drivers and asked if it would be beneficial for the Safety Commission to reach out to these drivers and encourage them to take classes offered by the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP). Also, he asked if the Safety Commission had membership to the National Safety Council (NSC) based in Chicago, Illinois. He would be willing to write a letter to AARP and NSC inquiring about memberships and publications, if it was approved by the Commission. Commissioner Matacia asked if NSC dealt with traffic safety. His understanding was that NSC dealt with industrial safety. Hal Rosenberg said NSC deals with traffic safety as well as industrial safety. The Commission encouraged Commissioner Chidester to write inquiry letters to AARP and NSC on their behalf. Commissioner Koester asked for general information regarding the School Safety Patrol Task Force. Frank Rivera reported that the School Safety Task Force is a group made up of the Risk Manager for the Chula Vista Elementary School District, two members of the Police Department, and two staff members from the Traffic Engineering section. The task force evaluates the school safety patrol and makes recommendations for better and safer pedestrians and vehicle traffic. Co-Chair Thomas informed Sgt. Schaefer that he had heard on the radio that due to budget constraints, the police department had removed an agent from the school patrol program. . Sgt. Schaefer explained that there were two agents splitting the school patrol duties. Both agents worked .75 in school patrol and .25 in hit and run investigation. It has now been reorganized where one agent works full time school patrol duties and the other works .50 hit and run investigation and .50 school patrol. The allocated man hours are the same but dispersed differently. Safety Commission Minutes February 13, 1992 Page 6 ADJOURNMENT MSUC (Koester/Matacial to adjourn at 8:45 p.m. S8:SAFETYI021392.MIN 030592 Respectfully Submitted, )