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HomeMy WebLinkAbout03/02/2015 RegularCity of Springfield Regular Meeting MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE SPRINGFIELD CITY COUNCIL HELD MONDAY MARCH, 2, 2015 The City of Springfield Council met in regular session in the Council Chambers, 225 Fifth Street, Springfield, Oregon, on Monday, March 2, 2015 at 7:05 p.m., with Mayor Lundberg presiding. ATTENDANCE Present were Mayor Lundberg and Councilors VanGordon, Wylie, Moore, Ralston, Woodrow and Pishioneri. Also present were 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 1. Mayor's Recognition a. 2015 Women in Construction Week Proclamation. Mayor Lundberg read from the proclamation and proclaimed March 1-7, 2015 Women in Construction Week. 2. Other a. 2014 Groundwater Guardian Presentation. Senior Planner Linda Pauly introduced Amy Chinitz, Drinking Water Source Coordinator for Springfield Utility Board. Ms. Chinitz thanked the Mayor and Council for supporting the activities of the Springfield Groundwater Guardians team for eighteen years. With National Groundwater Awareness Week coming up next week, now is the perfect time to reflect on the precious resource below our feet which is the source of 90% of Springfield's drinking water supply. Each year, the Groundwater Guardians team pledges to complete at least three results oriented activities and we earn designation as a Groundwater Guardian community upon successful completion of those activities. In 2014, the following activities occurred: Students at Thurston High School's Community Water Quality Testing Lab tested private well water samples for over 200 households; students in the field monitored water quality in Cedar Creek monthly; staff from the City of Springfield continue to work with local businesses to insure stormwater facilities such as bioswales are kept in good condition so they can do their job of filtering stormwater runoff which is a direct benefit to groundwater; and the Groundwater Guardians partnered with Lane County Waste Management and other agencies to sponsor the annual one -day Household Hazardous Waste Roundup in the Middle Fork Willamette watershed where 110 participants property disposed of about 5000 City of Springfield Council Regular Meeting Minutes March 2, 2015 Page 2 pounds of hazardous waste. These are the projects that earned them the official designation, but the list could go on and on. Staff from the City, SUB, Rainbow Water District and all of the volunteers and agency partners are taking action to protect groundwater on a daily basis. Visibility of the Groundwater Guardian logo continues to grow, helping them transform that precious, invisible resource into something people think about. By keeping up this visibility and consistently achieving designation as a Groundwater Guardian community, the message is spread that everyone can play a role in protecting our drinking water source. Ms. Chinitz presented a plaque to the Council. CONSENT CALENDAR 1. Claims 2. Minutes a. February 9, 2015 — Work Session b. February 17, 2015 — Work Session c. February 17, 2015 — Regular Meeting 3. Resolutions 4. Ordinances 5. Other Routine Matters a. Approve City Manager's Signing of Springfield Museum Contract for Fiscal Year 2014-15 for $45,000. b. Authorize City Manager to Ratify Collective Bargaining Agreement with IAFF 851 for Eugene -Springfield Fire Department Battalion Chief Bargaining Unit. c. Approve Changes to the Police Planning Task Force Name, Bylaws and Charge. d. Approve Amended Arts Commission Bylaws. e. Approve the Budget Committee Bylaws. f. Approval of Liquor License Application for Get -N -Go Grocery/Deli, Located at 150, 152, & 154 28th Street, Springfield, OR. IT WAS MOVED BY COUNCILOR WOODROW WITH A SECOND BY COUNCILOR WYLIE TO APPROVE THE CONSENT CALENDAR. THE MOTION PASSED WITH A VOTE OF 6 FOR AND 0 AGAINST. ITEMS REMOVED PUBLIC HEARINGS - Please limit comments to 3 minutes. Request to speak cards are available at both entrances. Please present cards to City Recorder. Speakers may not yield their time to others. City of Springfield Council Regular Meeting Minutes March 2, 2015 Page 3 1. Master Fees and Charges Schedule — Spring 2015 Update. RESOLUTION NO. 2015-05 — A RESOLUTION OF THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SPRINGFIELD ADOPTING A MASTER FEES AND CHARGES SCHEDULE FOR FEES, CHARGES, RATES, PERMITS AND LICENSES AS ESTABLISHED BY THE SPRINGFIELD MUNICIPAL CODE AND SPRINGFIELD BUILDING CODE. Finance Director Bob Duey presented this item. Each year, Council and staff review existing fees and charges for appropriateness of rates for meeting cost recovery targets as well as reviewing for areas where new or additional fees should be considered. The spring of 2015 review will focus on updates for annual impacts of inflation, new fees and omissions as directed by Council. Two work sessions have been held recently with Council to discuss the proposed changes. Mr. Duey described some of the changes being proposed. Mayor Lundberg opened the public hearing. Leonard Tarantola, Pleasant Hill, OR. Mr. Tarantola said he had been a builder/developer for over 30 years and had been affected by the fees and the clean -water regulations. During a recent development on 28h Street, he found there were a lot of unanticipated fees, including large system development charge (SDC) fees. He also had to put in a fire hydrant for $15,000 and run electricity across the street at a cost of $12,000. These charges make it very difficult for a developer to be successful. The more we can do to help new businesses and developers to succeed, the more can be generated for the City. It had become more difficult over the last 30 years to build something and be successful. Every time there is a vacancy on Main Street, that means a business failed and he thinks the City should encourage success. Mayor Lundberg closed the public hearing. Councilor Pishioneri said he appreciated the feedback from Mr. Tarantola. He asked that staff from the Planning Department reach out and get feedback from developers in town. He wants developers to think of us as working together on the same side. Each successful business is a success for the City. Councilor Woodrow said we are all part of the same team, and appreciate hearing feedback from anyone in order to move forward. Councilor Moore said they aren't setting fees lightly. They want to keep increases to a minimum whenever they have to be increased. She thanked him for his testimony. IT WAS MOVED BY COUNCILOR WOODROW WITH A SECOND BY COUNCILOR WYLIE TO ADOPT RESOLUTION NO. 2015-05. THE MOTION PASSED WITH A VOTE OF 6 FOR AND 0 AGAINST. BUSINESS FROM THE AUDIENCE 1. Jan Aho, Executive Director of Pearl Buck Eugene Oregon. Ms. Aho said Pearl Buck is one of 24 agencies that benefits from Springfield's contribution to the Human Services network. She thanked the Council for their support and their investment. She told them a story about a mother with a disability and her four-year old daughter. The young girl's mother wanted to be the best City of Springfield Council Regular Meeting Minutes March 2, 2015 Page 4 mom, but was putting too much pressure on the child. Through the program, the mother learned what she could expect from her daughter as she developed. That young girl is now a senior at the University of Oregon majoring in psychology. They know through research that without a special program for parents with cognitive issues, the children will test below range. The City's support for these programs is a good investment. COUNCIL RESPONSE Councilor Wylie said she appreciated what they were doing and the opportunity for those children CORRESPONDENCE AND PETITIONS 1. Correspondence from Sean T. Malone, Eugene, Oregon, Regarding Springfield UGB Expansion. 2. Correspondence from Greg Shaver, Springfield, Oregon, Regarding Taxation of Medical Marijuana. 3. Correspondence from Jane Bigelow, Eugene, Oregon, Regarding Good Neighbors in Springfield. 4. Correspondence from McKenzie Watershed Council, Springfield, Oregon, Regarding Capital Improvement Program — Stormwater Channels. 5. Correspondence from Benton Elliott, Eugene, Oregon, Regarding First Avenue Shelter. IT WAS MOVED BY COUNCILOR WOODROW TO ACCEPT THE CORRESPONDENCE FOR FILING. Councilor Ralston referred to the letter from the attorney regarding the urban growth boundary (UGB). He wants to make sure his questions are addressed so the City has a good defense. City Attorney Mary Bridget Smith said they reviewed the letter, which included many of the same concerns from 1000 Friends. Staff and the City Attorney have been reviewing those, particularly at the inventory. They are working at making the Commercial and Industrial Buildable Lands (CIBL) stronger and legally sufficient. The rest of the letter was more about choices of going to a specific area, but also included land the Council is not considering. They will be ready to address the concerns in the letter. Councilor Ralston also referred to the letter from Greg Shaver. Both he and his wife suffered greatly with cancer, and his wife passed away. He wants to make sure medical marijuana is separated from recreational marijuana when they look at taxing. Mayor Lundberg said the current ordinance authorizing the City to tax marijuana is only a placeholder while the State sorts out some issues. The Council will be discussing medical marijuana in regards to land use in the near future. The Mayor just met with Kris McAllister, who is very knowledgeable, about this issue. Once the dust settles at the State level, the City can look at what is appropriate and what is not appropriate. COUNCILOR WYLIE SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION PASSED WITH A VOTE OF 6 FOR AND 0 AGAINST. :D ORDINANCES City of Springfield Council Regular Meeting Minutes March 2, 2015 Page 5 BUSINESS FROM THE CITY COUNCIL 1. Committee Appointments 2. Business from Council a. Committee Reports 1. Councilor Moore reported on the Housing Policy Board (HPB) meeting she attended today. Flyers were provided about collecting 20,000 pairs of socks to take to the State legislature on March 11 to represent the 20,000 homeless children in the State. They are asking for donations and have drop boxes. Councilor Woodrow said SPROUT also has a place to donate the socks. Councilor VanGordon said once they are done displaying the socks, the socks will be returned to the community for actual use. Councilor Ralston said Northwest Christian Church gave out stockings and hats at the Christmas Parade so they may be willing to donate. 2. Councilor Moore said she attended a Court of Honor for Boy Scout Troop 61 yesterday where her grandson was awarded his Eagle Scout — Evan Hopper Moore. Mayor Lundberg said to give him their congratulations. 3. Councilor Wylie said she would be missing Council for the next four weeks while she is out of town, but will participate by phone for the regular meetings, and will check in with Mr. Grimaldi after the work sessions. 4. Councilor Pishioneri reported on the Metropolitan Wastewater Management Commission (MWMC) meeting. They are adopting the 5 -year Capital Improvement Program (CIP) plan in the amount of about $18M. He described some of the projects and purchases needed by MWMC that were included in the budget. They had a .8 megawatt generator that was reaching the end of it useful life so will consider purchasing a 1.2 megawatt generator. The benefits of doing that would include a zero -flare or zero burn -off for biogas, meaning they would be using 100% of that and returning that electricity towards running the plant working towards no reliance on outside power. The Goshen wastewater feasibility analysis is being completed. Mayor Lundberg spoke regarding the tragedy on Main Street. It is the responsibility as a city to look at what we can and can't do. As part of the vision planning for Main Street, reducing speed is one of the strategies that has been identified. The Council will be looking at that during next week's work session. She also asked that all of the ideas coming in from citizens are considered. She also asked staff to develop a venue for people to provide their ideas and comments. They will look at what can be done short-term and long-term to make Main Street as safe as possible. City of Springfield Council Regular Meeting Minutes March 2, 2015 Page 6 Councilor Pishioneri said he would like to see the pros and cons of applying for sections or all of Main Street as a safety corridor. Councilor Woodrow said she had been working with staff and businesses on the pedestrian crossings and it has shown good faith on the part of the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) and the City to get started on safety. They understand these are not the end-all. Having been involved in getting the crossings in place, and working with the businesses, shows that they had been addressing the concerns of citizens regarding safety. They will continue that work. Councilor Wylie said she had been very concerned since the accident. A short term idea might be to install large signs lowering the speed limits with lights around the signs. Mayor Lundberg said she wanted to publicly announce this was already something scheduled for discussion next week. During that meeting, they would bring together all of the public ideas. The Metropolitan Policy Committee (MPC) meets this week and they can talk to our ODOT partners during that meeting. Any changes will take a strong partnership. Councilor Wylie said calming measures could be another option. b. Other Business BUSINESS FROM THE CITY MANAGER BUSINESS FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned 7:36 p.m. Minutes Recorder Amy Sowa Christine L. Lundberg Mayor Attest: City Rec er