CC Minutes - 02/28/05 WS - Laserfiche WebLink

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would continue to sand and plow snow. Ms. Bettman asked if the use of chemical de-icers required new equipment. Mr. Lankston said the spray units that City uses fit into its existing trucks and cost about $10,000. Ms. Solomon asked if the City had to store the materials or if staff filled the spray units on an as-needed basis. Mr. Lankston said the City filled up on CMA in Junction City as needed and did not store the materials on site. He had not yet secured a supplier for magnesium chloride and was unsure of the logistics of securing that chemical. Ms. Solomon commended the staff materials and indicated her support for the resolution. Mr. Pap6 determined from Mr. Lankston that that magnesium chloride was the less costly of the two products, and the application costs were similar for both. Sanding was the most expensive option because of the cost of sweeping and collecting the sand after it had been used. Mr. Poling said that the chemicals in question worked and it was a lot better than asking residents to attempt to drive through sand. He asked if the resolution precluded the City from looking at a new de-icing product. Mr. Lankston said no, adding that staff intended to continue to seek the best de-icers available. Mr. Poling solicited a second round of comments. Mr. Kelly suggested the products did not include heavy metals by design; rather, they were contaminants in the manufacturing product, and to the degree the products met the specifications, it indicated that to as low a concentration as could be tested for, they were not present. Mr. Lankston concurred. Ms. Bettman expressed appreciation for Mr. Kelly's clarification. Ms. Taylor was concerned about who made the decision to use the products in question. City Manager Taylor suggested that Mr. Kelly's suggestion to include a section from the previous resolution ensured he would make the decision. Ms. Taylor also expressed concern about the fact that magnesium chloride got slippery in warm conditions, which could occur after the product was applied. She questioned how long those conditions persisted. Mr. Lankston said slipperiness lasted until the product dried on the streets. He did not think the product would be used in warm conditions, although it might be placed during a day that was warmer than freezing in anticipation of freezing conditions later that night. Staff had not experienced any problems with slipperiness as long as it used the product at levels of 20 to 35 gallons per lane mile. Ms. Taylor asked if staff would have used sand in recent months if the resolution had not in force, pointing out the use of sand would still have made it possible for residents to drive. Mr. Lankston said yes, but sand also had environmental effects. It broke down and caused higher dust levels and if not removed, could be washed into the streams and add to silt problems. Ms. Taylor asked if staff would seek council permission to use the chemicals mentioned in the Boulder study if they became less expensive. Mr. Lankston said that staff intended to use the best product for the environment possible, balancing that against the cost of the product. He likened the products to a toolbox containing tools for use in specific conditions. Responding to a follow-up question from Ms. Taylor, Mr. Lankston confirmed that the resolution before the council contained no sunset clause. MINUTES--Eugene City Council February 28, 2005 Page 7 Work Session