7.1. SR 08-09-1999 - Laserfiche WebLink

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rll ---'\) ( ); ttfli< Item #7.1. MEMORANDUM RiverTO: Mayor & City Council FROM: Pat Klaers, City~, ,~,istrator .",;r' August 9, 1999 ' /' DATE: SUBJECT: Request to Authorize Bids for Ice Arena Bleachers The council has been updated a number of times, either at meetings or through articles included in the monthly informational memo, about the new bleacher safety law. This law went into effect August 1, 1999, and the city is required to certify compliance by January 1, 2001. . This law will require almost every city, county, and school district in the state to do remodeling on newer bleachers, more substantial work on older bleachers, and to simply remove and replace very old bleachers. The cost of this work will be substantial and limited state funds are available for this state mandate. Many local officials expect modifications to this law next year or additional funding to be provided by the state. The outdoor bleacher issue for the city relates to the softball fields and the indoor bleacher issue for the city relates to the ice arena. The city will work on the outdoor bleacher issue at the end of this year and in 2000, and on the ice arena's new bleachers and the bleachers upstairs in the Barn either this fall or next year. The real issue at this time are the bleachers downstairs at the Barn. Now that the city has requested the building official to inspect the bleacher situation, the building official has advised me that these bleachers must be brought up to code immediately or be removed. Furthermore, the building official, street superintendent, ice arena manager, and bleacher "consultant" have all advised me that these bleachers cannot be economically repaired or restored into a condition that would meet code and, therefore, should be removed and replaced. As I understand the situation, these bleachers never complied to any code, state or local, when they were installed in the 1970's and therefore have no "grandfathered in" rights. Additionally, now that the city is aware of a potential dangerous situation, it has an obligation to respond. . Bleachers were reviewed in the capital improvement program material that was part of the June 28, 1999, City Council packet. The plan noted that some bleacher work will need to be done this year and the funding source suggested for this expenditure is the NSP reserve. Rich Czech has discussed 13065 Orono Parkway · P.O. Box 490 · Elk River, MN 55330. TDD & Phone: (612) 441-7420 · Fax: (612) 441-7425