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CITY OF GARDEN RIDGE QUARRY COMMISSION CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL APPROVAL OF MINUTES INITIAL CITIZEN’S COMMENTS NEW BUSINESS AND DISCUSSION ITEMS Previous Month’s Blasting Data and Analysis Mr. Northrup said that there was no blasting on the west wall in August due to the rain and a reduction in product demand. The rain made stripping of the soil on the west wall difficult and the weak economy has slowed demand for aggregate. Old Business Berm Agreement – Since Mr. Early was in Austin on business, there was no report on the berm agreement. Ordinance 34 Mr. Northrup made the following comments concerning Ordinance 34. • Some vague areas such as Section F on monitoring. Ms. Cain reported that the City Attorney is in the process of preparing comments on the ordinance. Citizen Complaints - None. Grapevine Article Future Agenda Items - None. Seismograph Locations FINAL CITIZEN COMMENTS ADJOURNMENT Respectfully submitted by:
CITY OF GARDEN RIDGE QUARRY COMMISSION August 11, 2008 - 7:00 P.M. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL APPROVAL OF MINUTES INITIAL CITIZEN’S COMMENTS NEW BUSINESS AND DISCUSSION ITEMS Reappointments to the Quarry Commission Previous Month’s Blasting Data and Analysis Members of the Commission noted the July seismograph readings continued the low PPV readings from the previous three months. It was also noted that the peak air readings from blasts on the Blank property appear to be slightly higher than the previous months’ readings. Jack Stockberger opined the air readings from blasts on the Blank property should be slightly higher due to the open pit between the blasts and the Trophy Oak properties. Hanson Updates Quarry Tour OLD BUSINESS Ordinance 34 Citizen Complaints Grapevine Article Secretary Future Agenda Items Seismograph Locations Quarry Overflight FINAL CITIZEN COMMENTS ADJOURNMENT Respectfully submitted by:
CITY OF GARDEN RIDGE QUARRY COMMISSION CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL APPROVAL OF MINUTES INITIAL CITIZEN’S COMMENTS NEW BUSINESS AND DISCUSSION ITEMS Previous Month’s Blasting Data and Analysis Mr. Holly provided a spreadsheet with blast data and his experiences with blasts at his property in Trophy Oaks. He noted that the May 28th blast was very jolting. Members of the Commission noted that the May seismograph readings were very low and Mr. Stockberger said that the reduction in pounds per delay created the improvements in the readings. He will continue to adjust pounds per delay as necessary to maintain the low readings. Mr. Early reported that he estimated that the merger would be complete by the end of the year and that the new name for the company might be Lehigh Hanson, but that all matters related to the merger were still under discussion. When asked about blasting plans, Mr. Early said that blasting would begin on the Blank property on the north side of the quarry by June 11th and that the initial opening would be three thousand feet wide and ninety-four feet deep. Old Business Berm Agreement – Mr. Early reported that the berm agreement was on hold until the merger is completed, but that berm landscaping personnel had just started work for Hanson. Holcim Quarry Quarry Tour Ordinance 34 Citizen Complaints - None. Grapevine Article Secretary Future Agenda Items - None. Seismograph Locations FINAL CITIZEN COMMENTS ADJOURNMENT Respectfully submitted by:
CITY OF GARDEN RIDGE QUARRY COMMISSION May 12, 2008 - 7:00 P.M. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL APPROVAL OF MINUTES INITIAL CITIZEN’S COMMENTS NEW BUSINESS AND DISCUSSION ITEMS Previous Month’s Blasting Data and Analysis Mr. Holly provided a spreadsheet with blast data and his experiences with blasts at his property in Trophy Oaks. He noted that the April 10th and April 21st blasts were strong. Mr. Stockberger and Mr. Crownover noted that Austin Powder began triple decking in April. Triple decking divides each blast into three time delayed blasts using smaller amounts of powder in each of the delayed blasts. Mr. Stockberger also said that Austin Powder had changed the blast planning criteria from a “scaled distance” (SD) of fifty-five (55) to use a SD of eighty (80). This change is expected to lower the perceived blast severity. Mr. Stockberger said that three to four more blasts are planned in the corner of the quarry near Trophy Oaks. Old Business Berm Agreement – Work is continuing. Holcim Quarry Quarry Tour Ordinance 34 Mr. Holloway outlined the next steps as:
Citizen Complaints - None. Grapevine Article Future Agenda Items - None. Seismograph Locations FINAL CITIZEN COMMENTS ADJOURNMENT Respectfully submitted by:
CITY OF GARDEN RIDGE QUARRY COMMISSION March 10, 2008 - 7:00 P.M. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL APPROVAL OF MINUTES INITIAL CITIZEN’S COMMENTS NEW BUSINESS AND DISCUSSION ITEMS Previous Month’s Blasting Data and Analysis Mr. Holly provided a spreadsheet with blast data and his experiences with blasts at his property in Trophy Oaks. He noted that the February 19th and February 26th blasts were especially strong. Mr. Northrup said that he would review the parameters for the blasts on those dates to determine if an adjustment to blast timing is justified. Mr. Northrup took the floor to explain a blast on March 6th that registered a peak PPV reading of 0.56 at the Warden residence. This shot occurred in the “notch” area close to the Warden residence and was a “relief” shot to remove material between two walls in the northwest corner of the quarry. Mr. Northrup said that the reading was higher due to the difficulty in placing explosive holes in that area and the fact that the explosion occurred between two walls of the quarry. He expects that subsequent blasts in the northwest corner will have lower readings since these conditions will not occur again. Old Business Berm Agreement – No Status. Ordinance 34 Mr. Holloway reported that he had received comments from Mr. Mudge and Mr. Warden and requested that other comments be submitted as soon as possible. Mr. Blades will resend his comments. He is planning to complete a second draft by the next commission meeting and will hold a subcommittee meeting prior to that date. Mr. Mudge suggested that a PPV goal of fifty percent of the “Z” curve limit be included in the ordinance, and that weekends and holidays be excluded from blasting. Mr. Northrup suggested that the ordinance include a section reserved for new technologies such as electronic blasting caps. Citizen Complaints Grapevine Article Future Agenda Items
Seismograph Locations
FINAL CITIZEN COMMENTS ADJOURNMENT Respectfully submitted by:
CITY OF GARDEN RIDGE QUARRY COMMISSION December 10, 2007 - 7:00 pm CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL APPROVAL OF MINUTES INITIAL CITIZEN’S COMMENTS NEW BUSINESS AND DISCUSSION ITEMS Mr. Crownover reviewed the blasting analysis data from November. He reported that there were 14 blasts, with a peak PPV reading on November 16th of .335 at the Warden residence. The peak air (db) readings were 120.0db on November 5th at the Warden residence and on November 13th at the Michell residence. Four blasts were on the fifty foot face in the “notch” area near Trophy Oaks, five blasts were on the west wall, three blasts were on the floor, one blast was on the south wall, and one blast was in the West Texas Aggregate pit. The November 29th blast, near the clay fault line that runs through Trophy Oaks, was noted as being very strong by some attendees. Many of the blast readings were in the lower frequencies, but blast frequency readings were somewhat higher than in October. Mr. Early will continue working with the blasters to change explosive timing in an effort to increase frequencies. Mr. Early indicated that another ten to fifteen blasts were required to complete work in the “notch” area near Trophy Oaks. He also said that it would take six to nine months to complete all blasting near the Trophy Oaks development. When asked about the status of the berm line, Mr. Early indicated that the agreement to not mine past the berm line could not be finalized until the merger between Hanson and Heidelberg was completed. However, the initial indications are that the material in this area is of poor quality which makes mining less likely. Two citizen complaint forms were filed and Quarry Commission members will contact those citizens for further information. Old Business Ordinance 34 RFQ Grapevine Article Future Agenda Items Seismograph Locations FINAL CITIZEN COMMENTS ADJOURNMENT Respectfully submitted by:
CITY OF GARDEN RIDGE QUARRY COMMISSION May 14, 2007 - 7:00 P.M. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL Jerry Warden called the meeting to order at 7:01 p.m. in the Municipal Courtroom. A roll call was conducted. Commission members present included Cindy Miller, Richard Holloway and Jon Janovec. Chairman Robert Gunnarson, Larry Blades and Tom Parsons were absent. Ex-officio member Russ Sanders and City Administrator Nancy Cain were present. Ken Early of Hanson, Karl Christopherson and Jack Stockberger of Austin Powder, and Joe Crownover of Vibra-Tech were present. Four citizens were in attendance. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Mr. Holloway made a motion to approve the April 9 minutes as written and Mr. Janovec seconded the motion. It passed unanimously. INITIAL CITIZEN’S COMMENTS There were no citizen comments. NEW BUSINESS AND DISCUSSION ITEMS Previous Month’s Blasting Data and Analysis Quarry Site Visit, Blasting Site Plan for next 6 months, Signage, School Land Donation, Bench Shot Data Update In the area in front of the berm where clay is suspected, they will be drilling two holes to confirm what type material is there. The test holes are projected to be completed before the end of May. Mr. Warden reported that he received a complaint from Nancy Goodhart on Golden Rod for the May 3rd shot. She also told him that when she contacted the quarry about it, the office personnel said there had been no blast. Mr. Early was asked to educate the office staff about how to handle calls when blast information is not available. Mr. Warden also reported that he received a complaint from the Sparkman and Holly residences about the March 14th blast. Mr. Crownover will review the data and report at the next meeting. Mr. Early reported that approximately 15-16 people have signed up for the quarry site visits, not including city officials. He plans to take up to 12 people per trip in a large van. The visits will be scheduled for May 30 and May 31. The City Administrator will coordinate the scheduling. Additional tours will be scheduled as needed. Mr. Early reported that he is still working to get approval for the signage. He will have a report on the status by the next meeting. Mr. Early reported that they are moving forward on the land donation to the school. Sample Letter to Legislators Ordinance 34 Repeat of “Shake, Rattle and Soil” Discuss Monthly Grapevine Article Future Agenda Items and Seismograph Locations The roving monitor will be placed at the Janovec residence. After that will be the White residence and Alex Smith residence. FINAL CITIZEN COMMENTS There were no citizen comments. ADJOURNMENT A motion to adjourn was made by Mr. Holloway and seconded by Mr. Janovec. The motion passed unanimously. The meeting was adjourned at 8:04 p.m. Respectfully submitted by:
CITY OF GARDEN RIDGE QUARRY COMMISSION February 12, 2007 - 7:00 P.M. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL APPROVAL OF MINUTES INITIAL CITIZEN’S COMMENTS EXECUTIVE SESSION RETURN TO OPEN SESSION NEW BUSINESS AND DISCUSSION ITEMS Mr. Gunnarson passed out a draft agreement concerning the berm. Members are to study this for discussion at the next meeting. Mr. Gunnarson reported that he, the Mayor and City Administrator met with Hanson to discuss the signage. Mr. Early reported that he hopes to have a proposal next week, which will be presented to the Quarry Commission. Once approved, it will be submitted to the Planning & Zoning Commission, which in turn will make a recommendation to City Council.
Update on Quarry Visit, Sign & Aerial Map Sign – already discussed. Aerial Map – Mr. Early presented the new map with grid lines. Mr. Gunnarson will have it reproduced. Update on Comal County Blasting Oversight Meeting Discussion of Limiting PPV to any Specific Number and Hole Sizing Issues Mr. Blades asked about the future direction of the blasting. Mr. Northrup reported that about 4 more shots were needed to finish the 50’ face. Then blasting will move to the lower level. The expectation is that the blast readings will go down. Report on Phone Conversation with Instantel and Office of Surface Mining Discuss Equipment Calibration Mr. Blades presented a report given to him by a citizen that showed that the equipment calibration date was over one year. Mr. Crownover stated that the report came from Austin Powder prior to Vibra-Tech’s monitoring. Mr. Northrup was asked to investigate the report and discuss at the next meeting. When questioned about regulations regarding re-calibration of equipment, Mr. Crownover reported that though there are no regulations to do so. However, there is an industry standard to re-calibrate equipment annually. Discuss Repeat of “Shake, Rattle and Roll” Discuss Citizen Petition and Legislator List Availability, Including Suggested Format Discuss Monthly Grapevine Article
FINAL CITIZEN COMMENTS Respectfully submitted by:
CITY OF GARDEN RIDGE QUARRY COMMISSION CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL Quarry Commission Chairman Robert Gunnarson, called the meeting to order at 7:03 p.m. in the Municipal Courtroom. A roll call was conducted. Other Commission members present included Larry Blades, Cindy Miller and Tom Parsons. Commission members Jerry Warden and Richard Holloway were out of town. Ex-officio member Russ Sanders and Nancy Cain, City Administrator were present. Gerard Gregg of Hansen, Bruce Northrup and Karl Christopherson of Austin Powder, and Joe Crownover of Vibra-Tech were present. Seven citizens were in attendance. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Mr. Parsons made a motion to approve the minutes of the Quarry Commission meeting held on November 13, 2006. Mr. Blades seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. INITIAL CITIZEN’S COMMENTS Mr. Kersey referenced the City Council meeting where Ken Early of Hansen mentioned that there would be relief in January. Mr. Gunnarson explained that the blasting was projected to be on the lower 50’ of the wall (the second level); by blasting at a deeper level, the impact should be less. Mr. Gunnarson also stated that he and Joe are working on a report on the berm. Ms. Cain (citizen) asked if the quarry could be asked not to build the berm any higher until the report was made. Mr. Gunnarson initially said this was probably not possible, then reversed this and said that he would ask Mr. Early whether or not the quarry could hold off on building up the berm until the report was made. NEW BUSINESS AND DISCUSSION ITEMS Previous Month’s Blasting Data Mr. Crownover reviewed the blasting analysis data from the previous month. He reported that there were 12 blasts in November, 7 on the 50’ face, 2 in the new pit and 3 on the south wall. The highest PPV reading was .450 on 11/8 at the Michell residence. This shot was on the 50’ face in the “V” cut where the east and west walls come together. The highest air overpressure reading was 123.4 db on 11/16, again at the Michell residence. During this blast a cavity was hit and there was a slight blow-out. Mr. Kersey stated that the blast on 11/7 was his worst and asked about the reading. It was .040 PPV, 32 frequency and 100 db. It was reported that all the frequencies on 11/7 were high. Mr. Parsons asked how many shots were left on the 50’ bench. Mr. Northrup said there were about 12 more. Mr. Northrup noted that during the shot on 12/5, they found a large cavity. Discussion about frequency ensued. Mr. Crownover explained that “peak” does not describe the entire shot. There is a range of frequencies that occur during a blast. The range is what affects the resident’s perception. Mr. Blades questioned Mr. Kersey about the 11/7 and 11/14 blasts. He noted that the readings for the 11/14 blast were more significant; however, Mr. Kersey said that he felt the 11/7 one was more significant. Mr. Blades questioned Mr. Northrup about the distance of the blasts from the aquifer. Mr. Northrup said that the GPS does not identify this distance. Mr. Sanders said that the aquifer is about 340’-360’ down as that is how far they drilled for one of the wells. Mr. Blades and Mr. Sanders estimated that the blasts are approximately 150’ above the aquifer. Ms. Cain (citizen) asked who evaluated the shot data. Mr. Crownover stated that the Vibra-Tech staff does. She asked if the City received the raw data. Mr. Gunnarson and Ms. Cain (City Administrator) stated that the City does not have anyone qualified to interpret the raw data; that is why the Vibra-Tech was hired. Mr. Northrup explained why the shots in the corner were a problem and explained what they are doing about it. He said the corner is a confined condition and large cavities have been found. There are about 4 more shots in the corner. They will again be making changes in the shots based upon previous readings. For example, the maximum lbs/delay will be cut in half for these shots, and the holes will be repositioned. Jerry Warden Subcommittee – Quarry Informational Materials and Building Codes Near Active Quarries Mr. Parsons was to review the International Residential Building Codes, but the City Engineer needed the codes book returned. Hence, he was unable to do a sufficient review. He will be out of town and will attempt to meet with the City Engineer mid-January. Mr. Blades asked Mr. Sanders and Ms. Cain (City Administrator) who wrote the City’s current codes. They stated that they were established a long time ago and did not know who wrote them. Mr. Gunnarson suggested that guidelines might be established of what extra a homeowner could do if they so chose. Mr. Sanders suggested that a study by the state could be recommended to identify potential codes. Mr. Gregg said that in Dallas there is much discussion about soil stabilization because there are many areas that have foundation problems. He also said that caution is needed when making recommendations. For example, if there is too much steel in the foundation, it will be inflexible and can create more damage. Mr. Gunnarson asked Mr. Parsons to report on his meeting with the City Engineer in February. New Commissioner Candidate Report on City Council Meeting held December 6, 2006 In Mr. Cain’s presentation, he identified 3 sites with seismograph readings at his home, all of which were above .5 PPV. When questioned about where the seismographs were located, he said they were in the attic on the rafters. Mr. Gunnarson read the ISE guidelines for placement of seismographs which state that the seismographs should be placed on the ground. Mr. Gunnarson suggested that Mr. Cain’s consultants and Vibra-Tech experts meet and discuss recommendations for placement of equipment. This would provide consistency in placement so that data from all sources could be compared. Mr. Gunnarson also explained the process the City underwent to research and hire seismograph consultants. Discussion of City Blasting Ordinance In reference to the placement of seismographs, Mr. Crownover said that the only time he was aware of anyone putting a seismograph in an attic was at a historic church, but that the structure was thoroughly evaluated for proper placement to get a true reading. This placement also was not to measure blasting. To get a true reading, seismograph placement requires the three tranducers to be properly directed to receive the wave from the blast. Mr. Parsons asked if the Cain’s and Vibra-Tech’s seismographs were the same. Mr. Crownover said the manufacturer was the same but he did not know if the model was. Mr. Crownover went on to say that a seismograph in the rafters of the attic measures the attic’s reaction to the ground vibration. A seismograph is designed to measure ground vibration, which is what the federal standards are based upon. The ground reactions are consistent whereas structure reactions vary. There are different types of monitors for structures. Mr. Gunnarson asked Mr. Crownover to research using monitors in houses and the data analysis for this. Mr. Crownover also said that putting monitors side by side will not produce identical readings, but would produce similar readings. Discussion then returned to the ordinance and issue of scaled distances. Mr. Northrup noted that this was the old method to evaluate blasts. The newer instrumentation provides more accurate measurements. Mr. Crownover said that he reviewed the City Ordinance and said that it only covers quarries in city limits. The blasts are not occurring within the city limits though part of the quarry is within city limits. Mr. Sanders said that the ordinance was out of date and needs to be rewritten. Ms. Cain (City Administrator) said that the ordinance applies to all types of blasting, including blasting for swimming pools and removing tree stumps. Mr. Blades asked if Hansen provides insurance coverage to the City and the answer was “no.” He then asked if Austin Powder provides insurance coverage to Hansen. Mr. Northrup said that it provides liability insurance for negligence. Mr. Blades then asked if the insurance company has standards for blasting. Mr. Northrup stated that the standards are the current federal standards. Mr. Crownover said that there is a lbs/delay limitation in the ordinance. In order to achieve the same effectiveness level of a blast using these standards means drilling smaller holes, drilling more holes, which leads to more densely placed holes within the blast area. This could cause more significant impact on residents with longer blast duration. In other words, it could have an adverse impact on the residents. Mr. Gunnarson said that City Council was asked to enforce the ordinance. He said that if the ordinance were applied, that it would not improve the situation based upon information discussed tonight. Mr. Parsons asked if the quarry was currently meeting the scaled distances measures if they applied. The answer was no, but the ordinance does not apply because the blasting is not within city limits. Mr. Gunnarson asked Mr. Crownover to get with the City Administrator to identify the city limits and put it on the map used for monthly blasting presentations. Mr. Sanders said that the City will look at the City of San Antonio ordinances when considering new standards. Mr. Northrup said that those were the best standards available though they were 10 years behind technology. Ms. Miller moved and Mr. Parsons seconded a motion to recommend to City Council that consideration be given to revision of City Blasting Ordinance 34. Discussion ensued as to what the next step should be. Consensus was that there was a need for the Commission to make the recommendation for a revised ordinance. Additional discussion followed about abiding by the current ordinance. Ms. Miller suggested that the quarry find out where the city limits are before the next blast and abide by the ordinance if within city limits, or request a variance. The motion passed unanimously. Status of the City of Garden Ridge Website Update on Quarry Visit Schedule Discussion ensued about how to do a tour under public meeting guidelines. This will be handled as the tour date approaches. Future Agenda Items and Location Relocation of Seismograph Monitors FINAL CITIZEN COMMENTS Mr. Kersey asked if there was any relationship of PPV to the Richter Scale. Mr. Crownover said there was no relationship. Mr. Blades thanked Mr. Gregg for coming. ADJOURNMENT A motion to adjourn was made by Mr. Blades and seconded by Mr. Parsons. The motion passed unanimously. The meeting was adjourned at 9:41 p.m. Respectfully submitted by:
QUARRY COMMISSION MEETING CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL: Quarry Commission Chairman Robert Gunnarson called the meeting to order at 7:02pm in the Municipal Courtroom. A roll call was conducted. Other Commission members present included Richard Holloway, Cindy Miller, Tom Parsons, Jerry Warden and Roby Joyce. City Administrator Nancy Cain was present. Ex-officio member Russ Sanders was absent. Bruce Northrup and Karl Christopherson of Austin Powder and Joe Crownover and Kevin Hurd of Vibra-Tech were present. Two citizens were in attendance. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: The September meeting minutes were reviewed by the members. Two typographical errors were noted and will be corrected. With these corrections, Mr. Parsons made a motion to approve the minutes of the Quarry Commission meeting held on August 14, 2006. Ms. Miller seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. INITIAL CITIZENS COMMENTS: There were no comments at this time. NEW BUSINESS AND DISCUSSION ITEMS: Previous Month’s Blasting Data 2. Two recordings were obtained from the Scott residence before a miscommunication resulted in removal of the monitor. 3. A citizen who lives near Bode Circle submitted a Citizens’ Blasting Report Form to Mr. Gunnarson. The citizen described a severe blast (graded as 4 of 5) that appears to have occurred on September 14th. Discussion ensued and it is believed that this home is probably located very near (if not on) the clay seam that runs from the quarry and through the Trophy Oaks subdivision. If true, this would account for the increased effect experienced by this resident. The commission discussed the need to develop a process to provide prompt feedback to this individual and any other citizens submitting report forms. 4. Mr. Kersey asked if there is one “baseline” or “official” monitor that has been at the same location since Vibra-Tech began monitoring the blasting activity. Mr. Hurd states that there is not an “official” monitor but that the monitor at the Warden residence could serve as a baseline since it has been in place for some time and not moved. 5. The Chairman reported that a citizen residing on Teakwood described “the worst vibrations he has ever experienced” on October 4th. Mr. Kersey described the same pronounced blast effect at his home on October 4th. Another Trophy Oaks resident notified Mr. Gunnarson of a very loud blast on September 21st. The commission members agreed to focus on the October 4th blasting data at its next meeting when the data for October would be available. Action: The commission members will review the blasting data for the 10/04/06 shot(s) when it becomes available at its November meeting. 6. Mr. Kersey asked if the use of 3-D sonar would be useful in decreasing the blasting effect by improving shot placement. Mr. Hurd stated that 3-D sonar is used all the time for deep operations but would not be useful for the Hanson quarry because of the shallow nature of the mining process. Mr. Hurd stated that seismic refraction might be useful to identify cavities but the technology is cost prohibitive. 7. Mr. Hurd and Mr. Northrup reported that it might be possible to decrease the amount of explosive being used as the shots get closer to residences. A commission member asked what the closest shot has been to date. It was a shot located approximately 300 feet from the berm and approximately 1150-1200 feet from the Warden residence. 8. Mrs. Parsons asked if two houses were located near each other would they experience the same blast effect. There was agreement that due to geological variations and differences in the construction of the homes the effect might be quite different at each house. In later discussion and after reviewing extensive data provided by Vibra-Tech it appears likely that this is the case at the Cain residence where the blast effect is frequently reported as more pronounced than at nearby homes. 9. Mr. Kersey asked if Vibra-Tech has been monitoring the blast effects at any vacant lot. Mr. Hurd reported that a monitor had been placed on a vacant lot for approximately one year. He noted, however, that the data that is really needed is the blast effect on homes and other structures located near the quarry. For this reason Mr. Hurd recommended that monitors be placed at residences only. The commission members agreed. 10. Mr. Northrup presented photographs of the bench and of the quarry walls from different angles that were taken the day of this meeting. He stated that Hanson continues to dig out the large vein of clay located in the fault. The clay deposit appears to be angling north by northwest and getting progressively wider. 11. In response to the question at last month’s meeting if there is a way to graph trends of the monthly data so that the commission members can tell if the effects of the quarry operation are improving, worsening or remaining the same, Mr. Hurd and Mr. Crownover presented an extensive and detailed analysis of several years of historical data. After discussion the commission members had to agree with Mr. Hurd and Mr. Crownover that—in general—there are too many variables and too few constants to provide reliable trending data. However, three conclusions could be drawn from the data. It appears that:
Mr. Parsons asked if a copy of this compiled data could be provided to the quarry commission. Mr. Hurd stated that the software needed to use the data is proprietary. He also stated that he would have to obtain clearance from the Vibra-Tech legal department before releasing the data. 12. A general discussion ensued regarding plans for the directions and depths of future mining operations at the quarry. It is still projected that the quarry will reach “the corner” by the end of the year. 1. Mr. Hurd reported that he made inquiries to see if there is any proposed or pending legislation regarding quarry operations. He spoke with a representative of the Association of General Contractors who stated that they are not aware of any pending legislation. However, Mr. Hurd also spoke with another group’s representative who believes that the major quarry mining companies are preparing to push for legislation to regulate quarry operations. 2. Mr. Holloway stated that he will approach Mr. Jay Milliken again and see who else the subcommittee members might contact regarding the issue of legislation for regulating quarry operations. Action: Mr. Holloway will speak with Mr. Milliken regarding the issue. Jerry Warden Subcommittee-Quarry Informational Materials and Building Codes Near Active Quarries 1. Ms. Miller and Mr. Warden reported that the quarry information sheets were completed and submitted to City Administration. Although receipt of the materials has been confirmed, the information is still not being provided at quarry commission meetings or at City Hall. This problem was addressed with City Administrator Nancy Cain who was in attendance at the meeting. Ms. Cain stated that she would check on the availability of the materials. Action: City Administrator Nancy Cain will see that the information will be available at quarry commission meetings and at City Hall. 2. The subcommittee members have begun gathering information concerning building codes near mining operations. It is hoped that there are municipal building code regulations that address nearby quarry operations in a manner similar to building codes that address the risk of earthquake or hurricanes. Action: The subcommittee members will continue to gather information regarding building codes for structures near active quarry operations. Status of the City of Garden Ridge Website City Administrator Cain reported that the website is running. She stated that the agendas for tonight’s meetings were posted on the website and that she would like to publish the quarry commission meeting minutes on the website as well. She agreed that the informational material developed by the Warden subcommittee should also be available on the website. Mr. Parsons asked if he should send commission- related items directly to the webmaster or through Ms. Cain. It was agreed that it would be better for items to go to Ms. Cain initially. Ms. Cain asked if the quarry commission meeting minutes could be e-mailed to her and the quarry commission secretary agreed to do so. Action: The quarry commission secretary will e-mail minutes from the previous and current quarry commission meetings to Ms. Cain. Update on Berm Commitment and Back Up Alarms for Quarry Vehicles This item was tabled until the next meeting. Review Quarry Visit Schedule This item is deferred to next month. It was noted that Garden Ridge citizens may join the quarry commission members when they visit the quarry. Other Items 1. Mr. Gunnarson announced that the commission’s secretary, Dr. Joyce, has submitted his resignation letter with an effective date of October 31, 2006. Dr Joyce is relocating to New Braunfels. Ms. Nancy Cain asked if it would be helpful for her to ask the mayor to put a note in “The Grapevine” that volunteers are needed to sit on the quarry commission. This idea was unanimously approved. Action: Ms. Cain will ask the mayor to place an article in “The Grapevine” requesting volunteers for quarry commission membership. 2. The City Administrator was asked by Mr. Warden if Dr. Joyce could continue to assist his subcommittee after Dr. Joyce’s resignation. Ms. Cain said that she would see if this was acceptable. Action: Ms. Cain will see if Dr. Joyce can continue to assist the Warden subcommittee after his resignation date. Location or Relocation of Seismograph Monitors 1. It was suggested that the monitor formerly at the Scott residence be moved to Mr. Kersey’s home. Mr. Kersey agreed and this recommendation was unanimously approved by the committee. Action: The monitor formerly located at the Scott residence will be placed at the Kersey residence. 2. Mr. Warden asked if it might be helpful to place a monitor at Bode Circle. Mr. Crownover stated that the ground in the area of the traffic island consists of road base material, mulch and loose rock which would be problematic for monitoring . Mr. Hurd suggested that it might be better to place the monitor at a residence and the commission members agreed. 3. Discussion then ensued regarding the usefulness of placing a monitor in Georg Ranch. City Administrator Nancy Cain was asked if a monitor could be placed at her residence and she agreed. Action: A monitor will be placed at the Nancy Cain residence on Georg Road. 4. It was recommended and agreed that the monitor currently located at the Warden residence will be left in place. Future Agenda Items A process for promptly responding to individuals who submit Citizen Blast Report Forms will be discussed at the next meeting. FINAL CITIZEN COMMENTS: Mr. Kersey asked if there was any progress to report regarding the placement of a more visible and appropriate sign on FM 3009 to better advertise the presence of the quarry. Action: Mr. Gunnarson will speak with Ken Early of Hanson-Servtex regarding the sign. ADJOURNMENT: A motion to adjourn was made by Mr. Holloway and seconded by Ms. Miller. The motion passed unanimously. The meeting was adjourned at 8:47 p.m. Respectfully submitted by:
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