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HomeMy WebLinkAbout06/22/2015 Work SessionCity of Springfield Work Session Meeting MINUTES OF THE WORK SESSION MEETING OF THE SPRINGFIELD CITY COUNCIL HELD MONDAY JUNE 22, 2015 The City of Springfield Council met in a work session in the Jesse Maine Meeting Room, 225 Fifth Street, Springfield, Oregon, on Monday June 22, 2015 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. Applicant Interviews for Springfield Representative on the Lane Regional Air Protection Agency (LRAPA) Board. Jeff Towery, Assistant City Manager, presented the staff report on this item. The LRAPA Board is a nine -member board which meets monthly to establish policy and adopt agency regulations. To date, Springfield has had one city councilor as the representative on the LRAPA Board. Due to an increase in population, Springfield is now eligible for a second representative to serve on the Board. The second representative is to be appointed by the Springfield City Council. Section IX of the Council Operating Policies and Procedures outline the following: 1.3) Springfield's boards, commissions, committees, and task forces bring together citizen viewpoints which might not otherwise be heard. Persons of wide-ranging interests who want to participate in public service but not compete for public office may choose to be involved in advisory boards, commissions, committees and task forces instead. They also help fulfill the goals of the City's adopted Citizen Involvement Program to have an informed and involved citizenry. The City received no applications for the new Board position during a four-week recruitment process, so the date was extended for a second recruitment process. During the second recruitment process, 2 applications were received. Council is asked to interview the following candidates: • James Yarnall • Ronald Thompson The Council is scheduled to ratify the appointment of the selected candidate during their July 6, 2015 regular Council meeting. Council chose the questions they would ask of the applicants. 1. Why do you want to become a member of the LRAPA Board of Directors? (Mayor Lundberg) 2. Are you currently serving on any advisory boards or committees? If so, which ones? (Councilor Moore) 3. Please list the areas of concern you have about air quality, community development and the environment in general. (Councilor VanGordon) 4. Please give a brief description of any particular experience or training you have that would benefit the board or agency. (Councilor Woodrow) City of Springfield Council Work Session Minutes June 22, 2015 Page 2 5. Board meetings are held once a month, except in August and December (no meetings). The days that the meetings are held are set at the beginning of the year. Would you have any conflicts in your schedule that might conflict with the monthly meeting? (Councilor Pishioneri) 6. Briefly describe your present or past involvement in relevant committees, groups or projects in Lane County or elsewhere. (Councilor Wylie) Council introduced themselves to each of the applicants and interviewed each of them. Councilor Ralston asked a question about something on Mr. Yarnall's application. Mr. Yarnall responded. Following the interviews, Council discussed each applicant. The majority of the Council had concerns about both candidates in terms of this particular Board and chose to re -open the recruitment period again. Council will actively go out and recruit for the position. Staff will utilize social media and other means to get the word out. Mr. Towery said we will start the recruitment after the fourth of July and target appointments for soon after Council returns from their summer break. 7. Federal Surface Transportation Program — Urban (STP -U) Funding Requests. Tom Boyatt, Senior Community Development Manager presented the staff report on this item Roughly every three years the multi -agency Central Lane Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), through its staff committee (Transportation Planning Committee, TPC) and its policy body (Metropolitan Policy Committee, MPC) completes a process to program discretionary federal transportation dollars. Applications for this round of funding are due July 10. Staff seeks Council input on Springfield's proposed project applications. While federal funds have not yet been programmed for this funding cycle, it is reasonable and prudent for the MPO to prepare its priorities and program those in its Metropolitan Transportation Improvement Program (M -TIP). Approximately $8 million is available within the MPO for local Preservation, Safety, Transit, and System Enhancement projects. The application and review cycle is somewhat compressed this year as member jurisdictions have been waiting for the Oregon Transportation Commission (OTC) decision on the 2018 — 2021 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) funding levels, as well as the outcome of the Lane County Vehicle Registration Fee proposal as two key inputs to decisions about what projects to pursue in the STP -U funding cycle. As the Vehicle Registration Fee failed at the ballot, and the OTC is expected to program the statutory minimum for projects statewide, MPO member agencies must be strategic in their request for STP -U funding. All STP -U projects require an 11.5% local match. Staff has reviewed the Springfield Transportation System Plan and the City's Pavement Management System, as well as the ongoing list of unfunded street system priorities, and recommends applying for four projects listed below: • Glenwood Riverfront Path, $500,000 to complete NEPA and design • Virginia -Daisy Thin Lift Overlay, $500,000 • Phase One - Traffic Signal System Upgrades, $250,000 City of Springfield Council Work Session Minutes June 22, 2015 Page 3 • Transportation System Plan (TSP) and Safe Routes to Schools Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Improvements, $750,000 These projects have been identified as meeting Council priorities and each leverages other system investments and activities in order to make improvements in multiple areas of the City. Mr. Boyatt described the projects in more detail. He explained the application process and coordination with the City of Eugene and Lane County to share in these funds. He noted previous awards of this funding and which projects they funded. Councilor Pishioneri said he felt the list was good. He asked if the Safe Routes to Schools would be something for the schools to support financially. Mr. Boyatt said the State provided funding for Safe Routes to Schools for three of our school districts. The infrastructure costs are in the community so are charged to the public. The School Districts don't have resources to invest in infrastructure outside of school property. Councilor Pishioneri said he is supportive of bike traffic, but didn't want to see vehicular traffic affected adversely. He noted a location on Main Street at 14'' Street in which that happened. He wants to make sure these projects are not at the cost of vehicular traffic. Councilor Wylie said she served on the MPC when they talked about the Safe Routes to Schools. It is an important aspect in getting kids safely to school on their bikes. She asked about the Glenwood Riverfront Path and if Eugene was supportive of that project. Mr. Boyatt said the City of Eugene and Lane County are both supportive. They look at the overall regional impact of the project, and the benefit for both cities. Councilor Wylie asked if the City of Eugene had any projects that the City of Springfield might be able to support. Mr. Boyatt named several projects on Eugene's list that Springfield could support. Councilor Ralston said the list is a good idea. He asked if the traffic system upgrade could run more than just one corridor. Traffic Engineer Brian Barnett said there are three components to consider. One is the intersection software and hardware at the intersection, the second is the communication system connecting intersection to intersection, and the software at City Hall. Councilor Ralston said the Mohawk corridor was one that needed to be addressed. There are also other areas that have issues, such as Glenwood. Mr. Boyatt said they looked at a difficult pilot corridor in order to demonstrate how valuable these types of investments are to the community. Councilor Moore referred to the DaisyNirginia Street overlay. She said the State had awarded the City funds for east to west bike lanes. She asked if there was an issue. Mr. Boyatt said staff applied for this grant in 2012, but they were not awarded. Other projects around the State either couldn't get started or did something different. Last winter, the City got word that they City of Springfield Council Work Session Minutes June 22, 2015 Page 4 would be funding the City's project. He had been in communication with the State to provide timelines. The only problem could be if they don't have an active Federal revenue stream for 2016. As long as there is a Federal appropriation, the MPO can access the funds. If possible, they would want to do this surface preservation project in 2016. Councilor Moore asked which project received the funds Mr. Boyatt said the funds received were $698,000. It was broadly scoped, but the first purpose of the project is to get public involvement, identify the goals for the project, touch base with the Council to get their input and consent to move forward, and develop what would happen. Councilor Woodrow said the list seems to fall into the category of bike/pedestrian and safety. She asked if those types of projects had a better chance of getting approval. Mr. Boyatt said that is a big part of it. From staffs perspective, there is room to invest in bike/pedestrian. With the timing of tragic accidents, Safe Routes to School, and the completion of the Springfield Transportation System Plan (TSP), these are projects that are easy to find support. Councilor Pishioneri said significant improvements have already been made along Olympic Street and that a flashing crossing was put in following a fatal accident. There have been no accidents since that crossing was installed, which is a great selling point when they apply to show what has been done. He did note that the street needs to be restriped in that area. He would like to see a dedicated left turn for southbound traffic on Mohawk/18th Street turning east on Olympic. Councilor VanGordon said he is comfortable with the list and feels it presents the City's priorities. Mayor Lundberg said she attended the Transportation Policy Committee (TPC) meeting last week. The State hasn't passed a transportation funding package yet, but the things for FixIt and Bike/Pedestrians are on the top of their list. These projects are within the parameters for the funding if it is there. She is fine with the list. Safe Schools is one that hasn't been identified yet is so important. She hasn't found Safe Routes to be as effective unless they start going there on a school day when they can reach all of the students. This list is a broad stroke and a good list. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 6:27 p.m. Minutes Recorder — Amy Sowa -/I, Christine L. Lundberg Mayor Attest: Amy Sowa City Recorder