Prospects for City GaragePROBLEMS WITH CITY GARAGE, 17TH
1. Maintenance area does not comply with Federal and State OSHA standards;
cannot perform certain heavy maintenance which must be sent out.
Maintenance area too small only room for three trucks. Some vehicles
are found to need parts, and have to remain in place.
3. Large maintenance garage has essentially no insulation. Present "false
ceiling" will not support insulation. Building used by Park, Water
Sewer crews has inadequate insulation. Third structure (the "Barn is
neither heated nor insulated. The wooden building has essentially no
insulation, and only an electric heater.
Supervisors are isolated from the people they oversee. Beecher and Cedar
work from-City Hall, Cooper has his shop at the garage but has to do
paperwork at City Hall.
5. There is no central dispatch center for public works service and comp-
laints the task is split up between four people. No one knows, or is
in a position to know, the location and status of all public works units.
6. The diesel fueling facility is grossly undersized for a. public works yard
(500 gal. vs. the 5 -8,000 we should have).
The electrical systems within the buildings do not meet standard.
Due to the decision to use the "Barn" structure for skating several hun-
dred thousand dollars worth of equipment has to sit outside in the winter,
The.present buildings
systems.
10. Oil storage area is inadequate (drums sitting on
very dangerous in a fire.
11. Some trucks must be based at the landfill due to inadequate storage spac(
results in supervision and maintenance problems.
12. Floor of maintenance area is so badly pitted that creeper cannot be
maneuvered.
Most of the above can be summed up by saying that the existing garage
facility is costing you a fortune to maintain and operate. Its heat bills
are almost as high as those of the City Hall, which has over 32,000 square
feet of heated space. Its inefficiency is reflected in high vehicle main
tenance cost and low morale. It must be repaired or replaced without delay.
have neither fire detection nor fire suppression
the' floor by the wall)
MANAGER'S RECOMMENDATION
Apparently successive managers have been facing a Catch -22 situa-
tion on the City garage problem for years. The present garage site is
zoned for high density apartments (the 1990 Plan confirms that zoning),
but no one wants to precipitate the issue by selling the land for that
purpose. On the other hand, unless the land is sold, monies are not
available for a new garage. Unquestionably the City garage does not
meet the zoning, and nonconforming uses should not be expanded. So we
remain in place year after year.
Examination of the estimated numbers
the variables involved in site selection.
plan to build the needed facility new, on
If this is not approved, the present site
new maintenance bays and personnel areas,
buildings as unheated or partially heated
on the following page shows
My plain advice would be to
the County Highway Dept. site
should be upgraded by adding
refitting the balance of the
storage.
If you are hesitant to make a decision of this magnitude, one al-
ternative is to take it to the people. Plainly state that one course of
action or another must be followed, and that the one yielding the greatest
long -range savings will require a bond issue. A vote for the bond issue
is a vote for the new garage, a vote against it is a vote for remodeling
the existing garage site. If it is so presented and understood, few
will be able to contest the outcome of the vote. As you know, the City
has the funds available within the Real Estate Sales Fund to meet the
net cost of rehabilitating and adding on to the present garage.
Q
CITY GARAGE OPTIONS
There are three principal sites that should be considered for a
modern city shop and garage facility the present site, the former
landfill, and the County garage site All three are currently tax exempt
and reasonably centrally located. The following simplified chart is
presented to show the various elements of the decision.
EXPENSE
Land Cost
Soil Correction
Building
Rehabilitation
Assoc. Costs
(fuel area, fencing,
blacktop)
Total
INCOME
Property Sales
present site
Landfill
Present Site
384,000
100, 000
16,000
110, 000
Landfill County Site
$264000
$200,000t
$1,000,000-' 3
$1,000,000
100,000
$500,000 $1,•300,000 $1,320,000
300,000
Net Cost $390,000 $1,000,000 910,000
Allows fire
Truck south of tracks
Meets city plan
zoning
1. 4 acres at $1.50 /sq. ft.
2. 80x120 ft., at $40 /sq. ft.
3.:40,000 sq. ft., at $25 /sq. ft.
4. Insulating and repair of current: buildings.
5. For constructing 150 units at $2,000 per unit.
6. 2400 sq. ft. bldg., $10 /sq. ft., equals $24,000 plus for acres
at $.50 per sq. (approx. $86,000).
60,000
300,000
110,000