HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 03 Council MinutesAGENDA ITEM SUMMARY Meeting Date: 2/6/2017
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. January 9, 2017 – Work Session b. January 17, 2017 – Work Session c. January 17, 2017 – Regular Meeting
d. January 23, 2017 – Work Session
DISCUSSION/ FINANCIAL
IMPACT:
None.
City of Springfield
Work Session Meeting
MINUTES OF THE WORK SESSION MEETING OF
THE SPRINGFIELD CITY COUNCIL HELD
MONDAY JANUARY 9, 2017
The City of Springfield Council met in a work session in the Jesse Maine Meeting Room, 225 Fifth Street, Springfield, Oregon, on Monday January 9, 2017 at 5:32 pm., with Mayor Lundberg presiding. ATTENDANCE Present were Mayor Lundberg and Councilors VanGordon, Wylie (by conference phone), Moore,
Stoehr, Woodrow and Pishioneri. Also present were City Manager Gino Grimaldi, City Attorneys Mary Bridget Smith and Kristina Kraaz, City Recorder Amy Sowa and members of the staff.
1. Arts Commission Applicant Interviews.
Thea Hart, Librarian, presented the staff report on this item.
The Arts Commission has three vacancies on its board of nine commissioners. Three position openings were advertised. All three vacancies were due to term expirations on December 31, 2016.
The Arts Commission seeks to fill three full terms expiring December 31, 2020. After extending the deadline for an additional month, the Arts Commission received two applications. Two applicants attended the Arts Commission meeting on December 13, 2016 for an interview. The Arts Commission
unanimously voted to recommend applicants Kayla Ackerman and Daphne Mantis to be interviewed by the Council.
The Arts Commission requests that two candidates be interviewed by the City Council. The Arts Commission recommends that Kayla Ackerman and Daphne Mantis both be appointed to the Arts
Commission to fill two of three vacancies for full terms that expire December 31, 2020. The Arts
Commission believes the candidates are eligible and qualified to serve on the commission. Following the interviews, the Council will formally ratify the appointments during the Regular Meeting on
January 17, 2016. Council introduced themselves to the applicants and asked the following questions of Kayla Ackerman
and Daphne Mantis: 1. Why are you interested in serving on the Arts Commission? (Mayor Lundberg)
2. Can you give us an example of your experience working with a committee? (Councilor Moore) 3. Describe your professional and personal experience as it relates to your desire to become an
Arts Commissioner. (Councilor Woodrow) 4. Outside of the monthly Arts Commission meetings, what amount of volunteer time do you
have to offer for work involving the Arts Commission? (Councilor VanGordon)
5. Which initiatives are you interested in working on if you are appointed as a Commissioner? What would you bring to the Heritage Arts Grant program, which received additional funding
for this fiscal year? (Councilor Pishioneri)
6. Please name one way you would help inform our community about the Springfield Arts Commission and/or the Arts Commission’s projects. (Councilor Stoehr)
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7. Have you attended an Arts Commission meeting? If so, what were your impressions?
(Councilor Wylie)
Following interviews, the Council discussed the applicants and chose to appoint Kayla Ackerman and Daphne Mantis to the Arts Commission during the January 17, 2017 regular meeting.
2. Public Records, Meetings and Ethics Update.
Mary Bridget Smith, City Attorney, and Kristina Kraaz from the City Attorney’s Office, presented the
staff report on this item.
The purpose of this work session is to discuss recent developments in the areas of public records,
meetings and ethics and discuss strategies to minimize the Council’s potential legal liability in connection with these areas of Oregon law.
Mayor Lundberg said the Council relies on the City Attorney’s Office to provide guidance to help them avoid issues.
Ms. Smith distributed an outline which included additional topics she had received from the Mayor and Council. She reviewed the section regarding public records and some of the changes that may be
coming forward in the future. A bipartisan task force may come out in the legislature this year possibly changing some exemptions or response time requirements. Email is a useful tool for communication, but she reminded them of the connection to all records and litigation discovery. She also cautioned
them about communicating with each other via email because it could appear as if they are conducting a public meeting that is not open to the public.
Councilor Moore asked about their emails and if they are saved on the server at the City.
Mr. Grimaldi said all emails on their public City accounts are saved on our servers. Those from
personal accounts are not saved, but if they pertain to City business must be retained.
Mayor Lundberg said in the past, the Council often used their personal computers and email. In a records request during that time, she went through and chose which emails pertained to City business so she could turn those over. She asked if that was still the standard.
Ms. Smith said that is the standard, but could be a different standard if it involves litigation. Regarding text messages, those could be sent to their email account if they believe it is a public record to prevent
turning in their personal phone. Councilor Pishioneri said if he receives anything on his personal email, he copies his city email in his
response so it is retained as a public record. Screen shots also work.
Councilor VanGordon said it sounds like the best practice is to move emails and texts from personal
accounts to their City account. He asked if he was free to clean up his City mailbox.
Ms. Smith said IT currently retains all emails on the server, but she didn’t know how long they had
been doing so. Councilor VanGordon asked about social media on personal accounts.
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Ms. Smith suggested taking screen shots of anything that might deal with City business and sending it
to their City account or the City Recorder.
Councilor VanGordon said they need to be conscientious of creating public records on their private accounts.
Ms. Smith said phone conversations and voicemail are not considered public records. Memos would be considered public record.
Councilor Stoehr said there are public posts on social media and private messaging. He asked if they should preserve those private messages.
Ms. Smith said if they are private messages that relate to City business, forward them to the City.
Councilor Pishioneri asked about questions that come up when someone is running for office that
relate to their election and if those would be considered public record. Ms. Smith and Ms. Kraaz said they will look into it.
Ms. Smith spoke regarding public meetings and public behavior at public meetings. There was a 9th Circuit case that came up about a year ago about someone causing a disturbance at a public meeting,
and how or whether they could be removed. The results of that case were that the person has to actually create a disturbance, and then they can be removed. Jurisdictions are to follow their own local rules. The Council Operating Policies and Procedures say they can remove someone if they are being
disorderly, after they have been warned. If the person is doing something very dangerous, they can be removed without warning. The Council can’t ban someone for life from the Council meetings, but can ban them from the remainder of the meeting in which they are removed.
Mayor Lundberg said our City has very civil meetings compared to some communities. She noted the
City’s rules in those situations.
Ms. Smith said they are outlined in their Council Operating Policies and Procedures. She reviewed
those.
Councilor Wylie asked if the Police could remove someone if the Mayor asks them to please sit down,
and they don’t sit down and keep speaking. Ms. Smith said that would constitute a warning, so they could be removed. She referred to the local
Handy v Lane County case regarding serial meetings. She described the situation and what caused concern about a serial meeting. They could email about whether or not to conduct a meeting, but it looked like they were deliberating about releasing a letter. The Council needs to be cautious about
emailing one another. They can speak with one another, but can’t share opinions or relay what others are thinking to other members of the Council.
Mayor Lundberg said she will often send things through City staff that she wants to go out to the full Council.
Ms. Smith said that is fine as long as staff doesn’t poll the rest of the Council and relay that information back to the Mayor.
Councilor Pishioneri said there are very few emails that go back and forth among the Council.
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Ms. Smith said there hasn’t been a lot of change in ethics over the past few years, but there could be in the future. She referred to information regarding what to do when offered a gift, and when it might be
considered having a legislative or administrative interest. Questions regarding gifts or other ethics questions can be directed to the City Recorder or the Oregon Ethics Commission.
Mayor Lundberg said they are often invited to attend a conference and speak.
Ms. Smith said that is not considered a gift.
Ms. Smith spoke regarding Council liability. Council members are indemnified if they are acting
within the scope of the job and don’t have malfeasance or willful and wanton disregard. Malfeasance
is defined as corrupt intent; and willful or wanton neglect of duty is wreckless or intentional conduct. If they are in any of those three situations, they will not be defended. Defamation is most likely the
reason for Council to get sued. When speaking in a public meeting, the Council members have
immunity from defamation. Once they step outside the meeting, they don’t have the same protection.
Mayor Lundberg said when she first started on the Council, a former councilor said be cautious to slander. She said it was best to not name specific companies or people.
Ms. Smith said there has been case law where that type of action was covered by insurance, but they may want to think about other repercussions. Again, outside the meeting the Councilor would be liable.
Councilor Stoehr asked if the standard for defamation is a false statement.
Ms. Kraaz said if it is a public official, they have to prove it was false, and that it was said knowing it was false or that they were wrecklessly disregarding that it was true. If it is not about a public official
and is about a company or private citizen, the intent doesn’t matter, it just needs to be false.
Councilor Pishioneri said several years ago when the Council was looking at ordinances regarding
pawn shop sales, several business owners threatened to sue him for statements he made. The laws are there to protect the Council to have a conversation as long as it is deliberation of what is at hand.
Ms. Smith asked if there were other topics they would like information on. She asked if the litigation updates were helpful.
Councilor said the updates were helpful, as was tonight’s discussion. Councilor Pishioneri thanked them and said he appreciates hearing this when it is not an issue, but is
for information and education.
Ms. Smith said the City Attorney’s office would continue to have litigation updates in the Fall, and
this type of training at the beginning of each year.
Mayor Lundberg said it’s important to hear often and is a good reminder that they are beholding to the
public.
ADJOURNMENT
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Council Work Session Minutes
January 9, 2017 Page 5
The meeting was adjourned at 6:42 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
TUESDAY JANUARY 17, 2017
The City of Springfield Council met in a work session in the Jesse Maine Meeting Room, 225 Fifth Street, Springfield, Oregon, on Tuesday, January 17, 2017 at 6:30 p.m., with Council President VanGordon presiding.
ATTENDANCE
Present were Councilor President VanGordon and Councilors Wylie, Moore, Woodrow and Pishioneri. Also present were City Manager Gino Grimaldi, City Attorney Mary Bridget Smith, City Recorder Amy Sowa and members of the staff.
Mayor Lundberg and Councilor Stoehr were absent (excused).
1. Fiscal Year 2016 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR).
Nathan Bell, Accounting Manager, presented the staff report on this item.
In accordance with Oregon Statues and the City’s charter, the City is required to complete an annual
audit and financial statement. Grove, Mueller & Swank, the City’s independent auditors, have
completed their audit of the City’s Fiscal Year 2016 CAFR and have issued their opinion thereon. Ryan Pasquarella, of Grove, Mueller & Swank, will review 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, 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 acknowledged the many staff that helped with this report, with special thanks to Meg
Allocco, senior accountant.
Mr. Pasquarella reviewed the requirements for conducting an audit. He noted that the audit relating
Federal grant funds did not need to be done this year because the threshold had risen from $500,000 to
$750,000 and the City did not reach that threshold. He referred to the Governance Letter which is a summary from the auditor of what occurred during the audit and during the year. There were not a lot
of issues as noted in the letter. He did point out a recommendation on page 2 of a few adjustments to the final numbers for the City. The City did post that and those adjustments are reflected in the document. He reviewed the CAFR further.
Councilor Moore asked about the corrected statement and wondered where that was referenced in the CAFR.
Mr. Pasquarella said there is no reference to it in the CAFR because the adjustments were made prior to preparing the final CAFR. The adjustments are impacting the consolidated numbers of the City, but
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not an individual fund. The City’s total assets are $309M at the end of the year; therefore those
adjustments are not large.
Mr. Grimaldi said it is not like the City lost or gained those funds. Mr. Pasquarella said they only refer to financing reporting and are not impacting the budget or cash.
The rules for reporting set up by the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) are very complicated and many were added after the City had done their budgetary work.
Mr. Pasquarella said there are two sections of the CAFR that summarize what happened for the City during the year. The transmittal letter created by management outlines what is going on in the City.
The other section is the Management Discussion and Analysis, which incorporates some of the
numbers and what was done over the year. The CAFR not only meets the requirements of generally accepted accounting principles, but the City annually goes above and beyond and submits for the
Governmental Financial Officers Association (GFOA) awards program. The City has received the
GFOA certificate for the last 35 years. He appreciates the level of effort by the City. It is a good award and shows the City is reporting correctly. He referred to the independent auditor’s report which said
the auditor is happy with what they see in the document. Mr. Pasquarella referred to the Management Discussion and Analysis and the statement of net
position. Basically, it is a balance sheet showing the City’s assets, what the City owes, and equity amount. At the end of the year, the City is reporting about $309M in assets, $97M in liability, and the net position is about $213M. It is a decrease from the prior year of about $7M. This is the highest level
snapshot of where the City is at the end of year.
Mr. Pasquarella discussed the total expenses this year compared to the previous year. The difference is
about $26M. The increase/decrease in net position for the previous year is $22M and this year is -$6.9M). The new pronouncement related to the City’s portion of PERS is creating this impact. He
described the changes by the legislature which were overruled by the Supreme Court. Those changes
caused the City’s figures to be chaotic. The City’s portion of the PERS liability is about $17M at the end of the year. Last year, the City had about a $7M asset.
Mr. Pasquarella said the City did refinance a couple of bonds with an economic gain of about $2M. He reviewed the PERS and City Retirement figures. PERS should be more stable in the future, similar to
that of the City’s Retirement Plan. The number that will affect that number in the future will be rate of return on investments and payouts. If nothing changes, the number will remain fairly stable.
Councilor Pishioneri asked for clarification and affect to the City costs. Mr. Grimaldi said some people predict PERS could be up to 30% of salaries, which is an increase in
the City’s expenses.
Mr. Pasquarella said the last two pages of CAFR is the auditor’s report over the City’s compliance
with Oregon Revised Statutes (ORS). They found one over expenditure (more money was spent than appropriated) in the SEDA Glenwood fund. It was about $100,000 over.
Mr. Bell said they had a capital project that spanned two fiscal years. Although staff spent what was within the approved amount, the timing was off in terms of how it was reflected in the City’s budget,
which led to a legal level violation. A legal level violation is reported to the State and the City is required to put forward a resolution stating how the City will deal with that violation, which is that we
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won’t do it again. He will bring the resolution to the Council in the spring and place it on the Consent
Calendar if Council approves.
The Council agreed that would be appropriate. ADJOURNMENT
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 TUESDAY JANUARY 17, 2017
The City of Springfield Council met in regular session in the Council Chambers, 225 Fifth Street, Springfield, Oregon, on Tuesday January 17, 2017 at 7:00 p.m., with Council President VanGordon
presiding. ATTENDANCE
Present were Council President VanGordon and Councilors Wylie, Moore, Woodrow and Pishioneri. Also present were City Manager Gino Grimaldi, City Attorney Mary Bridget Smith, City Recorder
Amy Sowa and members of the staff.
Mayor Lundberg and Councilor Stoehr were absent (excused).
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Council President VanGordon.
SPRINGFIELD UPBEAT
CONSENT CALENDAR
1. Claims
a. Approval of the November 2016, Disbursements for Approval.
b. Approval for the December 2016, Disbursements for Approval.
2. Minutes
a. January 3, 2017 – Work Session b. January 3, 2017 – Regular Meeting
3. Resolutions
4. Ordinances
a. ORDINANCE NO. 6362 – AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE SPRINGFIELD
MUNICIPAL CODE SECTIONS 7.1001THROUGH 7.1006 AND 7.1010 THROUGH 7.1014 TO INCORPORATE STATE MARIJUANA TAX PROVISIONS FOR THE
COLLECTION, ENFORCEMENT, ADMINISTRATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF THE
LOCAL MARIJUANA GROSS RECEIPTS TAX, REPEALING SECTIONS 7.1007-7.1009, AND CONTAINING A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE.
5. Other Routine Matters a. Authorize City Manager to Execute a Contract with PacificSource Health Plans, in the amount
of $835,653 to Provide 2017 Third Party Administrative Services for City Self-funded Medical/Rx/Vision Insurance.
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January 17, 2017 Page 2
b. Move to Formally Accept the City’s Fiscal Year 2016 Comprehensive Annual Financial
Report. c. Approval of the Liquor License Application for Wild Wood, Located at 521 Main Street,
Springfield, OR. d. Approve a Special Procurement for the CDBG Lighting Project in Accordance with ORS 279B.085(b).
e. Authorize the City Manager to Sign an Intergovernmental Agreement with the Springfield Utility Board as part of the FY2017 CDBG Neighborhood Improvements Project.
IT WAS MOVED BY COUNCILOR WOODROW WITH A SECOND BY COUNCILOR
PISHIONERI TO APPROVE THE CONSENT CALENDAR. THE MOTION PASSED WITH A VOTE OF 5 FOR AND 0 AGAINST (1 ABSENT – STOEHR).
ITEMS REMOVED FROM THE CONSENT CALENDAR
PUBLIC HEARINGS
BUSINESS FROM THE AUDIENCE
1. Robin Sattler, Springfield, OR Ms. Sattler was here as a Springfield Library Board member to
give an update on the Library. The Library had increased their open hours by two hours per
week. This is the fourth time in the last 8 years the Library has increased its open hours. The last increase was accomplished without raising the Library’s operating budget thanks to the
self-checkout station which has freed up staff to support the expanded open hours. The self-checkout exceeds staff checkout by a margin of three to one. She invited the Council to the Library Foundation’s annual fundraiser, “Books and Brews VI” which is scheduled for
January 28. Last year, this event raised $17,000 for the Library and contributed to the success
of almost every area of Library service, including helping fund the self-checkout project.
COUNCIL RESPONSE Councilor Moore thanked the Library Foundation and Friends of the Library for their support of the
Library. She referred to the expected closure of the Douglas County Library which is very sad for that community. Libraries are very important.
Councilor VanGordon said it’s great to see our Library extend hours again, providing the highest level of service to the community, and the leadership of the Board and Library staff to make sure we see a
benefit from the self-checkout.
CORRESPONDENCE AND PETITIONS
BIDS
ORDINANCES
BUSINESS FROM THE CITY COUNCIL
1. Committee Appointments
a. Arts Commission Appointments.
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January 17, 2017 Page 3
Thea Hart, Librarian, presented the staff report on this item.
The Arts Commission has three vacancies on its board of nine commissioners. Three position openings were advertised. All three vacancies were due to term expirations on December 31, 2016. The Arts Commission seeks to fill three full terms expiring December 31, 2020. After
extending the deadline for an additional month, the Arts Commission received two applications. Two applicants attended the Arts Commission meeting on December 13, 2016 for an interview.
The Arts Commission unanimously voted to recommend applicants Kayla Ackerman and Daphne
Mantis to be interviewed by the Council.
Council Operating Policies state in Section IX, Subsection 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 Council interviewed two candidates during the January 9, 2017 work session. The Arts Commission requests that the Council formally ratify the appointments during tonight’s Regular
Meeting. IT WAS MOVED BY COUNCILOR WOODROW WITH A SECOND BY COUNCILOR
PISHIONERI TO APPOINT KAYLA ACKERMAN AND DAPHNE MANTIS TO THE ARTS COMMISSION FOR FULL TERMS EXPIRING DECEMBER 31, 2020. THE MOTION PASSED WITH A VOTE OF 5 FOR AND 0 AGAINST (1 ABSENT – STOEHR).
2. Business from Council
a. Committee Reports
i. Councilor Moore said she attended the First Friday Communities of Color hosted by Lane
Council of Governments (LCOG), the HAWKS meeting at the Springfield Times office, and the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee meeting. She also attended the State of
the City Address and was reminded of how much they have accomplished together in Springfield. The Mayor and staff did a great job in presenting that during the address.
Yesterday, she walked in the 19th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. March and Celebration. It
was a great community turnout, and was a reminder that injustice still exists in our community and our country. Her goal for 2017 is to seek justice. In that, she has
volunteered online today through Lane County to participate in the Point in Time homeless count which will be held on January 25. She also plans to attend the Community Discussion about Racial Diversity tomorrow at the Springfield Library. She encouraged others to
attend.
ii. Councilor VanGordon said he attended the Lane Regional Air Protection Agency (LRAPA)
meeting. It was noted that Oakridge made its air quality standards for the last year, which is very exciting. They had put in a clean burning wood program.
b. Other Business
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BUSINESS FROM THE CITY MANAGER
1. Bid Award for Project P11007; City Hall Seismic Bracing – Package 3. Jeff Paschall, City Engineer, presented the staff report on this item.
One bid was received on this City Hall Seismic Bracing project. Contract award is now necessary to
enable work to proceed.
This Project includes installation of seismic bracing to four Concrete Masonry Unit (CMU) walls
within City Hall. Bracing will be added to these walls attaching these walls to the roof and provide
improved structural performance during a seismic event.
The following bid was received and opened on December 21, 2016:
Engineer’s Estimate $100,000.00
Ausland Group $141,126.00 Ausland Group is the low bidder on this project. There is $100,000 in the City Hall Seismic Retrofit
account (810054) dedicated toward these upgrades. Additional funds for building preservation and upgrade projects is maintained in the Building Preservation Projects account (810050). Staff reviewed the projects on the FY 17 building preservation project list, and recommend postponing the City Hall
Window Upgrade currently estimated at $40,000. Postponement of this project and other savings realized during completion of other projects on the list will allow for award and execution of this
Seismic Bracing contract.
Councilor Woodrow asked if the project changes would provide the budget for this project.
Ms. Paschall said there have been savings in other projects, and pushing out the $40,000 will provide enough for this project. In the packet, he noted that $100,000 is dedicated, yet they may actually have
more due to some savings on other projects. If they don’t need the full $40,000, they can save some of
it for future projects.
Councilor Woodrow asked if the bid was comparable to what they might have received from others. Mr. Paschall said it is comparable to what was received on the first two packages. The last time the
City went out for bid, things were slower and the City received more competitive bids. The economy has picked up and many of the contractors are too busy to take on another project. This leads to higher bids.
Councilor Moore asked about the timeline for completion
Mr. Paschall said the goal is to start the first part of February. They will be relocating about 18 staff members who are prepared for the move. It is scheduled to take about 50 days to complete the job,
which would be early April. The Library is moving some of the book stacks out of the way, but the
construction won’t affect open hours.
Councilor Moore said there are many people that come through our Library and City Hall, and safety
is very important.
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January 17, 2017 Page 5
Mr. Grimaldi said this is not the final work for seismic compliance; there is still more to do.
Mr. Paschall said the safest thing to do is follow instructions of what to do during an earthquake, and then evacuate the building. These retrofits are devised for safety and getting people out of the building, not necessarily for saving the building.
IT WAS MOVED BY COUNCILOR WOODROW WITH A SECOND BY COUNCILOR PISHIONERI TO AWARD THE SUBJECT CONTRACT TO AUSLAND GROUP FOR
PROJECT P11007, CITY HALL SEISMIC BRACING PACKAGE 3, IN THE AMOUNT OF $141,126.00. THE MOTION PASSED WITH A VOTE OF 5 FOR AND 0 AGAINST (1 ABSENT – STOEHR).
BUSINESS FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned 7:13 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 JANUARY 23, 2017
The City of Springfield Council met in a work session in the Jesse Maine Meeting Room, 225 Fifth Street, Springfield, Oregon, on Monday January 23, 2017 at 5:30 p.m., with Mayor Lundberg presiding.
ATTENDANCE
Present were Mayor Lundberg and Councilors VanGordon, Wylie, Moore, Stoehr, Woodrow and Pishioneri. Also present were City Manager Gino Grimaldi, City Attorney Mary Bridget Smith, City Recorder Amy Sowa and members of the staff.
1. Public Library Needs Assessment of Services and Programmatic Facility Design – Phase I.
Rob Everett, Library Director, presented the staff report on this item.
Mr. Everett said he believes in a dual approach to meeting library service needs in our community.
The first is to make things better now: from the quality and quantity of their programming through dramatically increasing their grant and private fund raising capacity to their continuing expansion of
open hours, the library staff has worked diligently towards achieving this goal. The second is to make
a better future: if we are to remain relevant in this community, they need to move forward. Tonight’s discussion is about ensuring that better future for the Library and the community it serves. For the past
few months, they have embarked on a Library Needs Assessment project that strived to evaluate both internally and externally the library service needs.
Following a competitive RFP process in June of 2016 The City of Springfield retained the services of FFA Architects + Interiors to conduct Phase I of a Library Needs Assessment and Programmatic Library Facility Design project, along with their colleague, library consultant Penny Hummel. FFA
has not only a regional, but also a national reputation for this kind of evaluation and design process. Project principal Troy Ainsworth has worked on projects as large as the restoration of the Central
Library in Multnomah County, branch libraries in Boise, ID, Vancouver, WA and communities all
across the northwest. He has been with FFA for 23 years. Library Designer and Project Manager Brenda Katz brings a wealth of library planning and design experience to the table. In addition, design
architect Karl Refi and technology consultant Lucien Kress also contributed to the success of this
project, but were not in attendance tonight. Mr. Everett introduced Ms. Hummel and noted her extensive background with libraries.
Mr. Ainsworth provided a summary of the report. Project goals included: community; stewardship; image; children; teens; staff; urban design; technology; and looking beyond. He briefly discussed each
goal. Library trends were also outlined which included areas in the library as gathering spaces, creative spaces, points of service, access to technology and multi-media. He explained those uses and the benefits of each.
Ms. Hummel said the goal is to look at different threads of data to try to understand what the needs of the community are in relationship to the kinds of services the library offers. The first aspect is to look
at demographic data. Her role is to look at this information with a fresh set of eyes. They looked at
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both census data and data from the school district to see what makes Springfield unique. They found
there is a relatively high percentage of Latinos (about 12% of the population and 22% of those attending school). The percentage of Springfield residents with a bachelor’s degrees or higher is just
over half of that in Lane County, Oregon and the United States. This indicates that there are opportunities here to provide continuing education and job support. They developed the program looking at a projected population in 2041 of 77,119 which is based on current projections.
Councilor Woodrow asked how relevant is the education level in a community like ours that has a
highly skilled workforce that doesn’t include degrees. She asked where those types of certifications
and skills fall in this study.
Ms. Hummel said that while there are many people in the community that are highly skilled in their
jobs, there are fewer of them that have had access to higher education. They are looking for the opportunities and what people want to take advantage of. The Library could provide computer training
for people, or resources that help people who are changing jobs.
Library Manager Emily David said many jobs require ongoing training and education. Most of that is
online and not everyone has access to computers or internet at home. The Library can provide that service.
Ms. Hummel said seven meetings were held with staff, community members, elected officials and others to help develop the report. In general, people love their library and want to keep it here. They also looked at library best practices which includes a methodology. These include finding out how
much shelving is needed, seating, technology, study areas needed, meeting rooms needed, etc. This library provides e-resources as well as paper books. Maintaining both of those in this library will be
very important. Both the size of the collection and technology will grow in this library. Meeting
rooms and study rooms will be added, more seating, comfortable seating, age appropriate spaces for children and teens.
Ms. Hummel said the key themes they heard from the community were accessibility, welcoming, comfortable, include a coffee/café space, multi-use space, being safe and secure. People want the
library to be open and light. Ms. Hummel discussed technology – what the library has now and what is needed for the future. She
explained the updates and improvements needed. Councilor Moore said her concern is keeping the computers updated. She asked if this plan included
areas where the City doesn’t need to provide the computers, but where people can plug in their own device.
Ms. Hummel said they are looking at both capacities.
Ms. Katz reviewed figures on a spreadsheet regarding the breakdown of spaces, collections, staff areas
and building support areas. She explained best practices for seating in each area. The recommendation was for 56,442 total building gross square feet. She referred to a slide showing the building site
options and described each and how the Library would be configured in each. The designs are created
to allow for after-hours entrance for meeting rooms, with the actual library closed off. She described the pros and cons of each option.
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Councilor Pishioneri said he knew money was spent on this and $47,000 would be needed for Phase
II. Citizen groups had provided input, but they are only those that support the Library. He wanted to know what the general public thinks as we look forward to spending $27M or $28M, and whether or
not we should proceed. Mr. Everett said so far the City hasn’t invested money; it has all come through money raised. Moving
forward they can look at alternatives for paying for the second phase. The second phase would help them to get a more precise number and description that they can present to the community.
Councilor Pishioneri said before he can get behind the project, he wants to see how the citizens feel. If the public thinks we should go forward with this project, he can support it. He noted that building on
Site E would cause us to lose about 58 parking spaces, which would be a con. A new library would
cause increased activity downtown and losing parking spaces would be a problem. They would have the same problem with the other site near the Museum. He is not in favor of doing anything or
investing further in City Hall due to the condition of the building. He noted that there are other
agencies that provide training and job skills so we don’t need to spend taxpayer dollars on redundant services. He asked if they had looked at the need for increasing the space for paper books with the
growth of technology. He said it is a great project, but he needs more answers. Councilor Moore said it would be wonderful to site the Library downtown, but she wondered if they
had looked at other options. Mr. Everett said this is a high level look with some hypothetical situations. Over the years, he has
thought of the trade-offs between siting the Library further east in town, as opposed to remaining in the downtown core. Doing so, the Library doesn’t act as the economic driver as it does downtown.
Councilor Moore asked about the demographics of who uses the library. She would like to see that information. She was also concerned about the parking spaces being lost and asked about underground
parking. She felt it made sense to construct with option E or B. She asked about the possibility of a
private/public building use. If they used two stories for the Library, they could build a third story for private company offices.
Mr. Everett said they would approach that concept if they agreed to move forward.
Councilor Moore said it makes sense to see where the general public is on this project. She is very supportive.
Mr. Everett said he understands the need to have the community behind this for Council to be behind it. He feels with the phases they are going through, they will get to that point. He did note that about 19,000 Springfield citizens have library cards and they are not required to do so.
Councilor VanGordon said he is supportive of going forward with Phase II as it will help to answer
many of Councilor Pishioneri’s questions. They need to be able to refine the numbers before going out
to public. In his opinion, the A/B hybrid is out. Partnerships are the key, and good points have been made about partnerships with the school district and workforce partnership. We are moving to a more
globalized community and we need to have these resources to get workers ready. He is skeptical
about underground parking due to the expense. He feels they need the building to move forward with the community. This looks good and he is looking forward to the next round.
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Councilor Wylie said she is excited about this project and the report looks good. She has been
supportive of the Library over the last 10 years, has watched them struggle with low resources, yet they are very popular and the Library is well used. It is a major draw to downtown. She suggested
they look at Monroe and the beautiful library their small community built with community support. She feels we have a lot of support from those who use the Library and that’s our biggest selling point. She appreciates the cost of underground parking, but thought it might be a good idea. Springfield has
a large Latino population so there should be a nod to the Hispanic community and our technology. They are transitioning and the library is a cultural transition point. We should consider that when
planning to give a hand to the cultural change.
Councilor Woodrow said she would like to go forward on Phase II. She is inclined to support Sites E
and C, but is concerned about the loss of the mural on the Emerald Art Center building. She loves the
idea of the cultural block of the art center and Library. She also likes the idea of the southwest corner being made into something new. We do have a good Latino response to the programs and our
librarians who are doing an amazing job providing services. It’s important to do Phase II in order to
show the public something they can respond to.
Councilor Stoehr asked if anyone had reached out to the owner of the lot. Mr. Everett responded that they had not at this time. Councilor Stoehr noted the floor plans showing the bottom floor dedicated to meeting rooms, offices, and restrooms. The thing the library has gotten right at its current location is
the display of recommendations and books that lead people into the stacks of more books. That is something retailers do right. Because Springfield has less formal education than many of Lane County, it is even more imperative that young people are exposed to books. He prefers paper books.
Mayor Lundberg said she is fine going forward with Phase II in order to get the information needed to
decide on how to move forward. She prefers sites E and B and likes the idea of a downtown library.
(Councilor Woodrow noted that those were her preferences as well) It is the glue that holds the community together with other central services. She doesn’t want to lose the mural and would like to
protect it or incorporate it into the building somehow, perhaps as a wall with glass over it. They need
to get through the next phase to get more accurate figures.
Councilor Pishioneri said he preferred site E over B because of the location of the parking lot which draws people in. He would like to see options or ideas of how to find replacement parking spaces for those that would be lost.
Mr. Everett said he will come back for another work session on this topic with answers to some of the questions. The Council could then narrow their choice to one site to carry into Phase II.
2. Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) FY18 Allocation Process (Continued).
Erin Fifield, Community Development Analyst, presented the staff report on this item.
Ms. Fifield said she was here to continue the discussion held with Council on January 3, 2017
regarding the CDBG allocation process for FY18. The City receives an annual allocation for activities to use for community development and affordable housing for low to moderate income persons in the
community. Each year, in order to receive these funds, the City receives an annual allocation from
Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The City then develops their One Year Action Plan (OYAP). The strategies that the City with Eugene has identified in the Five-Year Consolidated Plan
are guiding how we direct the activities. Part of the packet includes responses to questions Council had during their last discussion.
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Ms. Fifield reviewed the CDBG estimated revenues. Some activities have not moved forward or have not potentially moved forward in a timely manner that they want to create the most flexibility for.
ARC and NEDCO had microenterprise programs. That is money that is coming back for reallocation. Glenwood Place is still unclear based on the Federal waiver request. The City could still put money towards Glenwood Place if Council chose, but they wanted to allow the most flexibility to use the
funds so had included it in the estimated revenues. She reviewed potential expenditures which included funds retained to support existing programs. When putting this forward for the public
hearing, Council will need to determine the allocations including the additional $325,000. The
Community Development Advisory Committee (CDAC) recommendation is to increase the supply of affordable housing through acquisition ($225,000) and possibly through Requests for Proposals (RFP)
for non-profits ($118,000).
Councilor Moore asked if they could move the $100,000 from the RFP column to land acquisition if
an opportunity came along.
Ms. Fifield said it can be moved, but they may have different federal guidelines on funds. She
explained the process, including further public comment. Councilor Pishioneri said he likes how it aligns. He spoke regarding the lock-out crime program and
HUD rules around that program. He doesn’t want to see that program go away due to funding issues as it is very important. He asked if there was a way to move CDBG funds from the rehabilitation category to back fill the program as needed.
Ms. Fifield said some would qualify under the home repair program. They have about $9000
allocated, and generally use about $1200 a year.
Councilor Pishioneri said he wants to make sure that program is protected.
Councilor Woodrow said she felt the lock-out program could easily fall under the emergency home repair qualifications due to the circumstances of need. The program is run by a volunteer group
through the Police Department. Councilor Wylie said it looks like a good allocation. She is hoping we can track what gets funded and
how much, so they have that data from year to year. She asked how many homes were included in the $40,000 for home downpayment assistance.
Ms. Fifield said under CDBG guidelines the City can offer up to $7000 for part of the downpayment plus eligible closing costs. The amount has varied for the last 6 loans, with some being as little as $3500-$4000. They have helped between seven and ten people.
Councilor VanGordon said the allocations look good, but he would like to hold off on the RFP for
landbanking. He would also like to look further into the affordable housing piece. He is open to using
a hybrid approach for the Emergency Home Repair Program such as using General Fund dollars for small repairs to reduce the administrative and staff time needed.
Councilor Woodrow agreed with that approach. She would rather have the $100,000 from the RFP put into affordable housing. She would like to finish the affordable housing strategy discussion before
they go out for an RFP. Affordable housing has a priority over going out for the RFP.
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Councilor Wylie said she wanted to keep in mind that many non-profits rely on CDBG funds to
complete their important projects. She would like to be responsive to the needs of the non-profit community.
Councilor Pishioneri said he is very aware of the concerns brought forward by Councilor Wylie. He likes the idea of being able to respond to requests from non-profits if a project comes up. He suggested
reducing the amount in the RFP category, but not eliminating it unless they have the flexibility to move it back.
Ms. Fifield said part of the draft and the plan that staff would be turning into HUD, explains how the City wants to use the funds. The process in how the City wants to do that is up to the City. In the past,
we have used the RFP to help develop our strategy. She gave an example. Council has the discretion to
save the RFP for later. The plan needs to get to the strategy in April or May that the Council wants to follow. The RFP could come later. The tricky part is that we have timeliness of using funds. The RFP
helps identify projects that are ready to go, so waiting could be a bit of a gamble.
Mayor Lundberg said she would advocate for the $100,000 increase for affordable housing, and could
possibly put out an RFP for affordable housing. The City has agreed to prioritize homeless children and families, and affordable housing is needed to address that. We already have a population of children and families that are being served by Catholic and Community Services (CCS). Eugene takes
single folks and Springfield takes children and families. She has talked with the School Superintendent who is willing to have the discussion about how to address the need. A strategy is needed for how we can go about doing that. She would like to keep the funds in the affordable housing category and focus
on other projects such as rehab housing which helps maintain our existing housing stock. We also need to address getting the word out about our programs to seniors for home repair. They need to get
their strategy in place first, and then go out for the RFP. She just returned from a trip visiting
companies that build innovative affordable housing. There are lots of possibilities for what we could do and be innovative in building affordable housing.
Ms. Fifield said from their comments, it sounds like Option A would be the one they could publish for comment. Anyone in the community can submit comments about that option, and a public hearing will
be held at the CDAC meeting. The CDAC will then make a recommendation to the Council based on those comments.
Mr. Stoehr said HACSA had requested funds for Glenwood Place. He asked if any funds had been earmarked for that project.
Ms. Fifield said currently that is part of the $598,000 figure. Part of the anticipated prior year resources does include the $81,500 that was allocated to HACSA for land acquisition. If HACSA determines they are ready to move forward and meets the HUD deadlines, it is an option to fill their
request. That would just mean the $325,000 amount would be less.
Mayor Lundberg said the letter from HACSA is very confusing. She asked for clarification.
Ms. Fifield said HACSA is still committed. She introduced the developer who was in audience. There
have been a lot of changes with HUD as well, and the two funding streams of HOME and CDBG.
Eugene has taken the lead to conduct the Environmental Assessment (EA), and we are requesting a waiver to HUD regarding some regulatory violations. They have determined there is not a negative
environmental impact to this site if they move forward with this project. They are asking HUD to concur with that determination. The estimate is that by July or August they hope to get the approval to
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proceed from HUD. At that point, the City would discuss whether or not the project was ready to
proceed and if the funds are available. If the funds for this project can be drawn down in the next year, she would be supportive of using the funds for this project. If it was going to be beyond this year, she
would try to find land a different way and put the funds into the FY19 plan. Mayor Lundberg said HACSA had several projects in the pipeline so she will personally be watching
how this project moves forward.
Councilor Stoehr said he heard from several members of the Human Services Commission (HSC) that
they are underfunded in terms of delivery and supplies. He would like to see any type of discretionary funds directed to HSC.
Mayor Lundberg said that would need to go through the Budget Committee.
Ms. Fifield said she will move forward with publishing Option A and will keep Council updated.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 6:58 p.m.
Minutes Recorder – Amy Sowa
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Christine L. Lundberg Mayor
Attest:
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Amy Sowa City Recorder