Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 02 Council Goal Setting Followup AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY Meeting Date: 2/4/2013 Meeting Type:Work Session Staff Contact/Dept.: Jeff Towery, City Manager’s Office Staff Phone No: 726-3627 Estimated Time: 30 Min. S P R I N G F I E L D C I T Y C O U N C I L Council Goals: All Council Goals ITEM TITLE: COUNCIL GOAL SETTING FOLLOW-UP ACTION REQUESTED: Review and discuss the information provided and provide direction as desired. ISSUE STATEMENT: The City Council conducted a Goal Setting session earlier this year with the intent of establishing several short term goals. This session provides staff assessment to assist the Council in making its final determinations. ATTACHMENTS: Attachment 1. Council Briefing Memo Attachment 2. Glenwood Mobile Home Park Information DISCUSSION/ FINANCIAL IMPACT: Council selected the following 10 goals and directed staff to analyze the items for cost, opportunities, hurdles or other ways of approaching the goals listed. One Year: Complete an intra-jurisdictional agreement to reduce system development charges to stimulate economic development. Explore incentives to encourage annexation of improved area developments just beyond the city boundary. Identify two large (50 acres minimum) properties for near-term job development. Create a Springfield consortium of public and private interests to market our community. Two Year: Hold a city-wide cleanup event twice a year. Explore the viability of a local voter’s guide for Springfield. Move jail and police service off the levy. Form a partnership with TEAM Springfield to host a downtown multicultural festival. Three Year: Complete a signature milestone in Glenwood such as NEPA process completion, engineering of Franklin Boulevard, or acquisition of right of way for Franklin realignment, etc.  Develop long-term plan to phase out mobile home parks in Glenwood by offering replacement housing, counseling, and other options.  If the Council wants to hold a Work Session on any of the goals, staff could also identify potential strategies, work plan options, budget impacts and influence on existing projects and work plans. Any Council direction regarding priorities, including working with Council Leadership to set timing, would assist staff in planning, follow up and meeting scheduling. After review and discussion of these staff responses, the Council may also want to discuss the preferred approach for public review before decisions are finalized. Attachment 1, Page 1 of 8 M E M O R A N D U M City of Springfield Date: 2/4/2013 To: Gino Grimaldi COUNCIL From: Jeff Towery , Assistant City Manager BRIEFING Subject: COUNCIL GOAL SETTING FOLLOW-UP MEMORANDUM ISSUE: The City Council conducted a Goal Setting session earlier this year with the intent of establishing several short term goals. This session provides staff assessment to assist the Council in making its final determinations. COUNCIL GOALS/ MANDATE: All Council Goals BACKGROUND: Council selected the following 10 goals and directed staff to analyze the items for cost, opportunities, hurdles or other ways of approaching the goals listed. One Year: Complete an intra-jurisdictional agreement to reduce system development charges to stimulate economic development. Response: Willamalane Park and Recreation District imposes system development charges (SDCs) on residential development based on a methodology adopted by the Willamalane Board in 2006. The fees range from $3,410 for a single family detached residence, down to $3,021 for multi-family residences. The city, by agreement, collects those fees for Willamalane, as well as a 6 percent administrative fee. When the Council temporarily reduced SDCs in February, 2012, Willamalane agreed to offer $1,000 reductions in their SDCs, limited to $40,000 total. Willamalane did not renew that, or a similar reduction, when the Council acted to extend the temporary reduction in City local SDCs through June 30, 2013. The regional wastewater administrative functions are set out in the Metropolitan Wastewater Management Commission (MWMC) Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) and Services Agreement with the city of Springfield. In addition, the MWMC 2005 Financial Plan established the financial management policies to address the long-term stewardship of the Regional Wastewater Facilities, as defined in the IGA. These policies include specific language to address sewer user rates and SDCs. The regional wastewater program is supported by user fees, which are established annually by the MWMC and reviewed and ratified by the city councils of Springfield, Eugene and Lane County Board of Commissioners. Capital projects are also supported by revenue from SDCs. Without the ability to collect the full amount of the SDCs, the MWMC would have to consider raising user rates to generate the lost revenue from SDCs. The complex nature of the rules and policies governing SDCs coupled with the authority of multiple agencies suggest that a Work Session may provide the appropriate forum to review details, options and direction to staff. Attachment 1, Page 2 of 8 Explore incentives to encourage annexation of improved area developments just beyond the city boundary. Response: Annexations to cities are regulated by the provisions of Oregon Revised Statutes, Chapter 222 – City Boundary Changes; Mergers; Consolidations; Withdrawals. The most significant variable in the process is whether the property owner is petitioning for annexation or the city is initiating annexation. A property owner actively seeking annexation - for reasons other than health hazard - is most likely interested in the more intensive development potential allowed within the city limits or is simply seeking to become a resident of the city. In either case, if the property is contiguous with the city limits (an ORS mandate) the property owner submits an application, pays a fee (generally about $2,500), and then upon council approval of the application, extends infrastructure to the property at his cost, anywhere from $3,000-$5,000 or more. In these cases the “encouragement” to annex is provided by the proximity of the city and its services therefore these circumstances may or may not come under the scope of this assignment. In the other example, a city initiated annexation of private property is almost certainly based on the City’s view that such action should occur rather than this being a demonstration of property owner preference. Although typically rare, the City has initiated annexation of private property, but only in areas where city services were to be extended to or through an area, and only where the presence of signed annexation agreements and remonstrance waivers applied to the majority of affected properties and majority of affected property owners. However, during most of the past two decades the council has been quite deliberate in limiting the majority of city initiated annexations to public land and public right of way. In order to identify potential incentives for annexation, the City will need to work with owners and residents to answer a number of questions: Is there an interest in becoming citizens of Springfield? Is the cost impact a barrier? Is there an issue of trust (or lack of) that influences annexation? These complexity and impact of these issues suggest that a Work Session may provide the appropriate forum to review details, options and direction to staff. Identify two large (50 acres minimum) properties for near-term job development. Response: Staff suggests refining this assignment to “Identify two large (50 acres minimum) properties most likely to be planned, zoned, annexed and available for the development of employment uses within one to three years.” STEPS: 1. Conduct analysis to create a list of suitable (as defined in the 2009 Draft Economic Opportunities Analysis) vacant or re-developable parcels/holdings 50 acres or larger inside the UGB and outside the UGB. This may include one or more adjacent parcels in single ownership that could be combined to create a 50-acre site. 2. Review potential opportunity sites and screen them (with staff technical team) against the following criteria to select two candidate sites: a. Within or contiguous with City limits or otherwise easily made contiguous through right of way “cherry stem.” Attachment 1, Page 3 of 8 b. Willing property owner(s) – obtaining this information will require contacts and/or interviews prior to or concurrent to the 2030 Refinement Plan/UGB expansion public review process. c. Key urban services are available or can be made available through an annexation agreement. d. Development constraints (e.g. wetlands, floodplain, brownfields, need for new stormwater outfalls, utility issues etc.) and consequences for development are known and can be rectified in time to enable development of employment uses within one to three years. COST/TIME: Steps 1, 2, 3a are already included in Economic and Urbanization (UGB) analyses already underway (2013 public review process). A draft list of candidate 50 acre “Opportunity Site” properties will be complete by January 2014. Additional staff resources (and time) will be required to complete the Annexation “Development Issues” level of analysis/scoping for Steps 3c and 3d, and to complete Step 3b earlier than planned. The level of City annexation cost sharing (if applicable) would be determined through the annexation agreement process. Create a Springfield consortium of public and private interests to market our community. RESPONSE: To provide a knowledgeable and active group of advocates to meet with prospective firms interested in hearing more about Springfield development opportunities and provide information about the local area, there are two existing efforts that might provide a ready-to-go set of representatives for Springfield in the coming months. First, the Springfield Chamber of Commerce’s Economic Development Committee is in the process of doing outreach to several businesses in each of 5-10 industrial clusters in Springfield. The Committee’s approximately 20 members have been discussing major development and redevelopment issues and hope to meet individually with local firms in several clusters on their expansion plans and how other firms may take advantage of local opportunities within the clusters. Those interviews (to be completed by July 2013) specifically ask those key people in those firms, if they would recommend, introduce, meet, discuss, host, or travel to firms interested in investing in our area. The committee members would then meet with several firms together from a cluster and further discuss local concerns and opportunities for development and attracting additional firms to the area and helpful for the growth of each cluster. Here the ready set of representatives would be those on the committee and interested executives from firms in the several clusters. Second, the Quarterly Business Meeting of Downtown businesses provides a good forum to update the activities in the Downtown and has developed into a supportive, knowledgeable group of small businesses on small business issues and ways to work together within a ‘neighborhood’ and the Downtown. Several have been involved in key new business developments, understand opportunities and limitations of assistance, and while appreciating the variety of ways firms, the community, and City can work together to make the best use of opportunities and support from public and private resources. These private resources include not only several programs NEDCO has now but could add to complement what the City or SEDA can provide. Here the ready set of representatives could provide perspective for firms interested distinct market area like Attachment 1, Page 4 of 8 the Downtown and would include those business and property owners in the Downtown who often attend the Quarterly meetings as well as the staff representatives of NEDCO’s many programs within the Downtown. Team Springfield Joint Elected Officials support this goal and have directed the Chief Appointed Officials to explore the issue and report back in July. Two Year: Hold a city-wide cleanup event twice a year. Response: For over 25 years now the City has co-sponsored a very popular annual event tabbed as “Spring Clean-Up” that provides Springfield citizens an outlet to dispose of and/or recycle their unwanted items free of charge. Citizens that provide proof of residency can bring their items to the City’s Shop facilities where they are met by City staff, staff volunteers, and participating non-profit and for-profit recycling businesses that unload their vehicles for them. The cost of the program is about $25,000. Two key partners that are integral in the success of Spring Clean-Up are Sanipac and Lane County Waste Management, both of which contribute significant resources that defray the City’s cost of providing the service. Other event partners include St. Vincent de Paul, International Paper Recycling, Lane Forest Products, NextStep Recycling, Rexius, Schnitzer Steel, Habitat For Humanity ReStore, and Lane County Master Recycling Program. What might be the benefits of holding clean-up events twice a year? o Improved customer service – promotes goodwill and building of relationship with the community. o Provides citizens a second opportunity to dispose of large, bulky, and hard to recycle items free of charge. o May further reduce incidence of illegal dumping. o Unwanted items are recycled as opposed to reaching the landfill. What are the potential challenges to providing this increased service? o The additional cost of providing a second clean-up event is estimated at $50K (thus increasing the total cost of providing two events to $75K), because our major partners, Sanipac and Lane County Waste management are unable to contribute financially to a second clean-up. They would participate if compensated. Some of the other partners have indicated that they may not be able to participate as well. o It is a little difficult to estimate whether City staff volunteers would participate at the current high level, thereby possibly requiring more paid staff to work the additional event. o The additional funding required to put on a second event may require the City to consider other adjustments to service levels, or development of new revenue sources, to avoid or minimize impact on user rates. This project could be accomplished but would require Council decisions related to redirection of existing staff and financial resources from other work plan items and project priorities. A Work Session and/or Budget Committee discussion may be necessary to review details, options and direction to staff. Attachment 1, Page 5 of 8 2. Pros and cons letters and comments regarding city ballot measure. garding special ity Councilor positions, contested races. itory candidates, contested races. The following response came from Beery, Elsner & Hammond LLP: s that come to mind, in no particular order of importance… • idate submission, ngths of materials, etc… , like those that exist for voter pamphlet in order to avoid s ity • You should make sure city staff understand that they are not to edit and/or remove any this is re ave something similar on their Facebook or rney’s Office have not dedicated additional time to the project. These factors suggest that a Work Session may provide Explore the viability of a local voter’s guide for Springfield. Response: When this idea was initially discussed, the City Attorney’s Office posted the following note on the City Attorney’s list serve: The City of Springfield is considering providing city website space to: 1. Neutral public information city generated document regarding city ballot measure. 3. Neutral public information document generated by special district re district ballot measure. 4. Pros and cons letters and comments regarding special district ballot measure. 5. “Voter Pamphlet” type submissions for C 6. “Voter Pamphlet” type submissions for state legislature which include city terr Here are a few quick thought You’ll want to have procedures in place regarding deadlines for cand le having to resolve controversies related to these issues in the middle of an election; • You’ll have to permit any person who has qualified as a candidate to submit and post materials – you can’t cherry pick which candidates you will include – to that end, I would look at and be prepared with an idea of how to deal with write in candidates a well. This might be something you want to address in the procedures suggested above; • In conjunction with the issue above, you should figure out a procedure of how to notify/invite state legislature candidates who don’t file nomination papers with the c about the opportunity to participate in order to avoid any complaints that you are supporting some candidates over others; comments or pro/con letters without first discussing the issue with your office, as any area ripe with potential legal pitfalls – to that end, you’ll probably want to come up with some rules of conduct to be placed on the webpage that people must read befo posting comments/letters – several cities h pages, which might be something you can borrow; • You should require that “neutral” documents about measures drafted by the City and the Special District are also vetted by the Secretary of State’s Office – the last thing you want is for City staff to get in trouble for something drafted by District staff. Given the work entailed, the potential for error, the need for oversight, and the need f development of criteria, City staff and the City Atto the appropriate forum to review details, options and direction to staff. Attachment 1, Page 6 of 8 nd has been newed by voters in 2006 and in 2012. The current 2012/13 fiscal year is the last year f the 2006 levy and the recently approved levy this past November is a five year levy eginning on July 1, 2013 and expiring on June 30, 2018. The current rate is $1.09 per nually in property taxes while the renewed enerate about $3.7M annually. s epartment, both levy funded and general funded, and identify what those services here are four potential strategies to consider: hese complexity and impact of these options suggest that a Work Session may provide and direction to staff. ntown multicultural ltural Outreach Initiative. The CEOs agreed upon two related themes/action items: assist with a multicultural community dinner, possibly in the downtown area. Other partners would also participate. As work proceeds, consideration will be s t Island Park, is a great opportunity for sharing and learning across cultures. If the event could expand wn Move jail and police service off the levy. esponse: The Police & Jail Services Levy was first passed in 2002 aR re o b thousand generates approximately $2.7M an levy beginning in July 2013 is expected to g A study to consider the ability of the City to reduce the its reliance on the use of a special operating levy for police & jail services will start with two primary steps to assist in framing the issues. The first will to financially model the cost of the existing service that are being provided by the levy over the remaining 5 years of this levy and what the projected cost be to continue those services at the existing level. The second step would be to look at the overall level of services that is currently being provided by the police d levels are expected to be in 2018. The current budget for the City’s General Fund is approximately $32.2M with the cost of the services being provided by the police special levy to be an additional $3.7M or 11.5% more. Upon completing the analysis of the desired service level and cost of service, the next step will be to explore options for meeting the identified service requirement without the use of resources currently provided by the levy. T 1. Reduce expenditures and eliminate non Public Safety services. 2. Pursue formation of a special district. 3. Rely on future property tax reform efforts at state level. 4. Set aside future increases in operating revenue to replace levy funds. T the appropriate forum to review details, options Form a partnership with TEAM Springfield to host a dow festival. Response: Team Springfield Chief Elected Officials (CEOs) and Chief Appointed Officials (CAOs) have discussed this item in the context of a Multi-Cu 1. Host/ given to all cultures. NEDCO is looking at organizing a Springfield dinner. Thi could be a multi-cultural event. The group agreed to move forward. 2. Increase the promotion of Fiesta Latina. The goal would be to increase attendance as well as the diversity of those in attendance. The event, held a and have something in downtown or be in conjunction with other downtown events, this could provide opportunity. Team Springfield could coordinate with downto groups and committees. Attachment 1, Page 7 of 8 Three Year: Complete a signature milestone in Glenwood such as NEPA process completion, engineering of Franklin Boulevard, or acquisition of right of way for Franklin realignment, etc. Response: The Franklin Blvd. NEPA process is officially underway. Staff anticipates leting NEPA some time in calendar year 2014. If the City is able to take the orical Exclusion route, we could be done in calendar 2013. The Project’s current y ion application to the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (2015-2018 STIP) for a Franklin Blvd. Phase 1 construction improvement in riority was placed on athering data for parks in the Glenwood area first. placement. The intent of developing a clear understanding of the structures, values, and ownership status of ific to the 7 mobile home parks in e Glenwood area but will, once all data is gathered; include park data from all parks in tures comp Categ goal is to be under construction on a phase of the project in 2016 that has logical termini, i.e. from Franklin/McVay to a traffic controlled intersection to the west. Cit has made a $6 mill FFY 2016. Once we complete NEPA and design we will have a much better sense of costs for a standalone construction phase of the project. In order to provide local match to STIP dollars and to close what is likely to be a substantial project funding gap for any Phase 1 configuration, staff is recommending a loan from the Oregon Transportation Infrastructure Bank in the range of $3.5 - $5 million. Funding constraint is the big driver for the Franklin Reconstruction Project. Revenue limitations have prevented the City from funding a transportation capital program for a number of years. Thus City is dependent on outside sources to pursue this or any other transportation improvement project. Staff will continue to explore and pursue any funding opportunity that shows promise for Franklin efforts. The City has begun planning for the Glenwood Riverfront path, which will ultimately extend from the I-5 bridge to the southern tip of Glenwood. In fact, the first phase of the path is incorporated into the Whilamut Passage bridge project and is now under construction. One of the upcoming tasks in the work program of the Lane Livability Consortium is the development of a prospectus for a catalytic project. The work plan contemplates that this project will involve the Glenwood area and the land south toward Goshen. This could also provide an opportunity to address this target. A work plan for that task is now under development. Develop long-term plan to phase out mobile home parks in Glenwood by offering replacement housing, counseling, and other options. Response: City staff have been working over the course of the last month to assemble mobile home park data specific to parks in the Springfield area. P g As new development and development interest occurs, some area parks may find themselves at risk of closure and subsequent resident dis homes within mobile home parks is to make more informed displacement policy decisions moving forward. The information provided here is an initial snapshot of the data gathered thus far by staff. This snapshot is spec th the Springfield area. From this initial inventory, staff understands that the majority of mobile home struc located in Glenwood area parks are single-wide, with manufacture dates ranging between 1966 and 1974. The average value on a single-wide structure in Glenwood is assessed at $6,400. Records indicate that of the almost 330 mobile home structures Attachment 1, Page 8 of 8 g just over $6,500. ssion is RECOMME of the goals, staff could also identify potential strategies, work plan options, budget impacts and influenc includin up and m Council ay also want to discuss the preferred approach for public review before decisions are finalized. located within Glenwood parks, 126 are known to have been sold within the past 5 years at a sales price averagin Upon completion of the data collection, staff intends to reach out to area housing partners to craft policy solution for outreach, relocation services, etc. A Work Se scheduled on February 25th to review details, options and direction to staff. NDED ACTION: If the Council wants to hold a Work Session on any e on existing projects and work plans. Any Council direction regarding priorities, g working with Council Leadership to set timing, would assist staff in planning, follow eeting scheduling. After review and discussion of these staff responses, the m                                                     Approx. 330 Structures Total  Mobile Home Structures   in Glenwood Parks by Structure Width  [GLENWOOD AREA  MOBILE HOME PARK  STRUCTURE  DEMOGRAPHICS]  Number of Mobile Home Structures  in Glenwood Parks by Year of Manufacture Average Mobile Home Structure Value in Glenwood Parks by Structure Width  [Type text]  Attachment 2 Current as of: January 2013