Truckee Town Council:
Mayor Richard Anderson
Vice Mayor Barbara Green
Councilmember Mark Brown
Councilmember Carolyn Dee
Councilmember Josh Susman
~ Meeting, December 21, 2006
The last Town Council meeting of 2006 saw the reorganization of nearly two dozen committees, the elimination of four committees, funding of a bike lane design on Donner Pass Road extending to Donner Lake, and contracts awarded for two new roundabouts.
Committee Restructuring
Town Council maintains representation, via individual councilmembers, on a variety of Town-based committees and other organizations. New councilmembers mean new committee assignments and were based on councilmembers’ interest and staff’s input. No public input was received. (See table below for the assignments for each Councilmember.)
There was initially no stated interest in the Green Building Committee (GBC) by any councilmember, Mayor Richard Anderson said. Outgoing Councilmembers Craig Threshie and Beth Ingalls had previously served on the GBC.
Four Town committees were eliminated: the Parking Committee (reborn as the Parking Commission), the Open Space Committee, the Cable TV committee, and the Railyard Mill Site Committee.
While the railyard mill site remains an intrinsic part of downtown, said Councilmember Josh Susman who was on the committee, collective involvement by the Council might appear as attempts to manipulate the development. A relationship in the form of a coordination or liaison role with the developers makes more sense, he said. In other words, Susman said, leave project design to Holliday Development; leave the task of informing the public and communicating the Town’s parameters, a la the General Plan, to the Town Council.
Tony Lashbrook explained the origins of this particular Committee. ‘Nothing was happening – that [committee] was the launch point,’ he said. ‘Our role shifts now… to a regulatory/policy role regarding the master plan, town policy, environmental impacts, relationships with neighbors. … Every one of [the councilmembers] needs to be involved with this project.’
Mayor Anderson said each councilmember needs to maintain their existing relationships and conversations with the developers.
New Roundabouts Coming
Council authorized the Town Manager to enter into an amended agreement with Gray’s Station (the ‘parent legal name’ for East West Partners) to construct roundabouts at both the Highway 89 North/Donner Pass Road intersection and the State Route 89 North/Alder Drive/Prosser Dam Road intersection. Todd Landry, Senior Engineer, said Gray’s Station will commence construction of the former by June 2007 and commence construction of the latter in June 2008. The Force Majeure (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Force_majeure) clause will not alter these deadlines but would allow for extensions approved by the Town Engineer due to circumstances outside the developer’s control.
The clause excludes Town and Caltrans requirements as reasons for delay. No contractor has been chosen yet.
Penalties and protections are built into the contract that protect the Town, including more than two million dollars in bonds and the potential of the developer losing the rights to continue with the development if they do not meet deadlines, Town Attorney Dennis Crabb said. The bonds are to be taken out as security for the project and will provide the cash required for construction. There are also conditions of approval which state roundabouts must be completed before the contractor can get development permits, Crabb said.
There was no public comment on the proposed roundabouts.
[Editors’ Note: Moonshine Ink recommends a folding chair, parka, bottle of your personal favorite kind of moonshine, and a camera (optional) on an icy Friday evening for some fine, free entertainment at your neighborhood roundabout.]
Bike Lane at Donner Lake
Council authorized the Town Manager to enter into a $384,458 contract with Bickett Engineering for Phase 2 (design) of the Donner Pass Road Bike Lane at Donner Lake project. Todd Landry, Senior Engineer, provided information regarding the project’s background:
This project has been considered since 2004 and the intent was to widen Donner Pass Road at Donner Lake to facilitate bike lanes there.
Public input from the design process requested measures to replace or enhance parking and access to the public docks that may be lost by the additional bike lanes. The project grew in scope to a $5 million project, Landry said, but with only $2 million to spend, efficiency dictates focus on the bike lane, drainage, and easily-improvable parking.
The proposed 30 percent design review will scale the project back to its original intent and purpose, Landry said. We can expect trade offs between informal parking and a formal bike lane, he said. (Note: ’30 percent design’ on a project is enough to take engineering plans to permitting agencies and ‘intelligently discuss’ them and attain permits or modify design approaches. Bickett will ultimately conduct 100 percent of the design.)
Caltrans will begin reconstruction of some associated drainages on the north side of Interstate 80 this summer, Town Manager Lashbrook said. Staff can attempt to enlist Caltrans assistance on drainage issues, he said.
There was no public comment on the proposed bike lane.
Staff will provide Council, in March 2007, a recommended outreach program to involve stakeholders.
Assignments for each Councilmember:
Mayor Richard Anderson
• Building Working Group
• Legislative Correspondence
• Truckee River Basin Water Group (TROA)
• League of California Cities
Mark Brown
• Affordable Housing
Working Group
• Building Working Group
• Truckee-Donner Chamber of Commerce Liason
• Nev. County Solid and Hazardous Waste
• League of California Cities
• Truckee Donner Recreation and Park District
Carolyn Dee
• Green Building Committee
• Citizens Waste Advisory Committee
• Regional Relations
• Nev. County Transportation Commission
• League of California Cities
Vice Mayor Barbara Green
• Green Building Committee
• Legislative Correspondence
• Sierra Economic Development District
• City/County Growth Committee
• League of California Cities
• Library Liason
Josh Susman
• Affordable Housing Working Group
• Regional Relations
• Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO)
• League Policy Committee
• City/County Affordable Housing Committee
• League of California Cities
In your opinion, how did Town Council do this past year? See their official goals for 2005/06 at townoftruckee.com/council.html
Did you know that this was only the second Town Council meeting for two newly elected councilmembers, Dr. Mark Brown and Carolyn Wallace Dee? Learn more about them at townoftruckee.com/councilmembers.html.
~ Contact Ronnie Colby at writetheworld@sbcglobal.net.
