Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 01 October 8, 2012 SEDA Minutes MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE SPRINGFIELD ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AGENCY HELD MONDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2012 The Springfield Economic Development Agency met in the Jesse Maine Meeting Room, 225 Fifth Street, Springfield, Oregon on Monday, October 8, 2012 at 6:14 p.m., with Board Chair Hillary Wylie presiding. ATTENDANCE Present were Board Chair Hillary Wylie and Board Members Sean VanGordon, Sheri Moore, Christine Lundberg, Marilee Woodrow, Joe Pishioneri and Dave Ralston. Also present were Finance Director Bob Duey, Attorney Joe Leahy and City Recorder Amy Sowa. Board Members Sid Leiken and Faye Stewart were absent (excused). APPROVAL OF MINUTES a. Minutes of July 23, 2012. IT WAS MOVED BY BOARD MEMBER PISHIONERI WITH A SECOND BY BOARD MEMBER WOODROW TO APPROVE THE JULY 23, 2012 MINUTES. THE MOTION PASSED WITH A VOTE OF 7 FOR AND 0 AGAINST (2 ABSENT – LEIKEN, AND STEWART). COMMUNICATIONS a. Business from the Audience - None b. Correspondence Mr. Tamulonis said they were anticipating correspondence from Lane County Assessment regarding the tax increment received by the urban renewal districts. That had not yet arrived, but should be sent soon. c. Business from the Staff. – None REPORT OF CHAIR - None REPORT OF COMMITTEES - None PUBLIC HEARINGS - None NEW BUSINESS 1. Amendment to Partnership Between City of Springfield, Springfield Urban Renewal Agency and Board of Higher Education on Behalf of the University of Oregon to Develop Sustainable City Year Program. Management Analyst Courtney Griesel presented the staff report on this item. The University of Oregon’s Sustainable Cities Initiative (SCI) had selected the City of Springfield to continue its Springfield Economic Development Agency Minutes October 8, 2012 Page 2 partnership into the 2012-2013 academic year. Existing faculty would teach their existing courses while directing student work toward real, city-identified projects that focused on sustainability. The projects selected would be continuations of projects from the 2011-2012 academic year. City staff was very excited about the work being done and the feedback. Final reports should be provided next month. There were three projects that were started last year that staff felt had more potential if carried forward another year. The University asked the City to partner with them again this year in a modified year to focus on those three projects. The first of the three projects to be continued was Downtown Brownfield Site Redesign which included the Nicolai Door Company at Booth Kelly. The property owner was very excited and agreed to be a participant as well as a financial partner. The second project was the Citywide Wayfinding and Downtown Wayfinding which would hopefully result in getting signs designed and built. She explained other projects that could come from the wayfinding. The third project was the methodology review of the Systems Development Charges. Ms. Griesel said the intergovernmental agreement before Council was an amendment to the IGA and would increase the amount by not more than $90,000, which included some private funds and some urban renewal funds (about $30,000). Board Member Lundberg thought this was great and said it was creative to use law students to figure out how to improve upon how we did things. It was a group they had not considered tapping into in the past. She was very happy that was being carried forward. Ms. Griesel said Springfield had been getting some good attention from around the State and beyond from these projects and the work being done. Board Member Ralston asked about the amount of the increase, which seemed more than $90,000. Ms. Griesel said this was actually the second amendment to the original IGA. She explained the figures. IT WAS MOVED BY BOARD MEMBER WOODROW WITH A SECOND BY BOARD MEMBER RALSTON TO AUTHORIZE SEDA CHAIR SIGNATURE OF AN AMENDMENT TO THE CURRENT SUSTAINABLE CITY YEAR (SCY) AGREEMENT EXTENDING THE PARTNERSHIP BY 1 YEAR AND $90,000. THE MOTION PASSED WITH A VOTE OF 7 FOR AND 0 AGAINST (2 ABSENT – LEIKEN AND STEWART). 2. Bond Counsel Contract. Contract Officer Jayne McMahan presented the staff report on this item. The City’s primary bond counsel, Harvey Rogers, had moved to a new firm, Hawkins Delafield & Wood LLP. In order to continue to have representation for this specialized field of law a contract with the new firm was needed. The City Municipal Code 2.703 Exempt Contracts allowed for the direct appointment for this service. City staff recommended it was in the City’s best interest to maintain continuity of counsel and to contract with the new firm where Mr. Rogers had moved his practice. Springfield Economic Development Agency Minutes October 8, 2012 Page 3 The Department was requesting that the Board authorize the City Finance Director to sign the negotiated contract with Hawkins Delafield & Wood LLP for bond counsel services. Mr. Duey said the four counselors from their previous firm moved to Hawkins Delafield & Wood LLP and started a new practice of bond counsel in that firm. The City had already made the change, as had Metropolitan Wastewater Management Commission (MWMC), to the new firm. Mr. Leahy said Harvey Rogers was his law clerk in Lane County in the 1970’s. He was very bright and personable, and was number one expert in the State on bonds and the issuance of bonds. He and the other counselors that moved with him moved from a large firm headquartered in Seattle to a national firm that did nothing but bond work in Portland. Mr. Leahy highly recommended Mr. Rogers and said both staff and the City Attorney’s office called on him often at no charge. Board Member Pishioneri asked if it changed the material of the contract. No. Board Member Ralston asked if the cost was comparable. Mr. Duey said their rates were about the same. It was such a specialized field, but in order for Finance to issue a bond, they needed bond counsel to sign off by Federal requirement. Mr. Leahy said Mr. Rogers was also good with urban renewal and had helped with Marcola Meadows. IT WAS MOVED BY BOARD MEMBER PISHIONERI WITH A SECOND BY BOARD MEMBER WOODROW TO AUTHORIZE CITY FINANCE DIRECTOR TO SIGN CONTRACT FOR HAWKINS, DELAFIELD & WOOD LLP – BOND COUNSEL. THE MOTION PASSED WITH A VOTE OF 7 FOR AND 0 AGAINST (2 ABSENT – LEIKEN AND STEWART). OLD BUSINESS - None. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at approximately 6:26 p.m. Minutes Recorder – Amy Sowa ______________________ Sheri Moore Secretary