HANDOUT #1 07-24-2006 - Laserfiche WebLink

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~ River Police Department MEMORANDUM TO: FROM: DATE: SUBJECT: Mayor and City Council Jeffrey A. Beahen, Chief of Police July 24, 2006 Downtown Redevelopment Project There are several issues surrounding the downtown project that directly involve the police department and have created a litany of problems that the Council should be apprised of. My hope in conveying this information is to better inform the Council of some of the factors that have impacted the project as a whole, and what new factors will be impacting the project in the near future. First, the traffic plan as approved by the Council last October and revisited in May, was an accurate document, at the time it was written and when project schedules were tracking as projected, or were to start on time. Through a variety of issues and complications, outside my control, projects were delayed, started early, or changed in scope, all having dramatic impact on the traffic flow directly related to construction delivery, construction traffic and interrelated business deliveries and customer traffic. We utilized a static traffic control plan, designed for a dynamic construction process, often with unforeseen results. Second, we all know that signs and adherence to same has been an unforeseen problem with far reaching implications. Starting with the "No-left Turn" on Parrish when this first began, we have been faced with almost zero compliance with traffic control signage. Even today, we still have people traveling the wrong way on Jackson. Last week, a driver drove past all the signs on Proctor, up across piles of gravel, and got hung up on the tracks during the repairs to the crossing. Frankly, if people just obeyed signs, 95% of the issues surrounding the downtown project would simply go away. Yet enforcement, personalized traffic control guidance from the downtown officer, and better than ever signs-still result in the majority not following the traffic control plan at all. I have no answers for compliance, we have tried everything-we just need to be aware that signage is not the solution. Last, as we move forward to reopening the road for that 4-week period, we need to understand that the staff I supply for this project will increase from 1-officer, 9-hours a day, to 3-officers, 9-hours a day. We estimate that just the one officer will cost the City almost $40,000 through October. Adding the two additional officers will be another $24,300. I am still five officers short, so the remaining officers are filling these details by working overtime, with many staff working 16-hour days.