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HomeMy WebLinkAbout20070820 - VIII-C-3 VIII-C-3 MEMORANDUM TO: FROM: DATE: SUBJECT: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers Dave Osberg, City Administrator August 16, 2007 Public Dock Installation Status Joel Toso, from Polaris Group Engineering, the consulting engineering company assisting the City with the public dock project will be in attendance at the City Council meeting on Monday August 20,2007. Mike Noonan with Portable Barge, the company with the contract to install the dock, ramp and pilings has also been invited to attend the meeting on Monday night. The piling material has been acquired by Portable Barge, and installation had been scheduled for the week of August 19, 2007. The dock is currently stored on a barge at Portable Barge's slip in Newport. Most of it has been assembled, looks good, and there are no apparent flaws. Until earlier this week, it appeared the dock and pilings could be installed next week. However, Portable Barge has been working the last several weeks at the site of the Highway #35W Bridge collapse, On Wednesday August 15,2007 Mr. Toso and Mr. Noonan discussed the various projects Portable Barge is working. In addition to their work at the Highway #35W Bridge collapse, Portable Barge has the Hastings dock project and work for the City of St. Paul in the downtown river area. Portable Barge has pulled off both of those projects as of Tuesday August 14,2007, and focused all of their staffing and equipment resources at the Highway #35W Bridge collapse, The 35W Bridge effort continues to expand its demand for resources and has asked for every barge available from Portable Barge. The Highway #35W effort is expecting to complete the recovery of the victims, and begin the debris removal stage, with no schedule established yet, on when the demand for barges will decrease, and Portable Barge will be able to return to their other projects in Hastings and St. Paul. Several options will be addressed on Monday. As those are considered, recall that the dock is currently stored at the Portable Barge slip in Newport; covered by their insurance, Reasons to have the dock installed this year: -Public Approval -Check that the dock works well Reasons to wait until next year: -The 35W work will likely push the installation out of the main boating season - The dock is currently stored out of the water, on a barge, and insured Needless to say, neither option is especially attractive, Joel Toso has recommended that we wait until early next spring for installation, Staff will attempt to gather further information prior to the meeting on Monday August 20, 2007, Be assured, that both Joel Toso and Mike Noonan have been very helpful and cooperative with this project, and neither are thrilled with the idea of delaying the installation until next year. Yet, unless additional information or options become available, prior to, or at the City Council meeting on Monday August 20, 2007, Staff would recommend that action be taken directing Staff to work with Mike Noonan and Portable Barge to prepare a letter of understanding, or some type of agreement, addressing this situation, assuring timely and effective installation of the dock, pilings and ramp early in the spring of 2008, and other consideratio relating to insurance and contractual responsibilities. David M. Osberg City Administrato cc.