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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 03 Council Minutes AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY Meeting Date: 11/3/2014 Meeting Type: Regular Meeting Staff Contact/Dept.: Amy Sowa Staff Phone No: 541-726-3700 Estimated Time: Consent Calendar S P R I N G F I E L D C I T Y C O U N C I L Council Goals: Mandate ITEM TITLE: COUNCIL MINUTES ACTION REQUESTED: By motion, approval of the attached minutes. ISSUE STATEMENT: The attached minutes are submitted for Council approval. ATTACHMENTS: Minutes: a) October 20, 2014 – Work Session b) October 20, 2014 – Regular Meeting c) October 27, 2014 – Work Session DISCUSSION/ FINANCIAL IMPACT: None. City of Springfield Work Meeting MINUTES OF THE WORK SESSION MEETING OF THE SPRINGFIELD CITY COUNCIL HELD MONDAY OCTOBER 20, 2014 The City of Springfield Council met in a work session in the Library Meeting Room, 225 Fifth Street, Springfield, Oregon, on Monday October 20 at 6:00 p.m., with Mayor Lundberg presiding. ATTENDANCE Present were Mayor Lundberg and Councilors VanGordon, Wylie, Moore, Ralston, and Woodrow. Also present were City Manager Gino Grimaldi, Assistant City Manager Jeff Towery, City Attorney Mary Bridget Smith, City Recorder Amy Sowa and members of the staff. 1. Joint Historic Commission Meeting City Council Operating Procedures Section IV 6.4 states that Commission member liaisons are responsible for making an annual report of the Commission’s activities to the City Council. This meeting fulfills that requirement. In 2009, the City Council and Springfield Historic Commission established a new schedule for communication to better align Commission activities with Council goals and other City initiatives, resulting in biennial joint work sessions. The Historic Commission applies for Certified Local Government grant funding from the State Historic Preservation Office to support its activities and matches that financial support with in-kind staff and volunteer time. Every four years, the National Park Service asks that State Historic Preservation Offices (SHPO) visit with its partners to talk about their programs. In September, SHPO conducted its audit of the Springfield Certified Local Government (CLG) program. Attachment 1 outlines SHPO’s assessment of the program. Since the last joint Council/Historic Commission work session (September 2012), the Historic Commission applied for and received $13,000 in grant funds to support its activities from April 2014- August 2015. The Commission will report to Council on its accomplishments from the last joint meeting to date, present the findings of a community survey on Historic Preservation that the Commission conducted in Summer 2014, and initiate a conversation regarding observed limitations of Springfield’s Historic Overlay District in ensuring efficient and effective implementation of the City’s historic preservation policies. Historic Commission member Kuri Gill presented the topic. She thanked the Council for having them here to share what the Historic Commission has been doing over the last year. The Historic Commission received $13,800 in Certified Local Government (CLG) grant funds which was matched 1 for 1 with staff and volunteer time for the time period between April 1, 2012 and August 31, 2013. During the current year, they received another CLG grant in the amount of $13,000 for the time period between April 1, 2014 and August 31, 2015. Ms. Gill noted the following accomplishments between October 2012 and today: 1. Reviewed proposals for modifications to historic properties City of Springfield Council Work Session Minutes October 20, 2014 Page 2 2. Completed Reconnaissance Level Survey of Willamette Heights Neighborhood 3. Supported and promoted the Cottage Grove CLG wood window workshop for contractors 4. Completed five Intensive Level Surveys of downtown buildings 5. Updated the Historic Commission website 6. Repaired and replaced Washburne District signs 7. Attend local, regional, national conferences / workshops 8. Continued survey/inventory of Springfield’s pre-1915 historic properties 9. Passed CLG Audit 10. Conducted a survey regarding the value of Springfield’s historic properties and the historic code Ms. Gill noted that Historic Commission members took their own personal time to attend the conferences (Item 7 above). Springfield has the highest attendance rate of all of the commissions throughout the state. All survey work has also been done by members using their own personal time. In order to be a Certified Local Government, the Historic Commission is required to be audited every four years to make sure they still meet the required responsibilities (Item 9 above). The review (audit) occurred a little over a month ago. Springfield meets the minimum requirements, but there was a lot of conversation about the design review process and the code that is in place for the historic properties, including enforcement of the code. The CLG recommended some code revisions. Ms. Gill reviewed the survey results (Item 10 above): • 215 respondents • 85% live in or own property in Springfield • 55% own historic property • 47% own property in the Washburne Historic District • 24% have used the design and review process • 87% agreed or strongly agreed that Springfield’s history is important to its future • 77% agreed that City Council should prioritize preservation • 24% (38 respondents) had used the process • 75% agreed or strongly agreed that City staff was helpful • Only 36% agreed or strongly agreed the process is easy • Washburne Historic District Process Clarity and Helpfulness Scale • Only 14% agreed or strongly agreed that design requirements should be more strict • The value of historic places and buildings is noted below: There is a clear value of historic places in Springfield and a clear value of the historic nature of the Washburne neighborhood. Based on the response regarding the process, it was suggested the code be revised to make the process clearer and easier. She noted that staff support time for the Historic Commission had been reduced. With less support, the process is slower and communication more challenging. Having a clearer, more streamlined process will be helpful for staff. City of Springfield Council Work Session Minutes October 20, 2014 Page 3 Councilor Moore asked if there are ways to help homeowners with the costs to meet the requirements. Ms. Gill said there are resources available. Ms. Gill thanks Tara Jones and Molly Markarian for their staff support. Other commissions in the state don’t have the support they have in Springfield, so they appreciate the help they do have. The Commission would like to talk to the Council about their Council liaison (vacant since Councilor Brew left office), the survey situation and code revision. Mayor Lundberg said once they had a full Council, she will re-assign them to the committees near the end of the year. They are waiting for the election results. Ms. Gill said they would love to have someone with interest or knowledge of the district, and is willing and able to attend the meetings and read through the materials. Historic Commission member Dannie Helm said she in the three years since she had been on the commission, she had not met the Council liaison. They missed having that connection. Mayor Lundberg said she wasn’t aware the last liaison was not able to attend. It was likely due to scheduling. Ms. Gill said the next meeting will be on the 4th Tuesday of November. They will meet next in January. Mayor Lundberg said she would make sure the new liaison attended the next available meeting after assigned, likely in January. Ms. Gill responded to Councilor Moore’s question about comments to the survey. They had 70 respondents provide comments which were very helpful. One of the biggest issues is the materials required on historic homes. There are a lot of pressures and opportunities in the area of energy efficiency, and historic homes can be very energy efficient with the right improvements. The Commission needs to work on education about that topic. They did offer a grant program and no one applied, so they will work on better outreach. They found that people aren’t clear who they are in the neighborhood and whether or not they have to go through a process when doing alterations to their buildings. Part of the outreach will include more specific mailings to provide clarity for people about what is expected. They will also engage people if they are able to move forward with a code revision process. Ms. Helm said the survey was available on the website. They had included on the survey information about the CLG workshop which was well received. Councilor Woodrow asked how the code revisions took place. Ms. Gill said staff time is needed to prepare the amendments for review by the Planning Commission and City Council. It will go through the normal City process. The biggest concerns are clarity of the process and ability for staff to make objective decisions. There are three types of review and it is not always clear what review is needed for each project. Type I review should be able to happen with staff and not have to come before the Commission, but the code language is still very objective making it challenging for staff to make those decisions. If the code could be designed so those Type I decisions are much more objective, that provides a quicker process for the homeowner and for staff. Type III City of Springfield Council Work Session Minutes October 20, 2014 Page 4 review are more subjective and will come to the Commission. Those are some ideas of how the process might be improved. They also want to make sure enforcement is able to happen with these projects. They would like to open it up to other incentives (i.e. grant programs, etc.) to encourage people to go through the process. Ms. Helm said there are a lot of educational aspects that can come from the code revisions. Some cities are developing one-page handouts that can be provided at the counter for Type I projects that make it clear and efficient. There is also an opportunity to bring emergency preparedness and disaster planning into the code revisions. Ms. Gill said they would like to have the Council agree with doing code revisions and support staff to take on that task. They can use grant funds for part of that if it is helpful. Councilor Ralston asked when that code section was last revised. Ms. Markarian said that part of the code was established in 1987 and has not been revised since then. Councilor Ralston said it was time to be updated. Mayor Lundberg asked the city manager about funding. Mr. Grimaldi said it was a resource issue as staff is currently full utilized with the work at hand. To add this would mean that something else would take longer to complete or stopped. Mayor Lundberg asked if there was potential to get a contract with someone with expertise. Mr. Grimaldi said they could look at that, but it will still use staff time. They can look at this during the budget season. In the coming year, staff will provide the Budget Committee with a list of things they think they should be doing and get feedback. They can add this to that list. Councilor Moore asked about the review of properties in the Washburne historic district. Mr. Grimaldi said that review was done and an outline of the preliminary work will be in an upcoming Communication Packet. Councilor Moore asked if that review had anything to do with the code revisions being requested tonight. Ms. Gill said it does somewhat relate to it as zoning would be considered in the code revisions. Councilor Ralston said he would like to keep this in-house rather than contract. He supposed the Historic Commission had already reviewed other codes to see what they want. Councilor VanGordon asked when the revisions could be done if it was added after other staff work is completed. Mr. Grimaldi said currently staff is working on Metro Plan issues, Glenwood code amendments, downtown design standards, and several Main Street projects. Mr. Goodwin said without additional resources, it would be a couple of years before they could City of Springfield Council Work Session Minutes October 20, 2014 Page 5 dedicate staff to provide support for the code revisions requested. Councilor VanGordon asked if they could take the approach of fixing some easy things now to make the process significantly better. Ms. Gill said they could possibly do a couple of things that could make things easier, but they would not want to do something without involving the neighbors. Councilor VanGordon said the revisions need to be done, but he would like to hear about simple things that could be done in the meantime. Councilor Woodrow said she had a concern about doing things now that might have a short-term impact. She feels any changes need to be looked at in context of how they relate with each other. Isolating them might be difficult and not serve the purpose or bring about the desired end result. She was supportive of adding this to the list of projects so they can put it in context with other things during the budget process. Councilor Moore asked if there is an opportunity to take what other communities have in their code to make it easier. She realizes it takes staff time, but perhaps the Commission could look over other cities’ codes and make suggestions. Councilor Wylie said because the code is failing preservation, and we are dealing with important historic buildings, we may lose aspects of some of those buildings if they can’t do something now. It is not a good idea to wait a couple of years. Maybe the Commission could research other codes and find things that could be changed in our code, so we didn’t lose those buildings. As Springfield has grown, it’s important to preserve our historic district. We need to find a way to get to it sooner. Ms. Helm said sections of the code were interconnected so they did need to be very careful. They would want to plan their work around this as it would become their primary task. They want to work with the Council to make sure they are on the same page. Mayor Lundberg said she knew staff would have to take their time to provide information to the Commission. The first task is to create a to-do list outlining what part the Historic Commission can take on, such as getting a list of what other communities are doing, and what part staff will need to take on. It may mean that the Historic Commission starts to meet monthly rather than every other month. Mr. Grimaldi said it needs to be scoped out. They will do that before presenting to it to the Budget Committee. Mayor Lundberg said they need to be realistic. The City has very large projects our staff is currently working on including the urban growth boundary (UGB) expansion and Glenwood Refinement Plan. She asked staff to get something lined up for review by the Budget Committee. Councilor Wylie said they could possibly look into hiring a graduate student to help work on this with minimum staff time; someone knowledgeable and excited about the project. Mayor Lundberg said currently people (in the Historic District) are doing their own thing. We need to find a way to embrace the historic areas in the community and encourage participation. Everyone has a sense of preservation and it is important to Council. She will get a Council liaison assigned to the City of Springfield Council Work Session Minutes October 20, 2014 Page 6 Historic Commission as soon as possible. Ms. Helm said they appreciate the impact it has on staff. They hope it will alleviate the impact on staff in the long-term. Mayor Lundberg said they want to be helpful to community members. Council appreciated the Ms. Gill and Ms. Helm for attending tonight. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 6:45 p.m. Minutes Recorder – Amy Sowa ______________________ Christine L. Lundberg Mayor Attest: ____________________ Amy Sowa City Recorder City of Springfield Regular Meeting MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE SPRINGFIELD CITY COUNCIL HELD MONDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2014 The City of Springfield Council met in regular session in the Council Chambers, 225 Fifth Street, Springfield, Oregon, on Monday October 20, 2014 at 7:00 p.m., with Mayor Lundberg presiding. ATTENDANCE Present were Mayor Lundberg and Councilors VanGordon, Wylie, Moore, Ralston, and Woodrow. Also present were City Manager Gino Grimaldi, Assistant City Manager Jeff Towery, City Attorney Lauren King, City Recorder Amy Sowa and members of the staff. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Mayor Lundberg. SPRINGFIELD UPBEAT 1. Mayor’s Recognition a. 2014 Housing America Month Proclamation. Mayor Lundberg read from the proclamation and declared November as 2014 Housing America Month and encouraged all citizens to commit themselves to meeting the affordable housing and community development needs of the community. She presented the proclamation to Larry Abel, Executive Director of HACSA and Jacob Fox. She noted that she would be attending an event honoring Housing America Month on Tuesday, October 21 at 10:30am. b. Extra Mile Day Proclamation. Mayor Lundberg read from the proclamation and declared November 1, 2014 as Extra Mile Day and encouraged citizens to not only go the extra mile in his or her own life, but to acknowledge all those around who are inspirational in their efforts and commitment to make their organizations, families, community, country, or world a better place. 2. Other a. Employee Recognition: Kevin Sundholm, 20 Years of Service, Fire Department. City Manager Gino Grimaldi acknowledged Kevin Sundholm for his twenty years of service with the Springfield Fire Department and his many commendations, including his role in assisting with the department going paperless in many areas. He also noted Mr. Sundholm’s involvement in the community. Mr. Sundholm introduced his wife, Melissa, who was in the audience. City of Springfield Council Regular Meeting Minutes October 20, 2014 Page 2 b. Employee Recognition: Jeff Paschall, 10 Years of Service, Development and Public Works Department. City Manager Gino Grimaldi acknowledged Jeff Paschall for his ten years of service with the Development and Public Works Department and his many accomplishments during that time including the many capital improvement projects. He also noted Mr. Paschall’s involvement in the community. CONSENT CALENDAR 1. Claims a. Approval of the September 2014, Disbursements for Approval. 2. Minutes a. September 15, 2014 – Regular Meeting b. September 22, 2014 – Work Session c. October 6, 2014 – Work Session d. October 6, 2014 – Regular Meeting e. October 13, 2014 – Work Session f. October 13, 2014 – Regular Meeting 3. Resolutions a. RESOLUTION NO. 2014-29 – A RESOLUTION TO ACCEPT CITY PROJECT P21071; SPRINGFIELD MUSEUM BRICK AND MORTAR REPAIR. b. RESOLUTION NO. 2014-30 – A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF SPRINGFIELD ADOPTING THE EUGENE-SPRINGFIELD MULTI-JURISDICTIONAL EMERGENCY OPERATIONS PLAN BASIC PLAN AND DIRECTING THE CITY MANAGER, ACTING AS THE DIRECTOR OF EMERGENCY SERVICES, TO DEVELOP, APPROVE, AND IMPLEMENT NEW OR REVISED ANNEXES TO THE EUGENE-SPRINGFIELD MULTI- JURISDICTIONAL EMERGENCY OPERATIONS PLAN. 4. Ordinances a. ORDINANCE NO. 6328 – AN ORDINANCE APPROVING THE ANNEXATION OF CERTAIN TERRITORY TO THE CITY OF SPRINGFIELD, AND WILLAMALANE PARK AND RECREATION DISTRICT; AND WITHDRAWING THE SAME TERRITORY FROM THE WILLAKENZIE RURAL FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT. b. ORDINANCE NO. 6329 – AN ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING A GROSS RECEIPTS TAX ON THE SALE OF MARIJUANA IN THE CITY OF SPRINGFIELD. 5. Other Routine Matters City of Springfield Council Regular Meeting Minutes October 20, 2014 Page 3 a. Approval of Liquor License Endorsement for Club 1444, Located at 1444 Main Street, Springfield, OR. b. Accept the Offered Grant of $159,000 under the Federal State Homeland Security Grant Program to Procure New Interoperable Radio Equipment and Authorizing the City Manager to Execute the Associated Grant Agreement with the State of Oregon. IT WAS MOVED BY MAYOR WYLIE WITH A SECOND BY COUNCILOR WOODROW TO APPROVE THE CONSENT CALENDAR. THE MOTION PASSED WITH A VOTE OF 5 FOR AND 0 AGAINST. ITEMS REMOVED PUBLIC HEARINGS - Please limit comments to 3 minutes. Request to speak cards are available at both entrances. Please present cards to City Recorder. Speakers may not yield their time to others. 1. Sanipac Rate Increase Request. RESOLUTION NO. 2014-31 – A RESOLUTION OF THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SPRINGFIELD AMENDING THE MASTER SCHEDULE OF MISCELLANEOUS FEES AND CHARGES, RATES, PERMITS AND LICENSES IN ORDER TO AMEND THE AMOUNT OF THE GARBAGE AND REFUSE RATES Rhonda Rice, Management Analyst, presented the staff report on this item. Sanipac, the City’s franchise hauler for solid waste, has requested an increase of 4.3 percent for residential and commercial hauling rates. This request is in addition to Lane County implementing an increase in the charges imposed for disposal of solid waste at the Short Mountain Landfill (tipping fee) which will pass through to the customer. The Board of County Commissioners has determined, as part of the County budget process, that the rate imposed on solid waste haulers for disposal of waste at the Short Mountain landfill should be increased, effective September 1, 2014, from $67 per ton to $75.55 per ton, an $8.55/ton increase. This increase will, according to the Board, fund continued operations at current levels. The user rate collected by Sanipac has two components: an amount designed to allow Sanipac a reasonable rate of return on its costs; and a separate component for the cost of disposal of the waste. Sanipac requests an overall 4.3% increase in residential and commercial rates. This rate increase is based on the Consumer Price Index average for the past two years and will allow for the continued established rate of return. The proposed increase will represent an increase of approximately $1.10 per month increase on the 35 gallon weekly, the most common residential size used. Sanipac last increased its rates in January, 2012. Under the current franchise, Sanipac is permitted to request increases annually, but is also permitted to seek supplemental increases when costs increase as a result of governmental action. The franchise expressly allows for the pass through of rates for disposal. Sanipac has requested that the increase be effective November 1, 2014. Staff believe that the request by Sanipac is reasonable and appropriate, and recommends approval. Mayor Lundberg opened the public hearing. No one appeared to speak. City of Springfield Council Regular Meeting Minutes October 20, 2014 Page 4 Mayor Lundberg closed the public hearing. IT WAS MOVED BY COUNCILOR WYLIE WITH A SECOND BY COUNCILOR WOODROW TO ADOPT RESOLUTION NO. 2014-31. THE MOTION PASSED WITH A VOTE OF 5 FOR AND 0 AGAINST. 2. Supplemental Budget Resolution. RESOLUTION NO. 2014-32 – A RESOLUTION ADJUSTING RESOURCES AND REQUIREMENTS IN THE FOLLOWING FUNDS: GENERAL, STREET, JAIL OPERATIONS, SPECIAL REVENUE, TRANSIENT ROOM TAX, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, BUILDING CODE, FIRE LOCAL OPTION LEVY, POLICE LOCAL OPTION LEVY, BANCROFT REDEMPTION, BOND SINKING, REGIONAL WASTEWATER DEBT SERVICE, SANITARY SEWER CAPITAL, REGIONAL WASTEWATER REVENUE BOND CAPITAL PROJECT, DEVELOPMENT ASSESSMENT CAPITAL, DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS, STORM DRAINAGE CAPITAL, POLICE BUILDING BOND CAPITAL PROJECT, REGIONAL WASTEWATER CAPITAL, STREET CAPITAL, STORM DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENT SDC, STORM DRAINAGE REIMBURSEMENT SDC, SANITARY SEWER REIMBURSEMENT SDC , SANITARY SEWER IMPROVEMENT SDC, SDC REGIONAL WASTEWATER REIMBURSEMENT, SDC REGIONAL WASTEWATER IMPROVEMENT, SDC TRANSPORTATION REIMBURSEMENT, SDC TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT, SANITARY SEWER OPERATIONS, REGIONAL WASTEWATER, AMBULANCE, STORM DRAINAGE OPERATIONS, BOOTH-KELLY, REGIONAL FIBER CONSORTIUM, INSURANCE, VEHICLE & EQUIPMENT, AND SDC ADMINISTRATION FUNDS. Bob Duey, Finance Director, presented the staff report on this item. At various times during the fiscal year the Council is requested to adjustments the annual budget to reflect needed changes in planned activities, to recognize new revenues, or to make other required changes. These adjustments to resources and requirements change the current budget and are processed through supplemental budget requests scheduled by the Finance Department on an annual basis. This is the first of three scheduled FY15 supplemental budget requests to come before Council. The supplemental budget being presented includes adjusting resources and requirements in: General, Street, Jail Operations, Special Revenue, Transient Room Tax, Community Development, Building Code, Fire Local Option Levy, Police Local Option Levy, Bancroft Redemption, Bond Sinking, Regional Wastewater Debt Service, Sanitary Sewer Capital, Regional Wastewater Revenue Bond Capital Project, Development Assessment Capital, Development Projects, Storm Drainage Capital, Police Building Bond Capital Project, Regional Wastewater Capital, Street Capital, Storm Drainage Improvement SDC, Storm Drainage Reimbursement SDC, Sanitary Sewer Reimbursement SDC , Sanitary Sewer Improvement SDC, SDC Regional Wastewater Reimbursement, SDC Regional Wastewater Improvement, SDC Transportation Reimbursement, SDC Transportation Improvement, Sanitary Sewer Operations, Regional Wastewater, Ambulance, Storm Drainage Operations, Booth-Kelly, Regional Fiber Consortium, Insurance, Vehicle & Equipment, and SDC Administration Funds. The City Council is asked to approve the attached Supplemental Budget Resolution. City of Springfield Council Regular Meeting Minutes October 20, 2014 Page 5 The overall financial impact of the Supplemental Budget Resolution is to increase Operating Expenditures of $1,738,345, Capital Projects $3,628,107, Inter-fund Transfers $105,571, Reserves $9,348,916 and increase in Un-appropriated Ending Fund Balance $111,719. These are offset by beginning cash adjustments $13,663,453, grants $947,567, and new revenue $321,639. Mr. Duey said they reformatted the council briefing memo in an attempt to integrate priority based budgeting. This new format makes it more transparent to the public. Also, all adjustments that had been approved last year or this year in the budget were listed in the first column. Programmatic changes were listed in the second column. He described the new items listed. Mayor Lundberg said they are doing the engineering for the Gateway signage and she is very happy to see that as it would be a marker to that entrance and fill that corner that currently has nothing. There is extreme interest, particularly from Gateway business owners, to have that installed. She also noted that artwork for the intersection is part of the budgeted amount. She is also pleased to have the volunteer coordinator position and feels it is very much needed. Mr. Duey said the volunteer coordinator is a one-year duration position at this time. If they wish to continue that program, the Budget Committee will need to discuss that during the budget process. Councilor Moore asked about the seismic study of City Hall and if it had been done. It was noted that Request for Proposals (RFP) are just going out. She was happy to see that going forward. Mayor Lundberg opened the public hearing. No one appeared to speak Mayor Lundberg closed the public hearing. IT WAS MOVED BY COUNCILOR WYLIE WITH A SECOND BY COUNCILOR WOODROW TO ADOPT RESOLUTION NO. 2014-32. THE MOTION PASSED WITH A VOTE OF 5 FOR AND 0 AGAINST. 3. Adoption of Transportation System Development Charge Methodology, Project List, and Charges. RESOLUTION NO. 5 – A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF SPRINGFIELD COMMON COUNCIL MODIFYING A METHODOLOGY FOR THE CALCULATION OF TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT CHARGES AND SETTING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. RESOLUTION NO. 6 – A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF SPRINGFIELD COMMON COUNCIL ADOPTING A LIST OF TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM PROJECTS TO BE FUNDED BY SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT CHARGES AND SETTING AN EFFECTIVE DATE RESOLUTION NO. 7 – A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF SPRINGFIELD COMMON COUNCIL ADOPTING A TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT CHARGE AND SETTING AN EFFECTIVE DATE Anette Spickard, Deputy DPW Director, presented the staff report on this item. City of Springfield Council Regular Meeting Minutes October 20, 2014 Page 6 Staff has completed a proposed modification to the Transportation System Development Charge (SDC) Methodology, and a Project List of activities eligible for funding from SDC’s, and a proposed Charge resulting from the application of the Methodology to the Project List. The Methodology and Project List have been available for public review and comment since August 20, 2014. Staff has completed the process, which commenced in October 2013, of reviewing and updating the Transportation System SDC methodology. A council-appointed Citizen’s Advisory Committee (CAC) met six times between October 2013 and April 2014 with city staff and SDC consultant Deb Galardi from the Galardi Rothstein Group to review and make recommendations to Council on updates to the methodology. Council received the CAC’s recommendations on June 9, 2014 and gave direction to staff on final changes to incorporate into the methodology on June 16, 2014 along with direction to schedule this Public Hearing. The proposed Methodology was published and made available for public review and comment on August 20, 2014. Interested parties were notified as required under ORS 223-304(7)(a). In a final review of the proposed project list staff discovered some anomalies that suggest that a final review of the project list be conducted to assure that there are no inaccuracies. With Council’s concurrence, staff will bring this matter to Council in work session on November 24 and then continue the Public Hearing on December 1. Staff request that the hearing be opened and then continued to eliminate the need to start a new 60 day notice period. Interested parties who were notified on the hearing schedule for this evening have been advised staff will request a continuance to December 1. Mayor Lundberg opened the public hearing and continued it through December 1, 2014. No one appeared to speak. BUSINESS FROM THE AUDIENCE COUNCIL RESPONSE CORRESPONDENCE AND PETITIONS 1. Correspondence from Michael Koivula Regarding the Trap/Neuter/Release (TNR) Program in Springfield. 2. Correspondence from Sue Mandeville Regarding the Trap/Neuter/Release (TNR) Program in Springfield. IT WAS MOVED BY COUNCILOR WYLIE WITH A SECOND BY COUNCILOR WOODROW TO ACCEPT THE CORRESPONDENCE FOR FILING. THE MOTION PASSED WITH A VOTE OF 5 FOR AND 0 AGAINST. BIDS ORDINANCES BUSINESS FROM THE CITY COUNCIL 1. Committee Appointments City of Springfield Council Regular Meeting Minutes October 20, 2014 Page 7 a. Historic Commission Appointment. Jeff Paschall, Senior Engineer, presented the staff report on this item on behalf of Senior Planner Molly Markarian. The Springfield Historic Commission has one vacancy as a result of Kip Amend’s first term expiring and one vacancy as a result of Paula Guthrie’s resignation. It is necessary to fill the vacancies at this time. The City received three applications for the two vacancies. The Council interviewed Kip Amend, Bruce Berg, and Emily Scherrer at the October 13, 2014 Work Session. At the Work Session, the Council favored appointing Emily Scherrer to fill Commissioner Amend’s vacancy and Bruce Berg to fill Commissioner Guthrie’s vacancy. Appointments to the Historic Commission must be confirmed during a Regular Session. IT WAS MOVED BY COUNCILOR WYLIE WITH A SECOND BY COUNCILOR WOODROW TO APPOINT EMILY SCHERRER TO THE HISTORIC COMMISSION WITH A TERM EXPIRING OCTOBER 19, 2018. THE MOTION PASSED WITH A VOTE OF 5 FOR AND 0 AGAINST. IT WAS MOVED BY COUNCILOR WYLIE WITH A SECOND BY COUNCILOR WOODROW TO APPOINT BRUCE BERG TO THE HISTORIC COMMISSION WITH A TERM EXPIRING MAY 1, 2015. THE MOTION PASSED WITH A VOTE OF 5 FOR AND 0 AGAINST. 2. Other Business. a. Councilor Moore thanked Niel Laudati and Karlynn Akins for their work on the Nick Symmonds 800M Event. The rain did limit participation, but those that attended had a great time. Councilor Moore attended a Solidarity Rally held on Saturday, October 18 called by Community Alliance of Lane County (CALC). A proclamation was read from Mayor Lundberg regarding a hate incident that occurred last week near the public schools. A large number of people showed up at the rally to support Springfield to say we would not allow hate statements. b. Mayor Lundberg said she attended the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) Road User Fee Listening Tour this morning. The Road User Fee is Senate Bill 810 which passed both houses and goes into effect July 1, 2015. They are using volunteers to track their mileage using a variety of methods. She would encourage everyone to pay attention to how this plays out because it has many variations and layers. They tossed out the idea of tolls, tire fees, and many other things she would have been glad to consider. The Federal Government has run out of transportation dollars and the State is trying to figure out what to do regarding transportation dollars. She is not as pleased as ODOT about this idea. This will be mandatory in order to replace lost revenue. City of Springfield Council Regular Meeting Minutes October 20, 2014 Page 8 Councilor Ralston said he understood more money is needed to be raised, and he feels the gas tax is the best way to raise those funds. He will not be tracked and there will be others that will not want to be tracked. This infringed on people’s rights. Mayor Lundberg said there are a number of ways to track. The Oregon Transportation Forum came up with an increase in the gas tax, but the Road User Fee is the one the legislature passed. Other things are being considered, so it would be wise to follow what is coming along in upcoming legislature so they can consider what they would like to support by sending letters to legislators to influence their decisions. She discussed using value engineering on our streets to keep our costs down. BUSINESS FROM THE CITY MANAGER 1. Right of Way Vacation Affecting a Portion of Commercial Avenue and A Street. RESOLUTION NO. 2014-33 – A RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SPRINGFIELD TO INITIATE A VACATION OF PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY OF A PORTION OF COMMERCIAL AVENUE AND “A” STREET. Chris Moorhead, City Surveyor, presented the staff report on this item. Property owners adjacent to this right of way have approached the City with concerns regarding limited or restrained access to Commercial Avenue, and public nuisances in the right of way. Nuisances have been a historic issue, and in the past, as a partial remedy the City informally allowed one property owner, who had the majority of frontage on the dead end street, to fence the right of way. Unfortunately this also blocked access to other properties adjacent to the right of way. In order to create the safest, most feasible and most equitable use of the public right of way, a partial right of way vacation is proposed, along with termination of the informal right of way use, which will allow equal access and give owners the ability to jointly mitigate security risks. Many years ago, in response to significant nuisance activity, an agreement between the City and an adjacent property owner allowed the property owner to fence off part of a right of way segment of Commercial Avenue, in order to protect their business that backed onto the dead end. Presently, another adjacent property owner requires right of access to the right of way, but is blocked by the closed off right of way. Staff proposes to remedy the situation by vacating a small additional segment of right of way to assure that each property owner has unrestricted access to the existing right of way. In accordance with provisions of SDC 5.20-120.A, and Springfield Municipal Code section 3.200-3.206, the City Council can adopt a resolution to initiate a vacation of public right-of-way. In such a case, the property reverts equally to the abutting property owners. If Council initiates the vacation, staff will prepare a vacation application, process the application, and present a vacation ordinance to Council for adoption. Additionally, it is staff’s recommendation that payment to the City by the applicant of “special benefit fee”, resulting or inuring to the abutting property that results from the vacation and disposition of property to the benefited property owners per SMC 3.204, be waived in the public interest. City of Springfield Council Regular Meeting Minutes October 20, 2014 Page 9 IT WAS MOVED BY COUNCILOR WYLIE WITH A SECOND BY COUNCILOR WOODROW TO ADOPT RESOLUTION NO 2014-33. THE MOTION PASSED WITH A VOTE OF 5 FOR AND 0 AGAINST. Mr. Grimaldi commended Mr. Moorhead on the work he had done in working with the neighbors to get this resolved. BUSINESS FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned 7:37 p.m. Minutes Recorder Amy Sowa ______________________ Christine L. Lundberg Mayor Attest: ____________________ City Recorder City of Springfield Work Session Meeting MINUTES OF THE WORK SESSION MEETING OF THE SPRINGFIELD CITY COUNCIL HELD MONDAY OCTOBER 27, 2014 The City of Springfield Council met in a work session in the Jesse Maine Meeting Room, 225 Fifth Street, Springfield, Oregon, on Monday, October 27, 2014 at 5:30 p.m., with Mayor Lundberg presiding. ATTENDANCE Present were Mayor Lundberg and Councilors VanGordon, Moore, Ralston, and Woodrow. Also present were City Manager Gino Grimaldi, Assistant City Manager Jeff Towery, City Attorney Mary Bridget Smith, City Recorder Amy Sowa and members of the staff. Councilor Wylie was absent (excused). 1. Main-McVay Transit Study Progress Update. Senior Transportation Planner David Reesor presented the staff report on this item. Lane Transit District (LTD) was awarded federal funds to prepare a transit services study for the Main Street and McVay Highway corridors. Over the past several months, the City of Springfield and LTD have worked closely together with the Project’s Stakeholder Advisory Committee (SAC) and Governance Team (GT) to develop potential transit solutions for the corridor. Final recommendations are expected from the SAC and GT in February 2015. The purpose of the Main-McVay Transit Study is to analyze if Main Street and McVay Highway transit improvements are needed, technically viable, and have general public support. Existing transit service on Main Street is hindered by overcrowded buses. Both Main Street and McVay transit service also have safety and security issues for passengers accessing buses at transit stops that are poorly lit and not located at signalized street crossings. If not addressed, these issues will worsen in the future as the corridor’s population, employment, and transit ridership increase. In July 2014, the Main-McVay Transit Study Purpose, Goals and Objectives were reviewed by the Springfield City Council and LTD Board. Since that time, the Project Team has worked closely with elected and appointed officials from City of Springfield and LTD on the Project’s Governance Team and with the SAC to develop potential transit solutions, and has completed the Tier I screening process. Attachment 1 of the agenda packet includes a brief summary of the process to-date, graphics illustrating potential transit options, and the Tier I screening results for these options. In the Tier II screening-level evaluation, the study’s evaluation criteria, along with the results of high-level data analyses of the remaining solutions, will be used to determine how well each of the proposed transit solutions would meet the project’s goals and objectives. Each of the transit solutions will be scored based on the evaluation criteria – the higher the point total, the better the option is in meeting the study’s goals and objectives. The resulting data and scoring will be used to assist in comparing and contrasting transit solutions. Over the course of the next several months, the SAC will further screen down the number of transit options through the Tier II screening based on a determination of the consistency of the various options with the project’s evaluation criteria. The SAC’s recommendations will be reviewed and accepted or revised by the GT and forwarded to the Springfield City Council and the LTD Board of Directors for final review and approval in spring 2015. City of Springfield Council Work Session Minutes October 27, 2014 Page 2 The SAC and GT recommendations regarding which transit solutions hold the most promise for resolving transportation problems in the Corridor are anticipated in February 2015. Mr. Reesor said the purpose of the study was to research and evaluate the need, technical viability and public support for potential Main Street transit improvements. He referred to a map of the project study area from Thurston to downtown to the McVay Highway. Main Street is divided into three sub-segments (Main-Downtown, Main-Central; and Main-East), and McVay Highway into two segments (McVay-North, and McVay South). There are currently five Main Street projects occurring on Main Street: Main/McVay Transit Study; Main Street Visioning; Pedestrian Crossings on Main Street; Downtown Lighting; and SmartTrips. All projects are being coordinated and are tied together when doing public outreach to avoid confusion. He reviewed the decision making structure with the Springfield City Council and Lane Transit District as the main decision makers. Community input included written comments, website input, email correspondences, Main Street interested parties list updates and community outreach. This project and the Main Street Visioning project have been coordinated in their outreach efforts. He provided an update of what had occurred to date on this project including meetings and design workshops. The Study Problem Statement, Needs Statement and Evaluation Criteria had been refined over the summer and fall. The project team evaluated 25 transit solution options against 19 criteria. Tier II screening would be next. He introduced John Evans, Project Manager from LTD. Mr. Evans said he and Mr. Reesor were co-managing the project. The first tier of screening looked at high level alternatives, and the goals and objectives for transit needs for the corridor. As they went through the Tier I screening, they looked at each option to see if it had reasonable potential to solve identified transportation problems. To determine whether an option should be eliminated, they considered the following: not cost effective – increases costs; doesn’t provide connectivity; doesn’t’ improve ridership; and potential significant adverse impacts. After going through the process, each option received a “pass” or “fail”. Once the committee identified the possible solutions, the project team did a high level study and recommended options for the SAC to consider. The SAC then made recommendations and took a smaller list of options to the GT. The GT concurred with the SAC’s recommendations and advanced 18 options forward for the Tier II study. The SAC will meet tomorrow to evaluate the options in Tier II. The intent is to develop the most promising alternatives for GT to forward to the City Council and LTD Board. Mr. Reesor discussed the next steps. On October 29, Mr. Evans will give a progress update to the EmX Steering Committee. On November 18, the GT will review the SAC recommendations and send them back to the SAC to determine a preliminary draft range of options. On December 4, the GT and SAC will receive a package of the preliminary draft range of most promising solutions. In January, they will be finalizing the process to bring the draft solutions to the City Council and LTD Board. They are scheduled to bring them to the Council on March 2, and to the LTD Board on March 9 for review and discussion with final action occurring in later March and April. The website for this project is www.ourmainstreetspringfield.org . Councilor VanGordon said he likes what he is seeing so far, but would like to see a description of what LTD will be doing to improve their services without addition funding or investment. That may include improvements internally or other measures that will improve their services. Councilor Moore asked about the celebration of the decisions by the GT. City of Springfield Council Work Session Minutes October 27, 2014 Page 3 Mr. Reesor said the celebration was to celebrate the end of the SAC. Members include a large number of volunteers from the community and this will be their celebration for the work done. Councilor Moore asked Council would just see the end product. Mr. Reesor said they are seeing progress as they move through the process. Tonight’s packet provides information for Council to review and provide feedback. The Council could take this opportunity to provide comment now or follow-up with staff later after further review. Mayor Lundberg said this is the highest level with many options. During the second phase (Tier II), the options will be analyzed. She appreciated having the maps of the routes on the same page as the chart showing the SAC recommendations. It is important that every option is there: the BRT route, the enhanced bus route (not BRT); and no build. The details of each option would be analyzed through the Tier II process. Councilor Moore confirmed that all of this information was available online. She wants to be able to direct people to a place they can provide comment if they choose. Mr. Reesor said it is all online on their website at www.ourmainstreetspringfield.org Mayor Lundberg complimented staff for their hard work on this project. They deserve a celebration to recognize the work done. Councilor Ralston said he is concerned because he does not see how any of the options affect vehicle traffic. He would like to see those impacts. Mr. Reesor said one of the criteria was how it affects traffic. Mayor Lundberg asked staff to send the Council a separate memo with the 19 criteria. She said the SAC is made up of a good cross section of representatives and she thanked them for their hard work. Mr. Reesor said he is always available to Council if they have any questions or comments. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 5:55 p.m. Minutes Recorder – Amy Sowa ______________________ Christine L. Lundberg Mayor Attest: ____________________ Amy Sowa City Recorder