ORANGE CITY COUNCIL

Ordinary Council Meeting

 

Late Items

 

21 February 2017

 

 

    

 


Council Meeting                                                                                       21 February 2017

Late Items

  

4                Notices of Motion/Notices of Rescission.. 3

4.2            Meeting with Deputy Premier by Cr Gander. 3

4.3            Forest Road Bridge Works by Cr Taylor. 4

5                General Reports. 6

5.8            Improved Operating Procedures for Valves and Hydrants. 6

6                Closed Meeting – See Closed Agenda.. 10

6.2            Tender F2396 - Construction of Concrete Roundabouts & Additional Traffic Facilities  11

 


Council Meeting                                                                                       21 February 2017

 

 

4       Notices of Motion/Notices of Rescission

4.2     Meeting with Deputy Premier by Cr Gander

TRIM REFERENCE:        2017/301

 

 

I, CR Ron Gander wish to move the following Notice of Motion at the Council Meeting of 21 February 2017:

 

Motion

That Orange City Council invite Deputy Premier, John Barilaro MP, to meet with Orange City Councillors and Senior Staff at the Orange Civic Centre.

 

Background

At a recent meeting in Orange, the Deputy Premier mentioned possibilities of grants that could benefit the residents of Orange, particularly with infrastructure.

This invitation needs to be extended as soon as possible, to take advantage of his recent gracious offer whilst in Orange, as he indicated there are substantial funds possibly available for regional infrastructure.

 

Signed Cr Ron Gander            Cr Reg Kidd

STAFF COMMENT

Financial Implications

Council has been advised that as a council included in the NSW Government’s merger proposals under consideration by the Office of Local Government since referral on 6 January 2016, Council must comply with the merger proposal period guidelines issued under S23A of the Local Government Act 1993.The guidelines instruct Council it should expend money in accordance with the detailed budget adopted for the purposes of implementing the Delivery/Operational Plan for the 2015/16 year.

Any expenditure outside the adopted budget requires the identification of clear and compelling grounds and must be approved by Council at a meeting that is open to the public. The guidelines indicate the resolution of Council for increased expenditure must specify the reasons why the expenditure is required and warranted. If increased expenditure is greater than $250,000 or 1% of the Council’s revenue from rates in the preceding year, whichever is the greater, Council is required to exhibit the increase to the budget and consider comments received.

Council must also avoid entering into contracts or undertakings were expenditure or revenue is greater than $250,000 or 1% of the Council’s revenue from rates in the preceding year, whichever is the greater, unless the contract or undertaking is as a result of a decision or procurement process commenced prior to the merger proposal period or where entering into a contract or undertaking is reasonably necessary for the purposes of meeting the ongoing service delivery commitments of the Council or was previously approved in the Council’s Delivery/Operational Plan.

  


Council Meeting                                                                                       21 February 2017

 

 

4.3     Forest Road Bridge Works by Cr Taylor

TRIM REFERENCE:        2017/300

 

 

I, CR Glenn Taylor wish to move the following Notice of Motion at the Council Meeting of 21 February 2017:

 

Motion

That Council seek to negotiate with the Federal and State Government to defer the works on the Forest Road bridge until the next section of the Southern Feeder Road is complete.

 

 

Background

Given the likely traffic chaos that will result from the restriction on traffic flow with the construction of the alternative Forest Road bridge, it is suggested that Council seek agreement from the Federal and State Government to defer this work, and agree to retain the funding for this project, until after the completion of the next link in the Southern Feeder Road.

 

 

Signed Cr Glenn Taylor

STAFF COMMENT

The timing of the next link of the Southern Feeder Road is subject to funding, and has been included in the current Delivery/Operational Plan for completion in 2017/18 subject to this funding being made available. It is anticipated that an announcement on Council’s application may be made around the middle of 2017. In the meantime staff are proceeding with the detailed design work and seeking approval from the relevant rail authorities, in order to enable construction work to proceed as quickly as possible once any funding is announced.

In relation to the Forest Road works, a key selection criteria for tenderers will be their ability to deliver the project with as minimal traffic disruption as possible, with the work site to remain open to at least southbound light traffic for as much of the works as possible. The bridge construction component of the works will be undertaken away from the existing roadway, and therefore the time these works will impact on traffic should be as minimal as possible.

Financial Implications

Council has been advised that as a council included in the NSW Government’s merger proposals under consideration by the Office of Local Government since referral on 6 January 2016, Council must comply with the merger proposal period guidelines issued under S23A of the Local Government Act 1993.

The guidelines instruct Council it should expend money in accordance with the detailed budget adopted for the purposes of implementing the Delivery/Operational Plan for the 2015/16 year.

Any expenditure outside the adopted budget requires the identification of clear and compelling grounds and must be approved by Council at a meeting that is open to the public. The guidelines indicate the resolution of Council for increased expenditure must specify the reasons why the expenditure is required and warranted.

If increased expenditure is greater than $250,000 or 1% of the Council’s revenue from rates in the preceding year, whichever is the greater, Council is required to exhibit the increase to the budget and consider comments received.

Council must also avoid entering into contracts or undertakings were expenditure or revenue is greater than $250,000 or 1% of the Council’s revenue from rates in the preceding year, whichever is the greater, unless the contract or undertaking is as a result of a decision or procurement process commenced prior to the merger proposal period or where entering into a contract or undertaking is reasonably necessary for the purposes of meeting the ongoing service delivery commitments of the Council or was previously approved in the Council’s Delivery/Operational Plan.

 

   


Council Meeting                                                                                       21 February 2017

 

 

5       General Reports

5.8     Improved Operating Procedures for Valves and Hydrants

TRIM REFERENCE:        2017/296

AUTHOR:                       Chris Devitt, Director Technical Services    

 

 

EXECUTIVE Summary

The fire at William Street on Saturday 11 February 2017 has required Council’s water reticulation staff to undertake a full review of processes associated with the overall management and operation of the City’s water reticulation network, specifically in relation to any changes to the setting of valves within the network.

Additional resources have already been provided within the water reticulation team to increase the existing focus on hydrant and valve maintenance, and an improved process for managing any changes to the network is being developed.

It is also proposed that an independent investigation be undertaken into the issues surrounding the events which led to the inadequate water flows in William Street on Saturday 11 February, and an assessment made of the response by Council to this issue.

Link To Delivery/OPerational Plan

The recommendation in this report relates to the Delivery/Operational Plan strategy “15.2 Our Environment – Operate, maintain, renew and upgrade water, sewer and stormwater infrastructure assets and services as specified within the Asset Management Plans at agreed levels of service”.

Financial Implications

Council has been advised that as a council included in the NSW Government’s merger proposals under consideration by the Office of Local Government since referral on 6 January 2016, Council must comply with the merger proposal period guidelines issued under S23A of the Local Government Act 1993.

The guidelines instruct Council it should expend money in accordance with the detailed budget adopted for the purposes of implementing the Delivery/Operational Plan for the 2015/16 year.

Any expenditure outside the adopted budget requires the identification of clear and compelling grounds and must be approved by Council at a meeting that is open to the public. The guidelines indicate the resolution of Council for increased expenditure must specify the reasons why the expenditure is required and warranted.

If increased expenditure is greater than $250,000 or 1% of the Council’s revenue from rates in the preceding year, whichever is the greater, Council is required to exhibit the increase to the budget and consider comments received.


 

Council must also avoid entering into contracts or undertakings where expenditure or revenue is greater than $250,000 or 1% of the Council’s revenue from rates in the preceding year, whichever is the greater, unless the contract or undertaking is as a result of a decision or procurement process commenced prior to the merger proposal period or where entering into a contract or undertaking is reasonably necessary for the purposes of meeting the ongoing service delivery commitments of the Council or was previously approved in the Council’s Delivery/Operational Plan.

Policy and Governance Implications

Nil

Recommendation

That Council acknowledge the report by the Director Technical Services on Improved Operating Procedures for Valves and Hydrants.

 

further considerations

Consideration has been given to the recommendation’s impact on Council’s service delivery; image and reputation; political; environmental; health and safety; employees; stakeholders and project management; and no further implications or risks have been identified.

SUPPORTING INFORMATION

Council’s involvement in the William Street fire revealed shortcomings in procedures relating to the operation of the city’s water reticulation network, in particular in regard to the management of changes in the operation of valves which control the flow and direction of water throughout the network. When changes are made to the setting of valves, which is necessary on occasions to isolate areas of the network due to leaks or the need to undertake works, the impacts these changes can have on the broader network need to be fully assessed, rather than just focusing on the impacts in the immediate vicinity of the closure. As the network is inter-linked in many places, the impact of making a change in one area can have impacts throughout other parts of the network which are not often obvious.  When changes are made to the network these need to be fully documented on network plans so that it is obvious to all staff what changes have been made and for what reason. As well, the proposed timing of any resultant remedial works must be identified and programmed appropriately.

William Street fire 11 February

As a result of a leak in the water reticulation network at the McLachlan/Dalton Street roundabout in the middle of 2016 a number of valves adjacent to the roundabout were shut off to stop this leak. However this action also stopped water flowing west along Dalton Street and south along William Street. This resulted in William Street only being fed water from the southern end, at a rate of around 7l/s, not from both ends as would be the case with the valves at McLachlan/Dalton Street open and which supplies around 30l/s.  Following the closure of the valves there were no apparent impacts on flows along William Street, until Saturday 11 February, when the system failed to deliver sufficient water to meet the firefighting requirements of 20l/s.


 

Water reticulation staff who were called out on Saturday afternoon were not aware that these valves had been closed and, only through systematically checking all valves in the vicinity of William Street did they eventually re-open the valves at McLachlan/Dalton Street and restore flows in William Street to around 30l/s.

Proposed response  

As a result of this incident Council staff have immediately instigated a number of remedial actions to reduce the likelihood of such an outcome occurring in the future. These include:

Developing a detailed works procedure to address these issues including:

·     Ensuring that, with any future closure of valves, there is a documented assessment of the impacts on the network of this closure which extends well beyond the immediate area of the closure. This should involve both adjustment to the network computer model as well as on-ground pressure and flow testing to determine any impacts. Council’s existing Water Asset Maintenance System can be used as a basis for this documentation The closure of valves within the network does not always result in an adverse impact, and can be an effective strategic means of redirecting water throughout the network for operational purposes. 

·     Following any valve closure a timeline for re-opening valves is established and necessary works programmed accordingly.

·     In the event that a valve closure results in reduction in flow and/or pressure below the required minimums, affected water users are notified.

·     A protocol be developed between Council water reticulation staff and NSW Fire & Rescue to advise of any changes to the reticulation network which has the potential to impact on the adequacy of the network to meet required firefighting requirements.

·     Council nominate a number of dedicated senior contact persons in the water reticulation team who can be contacted by NSW Fire & Rescue to assist in the event of any fire. If required by Fire & Rescue the nominated staff member will attend any fire to help direct the operations of any water reticulation works staff who attend.

In addition to the above, additional staff resources are being committed to increase the focus on hydrant and valve maintenance. Over the past 12 months Council has been implementing the following Hydrant and Valve Maintenance Program.

·     Hydrants are inspected, internally cleaned, clearly marked and, where necessary, raised above the surrounding road/footpath to ensure they are accessible.

·     Valves have also been inspected, clearly marked, internally cleaned and where necessary raised above the surrounding footpath to ensure they are accessible.

These resources have now been augmented with additional staff and a team leader dedicated to overseeing a comprehensive valve and hydrant maintenance program, which will include, in addition to the ongoing hydrant and valve maintenance work,

·     Exercising every valve to ensure they operate correctly and are set in the correct position,

·     Undertaking pressure and flow testing of all hydrants, and

·     Ensuring all valves and hydrants are fully accessible and visible to users.

This team will focus on high risk areas as a priority including commercial areas (CBD), industrial areas, schools, and known low pressure areas. As this work progresses it will be fully documented on Council’s assets system so that an up to date record of the network can be maintained and all water reticulation staff able to access this information electronically.

As has been the case in the past, Council staff will continue to liaise with NSW Fire & Rescue who currently advise Council on any issues they find which can potentially impact on the effectiveness of the network in relation to accessibility to water for fire-fighting.

Council staff are also actively involved in the incident de-brief process along with all other agencies who attended the fire. This process will provide these key fire response agencies with an opportunity to review all relevant issues related to this fire and make an appropriate assessment of any improvements which can be put in place, including those proposed by Council.

Independent assessment

Council will undertake a full internal review, with expert assistance as required, into the issues surrounding the events which led to the inadequate water flows in William Street on Saturday 11 February. The review will also include a detailed outline of the proposed process improvements going forward and assess these against current industry best practice.

The outcomes and any recommendations from this review will be reported to Council.

Other water reticulation improvement works

Council has funded a regular water main replacement program over many years, as the key long term asset management response to the challenge of ageing water infrastructure which does not meet current demands. This $300,000 annual program is focussed on replacing mains that have reduced flow capacity due to the age and condition of the pipes in key areas of the city, based on detailed network modelling, staff knowledge of the network and feedback from customers. The water main in Nile Street is currently being renewed as part of this program, and works are due to commence in William Street this week in conjunction with programmed road renewal works scheduled for March this year. As well repairs to the leak at the Dalton/McLachlan Street roundabout are programmed for this week.

 

     


Council Meeting                                                                                       21 February 2017

 

 

6      Closed Meeting – See Closed Agenda

The General Manager will advise the Council if any written submissions have been received relating to any item advertised for consideration by a closed meeting of Council.

The Mayor will extend an invitation to any member of the public present at the meeting to make a representation to Council as to whether the meeting should be closed for a particular item.

 In accordance with the Local Government Act 1993, and the Local Government (General) Regulation 2005, in the opinion of the General Manager, the following business is of a kind as referred to in Section 10A(2) of the Act, and should be dealt with in a Confidential Session of the Council meeting closed to the press and public.

Recommendation

That Council adjourn into a Closed Meeting and members of the press and public be excluded from the Closed Meeting, and access to the correspondence and reports relating to the items considered during the course of the Closed Meeting be withheld unless declassified by separate resolution. This action is taken in accordance with Section 10A(2) of the Local Government Act, 1993 as the items listed come within the following provisions:

6.2     Tender F2396 - Construction of Concrete Roundabouts & Additional Traffic Facilities

This item is classified CONFIDENTIAL under the provisions of Section 10A(2) of the Local Government Act 1993, which permits the meeting to be closed to the public for business relating to (c) information that would, if disclosed, confer a commercial advantage on a person with whom the Council is conducting (or proposes to conduct) business.

 

 


Council Meeting                                                                                       21 February 2017

 

 

6.2     Tender F2396 - Construction of Concrete Roundabouts & Additional Traffic Facilities

TRIM REFERENCE:        2017/295

AUTHOR:                       Wayne Gailey, Manager Works    

Reason for Confidentiality

This item is classified CONFIDENTIAL under the provisions of Section 10A(2) of the Local Government Act 1993, which permits the meeting to be closed to the public for business relating to (c) information that would, if disclosed, confer a commercial advantage on a person with whom the Council is conducting (or proposes to conduct) business.