HomeMy WebLinkAboutMarch 5, 2012 AgendaAGENDA
CITY OF DENTON CITY COUNCIL
March 5, 2012
Joint Meeting of the City of Denton City Council and the Denton Independent School District
Board of Tnistees on Monday, March 5, 2012 at 11:30 a.m. in the DISD Central Services
Building, 1307 N. Locust St., Denton, Texas, at which the following items will be considered:
1. Call to order; announce quoniin, introductions.
2. Receive a report from Michael Morris, Director of Transportation at the North Central
Texas Council of Governments, providing a general overview of local government and
independent school district opportunities for coordination, including land use,
organizational process and communication, safety, and any other regional transportation
issues; and hold a discussion with the Denton Independent School Board of Tnistees
regarding same.
3. Receive a report and hold a discussion regarding Denton Municipal Electric
infrastnicture and impacts on the Denton Independent School District.
4. Under Section 551.042 of the Texas Open Meetings Act, respond to inquiries from the
City Council or the public with specific factual information or recitation of policy, or
accept a proposal to place the matter on the agenda for an upcoming meeting
AND
Under Section 551.0415 of the Texas Open Meetings Act, provide reports about items of
community interest regarding which no action will be talcen, to include: expressions of
thanlcs, congranilations, or condolence; information regarding holiday schedules; an
honorary or salutary recognition of a public official, public employee, or other citizen; a
reminder about an upcoming event organized or sponsored by the governing body;
information regarding a social, ceremonial, or community event organized or sponsored
by an entity other than the governing body that was attended or is scheduled to be
attended by a member of the governing body or an official or employee of the
municipality; or an announcement involving an imminent threat to the public health and
safety of people in the municipality that has arisen after the posting of the agenda.
5. Adjourn.
CERTIFICATE
I certify that the above notice of ineeting was posted on the bulletin board at the City Hall of the
City of Denton, Texas, on the day of , 2012 at o'clocic
(a.m.) (p.m.)
CITY SECRETARY
THE DISD CENTRAL SERVICES BUILDING IS ACCESSIBLE 1N ACCORDANCE WITH THE
AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT. THE CITY WILL PROVIDE SIGN LANGUAGE
1NTERPRETERS FOR THE HEARING IMPAIRED IF REQUESTED AT LEAST 48 HOURS 1N
ADVANCE OF THE SCHEDULED MEETING. PLEASE CALL THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE
AT 349-8309 OR USE TELECOMMUNICATIONS DEVICES FOR THE DEAF (TDD) BY CALLING
1-800-RELAY-TX SO THAT A SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETER CAN BE SCHEDULED
THROUGH THE CITY SECRETARY' S OFFICE.
AGENDA DATE:
DEPARTMENT:
ACM:
AGENDA INFORMATION SHEET
March 5, 2012
Denton Municipal Electric
Howard Martin, 349-8232 ���
SUBJECT — Receive a report and hold a discussion regarding Denton Municipal Electric
infrastnicture and impacts on the Denton Independent School District.
BACKGROUND
Denton Municipal Electric ("DME") is undertalcing a project to reconstnict two existing 69 1cV
transmission lines in the northeast quadrant of Denton. The first of these lines extends from the
Spencer Generating Plant site north to the Kings Row Substation located along Kings Row
approximately one-half mile inside Loop 288. The second transmission line is from the Kings
Row Substation west to the Denton North Interchange (along the west side of North Locust
Street at Hercules Street). The constniction and upgrade of these two lines is imperative to
ensure electric reliability and to meet the electric needs of Denton's growing population. The
facilities after constniction will still carry 69 1cV, but will have the capacity to carry 138 1cV as
growth dictates the need to transition to the higher voltage.
The original easements, established in the early 1960's, were located in mostly undeveloped
niral areas, and the widths of the easements reflected the settings and the practices of the time.
The existing thirty-foot (30') easements are now congested due to the decades of residential
development in the area and the transmission lines cannot be maintained in their existing
locations. Current National Electrical Safety Code standards indicate that an easement width of
seventy-five feet (75') is an appropriate minimuin width to accommodate these types of
stnictures and the operations and maintenance activities that will be required over time. The City
of Denton has elected to move the existing transmission lines to areas of open land, where
possible, and further away from existing homes.
In June 2011, the City of Denton hired AR/WS Texas LP to provide appraisal and acquisition
services for the proj ect. The role of this consultant was to provide support to existing City staff to
secure necessary easements and, if necessary, negotiate the acquisition of any stnictures along
the final alignment of the route. To determine a final alignment for the rebuild of the
transmission line, DME held three neighborhood meetings with citizens living within 500 feet of
the existing transmission line and any alternative routes. The neighborhood meetings were held
over a six-month period at the Civic Center and at locations within the northern quadrant to
inform as many citizens as possible.
At the first neighborhood meeting, City staff defined the scope of the project and informed
attendees that all routes were being investigated to lessen the overall impact of the project on the
neighborhoods. Input was given by attendees for possible routes that could bypass existing
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neighborhoods and locate the transmission line away from homes, which would ultimately help
define the final alignment of the route.
At the second meeting, City staff presented alternative routes and posted that information on the
DME website. Cost estimates were formulated to evaluate all routes. The factors employed to
evaluate each of the alternate routes were:
• linpact on homeowners
• Cost of easements
• Cost of worlc in existing substations
• Transmission line constniction cost
• Distribution line constniction cost
In October 2011, the City staff offered a recommendation for its preferred alignment for the
project. The City Council then held public meetings during its regular sessions on October 18
and November 15, 2011 to get citizen feedbacic about the staff recommendation. At the
November 15, 2011, meeting the City Council approved the route alignment from the Spencer
Road area up to and including the proposed new location for the Kings Row Substation. The
City Council aslced the City staff to continue to meet with residents along the Hercules and Loop
288 neighborhoods to get additional input on the line from the Kings Row Substation west to the
Denton North Interchange.
The original preferred alignment as presented by City staff would have used the existing
easements along Hercules for a portion of the rebuild with easements increasing further into
existing homes. City staff provided alternatives to this preferred route at the December 6, 2011,
City Council meeting and December 122011, Public Utility Board meeting and to citizens at a
December 20, 2011 neighborhood meeting at Asbury United Methodist Church. After receiving
citizen input, City staff brought an alternative route as its preferred route to the City Council on
January 10, 2012. The final alignment presented to the City Council was approximately $4
million more than the prior route, but would nin along Loop 288 on the north side by Water
Worlcs Parlc and the C.H. Collins sports complex bypassing existing neighborhoods. The City
Council approved the preferred final alignment presented by City staff at this meeting.
PRIOR ACTION/REVIEW (Council, Boards, Commissions)
October 10, 2011— Public Utility Board approved recommending the preferred route.
October 18, 2011 & November 15, 2011 — Held public hearings with City Council to receive
citizen input on the transmission line rebuild project.
November 15, 2011 — City Council approved the route from Spencer Area to and including the
Kings Row Substation site, and aslced staff to loolc for alternate routes from Kings Row to
Denton North Interchange.
December 6, 2011 — City Council received a report from staff on alternate routes from Kings
Row to Denton North Interchange.
December 12, 2011 — Public Utility Board received a report from staff on alternate routes from
Kings Row to Denton North Interchange.
January 10, 2012 — City Council approved the route from Kings Row to Denton North
Interchange.
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EXHIBITS
L Map of Alternate routes from Kings Row to Denton North Interchange
2. Map of Approved route from Kings Row to Denton North Interchange
3. Map of distance from the approved route to DISD facilities
Respectfully prepared and submitted by,
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Phil Williams
General Manager
Denton Municipal Electric
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OPTIONS
KINGS ROW TO DENTON NORTH
(Previously Yellow Route)
Denton Municipal Electric
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OPTION C
KINGS ROW TO DENTON NORTH
(Previously Yellow Route)
Denton Municipal Electric
Kin�s Row to Denton North
Transmission Line