HomeMy WebLinkAbout10/28/2013 Work SessionCity of Springfield
Work Session Meeting
MINUTES OF THE WORK SESSION MEETING OF
THE SPRINGFIELD CITY COUNCIL HELD
MONDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2013
The City of Springfield Council met in a work session in the Jesse Maine Meeting Room, 225 Fifth
Street, Springfield, Oregon, on Monday, October 28, 2013 at 5:30 p.m, with Mayor Lundberg
presiding.
ATTENDANCE
Present were Mayor Lundberg and Councilors VanGordon, Wylie, Moore, Ralston, Woodrow and
Brew. Also present were City Manager Gino Grimaldi, Assistant City Manager Jeff Towery, City
Attorneys Mary Bridget Smith and Lauren King, City Recorder Amy Sowa and members of the staff.
1. Police Planning Task Force Interviews.
Mike Harman, Senior Management Analyst for the Police Department presented this item. The Police
Planning Task Force had one At -Large position available from the resignation of Pat Mahoney. One
other At -Large had recently come open due to the resignation of Fred Simmons, who verbally advised
Chief Lewis of his resignation effective Monday, October 21st. There were two available candidates
for the two open positions.
Pat Mahoney resigned from her At -Large position due to moving away from the area. At a work
session in September, Council asked to interview the two applicants recommended for the position by
a subcommittee of the Police Planning Task Force, Carol Ford and Isa Aviad.
Since that time, Fred Simmons had verbally resigned from his At -Large position, leaving two
applicants and two open positions. i .
Mayor Lundberg said since there were now two openings, they could perhaps just meet with the two
applicants and ask them why they would like to serve on the PPTF. I
Mayor Lundberg welcomed Carol Ford. The councilors introduced themselves to Ms. Ford
Mayor Lundberg asked Ms. Ford why she wanted to serve on the PPTFI
Ms. Ford noted she was a recent graduate from the Springfield Citizen Police Academy and found it
very enlightening. She was retired and was interested in serving the Springfield Police Department.
She was very proud of the Springfield Police Department. She would like to bridge the gap between
citizens and the Police Department. She also volunteered at Guy Lee Elementary School and saw a
need to bridge the gap between that community and the Police Department.
Councilor Wylie referred to a note on Ms. Ford's application about her concern regarding the
homeless.
Ms. Ford said she was impressed with the Egan Warming Center and hoped to volunteer this winter.
Council thanked Ms. Ford for applying and her willingness to serve.
City of Springfield
Council Work Session Minutes
October 28, 2013
Page 2
Mayor Lundberg welcomed Isa Aviad. The councilors introduced themselves to Ms. Aviad.
Mayor Lundberg asked Ms. Aviad why she wanted to serve on the
Ms. Aviad said she used to work in 9 -1 -1 in Lane County and special c
time, she worked with the Police and detectives and served as a Spanis
Municipal Courts for three years. She had seen how District Attorneys
very impressed and pleased with the Springfield Police Department, fr
very skilled and polite to the command staff. She commended the K9 I
Springfield Police Department, and said she wanted to serve.
Councilor Woodrow asked if she saw any issues connected with
Ms. Aviad said she would like to see more written outreach and follo
language who find themselves in situations involving the Police. She
situation when a non - English speakingjanitor accidentally tripped an
him. It would have been helpful to have someone follow -up and expl;
Councilor Moore asked when she went through the Citizen Police
Ms. Aviad said she had gone through the Springfield Citizen Academy
Disaster Preparedness Trainer through CERTs (Community Emergenc,
Springfield's Emergency Management staff, Ken Vogeney, had asked.
trainers to go back east for a training in order to be FEMA (Federal Err
certified to help the City of Springfield get ready. She would like to bri
for the CERTs training and extend the training to the Hispanic populati
Mayor Lundberg thanked Ms. Aviad for applying. She said Mr,
candidates about their appointments.
The Council was pleased with the two candidates.
2. Street System Communication Update and Revenue Options.
Brian Conlon, DPW Operations Manager and Rhonda Rice, Senior Ma
Development and Public Works Department presented this item. For s(
Council had struggled with the problem that the City's Street Operating
sufficient revenue to support desired levels of street system operations
estimated a $3.5M to $4.5M annual unfunded need to effectively satisf
system operations and preservation objectives, in addition to a backlog
rehabilitation that approached $22 million. At the May 13, 2013 Counc
recommended that staff continue doing public outreach to educate citiz
the street system played in their daily lives. The Council also directed
the Fall to provide a public feedback update and discuss revenue optiot
The City's street system decline continued to steepen considerably yea
unfunded backlog exceeding $22M. Without adequate funding the city
preserving it at less than optimal levels. In essence, the consequence of
vmunications. During that
interpreter for Junction City's
td officers worked, and was
i the dispatchers who were
)gram and every aspect of the
and the Police Department.
ip for those speaking another
wided an ekample of a
irm and the distress it caused
things to him.
ast year. She was also a
Response Team).
1s. Aviad and other CERT
rgency Management Agency)
g more focus on Springfield
would be contacting both
agement Analyst with the
eral years City staff and the
Fund was not generating
nd preservation. Staff now
the City's transportation
if important preservation and
Work Session, the Council
ns of the important role that
iff to bring this issue back in
to year and had reached an
vas resigned to operating and
leferring preservation
City of Springfield
Council Work Session Minutes
October 28, 2013
Page 3
furthered the downward spiral and huge rehabilitation costs in the near ter could be expected.
Recognizing the importance to communicate this issue more effectively to our citizens, in 2012 the
Council directed staff to develop a Street System Communication Plan Ito deliver a three tiered
message; the street system was a valuable asset for the entire community, actively preserving the
system was more cost effective than rehabilitating at a later date, and revenues were no longer keeping
pace with preservation needs. The plan outlined consistent and simple 'messaging and encouraged oper
dialogue with community members. i
The Street System Communication Plan, which included a video made
Community Relations Manager Niel Laudati, had been successful in in
citizens about the street system operations and preservation requiremer
had been effective in engaging citizens in the problem. Now that some
community were actively engaged it was important to maintain that lin
consider an exploration of the ideas that the citizens had suggested to a
through debt financing or a pay -as- you -go approach, as well as other o
or staff might consider reasonable solutions.
Mr. Conlon noted that City Attorney Mary Bridget Smith and Public Ir
Analyst Rachael Chilton had also provided assistance in this outreach I
Attachment 5 of the agenda packet, the document from the Association
the League of Oregon Cities (LOC) which showed that all cities were f
regarding the difference between preservation and maintenance. With t
staff was not addressing the street maintenance and preservation the w�
and bringing sidewalks to Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Stan
issues the City was not able to address. He referred to additional charts
information outlined in Attachment 6 of the agenda packet.
Mr. Conlon reviewed the outreach that had been done to date. The big
the community events was connecting with people. Staff was encoura,
with understood the difference between maintaining the streets and rel
current shortfall in the street fund and the need for reserves to address
and street lighting.
Mr. Conlon said if the City started rehabilitation, there were new
considered. They were all good, but more costly.
Ms. Rice said the Streets Condition report (Attachment 6 of the agenda
City in 2012, but was built on data from 2006, 2008, 2010 and 2012. T
analyzed all of the street segments and provided a conditions rating. St,
the charts with 2012 information: Attachment 6, page 1 showed the Sti
categories: locals; collectors; and minor arterials. They had combined
category types and rated them. Those falling into the level of poor had
the last six years. Staff was trying to stay ahead of that downward trenc
could turn things around. Local streets were suffering the most as far w
wonderful job with the resources available to keep the streets from decl
Mr. Conlon said most streets had a design life of about 25 years, but w(
about 50 years or more. Some of the streets downtown were starting to
traffic so other options were considered for those types of streets. Idea;
preservation when the street was in good condition, not poor.
the assistance of
astng awareness among
Moreover, the presentations
>mbers of the Springfield
It was also timely to
•ess the funding problem
)rtunities that either Council
Formation and Education
rogram. Mr. Conlon referred to
of Oregon Cities (AOC) and
king the same issues. He spoke
to current revenue shortfall,
y they would like. Streetlights
lards were just a couple of
from Attachment 5 and the
value from the outreach at
that the citizens they talked
ing them. He discussed the
work needed on the bridges
that needed to be
packet) was published by the
e street crew went out and
IT was working on updating
;et Conditions by all
lose into lane miles and
'own in all categories over
as much as possible until they
their condition. Staff did a
nine more.
had extended the wear life to
ail. The local streets had less
the City would do
City of Springfield
Council Work Session Minutes
October 28, 2013
Page 4
Councilor Brew said it sounded like there were two problems: the ongoIing issue which was about a
$3.5M or $4.5M'annual gap; and a backlog of about $20M - $25M. There could be two separate
solutions to address the problems.
Mr. Conlon said staff was looking at ways to generate the revenue at $3.5M or $4.5M per year and
then chip away at the backlog. An example was 21' Street which they had managed to make minor
repairs to over the years. There had been discussion several years ago about a combination of funding
that would bring in enough for the backlog as well.
Councilor Moore said there was a huge difference between 2008 and 2010. She asked if it was normal
for it to take a dramatic drop like that after a certain amount of time.
Ms. Rice said when they were not able to preserve the streets, they did ;quickly deteriorate.
Mr. Conlon said the streets did decline at a fast rate to a point where the street was in need of
rehabilitation.
Councilor Woodrow asked if the change in petroleum costs had been a factor in the funding gap.
Mr. Conlon said the increase in petroleum costs caused people to drive iless, which meant less revenue.
Also, employee costs had risen and materials costs had risen significantly.
Ms. Rice said the majority of the street fund revenue was gas tax reven e, which had dropped as
people drove less.
Councilor Ralston said he didn't see the two as separate issues. It was a huge problem and he wasn't
sure how the City could come up with $3.5M a year to take care of things along the way. A bond
could address the larger amount, but it wouldn't solve the annual deficit.
Mr. Conlon said bonding was very popular now because it provided immediate funds, but there was a
debt service on those funds. The City was just about to pay off the 1995/96 General Obligation Bond.
Councilor Ralston said he was on a fixed income and was shocked when he received his taxes this
year. He wasn't sure how successful they would be in getting a measure passed.
Councilor Brew said even if they had $3.5M per year to put towards keeping up the streets, that
wouldn't be enough to take care of the backlog.
Mr. Conlon said it would take about seven to ten years of chipping away at the backlog. They would
need to prioritize their needs and it would be challenging. He referenced the chart from the LOC and
noted there hadn't been too many local fuel tax increases over the last few years. If they were to
consider increasing the local fuel tax, they would likely get a challenge from the petroleum companies.
A Transportation Utility Fee was a `pay -as- you -go' type of fee.
Councilor Moore asked about a utility fee that had been passed in another city and how much it
generated.
City of Springfield
Council Work Session Minutes
October 28, 2013
Page 5
Councilor VanGordon asked how soon a transportation utility fee
start on preservation.
Mr. Conlon said it would depend on how much was charged and how
With the fuel tax in 2003, projects were started within about six mont
Development and Public Works Director Len Goodwin said when they
Transportation Fee in 2008, a $1.75 residential fee and a scaled fee for
generated about $1.8M a year. If they were looking to generate $3.5M
be looking at a residential fee of about $3.50 a month with an appropri;
generate enough funds to begin getting out on the street about three me
Councilor VanGordon asked what kind of fee would be charged for
generate enough revenue to
the reserve could be built.
last looked at the
usinesses would have
year, they would most likely
e commercial fee. That would
the after implementation.
Mr. Goodwin said in 2008, they capped the business fee at $1100 a month for something large like a
Wa1Mart or Jerry's. Most businesses in Springfield were relatively small, and would pay about $25-
$30 month. In order to generate about $3.5M annually, the business feel would range between $40 and
$2000 a month.
Councilor VanGordon said if we went with a local gas tax, how soon
discussion.
Mr. Goodwin said as of July 1, 2014, the City could adopt another gas
penny of a local gas tax would generate about $350,000 for local purpc
tax .05 for a total of .08 per gallon, that would generate about $1.8M a
collected by the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) within
projects started within three to six months. With new techniques, them
less expensively. As an example, the cost of concrete was now almost
maintenance cost of concrete was significantly less.
Councilor VanGordon said these figures were based on the assumption
with Springfield Utility Board (SUB) to collect the fee.
Mr. Conlon said the Transportation Utility Fee could be on residents
been challenged by businesses, they had charged the fee only to resit
household.
Councilor Van Gordon said he would like to see what the Transportai
cities. He would also like to know more about a hybrid for a revenue
Mr. Conlon said before polling the citizens, they could package some
at a future work session.
Mayor Lundberg said that would be a good idea.
Councilor Moore asked how much money Springfield generated from
towards street preservation.
we were back having this
ax. At the current rate, each
;es. If they increased the gas
nually. Those funds would be
wo months of adoption, with
could be a way to do things
to same as asphalt and the
an arrangement was made
Because some entities had
increasing the cost per
Utility Fee was for other
id and a fee.
to present to the Council
trucking industry fees
City of Springfield
Council Work Session Minutes
October 28, 2013
Page 6
Mr. Goodwin said the trucking industry paid a substantial amount in wei ghtlmile fees to the State. Part
of the fuel tax distribution the City received included our share of those iweight/mile fees.
Councilor Moore said there were a lot of trucks traveling along 28" S-6 'et and it was deteriorating
rapidly. She asked how much damage studded tires did to 'street surfaces and asked if there was a way
to get funding from the sale of studded tires.
Mr. Conlon said it was easier to quantify that on a freeway or highway system versus our local system.
The City was preparing to do a project on 19 "i Street soon and it appeared that part of the damage was
due to aggressive turning and approach to Marcola Road, perhaps by studded tires. It was very
difficult to quantify.
Councilor Brew said when the gas tax was implemented in 2003, they t
problem, but it only helped for a few years. If they did a Transportation
made it adequate to get things done so they didn't have to come back it
they look at dedicating the funds to contract labor only for construction
asked Mr. Goodwin if there had been further discussion about impleme
fee in Lane County.
Mr. Goodwin said he had talked with the County. The last report he n
that individual conversations with Commission members suggested it
bring the proposal forward at this time.
Councilor Brew asked if that could be a solution.
sought it would solve the
Utility Fee, he hoped they
a few years. He proposed that
projects for certain streets. He
ding a higher car registration
from Lane County was
be prudent for them to
Mr. Goodwin said under the statute, the cities would be entitled to at least 40% of the revenue
collected from the vehicle registration fee. If the County imposed a registration fee that equaled that of
the State, which was the maximum allowed, Springfield's share would be about $2.2M per year. He
also noted that under the law, Springfield was prohibited from using force labor for anything over
$50,000 and were required to use outside contractors.
Councilor Woodrow said the community response had been positive and they recognized they were
part of the solution. She asked what they would be asking if they polled the citizens.
Mr. Conlon said they would likely ask if they would support a `pay -as- you -go' fee or a bond or a
combination. People understood the Transportation Fee and bonding, but that didn't mean they were
willing to pay. Polling the citizens would be valuable.
Councilor Woodrow asked if non - residents were a consideration for
Mr. Conlon said they would pay through a fuel tax if they fueled up in
Councilor Woodrow said people in our community were accepting of a proactive approach. When they
went out with the poll, they could also ask for ideas from the citizens. The idea of approaching them
with positive results and where we could be was more productive. It helped when people could
visualize.
City of Springfield
Council Work Session Minutes
October 28, 2013
Page 7
i
Mr. Conlon said they had been trying to present it in that way for the last seven years. He had talked
with the Public Works Director in Eugene about how they had gotten their message out to the public.
Staff would try to put some packages together in a positive way.
Councilor Woodrow said she also felt they should use a two- pronged approach of working on the
immediate needs and chipping away at the backlog.
Councilor VanGordon asked if they had taken their message to the Hawks Business Group and the
Springfield Chamber. Yes. He asked how much the current gas tax generated.
I
Ms. Rice said about $IM annually. The State generated a little over $2.5M for a total of $3.5M.
Mr. Conlon said staff did a great job of maintaining facilities and balancing their priorities.
I
Councilor VanGordon said that was extremely important.
Councilor Wylie said she liked the idea of the increase in Lane County of the car registration. Voters
were feeling the pinch so they needed to be thoughtful in how they moved forward. She said she
would suggest the car registration be based on the value of the vehicle. She also thought it would be
fun to couple the registration increase with the UO Duck vanity license plate cover.
Councilor Brew said the reason Springfield residents would pay for this was because they used the
streets every day, but those in the unincorporated areas also benefited aind used the streets. He asked if
they could have the Transportation System User Fee apply to them as well.
Mr. Goodwin said they couldn't impose a fee inside the urban growth boundary (UGB) and he wasn't
sure the County could impose a fee for just those within Springfield's UGB.
Mayor Lundberg said when they first passed a gas tax, they did not go out to the voters because it was
not required to go to the voters. Anything that was done could be challenged as there were special
interest groups for everything. The question tonight was whether or not they wanted to have a poll.
She would prefer to have some Council preferences before there was a poll. She had never supported a
Transportation User Fee because SUB had never agreed to collect it so the City would need to come
up with a way to collect. They needed to see the options clearly and what each would mean. She was
supportive of the increased registration fee, but would prefer it if the State did that so it was statewide.
She would like to see a studded tire fee at the State level. Those were options that were related to use
of vehicles on the road. Priority Based Budgeting would be coming to Council soon to help the
Council determine how to prioritize. The State was still a leader in thelper mile charge, but
technology could change how that was collected. She was looking out ten years in the future and how
to look at what could be done before fuel systems changed. She asked who got the revenue from the
charging stations and felt the City should be charging people to use those. Many groups would have a
vested interest in the City not collecting more money at their expense. She would like to see more
concrete numbers before polling.
Councilor Woodrow said they also needed to know what each option would generate.
Mr. Conlon said staff could come back with those numbers and how to present to the citizens.
City of Springfield
Council Work Session Minutes
October 28, 2013
Page 8
Mayor Lundberg said how things were worded was important and they needed to be careful in how
they polled.
Councilor Moore said she would like information on Washington and California's state registration
fee and how it was ranked. I
/_\ "Mill 301lu1ONI
The meeting was adjourned at 6:41 p.m.
Minutes Recorder — Amy Sown,
Christine L. Lundberg
Mayor
Attest:
Amy Sow
City Recorder