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Diamond Jo Parking Lot LightingCITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA MEMORANDUM June 19, 2001 TO: FROM: SUBJECT: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager Diamond Jo Parking Lot Lighting Building Services Manager Rich Russell is recommending that the City Council approve the issuance of a building permit to the Diamond Jo Casino to install three additional light poles in the parking lot east of their facility. The Casino understands that the installation would be temporary and the poles and fixtures may need to be replaced when the design standards for the Fourth Street Peninsula are completed. I concur with the recommendation and respectfully request Mayor and City Council approval. Michael C. Van Milligen MCVM/jh Attachment cc: Barry Lindahl, Corporation Counsel Cindy Steinhauser, Assistant City Manager Rich Russell, Building Services Manager CITY OF DUBUQUE, MEMORANDUM IOWA June 19, 2001 TO: FROM: RE: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager Rich Russell, Building Services Manager Diamond Jo Parking Lot Lighting INTRODUCTION: The Diamond Jo Casino is appealing to the City Council for permission to install three light poles in their parking lot. I have attached a copy of their letters to Bob Schiesl for your review. I have also attached a letter from the casino's insurance carder that strongly recommends the installation of additional lighting. BACKGROUND: On August 7th, 2000 the City Council adopted an Ordinance that established a building permit moratorium for the Fourth Street Peninsula ROD Redevelopment Overlay District. That Ordinance allows the City Council to direct the Building Services Manager to issue permits that the City Council believes would not negatively impact the master planning process for the Fourth Street Peninsula ROD Redevelopment Overlay District. DISCUSSION: The permit application indicates that three additional light poles be installed in the parking lot east of their facility. The Casino understands that the installation would be temporary and that the light poles and fixtures may need to be replaced when the design standards for the area are completed. CONCLUSION: I recommend that the City Councit find that no negative impacts would arise due to the issuance of this building permit and that I be directed to issue the same. CASINO April 28, 2001 Mr. Robert Schiesl Civil Engineer Engineer Division City Hall, 50 West 13m Street Dubuque, IA 520014845 Dear Sir: Please find enclosed the information you had requested in your letter dated April 13, 2001 regarding the installation of additional parking lot lighting in the east and west lots. We would appreciate your forwarding this information to the City Council for their consideration. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. Thank you. Director of Marine Operations KS/kb 3rd St. Ice Harbor · P.O. Box 1750 · Dubuque, IA 52004-1750 · Phone 3t9-583-7005 - Fax 319-583-7516 CASINO May 15, 2001 Mr. Robert Schiesl Civil Engineer Engineer Division City Hall, 50 West 13~ Street Dubuque, IA 520014845 Dear Sir: Enclosed please find a letter we recently received from Mr. Mark Stuckel, Account Executive with Zurich North America, our insurance carrier. As you can see from the letter, he is concerned about the lighting and the high frequency/number of incidents in the parking lots. Mr. Stuckel is also recommenddng that the exterior parking lot lighting be upgraded m "reduce the potential for further incidents" and has placed us "on notice" regarding th/s existing hazard. We would like to again ask that you please consider allowing us to upgrade the lighting in the parking lot areas. If you'd like to discuss this matter with either our insurance representative or myself, please feel free to contact us. Thank you for your consideration in this matter. Kevin Stier, Director of Marine Operations KS~b cc: Mike Koch Barry Lindahl 3rd St. Ice Harbor · EO. Box 1750 · Dubuque, IA 52004-1750 · Phone 319-583-7005 · Fax 319-583-7516 Zurich North America Middle Markets May 2, 2001 Ms. Natalie Sckramm Chief Financial Officer Diamond Jo Casino 3rd Street, Ice Harbor Dubuque, Iowa 52001 Re: Parking Lot Patron Incidents Dear Natalie: This letter is a follow up to our recent meeting at the Diamond Jo Casino to discuss the upcoming policy year. I would like to thank you for the opportunity to work with the Diamond Jo again this year. There is an area of concern that we feel needs to be addressed as soon as possible. A detailed analysis of losses and incident reports has indicated a higher than normal, frequency of accidents have occurred in the parking lot. To date, there have been at least 18 patron or employee parking lot incidents reported to the Diamond Jo Casino Security Department. Our analysis of the losses indicate that a main contributing factor in these losses has been the lack of adequate exterior parking lot lighting and warning signs. We are aware that the under the lease agreement for Which you operate the Diamond Jo Casino, you are required to gain approval from the City of Dubuque to add or alter the existing exterior parking lot lighting or signage. It is our understanding that efforts have been made by the Diamond Jo Casino to address the lighting and sign issue with the City in the past, with negative results. May 9, 2001 Page 2 Due to the high frequency of past incidents in the parking lot, we feel that additional incidents would be difficult to manage, as the Diamond $o has been "placed on notice" regarding this existing potential hazard. It is our strong recommendation that exterior parking lot tighting be upgraded to reduce the potential for further incidents. It is also our recommendation that warning signs be conspicuously placed throughout the parking lot. We ask that the Diamond Jo Casino make an additional effort with the City of Dubuque to seek approval for upgrading the existing exterior lighting. Please feel free to forward this letter onto to your representative with the City of Dubuque. Zurich is eager to assist you in any way possible to gain the approval of the City of Dubuque to improve the parking lot lighting. Please do not hesitate to call me at 312496-9657, if you have any questions regarding this issue. I look forward to working with you on resolving this matter. Sincerely, i Mark E Stuckel Account Executive Lawrence Carraro-Zurich R/sk EngmeerLng K. Steven KawaqRisk Management Consultants, Inc.