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06/22/1993 - City Council Special
("C"*..' AGENDA SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING Tuesday June 22, 1993 5:00 p.m. Eagan Municipal Center Building I. ROLL CALL & ADOPTION OF AGENDA II. CONSIDERATION OF POLICY ON PAYING CLAIMS AGAINST THE CITY III. PRESENTATION ON VIDEO VEHICLE DETENTION SYSTEM IV. DISCUSSION WITH APRNRC & CONSULTANT ON PARK MASTER PLAN UPDATE V. ACTIVITY BASED COSTING VI. CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU VII. SPECIAL USE PERMIT/MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS SOCIETY/CUB FOODS OUTDOOR FUNDRAISER VIII. OTHER BUSINESS IX. ADJOURNMENT MEMO TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCILMEMBERS FROM: CITY ADMINISTRATOR HEDGES DATE: JUNE 18, 1993 SUBJECT: SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING/JUNE 22, 1993 At the last regular City Council meeting held on Tuesday, June 15, action was taken to schedule a Special City Council meeting for Tuesday,June 22 beginning at 5:00 p.m. Items for consideration at the special workshop are listed on the attached agenda and discussed in the following text. Consideration of Policy on Paying Claims Against the City At the June 15 City Council meeting, a claim presented to the City by Yvonne Hamblin for damage to her vehicle, which she alleges happened as a result of hitting a pothole, raised several questions regarding the City's policy in paying claims. In addition to the Hamblin claim, the City is also dealing with William and Cheryl Dusek over a claim that was denied for insurance coverage regarding damages to their residence which were incurred according to the Duseks due to an error in building inspections service. Enclosed on pages 5- through /? is a copy of the Hamblin letter to Mayor Egan with attachments and a memo prepared by the Director of Finance with certain attachments from the League of Minnesota Insurance Trust regarding the Dusek claim. At the last City Council meeting, the City Administrator was directed to review the City's policy for servicing claims that are presented to the LMCIT for processing. The Director of Finance and City Administrator would like a few minutes to discuss the issue with the City Council. If additional time is necessary in order to accommodate the time schedule for Items III and IV on the agenda, this matter could be continued for discussion until later on the Special City Council meeting agenda. Presentation on Video Vehicle Detection System City Councilmember Masin recently attended a symposium on transportation and heard a presentation by the Traffic Control Corporation on a video vehicle detection system. Councilmember Masin has asked that a similar presentation be made to the City Council and staff. For additional information on this product, refer to the attachment enclosed on pages /3 through/h. The City Administrator has allocated approximately one (1) hour for the presentation and questions. INFORMATIVE MEMO JUNE 18, 1993 PAGE TWO Discussion with APRNRC & Consultant on Park Master Plan Update Representatives from Barton Aschman Associates will be present to facilitate a discussion with members of the Advisory Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Commission and City Council on the Park Master Plan update. The purpose of the discussion is to familiarize City Councilmembers and advisory commission members with members of the ty rY consultant team, summarize the planning process and have a group participation that identifies current park and recreation issues. Enclosed on page 17 is a copy of a more specific agenda for that portion of the Special City Council workshop. The City Administrator and Director of Parks & Recreation are anticipating approximately an hour and a half for this portion of the meeting. Activity Based Costing The activity based costing study was presented as an agenda item for the Special City Council meeting that was held at 5:00 p.m. on June 15. Since there was not adequate time to discuss this agenda item at that meeting, it was deferred until the June 22 workshop. If any member of the City Council needs an additional copy of the 61 page study, please contact the office of the City Administrator and a copy will be forwarded to you prior to the meeting. Convention & Visitors Bureau City Councilmember Masin has requested that the Convention & Visitors Bureau matter be placed on the workshop agenda to discuss the process as to whether the proposed Convention & Visitors Bureau should be heard by the City Council as a formal agenda item prior to the EDC's finalization of their strategic planning process. As you will recall, the concept of the Convention & Visitors Bureau was recommended by the Economic Development Commission and approved for further study by the City Council. At its meeting of May 25, 1993, the Economic Development Commission approved the format for the CVB with certain modifications and recommended it to the City Council for consideration. There was also direction given to the City Attorney's office to prepare an ordinance and format for a working agreement for the CVB. The City Attorney's review was not completed in time for the June 15 City Council agenda and the plan has been to present the ordinance agreement and EDC findings to the City Council for consideration at the July 6 meeting. Councilmember Masin's question was whether the Convention & Visitors Bureau, similar to the Dakota County Partnership, be delayed for consideration by the City Council until after the Economic Development Commission has completed its review and recommendations to the City Council regarding the City's economic development goals. • INFORMATIVE MEMO JUNE 18, 1993 PAGE THREE The EDC has adopted its recommendations on its mission and the City's economic development goals. The recommended goals retain many of the aspects of the City's existing economic development goals with some additions. A presentation in that regard will be scheduled for a future City Council workshop. In the meantime, the EDC made findings and has a recommendation regarding the CVB. The EDC recommendation includes findings that the CVB responds to all of the City's existing economic development goals and three of the goals in particular: 1) Enhance the Image and Visibility of the City, 2) Attract Primary Dollars from Outside of the Community and 3)Retain,Expand and Diversify Retail and Service Facilities for Eagan Residents, Employees and Businesses. The CVB was approved in concept by the EDC and City Council with direction to staff to develop the appropriate documents for final review. Those documents have been completed and were recommended to the Council with amendments by the EDC. Those amendments have been incorporated and the item was scheduled.for Council consideration on July 6. The two step approach was chosen by the EDC to insure that the Council supported the general idea before expending additional staff time on it. The City Administrator will require direction from the City Council as to whether the Convention & Visitors Bureau should be scheduled for Council consideration at the July 6 meeting as recommended by the EDC. Special Use Permit - Multiple Sclerosis Society/Cub Foods Outdoor Fundraiser Enclosed on pages /ithrough 120 you will find a staff report relative to a special use permit application by the Minnesota Multiple Sclerosis Society for a fundraising activity proposed to be held at the front of the Cub Foods location at Cliff Lake Center. The dates of the event are June 25, 26 and 27. The MS Society submitted a special use permit application in late May and were contacted in early June requesting additional information to permit completion of the staff report for Council consideration. Unfortunately, the additional information was not submitted until June 15 and, as a consequence, it was not in order for consideration by the City Council at its meeting that evening. Given the timing of this item, staff is presenting it for Council consideration at Tuesday's special meeting. Ordinarily, special use permits require public notice of all property owners within 200 feet of the subject location. In this case, the only property owner affected is the Ryan-Hoffman Partnership which owns the properties on all sides of Cub Foods. Ryan-Hoffman has been contacted to determine whether they would waive the notice requirement in this case and a copy of the staff report has been faxed to them for their consideration. Ryan-Hoffman has indicated to the City that they have no objection to this temporary permit and have waived the notice requirement. 3 INFORMATIVE MEMO JUNE 18, 1993 PAGE FOUR If approved, the permit shall be subject to the conditions noted in the staff report. In particular, a condition requires that the booth be erected in such a fashion that its operation does not create interference with vehicular traffic circulation in front of the store. ACTION TO BE CONSIDERED ON THIS ITEM: To approve or deny a special use permit for the Minnesota Multiple Sclerosis Society to allow a fundraiser outside the Cliff Lake Cub Foods on June 25-27, 1993 as presented. /S/ Thomas L. Hedges City Administrator TLH/vmd JUN 1 4 June 9, 1 Dear Mr. Mayor, !' This letter is reference to our recent telephone conservation concerning my recent accident due to a pot hole. This happen on March 6, 1993, my tire was damage and tire rim from hitting the pot hole. I 'm not familiar with Bue Rue Drive, therefore I had no knowledge of the pot hole in the street. I submitted the expenses to the City of Eagan for payment for damage that occured on March 6, 1993. The City has refuse to pay for the damage. This has cause me great hardship the City will reconsider my claim. I 've lived in - and hopefully h y Y P Eagan for the past 6 years and I 'm a tax paying citizen. I feel the City is liable due to the fact, the pot existed and they were not doing their jobs. Having very little knowledge about the area, I ran in the pot hole and damage a brand new tire, which was less than 6 months. I 'm very depressed, the City refusal to pay me for the damage. Please reconsider my claim for damages that I suffer, the street and looking forward to hearing due to the pot hole in g g from Y ou and receiving a checks in the amount of $242. 00. My receipts are enclosed for your information. I can be reached at 376-3200 at work and my home number is 456-5633. Thanking you in advance for your assistance. liSincerely yours, 4"141VIIC ��6M' % X, Yvonne D. Hamblin , , / n c,...,-,6 mA)OR CREDIT cams 42 CUSTOMER - INVOICE el r ar ..............„. ...,.. . ,,,r ;2 ,riAkCycfu.fs...;10r::p7INCAltumaDot WI _7• • iARAIIIIRVICIF --,-,..---,1. . .29N-009652 NUMcl 14 , .-'- .----i-.1.7.1KIC.R;1-t-k NUMF5T14 c t iAmE . FIRESTONE STORES ditift„,,,,'4 •••.• if.,..‘,...',. 1399 TOWN CEIhITER DR Li I II u s 1 ADLOt...% i',... ;; .; i ., ' - / 4 surrE is , u TICKET NUMBER I CD 0 r " MAN, MN 55121 —— 0 4 9 0 51 6 Ir'`"' 6 YEAR Ae, NU el.SIAII. .Ilte..12',a A...A ---4.$,,,,. , I i.t.•.I.,.,, , s:.... .1 „if.'"... 1 ' I, SINE ZiP COM ,'''•L. ,'•-J'-ef;.; CR • miSCEuANEOus (6 I 2)4544260 X I/ ": 4.. .3?- 3 ..2 / CODES YOUR SERVICE ADVISOR -OuR WS re—HICK fiRESTOrif TIRE&SERVICE CENTERI.,4161aNWQQ1MITED WARRANT?-ON : _ ___..LEAVING.•...41;;10.4.46i4aggar-- .........--..... P M A AUTOMOTIVE SERviCt 1:.,I-Cm 0 MONTHS OR 6000 MILES-WHICHEVER COMES fool. YIME IN TIME PROMISED ___________,5_t.--.7344.:7--• II/ /1 /I / ' 7/ — ,.. .1.) ' I ;#1.:"; iI,.,%;.•.4.4.-:.4-'''l"' , n 1 .v..:..LR * ' i OTY ..._ UNIT PRICE PARTS DESCRiPToON 14 ERTEN& , ,,, .) ,— —t4, , . , .. -Ii---7 , ', ,..1 . ..• _, . % .. . . ,.., , ,, , ,,.., ....,.....--,......- , -- r . . , :: ‘..) /- 2---',-; 1 7,e;-zA7-Ze>-&-7e....-e_,__.--- !..., ,'-,...... :- . , ..........:*--1-L""4"-.............4....4.3.44‘. ...,_ . I' L) ( e 1 -- - --•- .' ' .. i., ...Er , ' - • • • --1..........rEiri-.'-'-111011111 -.... . . 'A,.4••••-,.. . 4 r /".: , ' - , • / f•,: 1 ( ( 1 ALL PARTS NEw UNLESS SPECIFIED OTHERVviSE 14 TAXABLE FOR STORE Sr ONLY- 4:44— .:: 1.11 ' ,..) . 01... . . TOTAL PARTS, TIRES AND BATTERIES . • • TAXABLE L -. 147 . 9'. TOTAL i,_ 152 . 9 46 AMBER * OTY UNIT PRICE PARTS DESCRIPTION EXTENSICE 'ALES TAX . i 9 . t • . , TOTAL SALE t 162 . 46" PP —KEY SEQ, O., 08023 ,..•••. • E. 3 , — Lk'v in.() R.T -i-- -- - - - •- tR TOTAL LABOR . p. .- Amsznig. RE-vISED E5lImAIL REVISED I SI vAAI t APPRO,i44 k.44 CLINIACIED --••— PARTS -' • F• 11 a 1,1 satit IJU :EDGE THAT I HAVE REVIEWED THIS ESTIMATE OF REPAIR AND SERVICE WORK. •1014iZE THE ABOVE WORK TO BE DONE INCLUDING THE INDICATED PARTS L.,,II/Iii,,,R. . ND PROMISE TO PAY FOR ALL SUCH WORK. I GRANT PERMISSION 10 OPERATE , - ED CAR. TRUCK OR VEHICLE ON STREETS, HIGHWAYS OR ELSEWHERE FOR THE by 1 4SPECIION AND/OR TESTING I UNDERSTAND THAT ALL CLAIMS AND RETURNS TOTAL ' ' i 1 DMPANIED BY THIS INVO:CE ESTIMATE _P- , - • .. DO NOT REQUEST THE RETURN OF REPLACED PARTS I HAVE RECEIVED GOODS AND/OR SERVICES AND AGREE 10 PAY AND COMPLY WITH MY CARDHOLDER AGREEMENT WITH THE ISSUER. =x siGNAluo _____._ READ IMP RTANT CONSUMER INFORMATION ON BAcel . . . ..... 1 --- , 1 . 1 , . - 1 i I ♦ 1 y t _. -.. ff r�3 � -�r4•r S ti . i.r , . ,fy� yu m CD 11 L1 _ C a 23 D 4 • E t: ,14 ..4 4 :• 1 3 -�i r v . a x `' 4 ' m • r n m y + * - � D t1) m 23 47 Z at f � 7 i. /] D p k ., ros..,,,;.,,, _ • -� 4, h rhw iI : ' •• � . -icy.... "'.3� 1..�.a.'..�ltr+f ...$ 1 �,' Cy 1 ►+ -i III t . ,, tit <. ■ • 0 o a; , �, r N •.t a -: 2.u) 1* ? mzz i•z ), ,� o m 4DN -t mT < c�•° zZ ` r ,`' _ 9 1 mm ' Z 3 XI _ X /4Z00 c m C0O 4 ChUHZ = m mom - m I • 04 Xm D .c \ N o O C = a w 11 3 Z _ � 3 -iG� d o x � ZXZ m = m s-` woo - CA A X) MDD 3 CI X' 0 D " 0UI ' C _ �` £ - 1 UI 0 -I D — c X10 ' 0 N co Z N --I A • m —{ 8 • I 3 O 4`' 'w der-4 „..4,,} ^O L s • wi 1 •z 3 ,e ;,1:1 �{per.. Zn •�i .�' *.•Z == > ,a , I . % . : c " -io mo13 cn •-i < 'i l + r35 # , a-,N If +' ill •a rm mZ D O • 4.., r. . r..: `, .l? T.A* '' i "um, I • • :;;• • •1• • ,• at `..1 A,. y .. 7y- W W 0 •• «v • /0�' �� m ,,.0 py- ,•-• ,'> J':ss cr.- c.'-`_ - '' t0 NI 1 0 • i y--. `'m RSA 0 rR .•.'.-,)„'•`r i 7.:. a • r"� T'�i ,-� I 1 © TO REORDER PLEASE CALL LC FORMS(800)334-A523 • ,� LCR-0722 •{� .= U 0 J 0 ; J J ,J •J J = O (.� J J �= v +. J k MEMO _city of eagan MEMO TO: CITY ADMINISTRATOR HEDGES FROM: FINANCE DIRECTOR/CITY CLERK VANOVERBEKE DATE: JUNE 14, 1993 SUBJECT: DUSEK CLAIM/INSURANCE COVERAGE During the course of our recent meeting with Doug Reid, you asked that I prepare a memo raising issues that should be considered by the City Council as we attempt to formulate a City policy or position regarding the payment of claims against the City. Some issues are specific to the Dusek claim while others are more general. Prior to raising issues regarding claims against the City, perhaps a broader look at insurance coverage in general would be helpful. Excluding workers compensation and health, there are basically two types of insurance coverage. First, there is coverage for damage to things that the City owns such as buildings and vehicles. In those types of claims there is a direct one-to-one relationship between the LMCIT and the City. We pay the premium and any claims payment is made to the City or to a vendor on the City's behalf. When Mrs. Dusek says that insurance companies always say no as a starting point and you need to challenge them;that strategy applies fairly well to this type of claim. Second, there is coverage for things that happen to other people or their property for which they feel the City has responsibility. This coverage takes two forms, that being defense against the claim and payment of the claim should liability be established on the part of the City. The City's informal policy has been to aggressively attempt to recover from insurance the maximum amount possible under the first type of claim. Under the second type, where the liability factor needs to be established, the City has turned all information and processing over to the LMCIT claims people, cooperated fully in their investigation and, finally, abided by the results. We have been very reluctant to tell the adjusters how to settle the claims or even how to conduct their investigations. Our interest has been to make sure that the claimant is treated in a courteous, fair and professional manner which is the City's general standard of customer service. In all cases, we look at insurance payments as a disbursement of City money not as a funding source to make a payment we would not otherwise make directly from the City. S INSURANCE COVERAGE JUNE 14, 1993 PAGE TWO The balance of this memo will address the second type of coverage regarding City liability and payment. The basic problem with the City's current policy is that it tends to set up an adversarial relationship between the claimant and the adjuster and,eventually,the City. It seems that the policy issue is whether or not a more liberal interpretation of liability translated to more payments to improve public relations is a desired approach. In my opinion, the City cannot unilaterally change the liability.determination and remain a participant in the LMCIT. I have attached a copy of the LMCIT Claims Philosophy which generally controls the current process. I have also attached copies of suggested responses to claim notices. The alternative would then be for the City to make certain payments outside of the insurance claim process. These payments would be made without a strict determination of liability and would definitely enhance public relations with the benefitting claimant. I don't think they would necessarily be very popular with the overall community, however. The following are three general examples of claims which illustrate this situation: 1. The City received a claim for $242.50 for repairs to a vehicle resulting from hitting a pothole in a City street. Since the City had no prior knowledge of the pothole and fixed it upon notice, there was no liability and no payment. The result is that we saved $242.50 and picked up a great deal of ill will. From an insurance standpoint, this claim was handled correctly. From a public relations standpoint, at least one person is not happy. Citizens in general have not commented because they do not know about the claim. 2. The City received notice of sewer back-ups into the basements of two (2) houses. Staff worked with both property owners to get the messes cleaned up - no immediate effort was made to determine liability. One claim which involved a finished basement is expected to be about $2,000, the other with an unfinished basement is expected to be about $500. The LMCIT has determined that the problem with the sewer line was caused by a contractor and the City is not liable for payment. The adjuster has offered to pass information along to the property owners which will help them in making a claim against the contractor. My expectation is that it will be difficult to recover from the contractor as well. 3. With the Dusek claim, the City was asked to pay $9,600 for repair work on a three- season porch which was not properly constructed. The Duseks claim the damages would not have occurred if all inspections had been properly completed. The City acknowledges that not all inspections were made. Finally, LMCIT concludes that because of the law regarding inspections and public safety, the City has no liability to pay on the claim. The City, to my knowledge, was not asked to be a party in the solution until the higher than expected bill arrived. 7 INSURANCE COVERAGE JUNE 14, 1993 PAGE THREE The issue, I believe, becomes: Does the City want to make payment on claims for which there is no strict liability per insurance coverages? If the answer continues to be no, than no change is required and some ill-will is expected as claimants get an answer they do not want to hear. If the answer is yes, meaning the City will be making payments outside of the insurance system, the following items need to be addressed: 1. Is the City Council going to decide what the payment should be on a case-by- case basis? What kind of system is going to be put in place to screen/ process claims? 2. Since payment is usually viewed as an admission of liability, how can subsequent exposure be limited? For example, if the pothole claim should become an accident involving personal injury, how does the City get back out of the claim? This could happen at any time and with any subsequent pothole. If the $200 sewer back-up claim becomes larger because of structural damages or personal injury, how much is the City willing to pay? 3. What is the funding source going to be for uninsured claims that are paid? 4. Do all claims require the same response, can there be a different system for residents versus non-residents? Should the size of the claim impact the City's response? 5. Is it appropriate for the City to always use statutory immunity when available or is there a greater, although undefined, fairness or reasonableness doctrine that should be implemented? 6. I do not believe there should be any change to the existing process without clear City Council direction and the establishment of a detailed Council policy. 7. The City has routinely paid for mail box replacement when damages are claimed resulting from snow plowing. This has been based on the requirement of box location by the post office and previous City Council action. I believe I have outlined the issues generated through your review of the Dusek claim. If you have additional questions or would like to discuss this matter, please let me know. 9Director/City Clerk cc: Doug Reid Attachments EJV/jeh !!! LI I League of Minnesota Cities LMCIT CLAIMS PHILOSOPHY The League of Minnesota Cities Insurance Trust (LMCIT) is an intergovernmental organization which operates self-insurance pools for cities pursuant to M.S. §471.98 - 471.982. Its purpose is to provide municipalities within the State of Minnesota an alternative to the commercial insurance market. LMCIT's philosophy is guided by the principle that this program belongs to the member cities; it is owned and controlled by the cities themselves. The LMCIT Board of Trustees consists of city officials. Accordingly, any time that we take action, we must be prepared to justify that action to the LMCIT Board. Recognizing that LMCIT funds are public money belonging to members cities, we have a fiduciary responsibility to spend these funds only when actually owed. To do otherwise would be to make a gift of public funds. The Trust is a partnership of its member cities. Therefore, we recognize the importance of listening and being receptive to city officials' views and opinions regarding settlement, investigation, and any other issues arising. (However, this does not mean the city controls the decision making process.) Recognizing these concepts then, our claims handling should include, but not be limited to prompt contact with city officials, witnesses, injured parties, and claimants; proper determination of coverage; accurate and complete investigation; and finally, responsible analysis and conclusion. In completing these broad tasks, the Trust strives to demonstrate the skills necessary to establish common ground, empathy, and rapport with all of those we come into contact with. LMCIT also recognizes that municipalities and government in general play a significant role in the day to day lives of all citizens. Consequently, governmental entities often become fairly open targets and their actions undergo much scrutiny. This may give rise to a greater number of claims. Accordingly, the Trust makes a very conscious effort on behalf of its members to evaluate all of the elements of a claim file. In principle, the Trust is resistive to the properly P P payment of damages in frivolous or nonmeritorious cases. Emphasis is placed on consistency in coverage construction and in settlement decisions. Over the years, the Trust has tried to establish a reputation so as to deter the filing of frivolous or nonmeritorious claims. LMCIT's growth since the early 1980's has allowed it to develop a coverage product, superior to those available elsewhere. In construing coverage, our goal is a fair and literal reading of the actual language of the coverage document. We do not look for excuses to deny coverage; nor do we adjust based upon "intent." 3 // DEALING WITH THE INJURED PARTY - What to Say - DO DO NOT BE - courteous - admit fault or liability - compassionate - promise to pay - concerned - consistent (fair) DEALING WITH THE INJIMED PARTY J what to Do ' - "Just the facts" 1. Write Down y,. * What happened * What was said by you and to you _ * Extent of observed injuries or damage 2. Physical evidence (photos and things) - * Prese rve all physical evidenc e_ a n d document en t st- orage - 3. Contacts * City employee reports incidents to * If citizen feels that city is responsible they should contact 16t7# 100d Ytd91 :Z0 C6-91-90 LtLZ9Z6ZT9t X96=2I l' ,rf 1J PCB �' Doik 'i fi ' l'imi CO Y q ad 'AC �e�rlla� roJtf ECONOL1TE aa. Phan/it 92.5-yyy7 a. CONTROL PRODUCTS. INC. Pax�, 49/... ��f2_ Fax ft ? -5, 2 4.7 , AuToscopETm. ,1290 , . ,.i....;:._:.. _ _,„,. _::::i.,,3. .. Video i le Detecti yste } � r N c Atb1 c sY Features 2 . Ft �1- t T,' i? • Eliminates Imbedded loops ,� �` _.ti. .4(1,01-- �Y __ X44 a .,,. 4 r"x I r e , • Shows detections in real time , r .. -fits • Rated for use in traffic cabinet ,. 5Z0£ • Compatible with TSil170M79 or TS2 ' . ,, • Choice of hardware for 32 or 64 - gib s Lett-10,-11. . , :. .1F 4-, detector outputs �.,_ Y • Choice of 2 or 4 video inputs , ;: _ �- :�, � . ��_ F -4 .-fitt , ._zi► • Collects real-time traffic statistics ._R -1 •- - - . • For temporary as well as permanent - f i'"�`� _ . �` installations t i4s}„a , e r _. � • Field-proven concept since 1989 =.1 -_-: ` ,,4 AUTOSCOPE-2003 with sea monitor. Overview to 64 detector outputs,which can be con- documented to be equal to that of loops. AUTOSCOPE-2003 is a wide-area vehi- netted directly to a controller. A system Pattern recognition algorithms assure cle detection system which uses video with four suitably located cameras can proper performance under challenging imaging to replace inductive loops in replace the inductive detection subsystem lighting, weather and traffic conditions, multiple lanes and multiple directions of of even a large eight-phase intersection, including dusk, nighttime, shadows, re- • traffic. It accepts inputs from up to four from the loops to the loop amplifiers. flections, rain, snow and fog, as well as video cameras overlooking the roadway AUTOSCOPE can also capture traffic congested or stopped traffic. and the detectors are drawn graphically data on a per-detection or per-time inter- The present model is the evolution of on a video monitor using a mouse.Differ- val basis for later analysis. technology developed and tested by the logy P� y ant types of detectors can be selected,and AUTOSCOPE technology offers a long- University of Minnesota Center for the detection zones may be placed any- term and cost-effective solution to the in- Transportation Studies beginning in where and in any orientation within the tersection detection.traffic management, 1984.Model 2002.the predecessor prod- combined field of view of the cameras. surveillance and control concerns of to- uct, has been commercially available Special speed trap detectors can extract day and tomorrow, since earl 1991 as a tool for traffic re` vehicle speed and vehicle classification as y defined by length. search.Model 2003 is the result of a joint Field Proven agreement between Econolite and Image AUTOSCOPE-2003 is designed for out- Sensing Systems.Inc.of St.Paul,Minns- door installation in a traffic cabinet. It The patented technology used by AUTO- sots for the development of an environ- meets NEMA TS I/TS2 and 170/179 en- SCOPE has been field tested since early mentally hardened version with detector- vironmental requirements.It provides up 1989. and detection accuracy has been level outputs. 1 0 0' 30tid /3 NW—1081N00 0 I ddtlell W021d P1 :61 66 . G I N(lf ' JUN 15 ' 93 13: 16 FROM TRAFFIC CONTROL—MN PAGE . 002 Benefits Freedom from coops. Video detection r- avoids the maintenance expense associ- ated with imbedded loops, which have t C= with R6-17+0 composite been called the least reliable component ;` video of a traffic control system.Not only do theme loops themselves fail,but the sawcuts re- quired for their installation and frequent RS-170 re-installation weaken the roadway and ° I! ii -"Di I are a source of road erosion. • ■ f ° - - - Visual feedback. Video detection shows ° ® ® „ 3 ® • • the detection zones superimposed on im- �" ' ri ages of traffic.The detection lines change - - brightness or color on a video monitor, RS-170 .- ..+. -- RGB a > _ x thus providing visual verification of de- Detecbr I/O to traffic cabinet Supervisor computer ROB sync Lector actuations. TS1/17o/178 or TS2 compatible with VGA screen and video monitor Site flexibility. Video detection is feasi- digitizer board bie at sites where it would be very expen- sive or impractical to install inductive Typical AUTOSCOPE-2003 setup, loops and their cable runs. Such sites in- The supervisor computer is used for detector programming and data analysts. elude freeways,bridges,tunnels, and in- The video monitor shows vehicle detections as they occur. tersections involving a bridge, railroad backs or light rail tracks. 1 Powerful and economical. Video detec- tion allows the implementation of ad- For most standard applications, the sys- Systell't Hardware vaned detection strategies which require tern will support at least 48 detectors. in- different detector types and a large num- terface hardware is available for 32 or 64 Overview ber of detection zones.Video is more eco- detector channels and direct connection to nautical than inductive loops when the a NINA TSI, NEMA TS2, Type 170, The video detection system consists of number of detection zones is large- as Type 179 or SCATS controller. Detector from one to four synchronous television - required for 1VHS. The typical installed types include stop line presence detectors, camera(s) or other video source(s), the cost of an inductive loop system for inter- left turn pocket detectors,directional pas- AUTOSCOPE-2003 unit, a supervisor section control is $1,000 per loop. This sage detectors and speed trap detectors. computer and an ROB video monitor. cost is several times higher in case of a AUTOSCOPE may be mounted in a traf- '[lraf freeway installation. 8c Surveillance. AUTOSCOPE can tic cabinet or in a control room. augment existing video traffic surveil- Easy to install. Video detection can be lance systems by extracting quantitative The supervisor computer and a video installed without disturbing the roadway data from the video signal. It can count monitor may be temporarily connected to or traffic flow.Once the basic hardware is vehicles in real time and compute the AUTOSCOPE via cable or modem to on site,the detection zones can easily be average of traffic parameters over user- program a detector configuration or re- redefined or repositioned on a video defined time intervals or time slices)as irieve cored data. Once a detector con- screen to adapt to changing traffic control follows:volume per lane,flow rate,lane figuration has been downloaded into or data collection requirements. occupancy in percent,vehicle length clan- AUTOSCOPE, the supervisor computer Designed for growth. The heart of sification,headway between vehicles(in and video monitor may be disconnected. AUTOSCOPE-2003 is a 486SX compu- ponds) and vehicle speed (in mph or AUTOSCOPE will then operate inde- pendently,Many of the unique vehicle detection ) pendently,providing detector outputs and and data capture capabilities are provided S Studies: Video detection is storing traffic data in its internal non- and volatile flash memory.The same portable by software, which will continue to deal for temporary installations and spe- supervisor computer and video monitor evolve to make the system even more cial studies,such as traffic data collection may be used with multiple AUTOSCOPE versatile in the future. by a planning department, a traffic con- u nits. sultant or a university.AUTOSCOPE can Applications capture vast amounts of traffic data in its When the supervisor computer and video own non-volatile flash memory or on monitors)are connected,traffic data may Intersection Control. AUTOSCOPE- hard disk of the supervisor computer for recorded directly on disk and be dis- 2003,in conjunction with up to four video later off-tine graphing and analysis.The Played on the computer screen in both and formats.Vehicle de- canteras, can replace the loop detector video sources may be live cameras or pre- numeric graphic oizriats subsystem for real-time intersection con- viously recorded video tapes. The re- tractions superimposed on the image of trot.The number of detectors suggested in corded digital data is available in either traffic may be observed on the video software will vary with the application. ASCII format. monitor(s), iy Ra96% 16129252747 06-15-93 02: 15PM P002 #44 • JUN 15 '93 13: 18 FROM TRAFFIC CONTROL—MN PAGE .003 AUTOSCOPE Hardware - ,.; 1, '; :Kfi;� :t°"?rt a:.47 video interface panel for use inside the �': traffic cabinet. In addition to terminal .' Physically. AUTOSCOPE-2003 is an I .t_. electronic unit measuring 19"W x SS"H i °'4''.-'" ` blocks, items provide ground-fault x 101/4"D and suitable for either rack or Y.,:k',:-: interrupt circuits, ion trans arresters and shelf mounting. It has been designed for ;;` .; ' . ground-fault isolation transformers installation in a traffic cabinet and meets NEMA TS1 and TS2 environmental Functional Capabilities specifications, including the operating `` Detector Type and Placement mpenoure from •35°C to +74°C. It is :'f.;'^ modular and is based on the Intel 486 SX _ r. The detection zone may be placed any- microprocesaor.Non-volatile flash-rnem• Fes, .:., • t! where and at any orientation within the ory, which is used for program and data :' . combined field of view of the cameras. storage. may be 2 MB or 4 MB. Please Preferred presence detector configure- refer to the Ordering Guide for the list of dons are lines placed across or in-line available options. £rrvimnmentaily sealed video camera with lanes of traffic.A single detector line Supervisor Computer System Oh sunshield. can replace multiple conventional detec- P Y for bops connected in series The tninirnum supervisor computer s vehicle detections.Monitors furnished by �P Ys• Econolite include Sony Model PYM- Different detector types arse selectable via tem, as needed for detector setup and . 1341. software. These include advance detec- viewing of vehicle detections,consists of tors, stop-line detectors, left-turn pes- o supervisor computer,an AUTOSCOPE A 2400 or 9600 baud Hayes-compatible ence detectors,directional passage detec- Supervisor Digitizer Board and an RGB modem is optional to allow remote deter- tom and speed trap detectors.The latter sync video monitor.Three types of corn- tar setup and retrieval of data stored in report vehicle speed and classification puter may be used flash memory. based one of three user-defined length categories. 1. A laptop or portable computer that is Camera System s. carried to remote AUTOSCOPEs as From one to four medium-resolution Detector Programming needed for detector setup and retrieval of data monochrome or color video cameras maY Placement of the detection zones uses the be used for real-time vehicle detection. supervisor computer operating in the 2. An environmentally hardened corn- Econolite recommends dedicated cam- Windows 3.0 or 3.1 graphics environment - puter that is installed in the traffic eras for use with AUTOSCOPE, since and the RGB video monitor,A mouse is cabinet to store large amounts of traf- camera location is critical for most appli- used to draw new detection zones and to fic data. cations and the pan/zoom/tilt settings edit previously defined zones. Once a 3. A desktop computer located in a con- need to remain fixed to retain detector new detector configuration has been cre- trol mom environment where video configurations . aced,the supervisor computer system can signals are processed. Minimum camera specifications include display the detectors both on its own 383-line resolution, a 510 x 492 pixel VGA screen and on the RGB monitor The computer may be purchased from CCD sensing element, automatic gain, together with traffic. When a vehicle is Econolite or a third party.Minimum corn- autocratic iris and absolute black life- under a detection zone,the detection zone puter specifications are the following: reriae.The limits of changes in color or intensity,thereby •PC-compatible to prevent blooming viding visual verification of detection. 'tea icy are adjustable to prevent blooming n8 •386 processor during night-time hours.The camera fir- New detector configurations can be saved •MS-DOS 3.3 or MS-DOS 5.0 nished by Econolite is Berle Model TC to disk, and previously saved detector 65EA. Suitable lenses have power zoom configurations can be retrieved from disk •Microsoft Windows 3.0 or 3.1 capability or a fixed focal length in the 8 for downloading into AUTOSCOPE. •One full-size expansion slot to 48 mm range. as dictated by the sPe- This feature allows the same AUTO- •VGA monitor cific mounting radon. . SCOPE to be used with multiple cameras, •Mouse The camera and lens assembly am housed each with its own detector configuration. in an environmental enclosure that is wa- The preferred camera position is a mini- •4 MB of RAM terproof and dust-tight to NEMA-4 sped- mum height of 35 feet above or immedi- •1.44 MB floppy disk drive Ecetions to withstand bii3h-PessUm hose- ately adjacent to the roadway. Reliable • hard drive down. A 15-wan heater is attached to the vehicle presence detection it possible lens of the enclosure to avoid ice or con- over a range of several hundred feet.Ac- An Autoscope Supervisor Digitizer Board densation in cold weather.The enclosure curate vehicle counting, speed measure_ An by Econolite occupies one fill l- furnished by Econolite is Burk ModelTC meat and length classification require a size AT-compatible expansion slot. The 9393. steep viewing angle so as to minimize the xpans possibility of occlusion,where one signals from this board are used to drive Hardware shipped by Econolite with each ia another. an ROB sync monitor,which is used for camera system includes galvanised steel de cove detector programming and for viewing junction boxes for pole mounting and a /c R-96% 16129252747 06-15-93 02: 15PM P003 #44 - JUN 15 '93 13: 19 FROM TRAFFIC CONTROL-MN PAGE . 004 captured traffic data on the VGA screen of 4AglF: ltx- t,+ .x,. -I;g,_: ,r;; ,:, the supervisor computer in both numeric 1rderrng tide > ' ' and graphic formats. The data to be dis• , ( j' played can be selected by pull-down Make a maximum of one entry per • t�"�! I. menus and is shown in the form of win- r. .:. position and separate by hyphens. s'-4K- dews in the Windows graphics operating . .Example:2003-1-C1-M2-V2-E$ environment. .c." r When the supervisor computer is on-fine. Position 1:Base model number 4. -'7- -'''-' t it is also possible to automatically save 2003•AUTOSCOPE-2003 time-interval traffic data on hard disk as Poslton 2:Power supply the time intervals are completed and to 1=120 VAC,60 Hz Typical l i r e c a m e r a view save a l time data for individual vehicle Typical pits detection detections. The data ?=?A0 VAC,50 Hz Ines used for intersection control captured on disk is readily accessible in ASCII format for PO f-13: =i 2 4 Local Data Storage graphing or further analysis. One of the * SX4y tb 2 MB f�RAM' 9 benefits of AUTOSCOPE is that it auto- Positiot`�44:'Na�i:volatl1e moy =t matically provides the data needed for •: !.," When the supervisor computer is off-line, =,M2•=IMB AUTOSCOPE collects traffic data in its professional tables and graphs. ! ' �,`y ;:*;t4�.. ..,'' : own non-volatile flash memory, which vide ch Site Survey, Installation and Poatgonglideoolranne)s may be specified as 2 MB or 4 MB.This Treining vi-0, RS-170(NTSC)lapses data may be retrieved at any time via a modem and dial-up telephone lines.via a A pre-deployment site survey by an "6 `1` tchable oetpat ; =tf, private cable or fiberoptic network,or via Econolite representative is a prerequisite Yn=4RS-170(NTSC)inputs, ... direct cable Connexion to another com- for any AUTOSCOPE field installation. 2 swuchable outputs >. . putac If the data is not retrieved,the old- This survey will determine the required . Poadtion 8:lntertaee to'co elier est data is automatically overwritten by camera locations, the choice of lenses, ' (�software will support at DM data AUTOSCOPE can count vehi- and any special hardware that may be r ' Mgt detectors is most elm in reel time and compute the average needed. 1= 3 detector ° of traffic parameters over user-defined El:s 32 detector outputs: '' '.> .. time intervals(or time slices)as -define Feld installation is normally done by a f compatible with NEMA TS2':1r contractor hired by the user agency. A • x '.Type.I(one R5 85_hne). <<:': ❑ Volume:number of vehicles detected qualified Econolite representative will su- 82= 32 detector outputs,Compatible during the time interval. pervise the field installation for a mini- ;•`? with NEMA TS i. . ' 4 ❑ Occupancy, lane occupancy in per- mum of one day,load the AUTOSCOPE 83=32:detector outputs plus 32 .;_.: sent. software, and verify proper operation. 't>: *'.inputs(to'sense ile with ctioq=•- Two days of training will be provided to '' )•compatible arnb ;:. t3 Vehicle classification: number of NEMATSI. y;..compatible personnel of the user agency on the opera- automobiles, single unit trucks or E4�i 64 detector outputs,compatible tractor trailers,as defined by ten Lion, setup and maintenance of the s u, NE NIA y fir' AUTOSCOPE system d 71 Type 1(cv`'o s itiI liS-48513Aes) 3 ❑ Plow rate:vehicles per hour per lane. i `: Post-Sale Support 9iaet r g PsoeM, ❑ Headway: average time interval be- ` 1x t3 :*- —-viA351 : , mien vehicles. AUTOSCOPE hardware and software are _ 64 detector outputs plus 32 ❑ speed:average vehicle speed in mph warranted by Econolite for one year.Dur- inputs(to sense intersection or tied ins the warranty period,technical support phase),compatible with NEMA by telephone will be provided 24 hours `'t--P. - 1-a The duration of the time intervals is user- per day by qualified personnel within a :; selectable as 1,5, 10, 15,30 or 60 mill- turn-around time of one(1)hour. Quill- town M�bn ordered separately: .utes. The base flash memory of 2 M8 fled personnel will be on site within forty- -' allows the accumulation of IS-minute eight(48)hags If required. - computer Arne-interval traffic data for 48 detection 'ROB sync video monitor zones data for a minimum of seven days. elite is committed to a program of s One to four video cameras continuing development and support for • with awironmental enclosures Operation,Supervisor On-Line AUTOSCOPE, including hardware and '�!Cabling s�seta imsalisdon �' software. Software updates will be pro- ".# '4 ' ` .*,, _ When the supervisor computer is on-line, vided free of charge during the warranty vehicle detections can be viewed in real- period,then under a separate continuing • time as they occur on an ROB video support agreement. monitor his also possible to display the E C O N O L 1 T E 3360 E.La Palma Ave.,Anaheim,CA 92806.2856 P.0, Box 6150,Anaheim,CA 82616-0150 CONTROL PRODUCTS. INC. Phone:(714)630.3700;FAX(714)630-6349 /e ** TOTAL PAGE. 004 ** R=95% 16129252747 06-15-93 02: 15PM P004 #44