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MINUTES OF THE <br />ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING <br />Monday, August 12, 2013 <br />7:00 o’clock p.m. <br />_____________________________________________________________________________________ <br />  <br />    Page 28 of 37   <br />(11. ORONO PUBLIC SCHOOLS – STOP SIGN REQUEST, Continued) <br /> <br />Struve stated what tends to happen is a bus will come out and block the intersection to allow the other <br />buses to exit, which will hopefully stop that practice. <br /> <br />Anderson commented she has seen it stacked from the earlier stop sign closer to 12 all the way to County <br />Road 6 and that it is something that will need to be monitored. Anderson stated there is also a problem <br />with students attempting to cross that road. <br /> <br />Levang asked what the distance is between County Road 6 and the new stop sign and then between the <br />new stop sign and the south stop sign. Levang commented there appears there will be a lot of stopping in <br />a fairly short area and asked whether there would be time to get up to full speed between those stop signs. <br /> <br />Police Chief Farniok indicated there is a succession of stop signs to accommodate the crosswalk and that <br />the City is not allowed install a stop sign only during certain periods of the day. Farniok stated the stop <br />sign would be more effective just in the mornings and afternoons but that cannot be done. <br /> <br />Farniok stated they have seen a migration of students crossing from the west side to the east side and that <br />he has attempted to work with the school district to help alleviate that situation. The students tend to <br />cross over to the middle school to catch the bus there since they do not want to sit on the school bus for <br />those extra minutes. In addition, the buses have to cross from the west side to the east side, which creates <br />more congestion and is a concern as well. Farniok indicated they are observing more and more conflict <br />with the students crossing and more and more near misses. As a result, the drivers are becoming more <br />aggressive by swerving into oncoming traffic to avoid the students. <br /> <br />Farniok stated the City will need to look at ways to make this area safer and that one of the concerns is <br />whether traffic will back up to County Road 6. Farniok stated the message needs to get out to the <br />students to use the buses but that they will monitor the situation if a new stop sign is added. <br /> <br />Levang asked whether something could be done to highlight the crosswalks. <br /> <br />Farniok indicated flashing lights could be placed at that area but the student would have to activate it. <br /> <br />Struve stated the distance from the stop sign at the south entrance to the north entrance is approximately <br />560 feet. Where the proposed 4-way stop is being discussed to County Road 6 is approximately 800 feet. <br /> <br />Levang commented it is rather unlikely that people will be able to accelerate to a high speed in that short <br />distance. <br /> <br />Farniok stated it would also bring more safety when there are events at the school. Due to the situation <br />with the students crossing, Farniok stated in his view this is a step worth looking at. <br /> <br />Struve stated adding two stop signs at $100 would be relatively inexpensive and the LED flashing lights <br />would cost about $15,000. Struve stated the next step would be up to the school district to possibly <br />pursue installing some of those activated flashing lights. <br /> <br />McMillan asked who would be monitoring County Road 6. <br /> <br />Item #02 - CC Agenda - 08/26/2013 <br />Approval of Council Minutes 08/12/2013 [Page 28 of 37]