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League of Municipalities Conference
Municipal Engineers Protocols & Considerations
Bill A2731
TTF Resolution
NJ Site Improvement Advisory Board (SIAB)
DCA - Special
Inspectors
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New Jersey Site Improvement Advisory Board (SIAB)
The SIAB held their most recent meeting on September 18, 2008. Under old business they continued a discussion on the request of Ocean Grove for a Special Area Standard with regard to parking. Ocean Grove has very little off street parking and they wish to continue that character with new development. The discussion was lively, with officials and residents of Ocean Grove participating. Ultimately, the matter was continued. Under new business four topics were listed. The first was a discussion on the incorporation of low impact development standards into the RSIS. Next the Board moved and approved the proposed code changes for the 2009 edition of the RSIS (see below). A discussion on acceptable alternative parking standards that better reflect local conditions followed. No clear position emerged as to what constituted an acceptable alternative parking standard or whether it needed Board action in the form of a waiver or could be decided locally. Lastly, amendments to the New Jersey Stormwater Best Management Practices Manual with regard to ground water mounding recommendations from the AWRA were held.
Proposed amendments to the RSIS are as follows:
- Language in two sections of the current code will move to other, more appropriate, locations;
- References to the Office of State Planning will be changed to Office of Smart Growth;
- Footnotes to figures and a table concerning street pavement requirements will be revised and updated with references to the latest edition of the NJDOT’s Standard Specifications for Road and Bridge Construction;
- Editorial and grammatical changes will be made; and
- Reference standards for corrugated polyethylene drainage pipe will be updated.
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Annual League of Municipalities Conference Next Week
Next week many of you will make the annual pilgrimage to Atlantic City to take part in the 93rd annual League of Municipalities Conference. As you know the NJSME will host its business meeting, its Awards Luncheon, and two joint panel discussions with other League Affiliates. A summary of our meetings is as follows:
Wednesday, November 19
| 8:30am |
Room 306 |
Past President’s Breakfast (invite only)
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| 10:00am |
Room 316 |
Business Meeting (all members welcome) |
| 12:00 noon |
Room 302 |
Awards Luncheon (registration required)
http://www.njsme.org/pdf/2008annualmeeting.pdf
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| 2:30pm |
Room 310 |
Joint Session with NJ Local Government Attorneys
Topic:
- Developer’s Agreements / Review of the recent Toll Bros. v. Burlington County Supreme Court case
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Thursday, November 20
10:00 am Room 409 Joint Session with Municipal Construction
Officials
Topics will include, but are not limited to:
- Jurisdiction – Where does the responsibility of the Code Official stop and that of the Municipal Engineer start?
- Accessible Routes – UCC, ICC ANSI and Getting the Building Official involved early in the process.
- Special Inspector Licensing – It’s now the law – are you ready?
- Communication Between the Municipal Engineer and Construction Official
- Prior Approvals
- Temporary Certificates of Occupancy
NJSME- Municipal Engineers Protocols & Considerations
The 10/1/08 NJCGA meeting at Rutgers CAIT featured a presentation by The NJ Society of Municipal Engineers. The NJSME is committed to the principle that open lines of communication with utility operators & excavators promote a collaborative effort that satisfies the needs of both Utilities and Communities. The following are key factors for consideration regarding underground utility projects within municipal rights-of-way.
Project Planning
Each November, Municipal Engineers are requested to present a Capital Budget for the following year along with a Capital Forecast for the following five years. The forecast includes a list of roads that will be affected by municipal construction projects, as part of the municipal budgeting process. The public is best served when municipal road construction projects are timed a year or less after the replacement of underground utilities.
Early communication of planned utility projects is the key. If plans are communicated early, the potential for collaborative projects is much greater, saving dollars on both sides for trench repair and final paving. Additionally, it reduces public annoyances in the process. It may also mitigate expensive call-outs for unplanned activities, emergency responses, missed mark-outs, or even excavator errors.
Public Notification
Municipalities publicly advertise capital construction projects, and frequently notify residents by mail service as follows:
- 90-day Public Hearing or Pre-bid Notice
- 30-day Award Hearing or Scheduling Notice
- 72-hour Construction Notice
- 24-hour Emergency Notice (service shutoffs/paving/property access).
Municipalities would like utility companies to provide similar notices, so that residents are not caught unprepared for road closures or service shutoffs.
Construction Protocols
Municipalities are being called upon to enforce adherence to standards. OSHA trenching requirements, MUTCD traffic requirements, and NJDOT pavement standards are all important aspects of a well run utility excavation project. Municipalities would also like to see more uniformity and timeliness in trench repairs and repaving - a 72 hour contractual maximum between excavation, milling and paving is a good guideline.
Construction Best Practices
The best utility contractors have pavement ready for the compacted trench at the end of every day. For winter fixes and newer pavements, infrared techniques are gaining popularity, due to the increased bonding between heated pavements. For multiple cuts in new pavement, a complete mill and pavement overlay is usually the best course of action.
Other Pointers and Guidelines
- Emergency Road Opening – apply promptly for permit
- Planned Excavation Notification – avoids scheduling conflicts with town & other utilities
- Permit Duration – unauthorized road closings can interfere with holidays & other projects
- Inspections – call for them
- Trench Compaction – too frequently overlooked
- Report Damaged Sewers -can cause flooding, road collapse, orsewerage in the home owners basement)
- Maintain Dialogue- Coordination & cooperation
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Bill A2731 Removes State Oversight for Certain Traffic Control Reguations
Bill A2731 was been approved by the Senate on October 23, 2008, and has now passed both houses of the State Legislature, thus it now sits on the governor’s desk awaiting signature. As of “print” of this MEQ, the bill has yet to be signed by the Governor but all indications are that he intends to sign it into law.
This bill would remove State oversight for many types of traffic control regulations, allowing municipalities and counties to enact a much broader category of traffic control regulations by ordinance, resolution or regulation, as specified in the bill. These regulations must be consistent with the standards of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). State approval would still be required for regulations on local roads that would affect a State Highway, and if roadways in neighboring municipalities or counties would be affected, appropriate notification is required. Additionally, the bill would eliminate existing requirements to submit copies of traffic control ordinances and resolutions to the State in all cases except those where State facilities would be affected. The following table summarizes existing and proposed requirements for State oversight of traffic control regulations:
Regulation Description |
State Oversight Required? |
Existing Law |
Proposed Law |
By ordinance, resolution or regulation: |
Prohibit general parking |
No (only by ord. or res.) |
No |
Designate accessible parking spaces |
No |
No |
Designate time-limit parking |
No (only by ord. or res.) |
No |
Install parking meters |
No (only by ord. or res.) |
No |
Designate loading zones |
No |
No |
Designate taxi stands |
No |
No |
Approve street closings for periods of up to 48 continuous hours |
No |
No |
Reinstate or add on-street parking |
Yes |
No |
Install in-street pedestrian right-of-way signs at crosswalks |
No (only by ord. or res.) |
No |
Establish bus stops |
Yes (only by res.) |
No |
By ordinance or resolution: |
Designate through streets |
Yes |
No |
Designate no passing zones |
Yes |
No |
By ordinance: |
Designate reasonable and safe speed limits |
Yes |
No |
Limit the use of streets to “certain classes of vehicles”, except that commercial vehicle use may not be limited without State approval. |
Yes |
No |
Install STOP or YIELD signs “at certain congested street corners or other designated points” |
Yes |
No |
Institute angle parking |
Yes |
No |
Install multi-way STOP control “at certain congested street corners or other designated points” |
Yes |
No |
Install traffic signals |
Yes |
Yes |
Regulate parking on the grounds of public facilities |
Yes |
No |
Install traffic control devices on the ground of public facilities |
Yes |
Yes |
Designate one-way streets |
Yes |
No |
Establish street car stops |
Yes |
No |
| Regulate entrances/exits to/from parking areas |
Yes |
No |
| Designate weight limits based on engineering study |
Yes |
No |
| Install multi-way STOP control within 500 feet of a school, playground or “youth recreational facility”, where the facility is contiguous with one of the intersecting streets, with the certification of the municipal engineer |
Yes |
No |
| Install speed humps on two-lane or one-way residential streets with a posted speed of 30 mph or less and fewer than 3000 vehicles per day. |
Yes |
No |
| Install speed humps on streets with a posted speed of 30 mph or less and fewer than 3000 vehicles per day that lie within 500 feet of a school or any property used for school purposes. |
Yes |
No |
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DCA - Special Inspectors
Effective November 6, 2008, licensed special inspectors are required for all Class I building projects. As of this writing only a handful of individuals have obtained this licensing. Take advantage of this opportunity for new business now!
In November 2006, the New Jersey department of community affairs adopted rules requiring the licensure of special inspectors for class I building projects. Special inspectors must now be used for the following categories of work on Class I structures:
- Concrete placement
- Prestressed concrete
- Reinforced concrete
- Structural masonry
- Structural welding
- Structural steel bolting
- Spray-applied fireproofing
- Exterior insulation finish systems (EIFS)
As licensed professional engineers, municipal engineers may qualify to receive special inspectors’ licenses without taking an examination. NJSME was instrumental in obtaining this amendment to the original rule proposal. Graduate engineers with a bachelor’s degree must show one year’s experience in the specialty and pass an examination outlined in the code. Graduates holding an Associate’s degree in engineering technology must have two years experience and pass the exam, as well.
Full details of this program may be obtained at – http://www.state.nj.us/
dca/codes , where you can download the necessary applications to obtain any of these licenses. Provisional licenses are available for use through June 30, 2009 if you can show the education and experience but have not yet taken the test.
Why not take advantage of this professional opportunity while the economy is poor. As of this writing there are less than thirty special inspectors for the entire state.
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