Ordinance 1st Reading:  7/0

Ordinance 2nd Reading:  7/0

Spec Update Process

• The last update to the City’s Engineering Standards and Specs was completed in 2012.  The current revisions were initiated in October of 2016, where the City Engineering office, in conjunction with the Public Works and Utilities Advisory Committee (PWUAC), appointed a Spec Revisions Sub-Committee.  This committee included members that represented contractors, consultants, suppliers, and the City. 

• The committee met weekly through the months of October, November, December, and into January, going over all proposed changes to the standards that had accumulated since the last revision.  The meetings were organized according to the group of spec sections to be discussed, such as aggregates and paving, or water and sewer installations.  We were then able to invite additional stakeholders to each of the committee meetings when discussing potential changes pertaining specifically to them. 

Open House and PWUAC Action

• Once the revisions were completed in their draft form, the City held a public open house on February 9, 2017, to solicit comments or feedback from the general public, or from others that work directly with our standards and specs.  We sent invites to the applicable City Contractor License holders and advertised the open house to the public.  Approximately 15 people were in attendance at the open house.  No additional comments were received.

• A final presentation on the updates was presented to the PWUAC on February 15, 2017.  At that meeting, the PWUAC took formal action to recommend approval of the 2017 Design Standards and Standard Construction Specifications updates to the City Council.  The motion to make recommendation to Council for approval was passed by a vote of 6-0.

Please see the attached detailed summary of the proposed changes to the specs, and the corresponding action item taken.  Also attached is the final form of the adopting Ordinance.