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Date
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February
23, 2009
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Agenda Item No. 22 Roll Call No. 09- Communication No. 09-108 Submitted by: William G. Stowe, Assistant City Manager-Public Works Director, and Jeb E. Brewer, P.E., City Engineer
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AGENDA HEADING:
Approving and authorizing the execution
of an agreement between the City of Des Moines and Steven C. Wallace and Alyce
A. Wallace regarding the property at 1706 Pennsylvania Avenue in Des Moines,
and authorization to acquire necessary property interests by gift or voluntary
negotiation.
SYNOPSIS:
Recommend approval of the agreement between the City of Des Moines
and the owners of the property at 1706
Pennsylvania Avenue, Steven C.
Wallace and Alyce A. Wallace, and authorization to acquire necessary property
interests by gift or voluntary negotiation, regarding construction of
improvements to mitigate severe soil erosion and landslides that occurred near
1706 Pennsylvania Avenue during and subsequent to the
heavy rains and flooding in June 2008.
The property is adjacent to the Des Moines River, and was determined by
the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to qualify for financial
assistance from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)
Emergency Watershed Protection Program (EWP), which provides for soil erosion
prevention and repair projects. The
City’s role is to act as the governmental sponsor, as required by the EWP, and
coordinate the 25% local match for design and construction costs.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Amount: $178,500 Total Estimated
Project Cost
Funding Source: $127,500 being 75% of estimated project cost
(Maximum $127,500) in Federal USDA-NRCS
EWP funds; additional 25% local match paid per agreement with the
property owners.
ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION:
The USDA-NRCS operates the EWP program with the stated purpose of
undertaking “emergency measures for soil erosion prevention to safeguard lives
and property from floods, drought, and the products of erosion on any watershed
whenever fire, flood, or any other natural occurrence is causing or has
caused a sudden impairment of the watershed.”
During and subsequent to the heavy rains and flooding in June 2008,
severe soil erosion and landslides occurred near 1706 Pennsylvania Avenue. On October 14, 2008, the City submitted an application
to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources
Conservation Service (NRCS) Emergency Watershed Protection Program (EWP) for
assistance at 1706 Pennsylvania Avenue.
The City’s role in the EWP program is to act as the governmental
sponsor for prevention and repair projects.
The EWP program will fund 75% of the project cost with a 25% local share
paid per agreement with the property owners.
City staff has met with the NRCS representatives at the property site to
assess the damage and estimate the repair costs. A Damage Survey Report (DSR) prepared by the
NRCS includes the construction of slope stabilization on the property with
an estimate for construction only at $127,500.
The project cost including design, construction administration, and
easement costs is estimated at $178,500. Actual
project costs of construction will be determined after the project is completed,
and payment arrangements for reimbursement of the City’s cost-share associated
with the project have been negotiated by City staff and the property owners. The property owners have provided a temporary
easement for construction and construction related activities, and an easement
for operation and maintenance of the slope stabilization at no cost to the City. In addition, a temporary construction
easement is needed from the adjoining property located at 1624 Pennsylvania
Avenue, which is owned by James M. Cummings and Dana L. Danley. This temporary easement is needed for
construction access and will be negotiated by the City on a voluntary basis
only. Relocation assistance will not be
required for this project.
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION(S):
Date: September 22, 2008
Roll Call Number: 08-1662
Action: Authorization to submit
grant application to U.S. Department of Agriculture Emergency Watershed
Protection Program for soil erosion prevention and repair projects related to
2008 heavy rains and flooding. (Council Communication
No. 08-577) Moved by Hensley to
adopt. Motion Carried 7-0.
BOARD/COMMISSION ACTION(S):
NONE
ANTICIPATED ACTIONS
AND FUTURE COMMITMENTS:
The EWP grant agreement and an operation and maintenance agreement
and plan with the USDA to construct the improvements, operate, and maintain the
improvements will be presented to Council for consideration.
For more information on this and other
agenda items, please call the City Clerk’s Office at
515-283-4209 or visit the Clerk’s
Office on the
second floor of City Hall, 400 Robert D. Ray Drive. Council
agendas are available to the public at the City Clerk’s Office on Thursday
afternoon preceding Monday’s Council meeting. Citizens can also request to receive meeting
notices and agendas by email by calling the Clerk’s Office or sending their
request via email to cityclerk@dmgov.org.