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PUBLIC WORKS AND SAFETY COMMITTEE Minutes 05202024Approved CITY OF MUSKEGO PUBLIC WORKS AND SAFETY COMMITTEE MINUTES ^� C May P 2024 im U 5:00 PM Muske o City Hall, W182 S8200 Racine Avenue CALL TO ORDER Alderperson Kubacki called the meeting to order at 5:00 PM. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Those present recited the Pledge of Allegiance. ROLL CALL Present: Alderpersons Kubacki, Madden and Schroeder; Scott Kroeger, Director of Public Works and Development Absent: Alderperson Schwer Also Present: Police Chief Steve Westphal STATEMENT OF PUBLIC NOTICE The meeting was posted in accordance with open meeting laws on May 17, 2024. STATUS OF PROJECTS Discussion update. No formal action may be taken on any of the following: Hillendale Drive Reconstruction Project Director Kroeger stated they are clearing and grubbing. WE Energies needs to get the poles moved. Pond excavation is happening this week. Then they will start laying the storm sewer pipe. Also note, the City has received numerous calls about the farm land on Hillendale Dr and Racine Ave. That land owner pulled a Land Disturbance permit to grade their property with the extra fill from the Hillendale project. No other permits or future plans have been discussed with the City at the time. Finally, the website is up to date with information for this project. Road Program 2024 Director Kroeger stated the project was awarded to Payne & Dolan. Our DPW is currently replacing all culvert pipes as necessary. Project set to start June 3rd and be substantially finished by July 4t". The City website is currently up to date with this project information. Police Chief Updates Chief Westphal gave a number of statistics showing an uptick in all aspects of law enforcement. The trends are not going in a direction he would like and the Police Dept as a whole is working more overtime to get through this challenging time frame. UNFINISHED BUSINESS Discussion update and possible action may be taken on any or all of the following: NEW BUSINESS Discussion update and possible action may be taken on any or all of the following: Discussion of Trail along Woods Road Director Kroeger stated this request came from Ald. Schroeder. The trail along Woods Rd currently stops at Windover Dr. The original Parks plan was to use trails within Plum Creek subdivision to get to Providence Way and then to Janesville Rd. Director Kroeger explained what would be included in the cost of adding a trail including possible curb and gutter, purchasing ROW area and removing trees. Also, dealing with residents who are extremely for or against the trail. This would be considered a stand alone trail which cost significantly more than adding a trail during a road project. He also mentioned that Muskego has numerous roads that need work and he only has a set budget that makes it hard to consider spending it on a trail versus fixing a road. Director Kroeger said to move this forward he is suggesting it be added to the next 5-year capital plan. Ald. Schroeder asked if Woods Rd would be resurfaced within the next 5 years. Director Kroger stated no. Ald. Kubacki stated the Common Council would most likely not be interested in a stand alone trail when roads need to be repaired. Alderperson Schroeder made a motion to table the Trail along Woods Road. Alderperson Madden seconded. Motion Passed 3 in favor. Request for Yellow Slow Signs on Hardtke Drive Director Kroeger stated this was brought forward by Ald. Decker. Hardtke Drive is only 528' in length, but it is the main entrance into Idle Isle. The road did not have 25 MPH signs and those are currently being installed. The road currently has Stop Signs on each end and No Parking signs as well. Adding yellow Slow Signs may be ineffective as that would be too many signs in a short span of roadway. Dennis Michlig, W 180S6583 Hardtke Dr, stated people are constantly speeding. Asked about flashing signage. Also stated he would give permission for the PD to sit in his driveway to observe. Todd Bertsch, S66W 18086 Hardtke Dr, stated he has requested a temporary speed bump in the past. Cars do race from sign to sign. No use in calling cops as they are long gone. Feels the issue is getting worse with each passing year. Likes the idea of a flashing sign vs. yellow slow signs. Wants to work together to find a real solution. CRO Jeff Satorius spoke to audience members explaining how he would conduct a speed study over 2-3 weeks. That information would then determine if an officer's time would be used to sit in a specific area. He stated he would run the numbers and discuss with Ald. Decker. Chief Westphal also stated that "thankfully" speeding is still the number one issue and complaint within the City of Muskego given all that is going on in our community and surrounding areas. He said he wants the PD to do better in controlling speed overall. Alderperson Madden made a motion to deny Yellow Slow Signs on Hardtke Drive. Alderperson Schroeder seconded. Motion Passed 3 in favor. Request for Revising No Parking Signs on Ranch Drive and Earl Drive to include Wednesdays Director Kroeger stated this request was from residents in Ald. Decker's area. The Muskego Waterbugs are a very popular attraction on Little Muskego Lake and parking each week has become more of a nuisance. David Bishop, W179S6594 Ranch Dr, 10 year resident, people park on both sides and with the hill it is very difficult to see or pass others cars. Jan Bishop complained about the amount of garbage people leave in the road. Also reiterated that it is very difficult to pass others when parked on both sides of the road due to ditches as well. Linda Villwock, W179S6585 Ranch Dr, complained about the garbage, blocking driveways, difficulty to get out of driveways, inability to pass other vehicles and tearing up grass. Suggested the City make more parking at Park Arthur. Ald. Decker said he had a conversation with Sean Lincoln, the Waterbugs President about the parking issues within the neighborhood. He stated he agreed with the residents and that he would like Wednesdays added to the parking restriction on Ranch Drive and Earl Drive. Ald. Kubacki stated he drove the area and understands how narrow the roads really are. He suggested No Parking on one side of the road, but then said the neighborhood would need to decide which side and that it would affect everyone hosting gatherings. Ms. Bishop stated the City implements No Parking on July 3rd which is not a holiday and yet she was not allowed to have cars parked all along Ranch Drive for a college graduation open house party. Ald. Madden agreed with Ald. Kubacki's idea of No Parking on one side to aid in parking issues for the neighborhood as a whole. Allowing better traffic flow and for emergency vehicles. Ms. Villwock wants No Parking all the time or at least add Wednesdays Ald. Kubacki suggested the local alderperson speak to all residents to come to an agreement for the area. He is still suggesting No Parking on one side due to the narrow road and emergency vehicle traffic. Ms. Bishop suggested the shuttle idea from Park Arthur to Idle Isle. Director Kroeger explained that the July 3rd festivities were a completely different animal than a regular Wednesday night ski show. Alderperson Madden made a motion to defer Revising the No Parking Signs until Aid. Decker spoke with residents to come to a consensus. Alderperson Schroeder seconded. Motion Passed 3 in favor. Request for No Parking Signs on South Lane Director Kroeger stated this request is for No Parking Signs anytime on the North side of the road only. Traffic is increasing for Danny Haskell's Pub and Grill, plus they have some construction going on that is utilizing existing parking spaces at the bar. John Drover, S72W 17150 South Lane, stated with more activities and more construction, comes more traffic, which is great for Haskell's, but not great for the neighborhood. Patrons are constantly tearing up the lawn, leaving very large, deep ruts that are difficult to clean up. His driveway is often blocked, the noise level is increasing and some patrons are even using foul language directed towards him when he questions their parking. Mr. Drover stated he decided to get Ald. Decker involved. Chris Kolbe, S72W17090 South Lane, stated his issue is safety on such a narrow road. With cars parked on both sides of the road, he cannot exit his driveway. In addition, vehicles cannot pass each other around the parked cars. Ald. Decker spoke with Danny and he is supportive of the proposed parking restrictions on one side of the road. Alderperson Schroeder made a motion to approve the Request for No Parking Signs on South Lane on the North side only. Alderperson Madden seconded. Motion Passed 3 in favor. Director Kroeger explained to the audience the process of going to Council, locating the appropriate areas and finally installing the new signage. Discussion of Safety Concerns along Woods Road Director Kroeger stated the City has received multiple types of requests for this area. Woods Road runs from Janesville all the way East to the City limits. It is one of the City's main roadways. It is considered an arterial road that keeps people moving. It's currently 35 MPH and fairly open which causes drivers to go faster. A roundabout has been added, as has a bike path along most of the length of the road which adds to the safety of pedestrians. A flashing Stop Sign was added near Racine Avenue after a high school student was injured. Director Kroeger went on to discuss a map showing accidents, reminding the audience that we cannot prevent OWIs no matter what safety measures are put in place. Chief Westphal and Officer Satorius handed out speed studies from different areas and time frames along Woods Road. They explained the PD focuses on the 851" percentile. Outliers are caused by many factors in addition to actual speeders, such as emergency vehicles and large delivery trucks. Chief went through the handout with the audience members. Officer Satorius agrees these numbers are in line with our community. Brent Wolff, W200S8613 Woods Road, stated mailboxes have been hit multiple times. Ultimately wants something done through the curve... paint on the roadway, signs that a curve is coming, possibly a permanent flashing sign like the one that was stolen. He understands the walking path is mostly likely out of the question due to budget constraints. Chief Westphal spoke up to say we are putting up another permanent flashing sign that will also have the ability to collect data from both ways. It will most likely be placed near the main entrance of Plum Creek subdivision. Mr. Wolff stated the problems are generally drivers coming from the North through the curve. Jerry Holyszko, W200S8617 Woods Rd, stated he is still in favor of a pathway due to the large, deep ditches. Cars have veered off the roadway and flipped into the woods. A pathway would be safer for pedestrians all around because residents do not always make their way into Plum Creek to walk. He also suggested the use of reflective paint and reflectors imbedded into the roadways. He mentioned this works very well in certain areas of Florida, but was unsure how that would work in Wisconsin with plows, but that possibly trying the paint may help drivers to see the curve better. Carol Holyszko told a story to the Committee about a recent issue she had trying to leave her own driveway. Explaining that speed, lack of visibility and design flaws have all contributed to the ongoing problems in this area. She believes that herself and the neighbors have been asking for years to find a solution and she feels the City is always doing a study, but never really finds a solution. Aid. Kubacki spoke up to remind her that is why we all gathered tonight to continue to brainstorm and a find a solution. Aid. Schroeder asked Ms. Holyszko directly what she wanted from the City as the speed study shows overall that speed is not the issue. Ms. Holyszko continued to say that IS the problem. She struggles to get across the road to her mailbox. She wants the City to take responsibility and do something to control the speed throughout the curve and not keep brushing them off. Mother/Son spoke about excessive speed, trouble going out for mail, losing mailboxes, having to walk on Woods Road, which is dangerous, to get into Plum Creek to walk their dog. Son told the Committee a story about riding his motorcycle and asked about lowering the speed to 25 MPH through the curve only, leave the rest of Woods Road at 35 MPH. Mother continued to explain the speed dangers of backing out of her driveway, understands that it is an arterial road, but it's also a curvy residential road. Director Kroeger mentioned that many signs were stolen from Plum Creek along with the flashing signs on Woods Road. He offered some mitigation ideas such as clear cutting all the trees throughout the City ROW, which would open the line of sight, but knows everyone would fight to keep their trees in place. If a drop in speed to 25 MPH is discussed, it needs to be from Janesville Road to Racine Avenue, it cannot be just the curve, plus that may start deferring people from using Woods Road as a short cut, which in turn could help with traffic overall. He continued that the reflective paint idea is great, in the South, not practical to use and maintain in Northern States. Director Kroeger also went on to explain if residents are pushing for a pathway and switching to curb and gutter to eliminate the deep ditches, the expensive will increase significantly. Mayor Petfalski stated the Committee needs to consider all ideas that were discussed this evening, but he was not in favor of lowering the speed limit as it's just a "feel good" type of solution. Some drivers will still speed and others will obey the speed limit. He explained to the Committee and audience that we lowered the speed on Hillendale Drive a couple years ago and it has not changed on bit. Mayor offered other ideas such as guardrails and using reflective chevron signs. Aid. Schroeder asked about the Police Dept spending some time enforcing the speed limit and issuing tickets hoping that word would spread and drivers overall would slow down through the area going forward. Mr. Holyszko asked about putting the small trailer type sign up that takes pictures and sends tickets in the mail. Chief responded that is it illegal in Wisconsin to do enforcement via photo. Officer Satorius stated he will be getting two signs, positioned in each direction, to do another study of the curve. Ms. Holyszko asked about shaving down the hill. Director Kroeger explained that process and how it would affect the area and the need to "open it up" for line of sight. It would need to be a requested as a Capital project and would still be expensive because it would require road reconstruction. He stated the guardrails would only keep drivers on the road and most people do not like the looks of them. Ms. Holyszko asked Director Kroeger his opinion of the best solution. He believed the flashing sign was helping before it was stolen and he went on to explain the same suggestions as stated previously. Ms. Holyszko, Director Kroeger and Aid. Kubacki continued to discuss the same ideas again. Director Kroeger says we need to better educate drivers on being responsible and safe behind the wheel to curb speeding throughout all of Muskego. Director Kroeger was asked about speed bumps. He stated they are not user friendly for plow trucks or motorcycles, especially at night. He said using speed bumps adds unnecessary holes in the road for water seepage which in turn will shorten the life span of a road. He said other communities who regularly use speed bumps assess all the residents along the street to help pay for maintenance to their City fleet vehicles and to maintain the roadways. Aid. Schroeder thanked all the residents for coming out to speak and told them if they still want the speed limit lowered that they need to come to a collective agreement and she will put it back on the agenda to discuss. Aid. Kubacki recapped that the flashing signs will be placed, Director Kroeger will look into the expense of reflective paint and ROW visibility issues. Aid. Kubacki believes short of a full road reconstruction that some issues cannot be fixed in this area. Director Kroeger continued that he would be in touch with Aid. Schroeder and that he or Chief could write an article for the newsletter reminding residents the issues with speeding and following traffic laws. Aid. Kubacki also asked that all residents look at their own properties and consider what may be a visibility obstacle, such as bushes and trees, that could be hindering drivers from seeing the full roadway and curve. NEW BUSINESS PLACED ON FILE (The following items have been placed on file for staff review. Upon completion of review, staff will submit a supplement detailing options and possible course of action to committee members.) COMMUNICATIONS AND MISCELLANEOUS BUSINESS AS AUTHORIZED BY LAW ADJOURNMENT Alderperson Madden made a motion to adjourn at 6:53 PM. Alderperson Schroeder seconded. Motion Passed 3 in favor. Respectfully Submitted, Wendy Fredlund Recording Secretary