Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 06 Council Minutes AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY Meeting Date: 1/20/2015 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 27, 2014 – Joint Elected Officials Public Hearing b. November 3, 2014 – Work Session c. November 3, 2014 – Regular Meeting d. November 17, 2014 – Work Session e. November 17, 2014 – Regular Meeting f. November 24, 2014 – Work Session g. December 1, 2014 – Work Session h. December 1, 2014 – Regular Meeting i. January 13, 2015 – Work Session j. January 13, 2015 – Special Regular Meeting DISCUSSION/ FINANCIAL IMPACT: None. MINUTES OF THE JOINT ELECTED OFFICIALS MEETING OF THE SPRINGFIELD CITY COUNCIL, AND LANE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS MONDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2014 A joint elected officials meeting with the City of Springfield and Lane County was held in the Library Meeting Room, Springfield City Hall, 225 5th Street, Springfield, Oregon, on Monday, October 27, 2014 at 7:09 p.m. with Mayor Christine Lundberg presiding. ATTENDANCE Mayor Lundberg opened the meeting of the Springfield City Council. Board Chair Farr opened the meeting of the Lane County Board of Commissioners. Present from Springfield were Mayor Christine Lundberg and Councilors VanGordon, Moore, Ralston, and Woodrow. Councilor Wylie was absent (excused). Springfield City Manager Gino Grimaldi and other Springfield staff were also present. Present from Lane County were Board Chair Farr and Commissioners Bozievich, Leiken, Stewart and Sorenson. Lane County Administrator Steve Mokrohisky and other Lane County staff were also present. PUBLIC HEARING 1. Glenwood Refinement Plan Phase I Amendment (Springfield File Nos. TYP414-00002 & TYP414-00004 Lane County File No. 509-PA14-05471) SPRINGFIELD ORDINANCE NO. 1 (FIRST READING) AND LANE COUNTY ORDINANCE PA1309 (SECOND READING) – AN ORDINANCE AMENDING: THE GLENWOOD REFINEMENT PLAN (PHASE 1) TRANSPORTATION CHAPTER TEXT AND FIGURES TO ADJUST THE FRANKLIN BOULEVARD PROJECT CONCEPT CURRENTLY IN THE PLAN TO MATCH THE PROPOSED PROJECT DRAFT DESIGN SO THAT IT IS GENERALLY CENTERED ALONG THE EXISTING FRANKLIN BOULEVARD CENTERLINE; THE PROJECT ENVELOPE TO EXTEND FIVE FEET TO THE NORTH AND FIVE FEET TO THE SOUTH OF THE PROPOSED DRAFT DESIGN; AND THE SPRINGFIELD DEVELOPMENT CODE, APPENDIX 3, GLENWOOD REFINEMENT PLAN POLICIES AND IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES – PHASE 1, AND ADOPTING A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE. LANE COUNTY ORDINANCE 14-13 –IN THE MATTER OF AMENDING LANE CODE CHAPTER 10 TO REFLECT ADOPTED AMENDMENTS TO THE SPRINGFIELD DEVELOPMENT CODE, APPENDIX 3, GLENWOOD REFINEMENT PLAN POLICIES AND IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES – PHASE 1 (LC10.600-15) AND ADOPTING A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE (SPRINGFIELD FILE NOS. TYP414-00002 & TYP414-00004, LANE COUNTY FILE NO. 509-PA14-05471). Springfield Senior Transportation Planner David Reesor presented this item. He gave a power point presentation. October 27, 2014 Joint Elected Officials Meeting Public Hearing City of Springfield Lane County Page 2 of 7 This proposed amendment went before the Springfield Planning Commission on September 2, 2014. Following public testimony and deliberation, the Planning Commission made a recommendation that the City Council and Lane County Board of Commissioners co-adopt the ordinance. Mr. Reesor said Franklin Boulevard will serve as a multi-way boulevard, serving all modes of transportation. They hoped it will have a catalytic effect on land redevelopment in the Glenwood area. He highlighted the project area on a map which included about a ¾ segment of Franklin Boulevard from Main/McVay intersection to Glenwood Boulevard. Mr. Reesor noted some of the key milestones on this project: • 2004: Glenwood Urban Renewal Plan • 2008: Franklin Boulevard Study • 2009: TIGER Grant Application • 2012: Glenwood Refinement Plan (GRP) Adopted • 2013: Franklin Blvd Annexed • 2014: Environmental Analysis, Preliminary Design &Jurisdictional Transfer • Current Status: Finalizing draft statement of work with final design consultant team Amendments to the GRP are needed to address changes in the project envelope originally adopted. The City has gone through the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) work for preliminary design. The goal of the design iterations was to reduce property impacts while staying true to the project. Through the design process, the impacts went from 27 businesses and 5 residential, to 19 businesses and 0 residential. The January 2014 iteration was reviewed by the Council in February of 2014 and was approved by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) as a Categorical Exclusion (CE) in August 2014. Mr. Reesor referred to photos of the Franklin Boulevard Study Concept (2008), the Glenwood Refinement Plan concept (2012), the NEPA iteration (December 2013), and the final NEPA iteration (January 2014). Mr. Reesor said public outreach was done during the process. It was important for the City to make sure the public outreach is meaningful, inclusive, transparent and realistic. He and the City’s consultant went door to door to speak with property and business owners. They also met with people outside that process in order to remain inclusive. Some of the key public outreach aspects for the Glenwood Refinement Plan included:  2008 - 2012 Glenwood Refinement Plan:  Stakeholder Committee input throughout multi-year planning process  Public Open Houses  Website  Public hearings held during adoption process  NEPA Design Iterations :  October 2013 – Staff in-person employer data gathering  February 2014 – Council work session review of NEPA design iterations  February 2014 – April 2014 – Business and property owner mailings and staff in-person outreach  Newsletter outreach  Interested Parties List October 27, 2014 Joint Elected Officials Meeting Public Hearing City of Springfield Lane County Page 3 of 7  Website  Community presentations (i.e. Rotary) Key Elements of Franklin’s Public Outreach Plan:  Consistent reliable information and city contact person  Mailings, e-mailings, phone calls to property/business owners  Comprehensive support services for 19 businesses to be displaced  Multiple in-person meetings with each and all corridor property/business owners  In-person meetings with residents of 12 dwelling units adjacent to Franklin Blvd  Small issue-focused meetings, such as bicycle/pedestrian concerns  Up to two Open Houses held on corridor to share design  Non-traditional outreach targeted to low-income, disabled and senior populations  E-Updates to Interested Parties List  Timely response to all submitted comments & questions  Project information posters at high visibility locations  Select speaking engagements at civic organizations  Updates to Glenwood Redevelopment Advisory Committee & Glenwood Water District’s elected Board of Directors  New Franklin Boulevard website with comment function  Media (print, radio, TV) Mr. Reesor asked for questions. Commissioner Bozievich said when the road was initially designed it was likely to optimize the function of the road. He asked what the trade-offs were in trying to reduce the impacts in terms of capacity, congestion, safety, cost, etc. He also asked for information on Lane Transit District’s (LTD) involvement with the EmX route and the future EmX route to Lane Community College (LCC). Mr. Reesor said the City was doing a Main McVay transit study which included a diverse group on the Stakeholder Advisory Committee (SAC). They just finished the Tier I screen high level and are ready to move into Tier II. They are looking at all transit improvement options. That relates to Franklin Boulevard as an existing EmX route. They are looking at LTD’s current service to see how other transit improvements would tie into future routes. Springfield Principal Engineer Kristi Krueger said the 2008 version of the design included roundabouts at each end, with signals in between. At that time, they looked at how they could reduce the impacts to the area near the U-Haul business and EmX lines. Through the experience with EmX on Pioneer Parkway, they learned that because of the use of the roundabout, an exclusive lane was not needed for EmX. They looked at different designs for roundabouts and changing the signaled intersections to roundabouts, keeping EmX in mixed traffic. The also looked at the cross section for future needs for growth and capacity. The most western roundabout was also moved slightly to preserve a potential historic building, which created less impact on other areas. During the NEPA process, they learned that in order to proceed with the Categorical Exclusion (CE), the envelope needed to be moved so both the north and south sides were impacted equally. October 27, 2014 Joint Elected Officials Meeting Public Hearing City of Springfield Lane County Page 4 of 7 Commissioner Leiken asked if they would have the ability to create a designated lane for EmX in the future if the Glenwood area became a major destination. Ms. Krueger said in the proposed roundabout design, the EmX stations are at the roundabouts with exclusive lanes. As part of the design, they are looking at a space on the outside, leaving the stations and adding exclusive lanes if needed. Mayor Lundberg opened the public hearing for the Springfield City Council. Board Chair Farr opened the public hearing for Lane County. 1. Dan Egan, Director of the Springfield Chamber of Commerce, Springfield, OR. Mr. Egan said the Chamber spent a number of years and hours looking at the Glenwood Refinement Plan (GRP) and the City took their comments into consideration. When looking at it from a business point of view, they had asked for the City and the plan to have flexibility. They assumed when private development came, adjustments to the plan would be needed. This is a good thing and this may not be the last time the Plan is changed as other things change. The Springfield Chamber supports this amendment. The City had done well in checking with businesses and although not every one of them is happy, we have a good public process in Springfield. This is a small, but important adjustment and the Chamber supports the amendments so planning for the roadway can go forward. He looks forward to coming back for additional adjustments as private developers come into the area. Commissioner Stewart asked about the action to be taken by the Board. Any action will take place after the public hearing is closed. Mayor Lundberg closed the public hearing for the Springfield City Council. Board Chair Farr closed the public hearing and public record for Lane County IT WAS MOVED BY BOARD MEMBER STEWART WITH A SECOND BY BOARD MEMBER LEIKEN TO ADOPT ORDINANCE NO. PA13-09. Commissioner Sorenson asked about process if the City changed the ordinance. He felt it might be best to have the City adopt the ordinance prior to the County since it was initiated by the City. Lane County Counsel said the City and County want to adopt the same ordinance and code amendments. If changes are made by the City before they adopt the ordinance, they would need to conduct another reading, but not public hearing. Commissioner Bozievich said this discussion occurred whenever they co-adopted an ordinance. Generally, the group initiating the ordinance prefered to adopt last to defend an appeal. Lane County Counsel said that is often the process for that reason. October 27, 2014 Joint Elected Officials Meeting Public Hearing City of Springfield Lane County Page 5 of 7 THE MOTION PASSED WITH THE FOLLOWING VOTE: COMMISSIONER LEIKEN – AYE COMMISSIONER SORENSON – AYE COMMISSIONER STEWART – AYE COMMISSIONER BOZIEVICH – AYE COMMISSIONER FARR - AYE Mayor Lundberg noted that the Springfield City Council also closed the public record. Chair Farr opened the public hearing for Lane County for LANE COUNTY ORDINANCE NO. 14-13 –IN THE MATTER OF AMENDING LANE CODE CHAPTER 10 TO REFLECT ADOPTED AMENDMENTS TO THE SPRINGFIELD DEVELOPMENT CODE, APPENDIX 3, GLENWOOD REFINEMENT PLAN POLICIES AND IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES – PHASE 1 (LC10.600-15) AND ADOPTING A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE (SPRINGFIELD FILE NOS. TYP414-00002 & TYP414-00004, LANE COUNTY FILE NO. 509-PA14-05471). Lane County Senior Planner Keir Miller said this was an additional piece to the previous ordinance. It would enable the County to co-adopt the provisions in the Springfield Development Code that are applicable within Springfield’s urban transition area (UTA), pursuant to an intergovernmental agreement between the City of Springfield and Lane County. No one appeared to speak Chair Farr closed the public hearing and public record for Lane County. IT WAS MOVED BY BOARD MEMBER STEWART WITH A SECOND BY BOARD MEMBER LEIKEN TO ADOPT LANE COUNTY ORDINANCE NO. 14-13. THE MOTION PASSED WITH THE FOLLOWING VOTE: COMMISSIONER LEIKEN – AYE COMMISSIONER SORENSON – AYE COMMISSIONER STEWART – AYE COMMISSIONER BOZIEVICH – AYE COMMISSIONER FARR - AYE 2. Resolution to Expand the Springfield Community Rural Enterprise Zone. SPRINGFIELD RESOLUTION NO. 2014-34 – A RESOLUTION OF SPRINGFIELD REQUESTING THAT THE SPRINGFIELD COMMUNITY ENTERPRISE ZONE BE EXPANDED AND AUTHORIZING THE SPRINGFIELD CITY MANAGER TO SUBMIT THIS RESOLUTION TO THE STATE OF OREGON FOR APPROVAL. Springfield Community Development Manager John Tamulonis presented the staff report on this item. Lane County Community and Economic Development Manager Glenda Poling was also present. October 27, 2014 Joint Elected Officials Meeting Public Hearing City of Springfield Lane County Page 6 of 7 The City of Springfield would like to expand the city’s Enterprise Zone designation. To do this requires a public hearing and action by the City and County. The County is being asked to co-sponsor the application for the expansion of the City of Springfield Enterprise Zone. The expansion as proposed includes industrial lands in Goshen, which belong in the GREAT (Goshen Regional Employment and Transition) Plan. Staff believes this is an excellent tool in building that plan and getting good development in the Goshen area. Commissioner Farr said tonight’s action does not preclude the topic for discussion tomorrow regarding Goshen and Springfield’s urban growth boundary (UGB). Mayor Lundberg opened the public hearing for the Springfield City Council. No one appeared to speak. Mayor Lundberg closed the public hearing for the Springfield City Council. Lane County did not have a public hearing on this item. IT WAS MOVED BY COUNCILOR WOODROW WITH A SECOND BY COUNCILOR RALSTON TO ADOPT RESOLUTION NO. 2014-34. THE MOTION PASSED WITH A VOTE OF 5 FOR AND 0 AGAINST. (1 ABSENT – WYLIE) LANE COUNTY ORDER 14-10-27-01 – IN THE MATTER OF APPLICATION FOR AN EXPANSION OF THE CITY OF SPRINGFIELD ENTERPRISE ZONE TO INCLUDE ADDITIONAL LAND IN LANE COUNTY (GOSHEN) AND THE CITY OF SPRINGFIELD. IT WAS MOVED BY BOARD MEMBER BOZIEVICH WITH A SECOND BY BOARD MEMBER LEIKEN TO APPROVE ORDER 14-10-27-01. Commissioner Stewart said when he first embarked on the idea of Goshen, he didn’t think they would have to consider Enterprise Zones or other tax programs. After listening to staff and also talking with a land owner (Umpqua Dairy) in the area, he found this is an important tool to help businesses come into Goshen. He now understands the need for it and that these things do help businesses make decisions. He was originally concerned about the effect in regards to taxes with the Goshen Fire District, but spoke with the Fire Chief and now feels comfortable with this program. Ms. Poling said Lane County staff met with Umpqua Dairy in 2012 to discuss building a warehouse distribution in Goshen. They have outgrown their property on Airport Road and need to move. One of the critical components in moving to the Goshen location is being in an Enterprise Zone. Commissioner Leiken said he had seen the Enterprise Zone as a good tool. He spoke regarding Sony in Gateway and the growth that followed. The Enterprise Zone creates investment and has been a good tool for the City of Springfield and he is supportive of this addition. October 27, 2014 Joint Elected Officials Meeting Public Hearing City of Springfield Lane County Page 7 of 7 Commissioner Farr said Commissioner Leiken had often said that although Sony left, they left behind a building and infrastructure that has served the area well over the years, and given the public a return on their investment. Commissioner Bozievich said he supports the motion. They have had recent experience in trying to grow business in an area that didn’t have an Enterprise Zone and were able to keep the businesses with lottery dollars. An Enterprise Zone would have been easier. The Enterprise Zone had been controversial, but he noted that Hynix Semiconductor, who came in using the Enterprise Zone program, is still the ninth highest tax payer in the City of Eugene. Commissioner Farr agreed and said video lottery funds would have been available elsewhere if an Enterprise Zone had been used. Springfield uses this tool admirably. THE MOTION PASSED WITH A VOTE OF 5 FOR AND 0 AGAINST. ADJOURNMENT Mayor Lundberg thanked the County Commissioners for coming to the meeting and adjourned the Springfield City Council at 7:50 p.m. Board Chair Farr adjourned the County Commissioners at 7:50 p.m. Minutes Recorder Amy Sowa City Recorder ______________________ 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 NOVEMBER 3, 2014 The City of Springfield Council met in a work session in the Jesse Maine Meeting Room, 225 Fifth Street, Springfield, Oregon, on Monday November 3, 2014 at 5:57 p.m., with Mayor Lundberg presiding. ATTENDANCE Present were Mayor Lundberg and Councilors VanGordon, Wylie, Moore, 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 Ralston was absent (excused). 1. Draft Main Street Corridor Vision Plan: A “Roadmap” to Support Achievement of the Community’s Preferred Future Land Use and Transportation Outcomes. Linda Pauly, Principal Planner, presented the staff report on this item. Council is asked to review and provide input on the Draft Vision Plan to prepare the draft for public review and adoption early next year. Ms. Pauly introduced project consultant Tom Litster from Otak who gave a presentation at the work session. The Draft Main Street Corridor Vision Plan identifies a new broad, achievable vision: the transition of Main Street to a “complete community street” consistent with the Five Goals for Our Main Street Projects: • Encourage economic revitalization and land use redevelopment. • Provide transportation choices to residents, businesses and commuters to encourage individual and community well-being and public safety. • Improve transportation safety and access for walkers, cyclists, transit riders and drivers along and through the corridor. • Improve aesthetics on Main Street, making it an attractive place to live, work and shop. • Create Main Street identities. The Plan identifies specific vision statements, goals, activity nodes, redevelopment opportunity sites and potential implementation strategies for three distinct “segments” along 7 miles of Main Street between Downtown and Thurston, based on what staff has heard from the community so far, and in response to existing and expected future conditions in the corridor. Beginning in the summer of 2013, hundreds of caring citizens, business owners, city leaders, and property owners have participated in a visioning process to identify a preferred future for Springfield’s Main Street Corridor. The Draft Vision Plan is the product of this process. Next steps include stakeholder meetings and open houses on November 4th and January 21st, and public hearings before the Planning Commission and the Council on January 15th and February 17th. City of Springfield Council Work Session Minutes November 3, 2014 Page 2 The emerging vision for Main Street is one important piece in Springfield’s overall community development vision. With an adopted Vision Plan serving as a Big Picture roadmap of where the City is going, the City and its partners can more effectively align and leverage partnerships, projects and resources to support the kinds of positive changes in the corridor the community wishes to see over both the short and longer terms. The potential projects and programs suggested in the Plan do not represent any decisions by the City to fund or participate in projects, programs and redevelopment projects, but the plan can be used to facilitate continued public conversation about the future of Main Street. Ms. Pauly noted the anticipated growth in Springfield over the next twenty years and the type of businesses and development needed to accommodate that growth. She distributed a copy of the original Main Street plan from the 1980’s which was quite small and included a small group of participants in its creation. The citizens are asking for a place to connect with neighbors and hubs in the community. The Vision Plan has some great ideas that can be implemented. Mr. Litster said over 500 people shared their ideas about the vision for Main Street. He reviewed the overall guidance received from the outreach. A lot of people would like Main Street to be a place they could meet, and not just drive through. There are a number of challenges with the existing land use patterns, including infill development and pedestrian and bike mobility. The new vision for Main Street is that Main Street is the ‘heart’ of the community. There needs to be a better balance of transportation and land use. There is no ‘one size fits all’ for a 7-mile corridor. Making Main Street better will make neighborhoods better. Mr. Litster spoke regarding the couplet area which includes Main Street and South A Street in downtown. He noted the vision for both streets in that area. The mid-Springfield corridor was from 23rd Street to Bob Straub Parkway. That area should remain an affordable place to have a business, but could be better organized. The Thurston Neighborhood Area between Bob Straub Parkway and 69th Street is a good neighborhood, but they need enough retail to support the residents. Mr. Litster showed a map of the transportation framework which included 6 nodes. The vision is for better neighborhood connections between schools and parks, and includes transit, bikes, and vehicles. The land use framework includes a mixed-use approach. Councilor Moore asked what Council could do in terms of incentives to help with redevelopment. She referred to an opportunity she had recently to go to an automotive service business in the Bob Straub area and was pleased with the service and how easy it was to get in and out. Ms. Pauly said Attachment 3 of the agenda packet included actions Council could take. Mr. Litster said it is important to keep the energy and attention focused on Main Street now that they have a vision. The City needs to find some meaningful things they can do in the next three to five year. Those kinds of successes give the public a lot of confidence in the City that things can change. More specifically, outreach and business recruitment to this corridor will be a big benefit. Springfield has good business recruitment and when there is time, the City should use the same energy on Main Street. Partnerships with LTD will be a help if they proceed with a large transit project. Staff helping smaller property owners through the approval process, and providing information to them that is helpful will be a big benefit. It is important to find ways to reward those that work towards fitting the vision. Partnerships with other agencies to help financially could be helpful. The City could also change some zoning in the area. They need to make their intentions evident. City of Springfield Council Work Session Minutes November 3, 2014 Page 3 Mayor Lundberg said she likes the concept of districts (i.e. downtown district, etc.). The City is divided by ward and most of those boundaries go north to south. All wards cross Main Street with the exception of Ward 1. There may be some natural boundaries near to the ward boundaries that could be used. Dividing it this way could allow councilors to focus on areas that incorporate their ward. She likes the Paramount District and thinks other names can be created for the other areas. There is a lot of potential and that is something the Council could do fairly easily. They need to take into consideration that Main Street is a goods and services corridor and they need to make sure they move efficiently. On the other hand, they have the option to reduce speeds and she doesn’t want to lose that. Slowing traffic down would help to get people to businesses, but they do need to work with the State since it’s a State highway. She doesn’t want to lose sight of the east to west bike corridor and getting it off of Main Street, especially in higher speed areas. They need to know the demographics of the neighborhoods at some point in terms of kinds of connectivity. There are other businesses and residents that are not directly on Main Street, but have an influence usage of Main Street. Business Improvement Districts (BID) focus on graffiti and garbage if people would like to do that if it didn’t take too much staff work. When the time comes, they may want to expand downtown so it has the blighted designation up to 23rd Street in order to be able to apply Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds. She also likes form-based codes. Mr. Litster said form-based codes are not so much about land use, but more about design, landscaping, parking, and colors. It is a good way to capture a vision statement and has been applied in situations to address old highway or commercial corridors. Generally, form-based codes are broader than just one street covering a larger area because it is a completely new administration. They might want to apply it to downtown, the corridor and some of the neighborhoods to make it worth administering. Mayor Lundberg said she is looking at how to get rid of the hodgepodge of zoning along Main Street. Mr. Litster said the uses will remain until they decide to change or move. They can start with the form-based code. Doing so is a good way to get neighborhoods involved. The Paramount district is one of the most promising. Anything they can do in terms of incentives and programs from the downtown district up to 23rd Street is a huge benefit. He encouraged them to look at the rest of the corridor east of 23rd Street differently. They also recommend doing a neighborhood walkability assessment to engage neighborhoods and attach their neighborhood to Main Street. Councilor Wylie said she was involved in the transit station downtown. At that time, the concern was the speed of the traffic along South A so they used some traffic calmers. That set a precedent of using techniques in heavy traffic and can be used in areas where they are planning for pedestrian travel. Mr. Litster said with ODOT jurisdiction of Main Street, there is a long process to get speeds changed. In some ways, what the sign says is the least effective way of slowing down traffic. What makes more of an impact are the land uses, character of the buildings, amount of activities and design changes to the street. Councilor VanGordon said he likes the Paramount District. He has also been warming up to the idea of reducing speed along Main Street. One area he is struggling with is getting a sense of the mid-Springfield area. It might help if it is split up into two sections. He is interested in a program for people that invest in creative jobs here to automatically qualify for a visa. Mr. Litster said there are a lot of creative things the City can do and the more they can offer, the more it shows the community that the City is committed to making changes. City of Springfield Council Work Session Minutes November 3, 2014 Page 4 Councilor VanGordon said he is looking at things they can do to get the most impact at the lowest cost. He agrees the corridor is too narrow and thinks they could have a bigger discussion about expanding areas, such as near 21st Street. Mr. Litster said he would recommend they have that discussion in their next steps. Councilor Woodrow said she is getting the sense that having something to see or go to is the most effective way of slowing traffic down. The Thurston area is a big piece of Main Street and although there is a lot, there is also a lot missing. Creating a focus will help that area, even if they go with the form-based code. Walkability and connectivity in that area is important for a sense of unity. She feels they should look at least ½ mile in on either side of Main Street to get that sense of place. Mr. Litster said the activity nodes are a good place to start. The more those can be connected to neighborhoods, the better. Councilor Moore said she appreciated his comment about the mid-section being affordable for businesses. They need to look for marketing strategies for that corridor. She likes the idea of slowing people down and feels public art comes into play in doing that. Downtown has murals that slows people down. They need to put the vision to use. Mayor Lundberg said this is a good report and good information. This is a visioning plan for the future. They identified some things, but their plates are very full right now. She would encourage Councilor Woodrow and the person that fills the Ward 6 position to look at Main Street more closely and how it can be better identified. 2. Council Operating Policies and Procedures Review. Amy Sowa, City Recorder, and Mary Bridget Smith, City Attorney, presented the staff report on this item. How should the Council’s Operating Procedures reflect their intent to appoint a diverse range of persons to City Boards, Commissions and Committees while acknowledging incumbent committee members who are being appointed for their second term or have served the City by participating in multiple boards, committees and commissions? On January 21, 2014, Council amended the Council Operating Policies and Procedures, Section IX, subsections 3.10 and 3.11 regarding appointment to Council boards, commissions, committees and task forces. This amendment was to encourage new membership on the many City boards, commissions and committees, opening up the opportunity to a broader range of citizens. Since adoption of that section in the Council Operating Policies, there have been two processes to fill vacancies on a Board in which the incumbents were also elected officials of other agencies. There was confusion about applying the new policy to those recruitments so Council asked to review Section IX in order to provide clarification. Mayor Lundberg referred to Section IX 1.3) which was the existing language. Ms. Smith said she looked at that section when drafting the options. This section gets at what the Council is talking about and she wanted to look at all of the policy. City of Springfield Council Work Session Minutes November 3, 2014 Page 5 Mayor Lundberg said that section already seems to accomplish their goal. Ms. Smith said there is language in the overall policies that gets to what they are trying to accomplish. The additional sections 3.10) and 3.11) were added specifically to address appointing people to boards, commissions, and committees. The options presented to Council included editing those two newer sections, adding new language, or leaving the language as written. She reviewed those options. Councilor Moore said she feels the language in 3.10) and 3.11) is negative. After reading through the options, she likes the first paragraph of Option 4. Last time they had a vacancy in the Historic Commission, the Council did not appoint the person that reapplied. The language reflects what the Council is doing. Councilor Woodrow said she agrees that they don’t need the language about not giving preference to incumbents. The Council chooses the best person for the position. She feels the phrase “try to avoid” is too negative. They want to be positive and enhance all the commissions and committees with as many diverse people as possible. Discussion was held regarding some possible ways to word it differently. Ms. Smith said if they left 3.10) as it is, there is more of a positive connotation. The other option is to add the language in the first paragraph in Option 4. Councilor VanGordon said he thinks they should take out the language in 3.10) and 3.11), and replace it with the first paragraph under Option 1. The first paragraph from Option 4 encompasses everything. In order for Council to consider appointing an elected official on another board to a City board, commission or committee, there will need to be a very compelling reason. Even with the language in Option 4, they are setting themselves up to have this conversation again. The phrase ‘take into account’ is very loosely interpreted. They need to have a conversation about what that term means. To him, it means people currently serving on anther board that apply to be re-appointed to a City committee would be grandfathered in and could be appointed. Going forward, they would look to broaden the base of people appointed. Mayor Lundberg suggested putting Section IX 1.3) in the agenda packet when they have candidates for appointment as a reminder of their goal. Councilor Woodrow said Section 1.3 and the first paragraph under Option 4 says it all. The first part encouraged any member of the community to step up and participate, and the second part explains that Council will take into consideration when deliberating whether or not an applicant serves on another board. Ms. Smith noted that the two paragraphs under Option 4 were choices within that option. Mayor Lundberg said the Council is the electing board for the City’s boards, commissions and committees. They are trying to make sure they have a balance of people that represent a broad cross section of the community. In making those decisions, they have to consider each board as it stands. She wants wording to give the Council flexibility to look at each board appointment separately. She feels Option 4 does that. ADJOURNMENT City of Springfield Council Work Session Minutes November 3, 2014 Page 6 The meeting was adjourned at 6:55 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 NOVEMBER 3, 2014 The City of Springfield Council met in regular session in the Council Chambers, 225 Fifth Street, Springfield, Oregon, on Monday November 3, 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 Mary Bridget Smith, City Recorder Amy Sowa and members of the staff. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Mayor Lundberg. SPRINGFIELD UPBEAT Mayor Lundberg acknowledged the Cub Scouts who were in attendance. The Troop leader said one of the requirements was for the scouts to come to an important place in government. The scouts were from Springfield and met at the Springfield Faith Center. CONSENT CALENDAR 1. Claims 2. Minutes a. October 20, 2014 – Work Session b. October 20, 2014 – Regular Meeting c. October 27, 2014 – Work Session 3. Resolutions a. RESOLUTION NO. 2014-35 – A RESOLUTION TO ACCEPT CITY PROJECT P21048; SANITARY SEWER REHABILITATION 2011 BASIN 22A 4. Ordinances a. ORDINANCE NO 6330 – AN ORDINANCE AMENDING: THE GLENWOOD REFINEMENT PLAN (PHASE 1) TRANSPORTATION CHAPTER TEXT AND FIGURES TO ADJUST THE FRANKLIN BOULEVARD PROJECT CONCEPT CURRENTLY IN THE PLAN TO MATCH THE PROPOSED PROJECT DRAFT DESIGN SO THAT IT IS GENERALLY CENTERED ALONG THE EXISTING FRANKLIN BOULEVARD CENTERLINE; THE PROJECT ENVELOPE TO EXTEND FIVE FEET TO THE NORTH AND FIVE FEET TO THE SOUTH OF THE PROPOSED DRAFT DESIGN; AND THE SPRINGFIELD DEVELOPMENT CODE, APPENDIX 3, GLENWOOD REFINEMENT PLAN POLICIES AND IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES – PHASE 1, AND ADOPTING A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE. City of Springfield Council Regular Meeting Minutes November 3, 2014 Page 2 5. Other Routine Matters a. Authorize and Direct the City Manager to Execute an IGA with SUB for Construction and Maintenance of an Underground Water Transmission Line from South 28th Street to South 7th and B Street. b. Approval of Liquor License Application for The Gridiron Grill and Tap House, located at 2816 Main Street, Springfield, OR. IT WAS MOVED BY COUNCILOR WYLIE WITH A SECOND BY COUNCILOR WOODROW TO APPROVE THE CONSENT CALENDAR. THE MOTION PASSED WITH A VOTE OF 4 FOR AND 0 AGAINST (1 ABSENT – RALSTON). ITEMS REMOVED PUBLIC HEARINGS BUSINESS FROM THE AUDIENCE COUNCIL RESPONSE CORRESPONDENCE AND PETITIONS 1. Correspondence from Paul Fooks, Springfield, OR Regarding Annexation in the Hayden Bridge Area. 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 4 FOR AND 0 AGAINST (1 ABSENT – RALSTON). BIDS ORDINANCES BUSINESS FROM THE CITY COUNCIL 1. Business from Council a. Committee Reports 1. Councilor Moore said she attended the Housing Policy Board (HPB) meeting today. They are working on a new consolidate plan. There are new regulations that cover the HOME funds and staff will bring that discussion to Council on November 24. 2. Mayor Lundberg said she attended a dinner for the representatives for the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). Although our area is competing against two very large cities for a World Championship, the heart and soul of track and field is here locally. They are hopeful Hayward Field is chosen and should know later this month. If they don’t get it this time, they will try again. City of Springfield Council Regular Meeting Minutes November 3, 2014 Page 3 3. Councilor Woodrow said the entry deadline for the Christmas Parade is November 15. BUSINESS FROM THE CITY MANAGER BUSINESS FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned 7:05 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 NOVEMBER 17, 2014 The City of Springfield Council met in a work session in the Jesse Maine Meeting Room, 225 Fifth Street, Springfield, Oregon, on Monday November 17, 2014 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, Administrative Assistant Amy Jo Ripka and members of the staff. 1. Potential Lane County Vehicle Registration Fee. Anette Spickard, Deputy Development and Public Works Director, presented the staff report on this item. Lane County Commissioner Leiken and Senior Transportation Planner Lydia McKinney were also present from Lane County. Commissioner Leiken introduced Lane County Public Works Director Marsha Miller, and County Engineer Bill Morgan who were also in attendance. Commissioner Leiken said the Lane County Board of Commissioners is considering a vehicle registration fee. The County’s Roads Advisory Committee (RAC) looked at several options for road funds and vehicle registration is the one they brought forward to the Board. The Board has heard from Dr. Manross who conducted a survey and from staff, but has not yet made a decision on this proposal. Tonight is an opportunity to share the proposal with the City. Local and rural streets are a $6 billion asset throughout Lane County. Lane County is responsible for maintaining 417 bridges located on county roads only. It is important to make sure the County has adequate road funds in place. He thanked Lane County staff for the commendable job they had done in maintaining the roads over the years. He feels a vehicle registration fee will take strong support from the County, but also the cities in order to be successful. Ms. McKinney said on August 5, the Board directed staff to go back to the RAC to discuss and bring forward a recommendation based on their evaluation on a number of revenue options. The RAC, a citizen committee of five Board appointees and two at-large members, met on August 27, 2014 and discussed a variety of revenue options. At the conclusion of their discussion, the RAC unanimously recommended the Board pursue a County Vehicle Registration Fee. The Board unanimously supported staff moving forward to do some additional research on this recommendation. Under a County Vehicle Registration Fee, a minimum of 40 percent of the funds are distributed to the cities within the County per statute. The Board heard and concurred with the RAC’s recommendation on September 30th, directing staff to conduct research regarding the details of implementing a Vehicle Registration Fee, including public opinion information and specific data regarding the amount of the fee to be considered. Ms. McKinney provided a power point as part of the presentation. She referred to a slide showing the history of payments received by the County for roads, which has dramatically reduced over the last several years. There were times where they had a revenue sharing program with the cities, but with the reductions in funds, that program ceased. The State highway fund is made up of the fuel tax (47%), City of Springfield Council Work Session Minutes November 17, 2014 Page 2 registration fees (20.6%), weigh-mile tax (25.2%), and other (7.1%). Some of the corrective actions taken by the county to address the decrease in road finds include: 35% reduction in employees since 2000; 50% reduction in reserves since 2000; consolidated and re-organized departments for efficiency; used innovative technologies to lower costs; and aggressively sought grants and partnerships to leverage resources. Even with all of these corrective actions, the need to replace revenue has reached critical level. The current challenge at Lane County is a gap of $9M between annual expenses and annual revenues in the road funds. These funds are not only used for maintaining and preserving the roads, but also for disaster response for landslides, storms, etc. She referred to a chart showing the pavement life cycle and the cost of maintaining roads while still in good condition versus the much higher cost of repairing roads once they reach poor or very poor conditions. Road maintenance and preservation is a regional issue, as the public does not perceive the difference between a city and county road. Ms. McKinney said some of the revenue options staff, along with the RAC evaluated included: grant writer (complete), County road bonds; transportation utility fee; transportation service district; property tax local option levy; local gas tax; and local vehicle registration fee. Of those options, the vehicle registration fee was recommended unanimously by the RAC and the Board because it is a regional solution to a regional issue, 40% collected will go to the cities, there is certainty in funding and is more stable than the decreasing gas tax, it will be directed to road use only and will be easy to administer. She referred to a slide showing the percentage to be distributed per city based on population. Springfield’s projected share based on this percentage would be over $1M annually. Ms. McKinney spoke regarding how the vehicle registration fee could be applied. ORS specifies that, unless specifically exempted (i.e. farm vehicles, disabled veterans vehicles, recreational vehicles, and truck over 26,000 pounds), a vehicle registration fee must be imposed equally to all vehicle classes (motorcycles only exception). Ms. McKinney discussed the survey results on the polling work done by Dr. Gary Manross. A result of the survey showed that 62% of the population of Lane County preferred to pay a modest increase rather than addition cuts to services. After considering the amount of the fee based on an allowable dollar figure, they decided to test a fee of $35. The ‘likely support’ based on Dr. Manross’ formula, for a $35 fee was 53%. That figure rose to 57.5% after arguments regarding the need for the fee were explained. Dr. Manross recommended that if they move forward, they focus on maintenance and preservation in the message to the public. He also recommended a citizen oversight committee and performing an annual audit. Ms. McKinney said if the Board chooses to move forward, they would bring this to the voters at the May 19, 2015 election. The County is looking to hear the questions and concerns of the City, and get support for the Board to place the question of a modest vehicle registration fee on the May 19, 2015 ballot. Councilor Ralston said he knew something had to be done, but he feels this should be a statewide solution. He asked what would happen if the State did something in the future to solve the problem, and Lane County already put this into place. Ms. McKinney said the Board has talked about that possibility. They won’t know what the State will do until after July. The Board would be interested in reducing the fee if the State did do something later in the year. Councilor Ralston said the State needs to increase the gas tax, but he does support this proposal. City of Springfield Council Work Session Minutes November 17, 2014 Page 3 Councilor VanGordon thanked County Commissioner Leiken and County staff for their presentation. He also supports the proposal. Councilor Wylie said it is a good idea and is not too large of an amount for individuals, but will help a lot where needed. Councilor Woodrow agreed. It seems to be the best option. Councilor Moore asked if the $1M would be an annual payment. Ms. McKinney said it is an annual calculation, but would take about 6 months before the County could begin collecting and distributing. Councilor Moore asked if that amount is sufficient for the City to take care of some of the city’s maintenance needs. Development and Public Works Director Len Goodwin said staff had identified needs in the amount of $4.5M, but a little over $1M will allow staff to begin the process and get positive results. Councilor Moore said she supports this proposal. Mayor Lundberg said she has always been a supporter of a fee that goes directly to the purpose it is meant for, so she does not approve transportation utility fees because they are added to people’s utility bills. She asked if they are going to look for a formal endorsement and active campaigning from the City. Ms. McKinney said it would be great if they could get a letter of support from the City of Springfield to the Board of Commissioners. Council is supportive of the letter. Mayor Lundberg said we are far behind with bridges and roads and need statewide road funding. This will be local and can be controlled locally. She applauds the County for taking this step. Commissioner Leiken thanked the Council for their support. It is difficult to go out and ask citizens for additional dollars. He noted that about 65% of Lane County’s residents live in Eugene and Springfield city limits. This is also a safety concern due to the need for funds to assist during emergencies such as slides and floods. Mayor Lundberg asked that the County let the Mayor know what the Mayor and Council can do and when. She thanked them for their presentation. 2. Community Survey. Niel Laudati, Community Relations Manager, presented the staff report on this item. Earlier this summer, the City conducted a telephone survey of the community to check perceptions on the importance of established community values and city services. Advanced Marketing Research conducted the survey using 400 telephone interviews with Springfield residents between Aug. 1 and City of Springfield Council Work Session Minutes November 17, 2014 Page 4 Aug. 14, 2014. People were asked about what was important to them and how they felt the City was performing in those areas. Similar to our 2010 survey, Safe Neighborhoods ranked most important followed closely by Quality Education and a Healthy Environment. Mr. Laudati discussed the demographics of those surveyed regarding gender, age, homeownership, families with children, and ethnicity. The survey also included some people from Glenwood. He reviewed the rankings and noted that all of the community values were extremely important to respondents. Compared to the 2010 results, the values have remained nearly the same or slightly more important. He reviewed the rankings regarding performance by the City of Springfield. The figures showed room for improvement, yet also showed an increase in the City’s performance from the 2010 figures. Other charts showed the comparison from 2010-2014 regarding the importance of city performance and community goals. He noted that one of the goals in 2005 was to clean up downtown, and they had gotten past that and are now into the redevelopment stage. Mr. Laudati referred to a chart showing what the respondents are most proud of about Springfield and noted that Hometown Feel is the highest ranked. Although this ranked a little lower on the community values chart, it is an important aspect for citizens and needs to be considered. The survey also asked respondents what one thing the City could do to improve quality of life. Development and jobs ranked highest, followed by drugs and safety. He reviewed the response to the question how safe people feel downtown. The percentage of people that feel very safe and somewhat safe has increased since 2010. Safety in neighborhoods has remained close to the same as the 2010 figures. Nearly 70% of the respondents feel the jail is contributing to the safety of citizens. Mr. Laudati reviewed the key findings from the survey: • All tested community values are between “very” and “extremely” important • Most important community values  Safe neighborhoods  Quality education  Healthy environment • City’s performance rated between “average” and “good” • Highest ratings were for  Healthy environment  Good access to social services • Lowest ratings were for  Economic Development • Most important 5-year goals:  Economic development downtown  Diversity and tolerance • Residents are most proud of community values and hometown feel • One thing Springfield could do is work on economy/growth/development/jobs • People feel safer downtown after dark than in 2010 • People feel strongly that the jail contributes to safety in the community Mr. Laudati noted that as the City moves forward to address any of the items on the survey, they should check to make sure they fit within the City goals. Councilor Woodrow said she feels people didn’t rank Hometown Feel as high as some other things because they are comfortable with that aspect of the City. Sometimes people may rank things high in importance when they see a need for improvement. People ranking “Hometown Feel” on the things they are proud of, indicates that Springfield has it and doesn’t need a lot of work. City of Springfield Council Work Session Minutes November 17, 2014 Page 5 Councilor VanGordon asked if the survey included cell phone numbers. Mr. Laudati said it did include cell phone numbers. In 2010 a specific piece of the survey was with Latino contacts, but did not need to do that during this survey. Councilor VanGordon asked about the question used to rank the most important values and if they were open ended, or with choices. Mr. Laudati said it was a ranking of choices. Councilor VanGordon said that explains the close rankings, but spoke well of the community. Councilor Wylie said it was very interesting and she appreciate that Mr. Laudati framed the information in a very understandable format. Councilor Moore asked if the “Healthy Environment” was specific in what it included, such as food, environment, or economy. She asked if they could get more definition for each question. Mr. Laudati said there are more specifics on each survey question and he can pull those together and provide them to the Council. For that question, it included air, water, wastewater, etc. Mayor Lundberg asked for a memo with that additional information. She likes how close the numbers are and that what is important remains the same whether during a recession or growth. They work hard at those values, but it is a good reminder that people choose to be in Springfield for the Hometown Feel and the City needs to continue to maintain that value. Councilor Woodrow said Hometown Feel also reflects the attitude of the community. Councilor Wylie said there have been so many changes downtown that has enhanced our Hometown Feel. 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 NOVEMBER 17, 2014 The City of Springfield Council met in regular session in the Council Chambers, 225 Fifth Street, Springfield, Oregon, on Monday November 17, 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 Mary Bridget Smith, Administrative Assistant Amy Jo Ripka and members of the staff. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Mayor Lundberg. BUSINESS FROM THE CITY COUNCIL 1. Ward 6 City Council Position Appointment. City Attorney Mary Bridget Smith said Council was being requested to approve the ratification of Joe Pishioneri to the Ward 6 Council position. IT WAS MOVED BY COUNCILOR WYLIE WITH A SECOND BY COUNCILOR WOODROW TO RATIFY THE APPOINTMENT OF JOE PISHIONERI TO THE WARD 6 CITY COUNCIL POSITION. THE MOTION PASSED WITH A VOTE OF 5 FOR AND 0 AGAINST. Ms. Smith administered the Oath of Office to Joe Pishioneri. Councilor Pishioneri took his place with the Council. SPRINGFIELD UPBEAT 1. Mayor’s Recognition a. 2014 World AIDS Day Proclamation. Mayor Lundberg read from the proclamation and declared December 1, 2014 as World Aids Day. 2. Other 1. Children’s Bookmark Contest Winners Presentation. Library Associate Manager Emily David presented this item. The Library has held a bookmark contest for grades kindergarten through middle school for 34 years. This year over 1600 students created original bookmarks and entered the contest. All their designs, about books, reading, City of Springfield Council Regular Meeting Minutes November 17, 2014 Page 2 libraries or the year’s themes, “Every Hero has a Story” and “unmasked” (teens), are displayed in the children’s department. The winners are: • Kindergarten: Elijah Copeland from Ridgeview Elem, Mrs. Price • 1st grade: Anna Mae Walker from Page Elem, Mr. Nailor. • 2nd grade: Liam Ralph from Centennial Elem, Ms. Van Horn • 3rd grade: Andrew Marchant from Walterville, Mrs. Page • 4th grade: Ariana Lagarda Pacheco, Two Rivers Dos Rios, Tracey • 5th grade: Bella Navarro, Pleasant Hill Elementary, Mrs. Thomas • 6th grade: Sully Loose, Briggs MS, Mrs. Erickson • 7th grade: Tie  Keyan Carlile, Briggs MS, Mrs. Hoke  Kate Walkup, homeschool • 8th grade: Georgia Bryant, Agnes Stewart MS, Ms. Zeleny • 9th grade: Grace Lee, homeschool • 10th grade: Anne Walkup, homeschool The students had their picture taken with Ms. David and Mayor Lundberg. Mayor Lundberg said it is one of their favorite meetings when they have a chance to honor the bookmark contest winners. Paul Homan from the HIV Alliance arrived and the Mayor presented him with the copy of the World Aids Day proclamation. 2. Recognition of Captain Richard Golden. Police Chief Tim Doney and Captain Rick Lewis presented this item. Richard Golden was hired by the Springfield Police Department in 1970 after working for several years as an officer in Southern California. He rose through the ranks retiring as a Police Captain in 1998. He worked as a “temporary” police employee for approximately 2.5 years over the next decade. Captain Golden was hired again full-time by the city in 2008 to help plan, organize and supervise the new Springfield Municipal Jail. He retired from his “second” career with Springfield Police Department in September of 2014. The Springfield Police Department and City of Springfield would like to recognize Captain Golden for his years of dedication, distinguished service and friendship to the Citizens of Springfield. Captain Golden’s tenure was marked by his Commitment to Excellence. He has been a friend and mentor to many in the Police Department over the years. Chief Doney presented a plaque to Captain Golden. Captain Golden said it had been an exciting career. He had always been proud that Springfield is a fair employer. He thanked them for that. Mayor Lundberg said it had been an honor to have him with Springfield. City of Springfield Council Regular Meeting Minutes November 17, 2014 Page 3 Mayor Lundberg recognized Cub Scout Troop #75 who were in attendance. She would be meeting with the scouts following the meeting. CONSENT CALENDAR 1. Claims a. Approval of the October, 2014 Disbursements for Approval. 2. Minutes 3. Resolutions a. RESOLUTION NO. 2014-36 – A RESOLUTION TO ACCEPT CITY PROJECT P21037; 10TH AND N SEWER UPGRADE – PHASE 1. b. RESOLUTION NO. 2014-37 – A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO AWARD COMPETITIVE BIDS, REQUESTS FOR PROPOSALS, OTHER PERSONAL SERVICES CONTRACTS EXEMPT FROM BIDDING REQUIREMENTS UNDER THE PURCHASING REGULATIONS, AND APPROVE AMENDMENTS TO PUBLIC CONTRACTS IN CONFORMANCE WITH CITY OF SPRINGFIELD MUNICIPAL CODE AND ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATIONS DURING THE PERIOD COMMENCING DECEMBER 2, 2014 AND CONTINUING THROUGH JANUARY 4, 2015 WHILE THE COMMON COUNCIL IS IN RECESS. 4. Ordinances 5. Other Routine Matters a. Authorize City Manager to Enter an Agreement with Washington State Correctional Industries to Provide Springfield Municipal Jail Inmate Meal Services. IT WAS MOVED BY COUNCILOR WYLIE WITH A SECOND BY COUNCILOR WOODROW TO APPROVE THE CONSENT CALENDAR. THE MOTION PASSED WITH A VOTE OF 4 FOR AND 0 AGAINST (1 ABSENT – RALSTON). ITEMS REMOVED PUBLIC HEARINGS BUSINESS FROM THE AUDIENCE 1. Barbara Stramler, Springfield, OR. Ms. Stramler serves as the Chair of the Springfield Public Library Advisory Board. She provided an update on some of the library activities. On October 12-18, 2014 was Teen Read Week. The purpose of this activity is to encourage teens to be regular readers and library users. To observe this week, Youth Librarian Lucinda Gustavson held a week of daily life skills workshops for teens with the theme, “Turn Dreams into Reality”. The workshops were lead by five different community organizations and included the following: Resume Writing lead by Workforce Services; Interview Skills lead by Willamalane; Money City of Springfield Council Regular Meeting Minutes November 17, 2014 Page 4 Management lead by Siuslaw Bank; Teen Business and Entrepreneurship lead by LCC Small Business Development Center; and College Readiness lead by LCC. Ms. Gustavson visited all four high schools and set an attendance goal of twenty students. Teens from three different schools, as well as home schooled teens, attended these workshops. The total attendance for the five-day program was 79, with 27 unique participants. There were prizes given out daily to each participant such as donated food coupons and books. Siuslaw Bank also donated money for the nine teens the attended all five days, to open bank accounts. Northwest Community Credit Union donated a Go-Pro Camera which was awarded on the last day of the program by a raffle. The Library was very happy with the attendance of the programs, as well as the support of the community. Ms. Gustavson is also holding events every Monday for teens and pre-teens at the library. All of these events are increasing community awareness of the library as well as introducing the library to young adults who may have not had library experience. COUNCIL RESPONSE Mayor Lundberg said these were great activities. A lot of discussion had been going on about education for our youth. CORRESPONDENCE AND PETITIONS BIDS ORDINANCES BUSINESS FROM THE CITY COUNCIL 2. Committee Appointments a. Mayor/Council Committee Assignments. Mayor Lundberg said she had worked on preparing these assignments which are effective immediately until further notice. She welcomed Councilor Pishioneri and noted some of the committees he would be serving on. 3. Business from Council a. Committee Reports 1. Councilor Moore said she would report on the Human Services Commission prior to the November 24 meeting. b. Other Business BUSINESS FROM THE CITY MANAGER BUSINESS FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY ADJOURNMENT City of Springfield Council Regular Meeting Minutes November 17, 2014 Page 5 The meeting was adjourned 7:18 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 NOVEMBER 24, 2014 The City of Springfield Council met in a work session in the Library Meeting Room, 225 Fifth Street, Springfield, Oregon, on Monday November 24, 2014 at 5:30 p.m., with Mayor Lundberg presiding. ATTENDANCE Present were Mayor Lundberg and Councilors VanGordon, Wylie, Moore, Ralston, Woodrow and Pishioneri. 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. Proposed Annexation Incentives Project Update Greg Mott, Planning Manager, presented the staff report on this item. The annexation incentives project is divided into three phases; 1. Information gathering; 2. Incentives program development; and 3. Incentives program implementation. The preliminary survey results are characterized by an extremely high rate of participation, overwhelming opposition to annexation, and a resolute belief that the project is prelude to “forced annexation.” These compelling survey results paired with a growing anxiousness about the purpose of the project are good reasons for the Council to review this project and instruct staff how or whether to proceed further. Two of six survey areas in this project have been completed and the results are very similar in terms of rate of participation (43% in Hayden Bridge, 55% in West Centennial) and position on annexation (90+ % opposed/not interested). Additionally, three petitions opposing annexation were submitted with a total of 1,289 signatures; more than 30 pieces of correspondence were received all of which oppose annexation; and several dozen phone calls were received most of which were unequivocally opposed to annexation. Notwithstanding our efforts to make this initial phase of the project a transparent data collection exercise, a significant number of survey respondents expressed fears that the city’s real purpose for the survey was to begin a process that would lead to “forced annexation.” An annexation study undertaken 20 years ago which could have resulted in phased, contested annexation and which left many of these residents distrustful of the city’s annexation objectives, was consistently raised as a point of comparison and is likely responsible for the submittal of the three petitions opposed to annexation. Staff is requesting Council direction to continue the survey process, reduce the number of areas surveyed, or terminate the project. Staff chose to bring this to the Council because of the ill will, anxiety and resentment from many residents in regard to the survey. The interest of the Council was strictly data gathering, but has been regarded differently. Staff feels that continuing on with the survey would not be beneficial to the Council or the city. Councilor Moore said she feels badly for staff as recipients of the negative feedback. Her sister told her she did not want to annex to the City. She agrees they should not move forward. She asked if staff could follow up with the few people that did express an interest in annexing. City of Springfield Council Work Session Minutes November 24, 2014 Page 2 Mr. Mott said it is difficult for the City to find ways to reduce the costs unless there are a lot of people in an area wanting to participate in the annexation. Most of the residents surveyed did not want to annex, not only due to the cost. It may be a benefit to examine some of the incentive options when people do need or want to annex. The Council has been looking at ways to finance City growth and development and this is a part of that conversation. Staff can draft some options and any possible consequences changes to policy might make. Councilor Pishioneri said this came up some time ago in looking at expanding the urban growth boundary, yet the areas being surveyed are already built out so it doesn’t make sense for the City to try to annex those areas. On the other hand, there is a history of septic systems failing in the study area. He asked if staff has an estimate of the life remaining in the septic systems in that area. In five years if they have multiple failures, the City will be required to step in. Mr. Mott said if there is no solution rather that a sewer connection, the City is required to step in. That is an infrequent circumstance. Ground water quality was of public contention in Santa Clara, but the City has not done an analysis in these areas. Councilor Pishioneri said septic systems are similar to road systems and will eventually fail. He supports not annexing, but landowners may want to look at today’s costs to connect compared to what it could be in the future. It could be an opportunity for some that have systems that are near failing. Mr. Mott said the State sanitation requirement for lot size for a drainfield is 10,000-12,000 square feet. If the drainfield is the source of the problem, it is difficult to remedy with that type of system. The City has not undertaken an analysis to determine whether or not there is a potential for a large number of septic failures that could occur in the near future. Councilor Pishioneri said he agreed not to move forward with the survey and to reassure people the City is not supporting forced annexation. Councilor Woodrow said she would prefer the residents understand that the City was just trying to gather information. She wants to reinstate good will. Councilor VanGordon said there is no reason to continue the survey as the results are pretty clear. The City will continue with voluntary annexation. He is still interested in looking at fees and incentives to lessen the burden for those that voluntarily annex. Mayor Lundberg agreed with Councilor VanGordon and would like to continue to look at incentives. People have approached the City about annexing, but the costs are too high. There will be a time when there is a failure of the septic systems. She asked if Springfield Utility Board (SUB) is checking carefully to make sure there is no leaching from the septic systems into the groundwater into the wellheads. That would be our only way to monitor that. Mr. Grimaldi said SUB would know when it reaches the well. The septic system is designed to take care of waste, and some may go into the ground. When it starts to fail, the home owner is the first to know. Mayor Lundberg said we have been through the situation where someone needs to annex because of septic failure. It is very painful to go through this process, plus they are then forced to annex. People are unhappy and the City is trying to do the best to control costs. That’s what prompted the City to do City of Springfield Council Work Session Minutes November 24, 2014 Page 3 this survey. People often aren’t prepared when that situation arises. She didn’t want to force people to pay fees, but they have no choice at that time. Mr. Mott said annexation laws were changed in 2009 or 2011 and now property needs to be contiguous in order to annex, so the City has annexed right of way in some areas. State law does not require annexing to get sewer; it is called extra territorial extension. The City would still get the SDCs and user rates, but the property would not be in the City. It is still expensive. Mr. Grimaldi said the most expensive part is construction of the sewer. They have to determine how to best pay. This might be more of a public works discussion for a future work session about how that works and if there are any changes the Council wants to make. Mayor Lundberg said she would like to table this and bring it back for further discussion. The City will run into that situation (failed septic) again at some point. Councilor Ralston said he has always been opposed to forced annexation so is happy the City has that policy. At some point those septic systems will fail and the costs will be high. He was not anticipating this type of response to the survey. He wanted to get information and felt they should get it out to all residents with septic systems so they understood the costs involved. He thought there might be a way we could say we could do this at a lower cost of a group of neighbors connected and annexed. Mr. Mott said staff could look at options for cost reduction. The City should be able to design a system and be prepared. In the short term, neighbors can form an LID (Local Improvement District) to offset costs in the short term. Councilor Moore said she was impressed with the petition and the fact we have well informed citizens who came to the meeting. This is a public process and we need everyone to contribute. Mayor Lundberg said for now they will table this, but she does not want to lose it as a discussion for the future to look at ways to help with costs, and possibly consider extra territorial extensions. Councilor Wylie said it was not their intention to force people to annex, but to gather information about what was appealing about annexation. Councilor Pishioneri said it wasn’t unnoted that people are not wanting to pay more taxes. Being outside the City, residents are not able to vote on Springfield issues but the Council still listens to what they have to say. The City has obligations and needs to do their due diligence. 2. Library Department Update Rob Everett, Library Director, presented the staff report on this item. The Library has a number of short term initiatives aimed at increasing efficiency and improving service immediately. In addition, the Library is trying to navigate the future course of library service in Springfield including the construction of a new library facility, and finally, the Library is facing significant staff turnover in the next 9 months that will impact its ability to move forward on any of these initiatives. City of Springfield Council Work Session Minutes November 24, 2014 Page 4 There are four aspects of Library service in Springfield that we would like to discuss in this work session: 1) The 2014-15 Library Work Plan that highlights specific tasks to be accomplished this year including: improving our Integrated Library System (ILS) on both the staff and the public sides; contracting for the purchase and installation of self-checkout circulation stations; design and implementation of a merged service point that can serve all functions from a single desk; the development of a building program for a new library in Springfield 2) Increased library open hours - a brief report on our initial experience and future plans. 3) The direction public library service is headed in communities across the nation, including Springfield, as reflected in a recent Aspen Institute report, Rising to the Challenge: Re-Envisioning Public Libraries, and 4) The impact of impending library personnel changes. Mr. Everett said the guiding principle of the Library is to “give the very best service we can by maximizing the resources we have been allocated”. They do this by hiring the best personnel available, improve service and productivity by using their brains and technology effectively, and leverage their dollars to achieve the greatest amount of service for their patrons. Their current work plan reflects those three tenets. They have completed migration from hosting their library system on a local system to a cloud based service saving staff time and money. In December, the Library will begin work on designing and implementing the patron self-check stations, and procuring a contractor. This is another way the Library is using technology to empower the user, improve service and use staff more strategically. Accompanying this project will be the first upgrade to their security system in more than 20 years. Mr. Everett said in conjunction with the above effort, they are exploring how to use employees more efficiently through a merged service point with all services from a single desk. That change will help support their current expanded hours with the fewest number of staff possible while allowing the flexibility of freeing up the professional staff for collection development, programming and individual assistance. While they strive to improve current services, they are also looking at future library services for Springfield. They will be using their Priddy Planning Grant funds to develop a building program for a new library to serve the needs of current and future Springfield residents. This effort will involve all stakeholders, include professional assistance from a design firm, will conduct community focus groups and create a building program that truly reflects community needs. Mr. Everett said the greatest improvement over the past twelve months is the expanded hours of operation, allowing them to be open an additional four hours per week which went into effect in August. They will be tracking the number of patrons over the next year with those increased hours. They are regularly scheduling Saturday stories and Cuentos bilingual programming, as well as Saturday morning specialty programs. They are hearing positive feedback from patrons happy with the extended hours, and will promote the extended hours again soon. Mr. Everett noted that through all of this activity, he received news of three library staff retirements over the next few months. These women have contributed greatly to the success and reputation of the Springfield Library not only with users, but with the Oregon library community. His work plan is being amended due to those staffing changes. He referred to a report included in the agenda packet “Rising to the Challenge, Re-Envisioning Public Libraries” from The Aspen Institute, which addresses key issues in our library and community. The report, funded by the Gates Foundation, is timely in that we are in the beginning stages of planning a new library in Springfield. The report focuses on two things: Public libraries are essential to success and progress in a digital age; and community value of a public library is built around three key assets – people, place, and platform. As the Library engages with the community about a new building, they can incorporate these concepts into their discussions. City of Springfield Council Work Session Minutes November 24, 2014 Page 5 They want the library to be a hub of civic engagement, a welcoming space for a wide range of purposes, and user centered. This is exactly what library staff have been striving to do now and what they aspire to do in the future. Councilor VanGordon said one of the things he liked on the additional hours, was the focus on positively impacting the community and how the library strives to do that. In the long term, he is concerned how many people come during the additional hours and if it impacts the overall attendance. He thinks the work plan looks great and using the Priddy Grant in looking at community needs because they don’t know what a library will look like in twenty years. Mr. Everett said historically libraries were archival, but now they manage information that is growing every hour and helping people use the new tools to help manage the flow of information in order to be successful. New information is always being created and they are helping people access and use it. Councilor VanGordon said it would be interesting to hear how to grow and get more patrons through the door. That is an interesting challenge. Literacy is very important and he asked if there are kids in the school district without library cards. Mr. Everett said the library participates in an initiative for every Springfield 1st grader to receive a first book and library cards for use of one year. Some students who are in the school district are out of the City limits. Through the Gift of Literacy and the efforts of Springfield and Twin Rivers Rotaries, and the Wildish Foundation, they have funding to provide library cards for every 1st grader. Last Spring they checked with the School District and determined that 780 kids that attend Springfield schools are outside city limits, which is an estimated 312 households. About $25,000 provides cards for those students. Those students can come to the library and attend library programs. Today, they are providing a program where they teach teens how to program in a program for graphic design. Those students can come to the Library, but can’t check out books or log in at access databases from the internet. This is a bigger problem that needs a community solution with the help of the School District and Willamalane. Councilor VanGordon said he would be interested in partnering with the school district or get a grant to fill in that gap. Mr. Everett said Lane County citizens are the most underserved in terms of library services in the state. Councilor VanGordon said he would like to pursue that with other community partners. Councilor Woodrow said the value of the outside cards is approximately $25,000, but is not something the library counts on for funding. Mr. Everett said if they did add 720 patrons, they would not need to hire additional staff. Councilor Woodrow said there should be a way to get cards out to those people in the school district. Mr. Everett said that is an important policy decision for Council. Councilor Woodrow said she doesn’t see a drawback in providing cards to Springfield School District students who live outside of City limits. She said although there are changes in information sharing at City of Springfield Council Work Session Minutes November 24, 2014 Page 6 the library, it is still a social hub for the community. That has always been a bottom line of the library. The positive differences in the library since Mr. Everett became director have been phenomenal. She thanked him for his energy and positive attitude toward the growth of the library. Councilor Wylie agreed. She asked Mr. Everett to list several ways libraries are changing and how Springfield is keeping up with those types of changes. Mr. Everett said the more services offered on the library website becomes a service point. People do many transactions with the library online so people aren’t coming to the library to do certain things. The Springfield Library is open more hours than the Oregon Employment Division and has faster computers. Many people come to the library to look for work, take their food handler’s license, look for housing, look for social services, and much more. Chief Education Officer for the State of Oregon, Nancy Golden, spoke to the Rotary Club a couple of weeks ago regarding the gateway skill. The three tenets of education are entering kindergarten ready to read, establishing reading skills by the third grade, and then college. The Springfield Library addresses the first two of those. Springfield has made concerted effort to make their programs match the curriculum and initiatives of Springfield schools. Literacy is even more important today. Councilor Ralston said he is not sure the students outside city limits will use a library card. Councilor VanGordon said he would like to start that conversation and work with other partners in Springfield to get grants to help address the need. He is not sure how many people will use it and how much it will cost or if it is cost neutral. Councilor Ralston said he used the school library when young. He asked about the school libraries. Mr. Everett said all schools had libraries, but many did not have librarians. Councilor Ralston said it seems like there needs to be partners. Reading is vitally important for everyone. He is surprised schools don’t have librarians. Mr. Everett said the schools have very limited budgets. When they did the Battle of the Books, schools didn’t have the funds to provide the books. Councilor Ralston said if they want a library, someone has to pay for it. It should be a collaboration of interested parties that solves that. He wants to know if the students outside city limits would use a library card if they had one. Councilor Pishioneri said he would like to know what it costs to administer a program to get those cards out to those not in city limits. Academics of the students are the school’s responsibility and the City has an obligation to serve the community. If the school will pay the administrative costs, the City can provide the service. Councilor Moore said Lucinda Gustavson’s teen program is one way of getting people through the door. Ms. Gustavson went to the schools and got to know the students. There are also foster families that might be outside city limits that could benefit from a library card. There are other programs that serve those kids that the library could connect with and find ways to help serve those kids. City of Springfield Council Work Session Minutes November 24, 2014 Page 7 Mr. Everett said during the Gift of Literacy, each student gets a library card for one year. They are trying to bring them back to remind them about the library at the beginning of each year. Mayor Lundberg said she is in favor of the library cards and that they should have something in their packets at the beginning of the school year to encourage them to go to the library. Libraries are changing and are now our information center where people can go to fill out job applications, look for housing, get food handlers card, etc. People need a library card to access those services. The half-life on a skill is five years. The teen class in being held is an example of using the library as a training service. Perhaps the library could provide hot spot capability with the library card in neighborhoods that don’t have access. They need to get literacy at ground level and be able to train the workforce. She noted the concept of “One stop shop for community development”. As they go into strategic planning, the library needs to look at the Council goals and match the library goals to those. Look at the end of the report at the steps for making those changes. When we expand what we are and what people think of us, we bring in more people. 3. Review of Transportation System Development Charge (SDC) Proposed Fees and Implementation Options Anette Spickard, Deputy Development and Public Works Director, presented the staff report on this item. She introduced Deb Galardi, consultant on this project. On December 1, 2014 Council is scheduled to continue the public hearing that opened on October 20, 2014 and adopt resolutions to implement the City’s Transportation SDC methodology, project list, and fees. Council’s direction is requested at this work session for the effective date and amount of the new fee in order for staff to prepare the appropriate resolution language for the December 1, 2014 public hearing. Staff has completed an update to the City’s Transportation SDC methodology, project list and proposed fee using the Transportation System Plan, the recommendations made by the council- appointed citizen’s advisory committee and the direction received from Council on May 19, 2014 and June 16, 2014. The methodology, project list and proposed fee have been available for public inspection, both in hard copy and on the City’s website, since August 20, 2014. Interested parties have been notified of the methodology update per ORS 223.304(6). To date no formal comments have been received by staff. Council opened a public hearing on October 20, 2014 and is scheduled to continue that hearing and a vote to adopt resolutions to implement the methodology, project list, and fees at the December 1, 2014 regular session. The maximum allowable fee derived from the new methodology and project list is $340.38 per trip end. The current fee is $268.35 per trip end. This equates to a $72.03, or 26.8%, increase. The citizen’s advisory committee recommended a maximum increase of 15% which equates to a $40.25 increase. Staff proposes the following implementation strategies as options for Council to consider: 1. Implement the full fee of $340.38 effective January 1, 2015 2. Implement the full fee of $340.38 effective July 1, 2015 3. Implement a 15% increase to $308.60 effective January 1, 2015 and the full fee of $340.38 on July 1, 2015. 4. Implement a 15% increase to $308.60 effective January 1, 2015. 5. Implement a 5% increase to $281.77 effective January 1 2015 and consider additional increases at a later time. City of Springfield Council Work Session Minutes November 24, 2014 Page 8 Councilor Ralston said it’s not something they want to do, but need to do. They made a large increase in 2008 to recover costs. He would support the third option. It could be incentive for developers to get in on the lower rate. Councilor Pishioneri understood it cost money to run the City, but noted that if they went with the highest figure it was over an 18% average increase over the last 4 years. He didn’t feel they could justify those types of increases per year. At the full allowable rate, a new single family residential property would cost about $700 more than it would have prior to 2008. He understood the phasing in process. They could also look at holding costs down. In the report, it sounds like they need to increase the fee by 26% in order to remain status quo. Ms. Spickard said what is driving the new costs is the updated Springfield Transportation System Plan (TSP) project list. The projects on that list that are attributable to growth are in this methodology. She described the calculations for coming to the rate. The basic intent of the SDC was to cover some portion of the infrastructure needed for new development. Councilor Pishioneri said he can’t support the full increase because it is basically a 75% increase since 2007. That is an addition of $700 per construction. The fairest was to keep the SDC as small as possible now and look at it every year or so. Councilor VanGordon asked how much the City was raising the SDC based on the construction price index (CPI) each July 1. Ms. Spickard said it fluctuated from year to year. There was a time when the cost of materials was low, but that has turned around. Staff could find out the average increase and let Council know. Mr. Grimaldi said in looking at the project list, the bike path in Glenwood was added per Council request. There are also projects in the Gateway area that will need infrastructure if the urban growth boundary is expanded in that area. Councilor VanGordon said part of the cost is due to the Council adding things to the project list. Ms. Spickard said in the past methodology, Franklin Boulevard was a state highway, but the jurisdiction and responsibility has now been transferred to the City. To pull together these large projects is very costly. Councilor VanGordon said he is good at going with the 15% increase. He is not sure he wants to see it staggered out six months, but would be interested in seeing another staggering option perhaps over three years. It’s important when revisiting this that the fee and the project list are connected as a reminder of the effect the list has on the fees. He asked if they had a document for developers that easily explains how they came up with methodology. That provides transparency and mutual ownership. The write ups comparing the costs that are in the packet are confusing. He would like to be able to compare the figures of current costs and proposed costs next to each other. Councilor Pishioneri said this was done backwards by creating the list first and then looking at the SDCs to cover the costs. Franklin Boulevard now shows four roundabouts when it used to have three. Each of those is very expensive and now they are telling developers they are going to pay for them. To minimize the impact, the project list should be considered. He agreed that the League of Oregon City of Springfield Council Work Session Minutes November 24, 2014 Page 9 Cities (LOC) chart was difficult to decipher. He asked how Springfield rated in the state for SDC rates. Ms. Spickard said currently Springfield is in the middle. If they increased it to the highest percentage, Springfield would be slightly higher than the middle. Many cities are in the process of considering increases. Ms. Galardi said Springfield is currently below the middle, and the increase would put us just above the middle. If the other cities increased, Springfield would likely remain in the middle. Ms. Spickard said Springfield is very comparable to Corvallis and Salem, but higher than Eugene. If Council adopted the full increase, Springfield would remain comparable to our neighbors along I-5. Councilor Pishioneri said he is opposed to the large increase. Councilor Moore said it is hard to figure out comparable because each jurisdiction does things differently. She would like to see the comparison with 15% rather than the maximum. Ms. Spickard said if they adopted the 15% increase, the City would forego about $5 million over the twenty year period, which isn’t a lot. Councilor Moore said she is trying to get an overall picture of all the fees. She noted the sewer fees. Ms. Spickard said the City did a comprehensive SDC update for all systems in 2008. The next time Council will see something about wastewater or stormwater will be next time they do another big Master Planning effort. That could be another year or two. She is not sure of the regional side with MWMC and if they have anything scheduled. This year, they are only looking at the transportation SDC because of the adoption of the Springfield TSP. She said she would provide a comparison sheet for a single family home. Councilor Moore asked if they could look at another option between 15-26%. Councilor Wylie said she has concerns that there is a greater global demand for materials, and growth is expensive. Things are different than they were a few years ago and Springfield is in a rapid growth period and in competition. Developers will go where there is opportunity and we don’t want to get behind. It is very important to look carefully at the projects on the list. They need to be pretty serious about what it costs to maintain our community and compete on the global market. Councilor Woodrow said the project list continues to change, and growth is inevitable. They need to look at growth and meet the needs of the community and of the growth. She looked at the work that went into this and is inclined to go with the third option. She feels they need to keep moving forward so they don’t get behind. Councilor Ralston said this isn’t a shopping list, but are things that need to be done and someone has to pay for it. If the city is going to move forward, this is the system to get those funds. Mayor Lundberg said she felt 15% is plenty. The list is large and complete, but can change as things change. The City put off the Jasper Natron Trunk sewer line for a long time because of the economy. She is comfortable with the CAC’s recommendation. City of Springfield Council Work Session Minutes November 24, 2014 Page 10 Mr. Grimaldi said staff needs a number to put into the resolution for the public hearing on December 1. Based on the public testimony, Council can make changes if they choose. It would probably be best to put in something that might be supported. The Councilors gave their informal choices as follows: • Option 3: Councilor Ralston, Councilor Wylie • Option 4: Councilor Woodrow, Councilor VanGordon, Councilor Pishioneri and Councilor Moore Ms. Spickard said the $5 million that would be lost over 20 years equaled about 10% of the projects on the list. Staff and the Council would need to look at which projects to prioritize. It is important to have a complete project list, and have it remain flexible. If construction pays for some of the projects, they would receive credits. She recommends not removing things on the list, but prioritizing as they go along. 4. HOME Program Update Tom Boyatt, Community Development Manager, and Molly Markarian, Senior Planner, presented the staff report on this item. Stephanie Jennings and Denny Braud from Eugene were also in the audience for this presentation. Issues identified by Housing and Urban Development (HUD) staff in a recent HOME Program Monitoring, in combination with rule changes to the HOME program that became effective last August and shrinking federal funding, have created a situation where HUD is no longer willing to continue the HOME Consortium on a sub-recipient model. Springfield is not of sufficient size to receive HOME funds directly from HUD and for many years has joined with Eugene in a sub-recipient HOME Consortium model where HUD allocates HOME Funding to Eugene on behalf of the Consortium and Eugene passes through 30% of the Consortium’s HOME funds to Springfield through a sub-recipient agreement to allocate based on its approved Action Plan and the Eugene-Springfield Consolidated Plan. In the sub-recipient model, the City of Eugene is responsible to HUD for the proper use and tracking of all funds received, including those dispersed to Springfield. HUD’s recent monitoring of the HOME program in Eugene-Springfield found multiple issues in the way that Springfield has managed funded projects and Eugene has provided program oversight. HOME is a complicated federal program that requires significant technical expertise and staff resources to manage effectively, and for many years Eugene has provided non-reimbursed staff time to oversee Springfield’s sub-recipient activity. Eugene, Springfield and HUD staff are now considering a Lead Entity model for the HOME consortium. In this model Eugene staff would administer the entire program, and funds would be allocated regionally to projects that meet HOME regulatory and match requirements and are ready to proceed. Springfield now has the choice to work with Eugene in establishing a Lead Entity consortium or to instead rely on the statewide competitive process to fund projects with HOME dollars. If the City were to drop out of the Consortium, then annually distributed HOME funds would decrease by about 28%, and would only be expended in Eugene. Springfield could apply to the State for HOME program awards in Springfield, and this would be highly competitive and still carry all the restrictions of the HOME program. City of Springfield Council Work Session Minutes November 24, 2014 Page 11 Staff from Eugene and Springfield are currently discussing what a Lead Entity arrangement might look like, including: a preferred governance structure between Eugene and Springfield, how to insure equity in fund distribution across the region over time, and how Springfield can access some portion of HOME administrative funding to cover a portion of staff costs associated with advancing HOME funded projects and activities. Mr. Boyatt said there are three areas of interest by Springfield staff: how funding decisions are made; what becomes eligible with the rule changes; and what we do with administrative funds. The new Lead Entity model would be a new decision process of how HOME funds are allocated to the Eugene and Springfield region by changing ways projects have been screened, prioritized and funded. In this model a governing body (the two Mayors) would oversee the HOME Program, and there would be a technical evaluation committee which would evaluate requests for funding and make recommendations to the governing body. Over time, the governing body would have the responsibility to ensure the same amount of funds that are currently allocated to Springfield (about 30%) are spent in Springfield. Mr. Boyatt said the second piece is what is eligible for HOME funding. Springfield used to use funds for down payment assistance, but that is no longer going to be a practical use. The HOME program is moving towards last gap funding and needs to be spent within 18 months of allocation. The property standards have gone up so it would be nearly impossible for Springfield to use HOME funds for down payments. The City would have to look at ways to fill that need elsewhere. Mr. Boyatt said the third part is staff cost reimbursement. Typically, 10% of the funds can be used for administrative costs, although it rarely covers all of the costs. The new model could be more efficient, but the 10% would still not cover Eugene’s costs so other funds may need to be found to support the program. There is always opportunity and there are several upsides to the new model. The challenge is getting the policy structure in place. The alternative is to step out of the consortium meaning 28% of the funding would no longer come to the metro area. If Springfield stepped out of the consortium, we would be competing with the rest of the State for HOME funds. The staff perspective has been to continue with the program and work out a system to bring 30% to Springfield projects. Councilor Ralston asked for clarification on Springfield receiving 30% over the course of a period of time, such as five years. Mr. Boyatt said if there is $1M/year, over a ten year period, Springfield would expect to receive $3M. Springfield would still need to work with housing providers and other eligible applicants for projects that could qualify. This formula could put more HOME Funding into single projects as they qualify. Councilor Ralston said he would support this if the consortium said a certain percentage will be spent in Springfield, but there is no guarantee. Eugene and Springfield do things differently – Springfield focuses on home ownership and Eugene focuses on low-income subsidized housing. He wanted something to insure Springfield would get a set percentage. Mr. Grimaldi said the advantage of spreading it out over a long period of time opens it up for larger projects. They will be relying on the system to balance it out between the partners. City of Springfield Council Work Session Minutes November 24, 2014 Page 12 Councilor Ralston said the big projects are low-income housing projects and doesn’t target the type of programs in Springfield. Eugene land banks property and Springfield does not, which gives Eugene an advantage. It will take a long time for Springfield to land bank property. Councilor VanGordon said he understood the advantage of the long term, but worried Springfield would have years when we wouldn’t get anything. He asked if it is possible to guarantee an amount to Springfield annually, while still maintaining the 30% over the time span of ten years. Mr. Boyatt said they will not be able to guarantee a certain amount annually. Their choices are to look for another arrangement with Eugene or step out of the consortium The idea of the governing body is meant to provide some assurance of equity of distribution over time. They will be relying on the housing project developers to come up with quality housing projects and promote those into the funding system. Staff would have an enhanced focus of working with the housing providers to present projects that can be ready for funding and competitive during that time frame. Councilor VanGordon asked there could be a model in which 30% will go to Springfield over 10 years with 15% going to Springfield on an annual basis. Mayor Lundberg said this is not like transportation funds. The whole basis of how we are doing things is changing and is now rental focused for projects that are not just shovel ready, but ready for the last source of funding. It also has to be spent in 18 months. We have the same four or five providers in both communities and they will be looking at the best place in both cities. We can say we want a certain amount of funds, but it will depend on where the projects are in the community. The money is not as important as the project and being able to make sure the developers have what they need to have a Springfield location. It does change Springfield’s focus from home ownership. The hope is that with the governance from both cities, and the technical committee, Springfield will get a portion of the funds. If not, Springfield can step out of the consortium. Councilor VanGordon said he agrees that the goal should be that Springfield does get a share of the funds. He wants to stay in more than he wants to walk away. He has concerns about the transparency and the Council having the opportunity to see the applicants. Once they have more details, he may feel more comfortable. Mr. Boyatt said they haven’t worked out all of the details yet. Councilor Pishioneri said he is fine staying with the consortium. The number of years is ambiguous at this time, as are the percentages for each city. He asked if Eugene would get less if Springfield stepped away. Mr. Boyatt said the 70/30 split has been traditional between the two cities. If Springfield opts out, Eugene will get a little more (about 72%), which would be limited to their jurisdiction. Councilor Pishioneri said Eugene does not have a fiduciary advantage to keep Springfield as a partner so Springfield doesn’t have much to lose. He feels we should try to work with this the best way possible to try to get funds to help the City of Springfield. If we can’t get the funds, we can step away. Councilor Moore said it is a regional issue, as is the cost of housing. She doesn’t think we have anything to lose by partnering with Eugene in this consortium. It is going to be set up with both governing bodies participating and with a process. City of Springfield Council Work Session Minutes November 24, 2014 Page 13 Councilor Wylie said she has a lot of faith that the two mayors and staff can look at the needs of the community. She liked that they could possibly fund larger projects. She would like to see how it could work with the two cities. Councilor Ralston said Springfield could still apply for funds on their own if they were not part of the consortium. He is not seeing they should get out of it until they see how it works. He doesn’t like how it looks at this time and is not confident it will work out. He would be more supportive if they could find a way to help with home ownership. Councilor Pishioneri said he didn’t want to give up the program for down payment assistance and look for other funding. Doing that could broaden what the City is currently providing. Mr. Boyatt said staff has not given up on down payment assistance. Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds are suitable for that purpose. Councilor Woodrow said she wanted to know if the City was precluded for applying at the State level if they stayed with the consortium. Mr. Boyatt said if Springfield is part of the consortium, they can’t go after the State HOME funds, but could apply for other funding opportunities. Staff will get back to Council with other opportunities and if being part of the consortium is going to be a liability. Mayor Lundberg said she is disappointed with HUD. CDBG is oversubscribed each year and it is hard for the Community Development Advisory Committee (CDAC) to make their choices. It’s hard to add another program to the CDBG pot. She wants to make sure that language is included in the intergovernmental agreement (IGA) that they will revisit this in a year or so and determine any issues and how it is working. She wants the team that looks at the applications to be as technical as possible. Springfield may want to consider landbanking to be in a better position. In the past, Springfield had used HOME funds as loans rather than grants which gave the City the opportunity to get the money back to use again. Ms. Markarian said Eugene structures theirs through forgivable loans. She can look into that further. Staff was directed to move forward with development of the consortium and the IGA. 5. Jim’s Landing Residents Mayor Lundberg said this item was added to the agenda and related to the recent fire and evacuation at Jim’s Landing. The City provided a couple of days’ worth of vouchers to the residents for being displaced, but additional help is needed. Mr. Grimaldi said twenty-plus individuals ranging from toddlers to the elderly have been displaced. It is a population that doesn’t fit neatly into the social network, and housing resources are also sparse. The City provided some initial vouchers to keep people housed for a couple of days, but they now need to provide additional vouchers for the short-term. They are also looking at long-term solutions. There is a possibility of the City coming up with some assistance so people can qualify for market rental housing. That assistance would likely go towards first and last month’s rent, or a deposit. The City can’t meet 100% of everyone’s needs, but would like to do what they can. He is asking City of Springfield Council Work Session Minutes November 24, 2014 Page 14 permission from the Council to spend up to $25,000 to provide assistance to these residents, and possibly contract through Catholic Community Services who are equipped to handle people in need of housing. Springfield Management Analyst, Neil Obringer, is available to answer questions. Councilor Ralston asked how much the vouchers cost the City and where they got the funds. Mr. Grimaldi said the funds came from the General Fund Reserves. The last set of vouchers was for $40 and $60 per night. Councilor Ralston asked why this is the City’s problem and not the responsibility of the owner of the building. Mr. Grimaldi said they have not been able to make the owner responsible. It is a choice whether or not the City provides assistance. Councilor Ralston said the voters of the City just voted down $27,000 for the Council to get a stipend, yet now the City is looking at this cost. Councilor VanGordon asked how many individuals are affected. Mr. Obringer said there is not a written list, but anecdotally they believe there are 26 people that have been displaced. Councilor VanGordon asked how many had transitioned into something more stable. Mr. Grimaldi said we haven’t heard of anyone who has made that transition yet. There is one person who chose not to take a voucher and is living on the street. Some people are living temporarily with relatives. There is a wide variety of situations. Councilor VanGordon said it sounds like a majority of residents have not transitioned to something permanent. He supports allocating the $25,000. Councilor Woodrow said the City is confronted with a situation where we step in to take care of our own when we can’t make the appropriate person responsible. This gives us an opportunity to help out and help stabilize some living situations, or at least give the residents the chance to try. If they can help any of the residents, that is something. She doesn’t want to see the City step back because we can’t help everyone. She feels compelled to approve this amount of funding to see how we could help. It may be just the thing to get someone into a better living situation. Councilor Woodrow asked what type of assistance will be offered. Mr. Obringer said Catholic Community Services (CCS) has access to and an understanding of the affordable housing in the area. Many of the individuals have appointments to speak with a social service worker at CCS. From that initial meeting, they will go into the county’s long-term waiting list and find out what other resources are available to them. The wait list for subsidized housing is long and the biggest barrier to moving people into a home at market rate is the first/last and the deposit. In meeting with the residents today, they voiced that was a big issue for them. CCS will determine what resources can be available and help coordinate residents with market rate rentals. City of Springfield Council Work Session Minutes November 24, 2014 Page 15 Councilor Wylie asked if the City is providing moving assistance. Mr. Obringer said discussions have been held about storage units or moving assistance, but that has not yet been set up. Councilor Moore said she appreciates that hometown feel and that we are a community. She suggested the Mayor ask the community to step up and donate to this issue and see what type of response they receive. The $25,000 is a step to getting help for the residents. Councilor Ralston asked how long $25,000 would last. Mr. Grimaldi said it will depend on how it is used. Councilor Ralston asked how long they would allow people to get vouchers to stay in a hotel. Mr. Grimaldi said they would spend $25,000, and once those funds are expended they will re-evaluate. Councilor Ralston said he is fine with the assistance, but wants to make sure people don’t take advantage. He compared it to mobile home parks closing and people having to relocate, which is the developer’s responsibility. He liked what Councilor Moore said about putting it out to the community for assistance. He wants to do what is right, but does not want to set a bad precedence. Mr. Grimaldi said over his years in Springfield, this is the largest eviction. It is very uncommon. Councilor Pishioneri said this is unique as it is an emergent, unsafe situation rather than a normal eviction. He asked if the individuals residing in those apartments had been identified so others could not come in claiming to be a resident. He asked how many units are in the building. Mr. Grimaldi said the residents had been identified. There are 20+ units. Councilor Pishioneri said if the funds are divided equally, it will be about $1250 per unit. He asked if the City could reach out to the major rental properties and ask those principals if they could make concessions in the deposit, first/last, or rent. That could help free up some of the money. He suggested that the deposit money be returned to the City, or be provided by the City as a no- percentage loan that could be refunded to the City when the resident moves out. He asked if there have been violation citations by the Fire Marshal to the landowner. Mr. Grimaldi said that is still being evaluated. Councilor Pishioneri said the City should seek reimbursement for the costs as a loss to the City, possibly through a lien on the property. The City needs to do what we can to assist, and agrees we should partner with CCS, St. Vincent DePaul, and Goodwill. They may find that the property management folks are receptive to some concessions. Mayor Lundberg said she would like to pursue whatever the City can do in regard to the property owner. The City had to remove people from an unsafe location, but it is the owner of the property that put the people in that situation and it is unacceptable. Each of the residents is in a different situation. CCS has volunteered to do the initial triage. The Mayor, Mr. Grimaldi and Mr. Obringer met with residents today to try to address the most immediate needs. These funds would be that stop gap to get City of Springfield Council Work Session Minutes November 24, 2014 Page 16 people to get through CCS, figure out a solution and get people into a setting that is safe. The Council members, such as Councilor Pishioneri, that know multi-plus property owners can also make those calls. Councilor Pishioneri said he can make some initial calls. If the $25,000 is not quite enough, he is fine with an additional 10% or 15% to complete the process. He asked that they keep it reasonable. Mr. Grimaldi said some funds have been spent so the $25,000 would be an additional amount. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 8:10 p.m. Minutes Recorder – Amy Sowa ______________________ Christine L. Lundberg Mayor Attest: ____________________ Amy Sowa City Recorder City of Springfield Work Session Meeting MINUTES OF THE WORK SESSION MEETING OF THE SPRINGFIELD CITY COUNCIL HELD MONDAY DECEMBER 1, 2014 The City of Springfield Council met in a work session in the Jesse Maine Meeting Room, 225 Fifth Street, Springfield, Oregon, on Monday December 1, 2014 at 6:30 p.m., with Mayor Lundberg presiding. ATTENDANCE Present were Mayor Lundberg and Councilors VanGordon, Wylie, Moore, Woodrow and Pishioneri. 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. Councilor Ralston was absent (excused). 1. Discover Downtown Springfield (DDS) Program Update. Courtney Griesel, Management Analyst, presented the staff report on this item. She noted that they are only through the first two-thirds of the quarter, but wanted to provide this update before the Council went on their winter break. She noted that Clair Carpenter-Seguin, Executive Director of NEDCO, announced several weeks ago that she has taken an opportunity with the State. During the transition over the next two weeks, Ms. Seguin will be working with Emily Reiman at NEDCO. Sheri Stuart, Oregon Main Street Coordinator, will also come down and keep the Discover Downtown Program moving in a positive direction. Ms. Griesel introduced Jim McHugh, Downtown Manager from NEDCO. Mr. McHugh provided some brief highlights of several key accomplishments this past quarter, including follow-up on comments received from Councilors during the September update. The program continues to host Business-2-Business Monthly Roundtables resulting in co-advertising and event idea generation. During the November Roundtable, businesses had the opportunity to express their concerns regarding the timing of the downtown lighting project and came to agreement to delay installation until after the holidays. The Roundtables were also a chance to develop future programs. On November 19, the Discover Downtown Springfield (DDS) recently hosted the Travel Lane County FAM (Familiarity) Tour with the hoteliers and people in the tourism industry. There were 32 participants that were taken on a tour of the many businesses downtown. The purpose of the tour was to develop a connection with this group and also to provide communication regarding front line training for hotel workers. They hope to have that occur after the New Year. They received a lot of positive feedback from the tour. The Art Walks continue to grow with close to 20 participants over the last couple of months. Some of the new businesses that have opened or will open in the near future include: Jim Tronson Gallery & Studio; L ‘Etoffe Fabrics; Claim 52 Abbey; a phone business and Mezza Luna Pizza. The Economic Restructuring Committee has been meeting on a regular basis and met with Ward Beck, listing agent for the Jim’s Landing property prior to their fire to discuss ways the Downtown Program could assist. FaceBook postings have grown rapidly. City of Springfield Council Work Session Minutes December 1, 2014 Page 2 In October, downtown saw its first food trucks, Mondo Frocella and Lani Moku Grill. Interest in the program continues to grow, creating excitement for more trucks once next year’s season gets closer. There are two façade improvements that came in over the last couple of months. They continue to do outreach to the property and business owners to educate them about the façade improvement grant program. The Main Street Program is applying for a grant for a business directory for downtown. Lights will be distributed to the businesses to enhance the lighting downtown over the holidays. Councilor Woodrow asked if the roundtable is where the committees gather information. Mr. McHugh said the roundtable is an open opportunity and can focus on design, economic restructuring or promotions. It is held when the independent business owners are available. Notes are sent out after the meeting to the committee in an effort to share the information. Councilor Woodrow asked if there was another way for the different committees to meet and share information. She feels it is important for all of the committees to communicate so they can focus on one goal and collaborate. Receiving electronic communications isn’t the same as face to face discussions. She suggested they find a way to bring them all together for that type of information sharing. She also noted that the Springfield Christmas Parade committee would be happy to promote downtown events, but did not know of any this year in time to do that. She offered their services for the future. Mayor Lundberg said she appreciated Mr. McHugh staying with the program, because they have had a lot of turnover. There is a lot of bureaucracy in the program and it requires a certain number of committees. It is very important to involve the businesses. She liked Councilor Woodrow’s idea of having all of the committees meet at the same time at the business roundtable for information sharing. There is often so much in the prep time that it ties up a lot of time. Of the sixteen applications for food carts, we only have two that are up and running. She asked if the criteria are too strict. She is hoping to see them cut through the red tape, and limit the amount of time the businesses need to attend meetings. It is moving along, but she would love to see it move along much faster. Dottie Chase of the Emerald Arts Center came to her and said they want to put on an Art Show next summer which would be perfect. Ms. Chase could get the Chambers’ parking lot across the street to use. The Mayor is trying to get Ms. Chase connected to make that happen so is passing along this information to Mr. McHugh. Community Relations Manager Niel Laudati said he met with Dottie for an hour this afternoon. Mayor Lundberg said the Arts Commission also needs to be involved. She reiterated that she would like to see the bureaucracy in the program cut to help get things done more quickly. She wanted the committees to be more coordinated and less isolated. Mr. McHugh said he agreed and they are trying to work on the food cart program. It is something that takes a lot of time getting people to take that first step. Some have shut down and some are seasonal. The rest are up and coming, and looking to get into it and will be certified by the County in the near future. One of their ideas is to have a food cart rally or rendezvous. Ms. Griesel said following the last quarterly update, staff and Mr. McHugh spent about a week striking the old rules of the Food Cart Program to make it more accessible and making it a pilot program, asking businesses what they would be willing to do. Mayor Lundberg suggested making the School District coffee cart a pilot program. City of Springfield Council Work Session Minutes December 1, 2014 Page 3 Councilor Moore said she attended the roundtable discussion several months ago. Part of the problem could be that the small businesses are very diverse and many ideas are presented which makes it difficult to make things happen. They are meeting on December 3 at the Emerald Arts Center at 8:30am. She asked when the Organizational Committee was meeting. Mr. McHugh said they normally meet the first Thursday of the month, but they may not be meeting this month. Councilor VanGordon said he feels they are making progress since the last update. He noted that the report listed new businesses, but didn’t list the businesses that had closed. He feels that is important information in order to get an overall picture of the net job growth. Mr. McHugh said it was noted in the report, but was not in the discussion. Councilor VanGordon said ‘Recruiting the Board’ and ‘Finalizing Bylaws’ were listed on the last quarterly report. He asked if progress was being made on those projects. Mr. McHugh said the Chair of the Organization Committee stepped down so they are in the process of recruiting a new Chair. They only have three members of that committee so are working on growing the membership back up to develop that program. Ms. Griesel said this is one of the things they are hoping to address with Sheri Stuart. Councilor VanGordon asked if this could still be on the list during the next quarterly update. Mr. McHugh said he hoped to have it finalized by the next report. Councilor VanGordon said he looks for things that are on the list more than once. As long as it is being worked on, it is fine. He agrees with the Mayor’s comments on the food carts and hopes to see things move along more quickly. He would like to see highlights at the beginning of the report, followed by the lengthy report for ease of review. He is glad to hear of the progress being made. Councilor Woodrow said she met with Sheri Stuart last time she was here. Ms. Stuart has good ideas and a lot to offer. When the roundtable meets, it is helpful to have a topic as a focus, such as the downtown lighting which she recently presented. When they have a goals and something to focus on, it brings them all together. Councilor Moore said she hadn’t seen anything about the SPROUT Tour and Pancake Breakfast that will be going on in conjunction with the Christmas Parade. Mr. McHugh said the Kitchen Tour is in partnership with the Symphony Guild Program. The Pancake Breakfast and Market is a complementary activity. SPROUT is one of fifteen kitchen stops on the tour throughout the region. SPROUT will be putting on the Pancake Breakfast and Holiday Market. Ms. Griesel said SPROUT is not part of Discover Downtown, but they can talk to SPROUT about advertising for their events. Mayor Lundberg suggested that the next report include some timelines for projects. Things may change, but it will give the Council a sense of when they can anticipate projects to be completed. City of Springfield Council Work Session Minutes December 1, 2014 Page 4 Councilor Wylie asked about an annual calendar. Mr. McHugh said he has an annual work plan. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 7:00 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 DECEMBER 1, 2014 The City of Springfield Council met in regular session in the Council Chambers, 225 Fifth Street, Springfield, Oregon, on Monday December 1, 2014 at 7:06 p.m., with Mayor Lundberg presiding. ATTENDANCE Present were Mayor Lundberg and Councilors VanGordon, Wylie, Moore, Woodrow and Pishioneri. 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. Councilor Ralston was absent (excused). PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Mayor Lundberg. SPRINGFIELD UPBEAT 1. Be a Santa to a Senior Proclamation. Mayor Lundberg read from the proclamation and encouraged all Springfield residents to observe December as “Be a Santa to a Senior” month. Nancy NesSmith, Executive Director of Home Instead Senior Care came forward to accept the proclamation. 2. Month of Giving Proclamation. Mayor Lundberg read from the proclamation and encouraged all Springfield residents to support the return of giving as the reason for the winter holidays, showing their support through giving time, needed items or money to non-profits of their choice. Kate from West Coast Dog and Cat Rescue came forward to accept the proclamation. CONSENT CALENDAR 1. Claims 2. Minutes a. October 27, 2014 – Joint Elected Officials Work Session b. November 10, 2014 – Joint Elected Officials Work Session 3. Resolutions 4. Ordinances 5. Other Routine Matters City of Springfield Council Regular Meeting Minutes December 1, 2014 Page 2 a. Approve the Subject Change Order to the FY 2015 Slurry Seal Contract with Blackline, Inc. in the Amount of $45,105.25, Increasing the Total Approved Contract to $128,367.75, and Changing the Contract Completion Date to June 30, 2015. b. Authorize City Manager to Enter into a Contract with Willamette Community Health Solutions DBA Cascade Health Solutions in the Amount not to exceed $160,000 to Provide Primary and Preventative Medical Services for the City’s Wellness Clinic. c. Authorize the City Manager to enter an agreement with Willamette Community Health Solutions DBA Cascade Health Solutions to Provide Inmate Medical and Dental Services to the Springfield Municipal Jail. d. Authorize and direct the City Manager to execute the Local Agency Agreement Multimodal Transportation Enhance Program (MTEP) OR 126B and McVay Highway: Mississippi Avenue-UPRR Tracks Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) with the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) on behalf of the City. e. Allow Pavement Coring Activities Outside of the Hours of 7am and 6pm for Work in Preparation of Pavement Analysis for the Gateway Overlay Project. f. Approval of Liquor License Application for Pranee’s Pump Café, Located at 710 Main Street, Springfield, OR. g. Approve the November 4, 2014 General Election Report of Board of Canvassers and Proclamation for the election for Springfield City Council position for Ward 6, and Springfield Utility Board Members for Positions #1, #2, #3, and #4, and Measure 20-223, Charter Amendment Allowing for a Mayor and Council Stipend. Mayor Lundberg asked about item 5e regarding lane closures. Mr. Grimaldi said there would be lane closures as they did the coring work which is why they are asking to do the work at night to minimize the disruption. Mr. Paschall said they would work with the businesses to reduce the impact on the stores during the holiday hours. Mayor Lundberg said there are also a lot of apartments along Gateway Street. Mr. Paschall said the noise of the core drill is similar to that of a bus driving by. They can try to schedule the coring near the apartments during a time that would be less disruptive. The timing of the work is due to just getting the contract from the State. They are trying to move forward so construction can begin this summer. He agrees it is not the best timing or the best weather. IT WAS MOVED BY COUNCILOR WYLIE WITH A SECOND BY COUNCILOR WOODROW TO APPROVE THE CONSENT CALENDAR. THE MOTION PASSED WITH A VOTE OF 5 FOR AND 0 AGAINST (1 ABSENT – RALSTON). 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. City of Springfield Council Regular Meeting Minutes December 1, 2014 Page 3 1. Adoption of Transportation System Development Charge Methodology, Project List, and Charges. RESOLUTION NO. 2014-38 – 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. 2014-39 – A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF SPRINGFIELD COMMON COUNCIL ADOPTING A LIST OF CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS TO BE FUNDED BY TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT CHARGES AND SETTING AN EFFECTIVE DATE RESOLUTION NO. 2014-40 – 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. 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. All of these items are now ready for Council review and formal action. 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 a Public Hearing. The Public Hearing was opened on October 20, 2014 and continued to December 1, 2014. 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). The proposed fee resolution reflects direction received from Council at the November 24, 2014 work session. Councilor Pishioneri clarified that the committee recommended not going over 15%. Mayor Lundberg opened the public hearing. 1. Ed McMahon, Springfield, OR. Mr. McMahon is the Executive Director of the HomeBuilders’ Association of Lane County. He was pleased to be invited to be part of the CAC for the transportation SDC methodology. Their recommendation was 10-15%. After attending last week’s work session, he felt fortunate that the majority of the Council is looking at 15% rather than a higher level. Through this process, he learned that the City looks at the CIP, and then at the SDCs as a result of the list. It appears they need to be done in conjunction as they need to know the effect of the SDCs on the list. It is important when looking at how the infrastructure costs for the industrial expansion under consideration by the City will be paid for and the effect on the SDCs. Once that effect is implemented, they need to compare Springfield to other cities in Oregon. He thanked the Council for their service. City of Springfield Council Regular Meeting Minutes December 1, 2014 Page 4 Mayor Lundberg closed the public hearing. IT WAS MOVED BY COUNCILOR WYLIE WITH A SECOND BY COUNCILOR WOODROW TO APPROVE RESOLUTION NO. 2014-38. THE MOTION PASSED WITH A VOTE OF 5 FOR AND 0 AGAINST (1 ABSENT – RALSTON). IT WAS MOVED BY COUNCILOR WYLIE WITH A SECOND BY COUNCILOR WOODROW TO APPROVE RESOLUTION NO. 2014-39. THE MOTION PASSED WITH A VOTE OF 5 FOR AND 0 AGAINST (1 ABSENT – RALSTON). IT WAS MOVED BY COUNCILOR WYLIE WITH A SECOND BY COUNCILOR WOODROW TO APPROVE RESOLUTION NO. 3. THE MOTION PASSED WITH A VOTE OF __ FOR AND __ AGAINST (1 ABSENT – RALSTON). BUSINESS FROM THE AUDIENCE - Limited to 20 minutes. 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. Community Members Regarding Carport Code. Mayor Lundberg said she had received a request for additional time for the residents to speak on this topic. Jerry Hudson, Springfield, OR. Mr. Hudson thanked the Council for the opportunity to present their side concerning the alleged violation of the 5-foot setback rule for carports. Packets were provided to the Mayor and Council from Mr. Hudson, with information and documentation to support their request to allow the carports to remain intact in their present locations. He asked those in attendance supporting this presentation to stand. These Springfield residents represented a small part of the larger number affected by one anonymous complaint filed with malicious intent. Those standing in the audience are residents who are paying taxes and are good citizens of our community; yet one person maliciously disrupts their lives. Helen Hudson, Springfield, OR. Ms. Hudson said those here tonight are angry, but are looking for solutions to an unfortunate situation the City and 67 families have been put into by one anonymous person when they filled out a carport violation form. The citizens question why one individual who can’t be directly affected by the 67 carports, has been given more rights than the 67 residents. They believe the reporting process should be modified so a person can only file complaints like this against their direct neighbor. The arguments for why this complaint must be enforced include: fire safety; access; insurance won’t cover them; people have complied; and it’s the Code. The residents checked with the fire marshal and were told there are no fire regulations for carports. Tarps are very dangerous. Code enforcement said there are not regulations for tarps, yet without their carports, they may have to use them. Access is another concern, but if the carports weren’t there, what they park under them will be so access is still restricted. She asked if the City would change things so they can’t park next to their City of Springfield Council Regular Meeting Minutes December 1, 2014 Page 5 houses. They purchased their houses with recreational vehicle (RV) parking which the City Code allows. They have been told people have complied, but that doesn’t mean those individuals agree with the enforcement. There are five homes on Oksanna with carports, all installed by the same licensed contractor. No neighbors object, their insurance companies cover them, they are made of fire resistant aluminum, have no sides and have been up for years. The purpose of the Code per the City is as follows: “To help maintain the public health and safety and livability of our community. The City Council has adopted laws and regulations over the years to promote a healthy, safe, and pleasant environment. The City Code enforcement staff investigates potential code violations and enforces the Springfield Municipal Code. Our goal is to work with residents and property owners to resolve compliance situations before they reach the need for enforcement action”. If enforcement is making citizens less safe and hurting them economically and emotionally, the Code should be altered. Codes and laws have changed to reflect our society. In our community, there is no mention of temporary structures within the Code. A temporary structure is defined as “no foundation, no grading required, no repairs to the ground surface after removal, can be removed or moved in a day, panels can be resized to make other units, and the structure can be removed in part and whole and moved to another location”. Their carports reflect the definition of a temporary structure and in other communities, temporary structures are not subject to setback laws. They are concerned that if an anonymous person is successful in upsetting the lives of 67 families, will they turn in another 67 or will some of the 67 turn in 67. To not deal with this reporting issue is setting up a snowball, for you can drive down any street in town and see many of these ‘code violations’. She provided some photos of other carports. She suggests that it is a more productive approach to contact the person who did this and address their concern, meanwhile altering the reporting process so an immediate neighbor can issue a complaint as appropriate. They have shown the City Council how they have tried to make sense as to why Code Enforcement wants to enforce this and have come up with no reasonable answers, yet more reasons why they should remain. She feels this should be stopped when there is no sense to this and the citizens of Springfield are being negatively impacted to the tune of around $250,000. She provided photos showing the steps residents have taken. There is a problem and she asked if the City wants to make it better or worse. They are looking for a logical, equitable solution and ask the City if they want the same. One of the neighbors is a retired City employee who says this does not reflect the spirit of Springfield or of the Code. They are available to meet anytime this week. They do not want their City, which they have lived in for many years, to turn negative and non-supportive. They have been reminded that their time is running out. Their objective is to create a win-win for everyone and mend bitter feelings. COUNCIL RESPONSE Mayor Lundberg said her understanding was that not all of the 67 properties have been contacted. Mr. Grimaldi said that is correct. The City was contacting property owners in phases and that process is not yet complete. City of Springfield Council Regular Meeting Minutes December 1, 2014 Page 6 Mayor Lundberg said some of those 67 residents may not be in violation. She asked if the City was working with everyone else. Mr. Grimaldi said staff has been providing additional time to remove or fix the problem. The City wants to get compliance with the Code and is not interested in fining people and taking them to court. Mayor Lundberg said the Code was written many years ago so the question is how structures were built that didn’t comply with Code. Mr. Grimaldi said it is likely the builder did not get a building permit when they built the structure. Anyone who would have come in to get a building permit would have been told they could not build a structure in the setback. Mayor Lundberg said she understood the frustration. The issue is that someone did go around, but that is how Code Enforcement typically works because we don’t have staff that can drive around to check on code violations throughout the City. She is not inclined to change the process and she believes the Code was set up for a good reason. Springfield has a reputation for working with people. She would like to look at what needs to happen, give people time and figure out what can be done that will be a win/win for everyone. Councilor Moore asked if the code violations apply to those living in the urban growth boundary (UGB). Development and Public Works Director Len Goodwin said these are building code violations which are enforced when people apply for permits in the UGB. Councilor Moore said about buildings constructed before properties became part of the City. Mr. Goodwin said they would be nonconforming. None of the properties affected in this case are outside the city limits. Staff is working with the neighbors to try to come up with creative solutions. There are some structures that comply and the complaint is unfounded. There are others that have chosen to make some adjustments in order to comply, but others present more complex solutions. Mr. Goodwin is meeting with Mr. Hudson at 3:00pm on Wednesday to discuss the more complicated situations. One of the reasons they are processing them in smaller groups, is to allow staff time to look at each individual situation to see if they can find a way to come to compliance without a major change to the structure. They will only consider enforcement if there is no way to get the resident to comply. He didn’t feel there would be any of those cases. Councilor Pishioneri said this was similar to an issue with fencing along the flood plain due to a contractor building a project that was not authorized in that location. He knows the neighbors did not do this on purpose. The contractor should have gotten a permit when they built the carport. There are reasons for the Code. The neighbors may have to contact the contractor to make it right. City codes are city wide and have to apply city wide. Councilor Wylie asked if any thought had been given to providing additional time for compliance. Mr. Goodwin said yes they were providing additional time. They are doing these in groups so they can work with the individuals. They will not take enforcement action against anyone until every method of trying to find an alternative that works is completely exhausted. City of Springfield Council Regular Meeting Minutes December 1, 2014 Page 7 Councilor Wylie said she would like to be kept informed of the progress on this situation. Councilor Woodrow said she understood the situation the neighbors were caught in and it was truly unfortunate they are in this situation. She fully supports what Mr. Goodwin said in regards to working with them individually to find the best solution with the bare minimum of violations to bring people into compliance. Councilor VanGordon said this situation is unfortunate and he would encourage City staff and the neighbors to keep the lines of communication open. He is encouraged to hear the City is working with people and providing additional time to address violations. He asked for clarification on the Fire Code related to this issue. Mr. Grimaldi said staff will provide that to the Council. Mayor Lundberg said she would prefer that the neighbors continue to communicate with staff and the Council through email and the phone. She will ask to be kept informed by City staff to see what can be done. Council is supportive of the codes that are in place, but want to take into consideration the situations. 2. Roy Huenergardt, Springfield, OR. Mr. Huenergardt said a few of the residents have canopies and also received letters. He had been told when he put up the canopies that permits were not needed to erect a canopy and that they could go up to the property line. He is not sure why he received a letter. Mayor Lundberg said Mr. Goodwin would speak with him tonight. 3. Jerry Ritter, Springfield, OR. Mr. Ritter said he is a legislative affairs representative for Oregon Communities for a Voice in Annexation (OCVA). He is representing OCVA and specifically the Springfield UGB Chapter. He is here to express their thanks and appreciation to the Council and staff for the manner in which the recent annexation survey was designed and conducted. They were brought on board from the beginning which was very nice. It was pleasant to be able to work with the City on an annexation-related project opposed to the alternative. He realized the City did not get the answer they hoped for, although it was what the OCVA expected. He didn’t expect, and found disappointing, the sheer magnitude of hostility that was related to them by the more than 100 people that contacted them with their concerns. Unfortunately, this project was cursed from the beginning by past experiences with forced annexation. In light of the City’s pledge of no force, representatives from OCVA tried to assure everyone that contacted them that the City was not forcing annexation, but they did not believe them. Mayor Lundberg thanked Mr. Ritter. Councilor Moore said someone asked her if the City was going to provide incentives for those that did want to annex. She asked if that was something the City was under consideration. Mr. Grimaldi said Council had asked staff to put a hold on that for now. Staff will come up with some incentives as septic systems start to fail, but will not have incentives for general annexations at this time. City of Springfield Council Regular Meeting Minutes December 1, 2014 Page 8 CORRESPONDENCE AND PETITIONS BIDS ORDINANCES 1. Amendments to the Development Code Implementing Adopted Changes to Metro Plan Chapter IV. ORDINANCE NO. 6331 – AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE SPRINGFIELD DEVELOPMENT CODE SECTION 5.14-100—METRO PLAN AMENDMENTS TO IMPLEMENT CHANGES MADE TO CHAPTER IV OF THE EUGENE-SPRINGFIELD METROPOLITAN AREA GENERAL PLAN; ADOPTING A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. Mark Metzger, Senior Planner presented the staff report on this item. At issue is whether the proposed amendments to SDC Section 5.14-100 accurately implement the changes that were approved for Chapter IV of the Metro Plan. No new policies are being introduced into Section 5.14-100 other than those changes to Metro Plan Chapter IV that were recommended by the Planning Commission and adopted by the City Council last year. Chapter IV of the Metro Plan details the process for amending the Plan and the role the various jurisdictions play in approving those amendments. SDC Section 5.14-100 contains the standards which implement the policies and procedures found in Chapter IV. Eugene and Lane County have comparable sections in their land use regulations and will be acting on similar amendments. As mentioned above, the proposed changes to Section 5.14-100 are intended to implement the policy and procedural changes that were adopted last year. No new policies are being introduced apart from those already approved. Under state planning law, comprehensive plan policies are intended to be implemented through each jurisdiction’s local land use regulations (Development Code). On October 23, 2014, the Joint Planning Commissions for Springfield, Eugene and Lane County Planning conducted a public hearing concerning the proposed amendments and recommended approval to their elected officials. On November 10, 2014, Council held a joint public hearing on the proposed amendments with the Lane County Board of Commissioners. The Staff Report contains findings which address the criteria for approving amendments to the Development Code. IT WAS MOVED BY COUNCILOR WYLIE WITH A SECOND BY COUNCILOR WOODROW TO APPROVE ORDINANCE NO. 6331. THE MOTION PASSED WITH A VOTE OF 5 FOR AND 0 AGAINST (1 ABSENT – RALSTON). 2. An Ordinance Amending the Eugene-Springfield Metropolitan Area General Plan; Adopting a Severability Clause; and Providing an Effective Date. City of Springfield Council Regular Meeting Minutes December 1, 2014 Page 9 ORDINANCE NO. 6332 – AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE EUGENE-SPRINGFIELD METROPOLITAN AREA GENERAL PLAN TEXT; ADOPTING A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE Mark Metzger, Senior Planner presented the staff report on this item. ORS 197.304 (enacted as HB 3337) requires Springfield and Eugene to create separate Urban Growth Boundaries. In doing so, it is necessary and appropriate to amend the Metro Plan to enable each city to adopt its own comprehensive plan. Working together with Special Counsel, Emily Jerome, the planning and legal staffs for each jurisdiction has prepared what are believed to be the needed amendments. The proposed amendments will allow each city to independently replace provisions of the Metro Plan with city-specific plans and policies over the next several years. They allow the cities to retain those provisions of the Metro Plan which the cities agree are regional in nature, particularly those elements which do not regulate land use within a UGB. The amendments will allow each city to proceed to adopt elements of local comprehensive plans on their own schedules and to have those elements take precedence over the similar Metro Plan provisions as they are adopted by each city (and co-adopted by Lane County as appropriate). On October 23, 2014, the Planning Commissions for Eugene, Springfield and Lane County conducted a public hearing on the proposed amendments. Testimony was received from Bill Kloos, asserting that the proposed Metro Plan Diagram was different than the official 2004 Metro Plan Diagram, see Attachment C. Staff recommended removal of the maps from the amendment proposal. The Commissions agreed with staff’s recommendation and all three unanimously recommend that the Joint Elected Officials approve the Ordinance to adopt the Metro Plan Enabling Amendments. On November 10, 2014, the elected officials of Eugene, Springfield and Lane County held a joint public hearing on the proposed Metro Plan Enabling Amendments. The Staff Report provides context and an overview of the proposed amendments. The Draft Ordinance includes the proposed Metro Plan Enabling Amendments in legislative format and Staff Findings. A Summary Table is provided showing the proposed changes chapter by chapter. A letter of testimony was submitted to the Joint Planning Commissions by Bill Kloos. Mayor Lundberg said this was another momentous occasion that becomes a routine motion in the end. It has been years in the making and they recognize what it means to us as a community. It is a wonderful moment. IT WAS MOVED BY COUNCILOR WYLIE WITH A SECOND BY COUNCILOR WOODROW TO APPROVE ORDINANCE NO. 6332. THE MOTION PASSED WITH A VOTE OF 5 FOR AND 0 AGAINST (1 ABSENT – RALSTON). BUSINESS FROM THE CITY COUNCIL 1. Committee Appointments 2. Business from Council a. Committee Reports City of Springfield Council Regular Meeting Minutes December 1, 2014 Page 10 Councilor Woodrow said the Springfield Christmas Parade is this Saturday, December 6. Mayor Lundberg said they will have plenty of candy and dog biscuits to distribute. Councilor Pishioneri said he was not going to be able to attend the parade as he would be out of town. BUSINESS FROM THE CITY MANAGER Mr. Grimaldi reminded the Council that their winter break starts after this meeting. BUSINESS FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned 7:48 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 TUESDAY JANUARY 13, 2015 The City of Springfield Council met in a work session in the Jesse Maine Meeting Room, 225 Fifth Street, Springfield, Oregon, on Tuesday, January 13, 2015 at 6:15 p.m., with Mayor Lundberg presiding. ATTENDANCE Present were Mayor Lundberg and Councilors VanGordon, Wylie, Moore, Woodrow and Ralston. 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. Councilor Pishioneri was absent (excused). 1. Arts Commission Applicant Interviews/Library Advisory Board Candidate Interviews. Rob Everett, Library Director presented the staff report on these two items. In response to a news release in October 2014, the Arts Commission received four applications for three vacancies. The Arts Commission reviewed and met with all applicants during its December 9, 2014 meeting. The Arts Commission recommends that the top three candidates be interviewed by the City Council. The Arts Commission recommends that Rick Dunaven be appointed to the Arts Commission to fill the one of the vacancies left by term expirations for a full term that expires December 31, 2018. The Arts Commission recommends that Niles Schartz be re-appointed for a full term that expires December 31, 2018. The Arts Commission recommends that Wanda Seamster be appointed to the Arts Commission to complete the three year vacancy left by a resignation for a partial term that expires December 31, 2017. The Arts Commission believes the candidates are eligible and qualified to serve on the commission. The Council is requested to interview the top three candidates tonight and appoint 3 members to the Arts Commission during the Regular Meeting on January 20, 2015. In response to a November 2014 posting the Library Advisory Board received two applications to fill the seat of two departing Board members. The Board interviewed candidates Victoria Stephens and Peter Fehrs at its December 2, 2014 meeting and is forwarding its recommendation to Council to interview them as finalists for the two open positions. The Library Advisory Board believes these candidates are eligible and qualified to serve on the board. Council is requested to review the candidate’s applications and interview them prior to considering them for appointment. The Mayor and Council selected which question each would ask of the applicants for the Arts Commission: 1. Why are you interested in serving on the Arts Commission? (Mayor Lundberg) City of Springfield Council Work Session Minutes January 13, 2015 Page 2 2. Describe your professional and personal experience as it relates to your desire to become an Arts Commissioner. (Councilor Ralston) 3. Describe your familiarity with the Springfield Arts Commission’s past or current community arts initiatives. (Councilor Wylie) 4. Which initiatives are you interested in working on if you are appointed as a Commissioner? (Councilor Woodrow) 5. Have you attended an Arts Commission meeting? If so, what were your impressions? (Councilor VanGordon) 6. Do you have any questions? (Mayor Lundberg) The Mayor and Council selected which question each would ask of the applicants for the Library Advisory Board: 1. Please tell us why you are interested in serving on the Library Board? (Mayor Lundberg) 2. Describe your professional and personal experience as it relates to your desire to become a Library Board member. (Councilor VanGordon) 3. What do you see as the Library’s role in the community? (Councilor Wylie) 4. Are there any services or enhancements that you would like to see the Library provide? (Councilor Ralston/Councilor Moore) 5. What initiatives are you interested in pursuing as a Library Board member? (Councilor Woodrow) 6. Have you attended a Library Board meeting? If so, what were your impressions? (Councilor Moore) 7. Do you have any questions that we might answer? (Mayor Lundberg) The following applicants for the Arts Commission were interviewed: • Rick Dunaven • Niles Shartz • Wanda Seamster Mr. Dunaven thanked the Council for the downtown lights that are being installed downtown. He noted the many improvements in downtown. Mr. Shartz said as the Arts Commission became more involved in the community and take over the 2nd Friday Art Walk, they will need additional funding. City Manager Gino Grimaldi will work with Mr. Everett regarding the budget. Ms. Seamster said she would likely a have some questions for the City Attorney at some point regarding grants for the Arts Commission. Council consensus was to appoint all applicants as recommended by the Arts Commission, during the January 20, 2015 Council meeting. The following applicants for the Library Advisory Board were interviewed: • Victoria Stephens • Peter Fehrs Council consensus was to appoint both applicants as recommended by the Library Commission, during the January 20, 2015 Council meeting. They directed appointing Peter Fehrs to the full term for four-years and Victoria Stephens to fill the remainder of the term for one-year. City of Springfield Council Work Session Minutes January 13, 2015 Page 3 Councilor Ralston had to leave the meeting at 6:50pm. He returned at approximately 7:05pm. 2. 2014 Annual Financial Report. Nathan Bell, Accounting Manager, presented the staff report on this item. Grove, Mueller & Swank, the City’s independent auditors, have completed their audit of the City’s Fiscal Year 2014 CAFR and have issued their opinion thereon. Chuck Swank and Ryan Pasquarella, of Grove, Mueller & Swank, reviewed the audit process, the Independent Auditor’s Report, and the City’s CAFR during the work session. As a preliminary summary for the Council’s information, you may note that the auditor’s found no material weaknesses in the City’s internal financial controls and they issued an “unmodified opinion” on the City’s financial statements. This means that the City is properly accounting for its resources and using adequate financial controls to help prevent the improper use of those resources. Mr. Bell commended the staff from Grove, Mueller & Swank. Mr. Swank said Mr. Pasquarella was a new partner with the firm. Working with the City is always a professional relationship, and staff is very responsive. He reviewed the Governance Letter, which is the firm’s communication to the governing body, and includes any issues found by the auditor. He said accounting for Federal grant funding was the most challenging this year. Mr. Pasquarella said although there was difficulty in extracting the information for the Federal audit, once they were able to get the information, they didn’t find any noncompliance. Mr. Swank further reviewed the audit report and the things the auditor is required to investigate by the State and Federal government. Councilor Moore said the City was embarking on a new budgeting process, Priority Based Budgeting (PBB). She asked if the auditors had experienced that with other government agencies. Mr. Swank said they had not. The auditors job came at the end of the budget year and required them to look to make sure funds had been spent as they had been Mr. Duey said only two other cities were using PBB. Councilor Moore said she appreciated that the letter was addressed to the citizens of Springfield. Mr. Bell said Community Development Manager John Tamulonis wrote that letter for the audit. Mr. Swank said if someone had a question at a later date, they were welcome to contact them. Mayor Lundberg said they appreciated the report from the auditors and the good work done by staff in Finance. Mr. Swank thanked them for the opportunity to work for the City. ADJOURNMENT City of Springfield Council Work Session Minutes January 13, 2015 Page 4 The meeting was adjourned at 7:19 p.m. Minutes Recorder – Amy Sowa ______________________ Christine L. Lundberg Mayor Attest: ____________________ Amy Sowa City Recorder City of Springfield Regular Meeting MINUTES OF THE SPECIAL REGULAR MEETING OF THE SPRINGFIELD CITY COUNCIL HELD TUESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2015 The City of Springfield Council met in regular session in the Council Chambers, 225 Fifth Street, Springfield, Oregon, on Tuesday, January 13, 2015 at 6:0r 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. Councilor Pishioneri was absent (excused). BUSINESS FROM THE CITY MANAGER 1. Springfield Council Members – Oath of Office. City Attorney Mary Bridget Smith said she was here to administer the Oath of Office to Councilors VanGordon, Wylie, and Woodrow this evening. The Oath of Office will be administered to Councilor Pishioneri on Tuesday, January 20, 2015. The Oath of Office was administered to Councilors VanGordon, Wylie and Woodrow. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned 6:09 p.m. Minutes Recorder Amy Sowa ______________________ Christine L. Lundberg Mayor Attest: ____________________ City Recorder