Rochester Hills Legistar System

Mr. Rousse, DPS Director, provided an overview of the Conservation Easements noting

the following:

* The question that has not been answered is who has the responsibility in maintaining

Conservation Easements?

* A recommendation was made to inventory and map out all conservation easements.

* Inventory would require an enormous amount of manpower hours in identifying

property corners, identifying encroachments into conservation easements and obtaining

a boundary survey.

* Encroachments can occur through cutting the lawn, planting shrubs and placing

permanent structures.

* A suggestion was made to contact the Oakland Land Conservancy and create a

partnership with them asking if they would be interested in helping the City with an

inventory.

Mr. Rousse stated that he would contact the Oakland Land Conservancy and report

back.

* A complicating factor is a prescriptive easement which means if a resident has been

maintaining an easement for a certain period of time, the law provides opportunity for

them to acquire that land.

* The cost of the City doing nothing allows the homeowner to obtain the prescriptive

easement.

Mr. Barnett questioned whether or not the current conservation map is accurate enough

to warrant sending letters to residents.

Mr. Rousse stated that the map is old and that they would have to do another map

and/or actual on site observation. Mr. Rousse continued his overview noting that the

Planning Commission establishes conservation easements for preservation of existing

habitat when a developer submits a plat.

* There are multiple types of easements:

* Tree Preservation

* Natural Feature Setback

* Land Conservation

* To prioritize these easements, an inventory must be done.

2005 DPS Replacement Equipment - Tap Crew Truck

Committee members discussed Street Lighting Policy it was noted that the City does not

have a clearly defined procedure for processing street lighting requests.

Mr. Rousse stated that he would like to formalize a policy or provide a procedure for

street lighting requests.

Committee members agreed that Mr. Rousse should develop a Street Lighting Policy.

Mr. Rousse stated that he would draft and present Street Lighting Policy before the

Financial Services Committee and the Traffic Safety and Advisory Board before

submitting it to Council for final approval.

Mr. Rousse, DPW Director, discussed his submission of a Capital Improvement Plan

projects for residential sump pump discharge drain issues noting the following:

* Projected costs are $1.9 million with an estimate of 83,000 feet of pipe.

* It is anticipated that these projects will correct problems several residents have with

their sump pumps discharging into their front yard and/or the road areas.

* When discussing the CIP projects, the issue of the City's Storm Water Policy was also

discussed, this policy states individual homeowner's are responsible for their own

drainage. Therefore, CIP project violates the Storm Water Policy.

* One problem was corrected, the project cost the City approximately $30,000 because

it was causing a public safety issue with ice covering the road.

* Other problem areas have been identified as public safety issues.

Mr. Barnett questioned whether or not it was the City's responsibility to go beyond winter

maintenance in keeping the road safe and passable. He further stated that the City

charges the homeowner for fallen tree service.

Mr. Rousse stated that that charge is for machinery and manpower.