HomeMy WebLinkAbout04/27/1998 Work Session
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MINUTES OF THE WORK SESSION MEETING OF
THE SPRINGFIELD CITY COUNCIL HELD
MONDAY, APRIL 27,1998
The Springfield City Council met in Work Session at Springfield City Hall, Library Meeting
Room, 225 Fifth Street, Springfield, Oregon, on Monday, April 27, 19982, at 7:08 p.m. with
Mayor Morrisette presiding.
Present were Mayor Morrisette and Councilors Ballew, Beyer, Burge, Dahlquist, Maine and
Shaver. Also presented were City Manager Mike Kelly, Assistant City Manager Gino Grimaldi,
City Attorney Tim Harold, Senior Management Analyst Rosie Pryor, Administrative Aide Shari
Higgins, Public Works Director Dan Brown, City Engineer Al Peroutka, Management Analyst
Eileen Stein, Transportation Plan Engineer Masood Mirza, Police Chief Bill DeForrest and
members of staff.
1. Pioneer Parkway Extension Right -Of- Way and Alignment.
Management Analyst Eileen Stein presented the staff report. She asked council to review a
proposed alignment and Right -of- W ay (ROW) width for the extension of Pioneer Parkway.
The preliminary planning and alignment study for the extension of Pioneer Parkway
Extension is complete. Staff presented the results of the study and a proposal for
alignment and ROW width.
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Ms. Stein eXplained the Pioneer Parkway extension is a future minor arterial proposed in
Gateway Refinement Plan dated November 1992. This future minor arterial would extend the
Pioneer Parkway couplet north of Harlow Road along the former Southern Pacific Railroad
ROW for 2200 feet, then would curve east and then west through the Gateway MDR site.
The design and construction of the extension are prohibited until certain "triggers" are met.
Ms. Stein said the city was allowed, however, to preliminary plan, adopt the alignment, and
acquire ROW before the triggers are met.
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In 1995, the city hired Kimley-Horn Associates to conduct a preliminary planning and
alignment study for extending Pioneer Parkway. The objective was to maximize the safety
and efficiency of the roadway while reducing costs, ROW acquisition, and impacts on the
environment.
Ms. Stein said based on the study findings, staff recommends an alignment for the Pioneer
Parkway Extension as shown in Attachment A of the Agenda Item Summary. The proposed
cross section has four travel lanes with additional turn lanes at the intersections, sidewalks
and streets on both sides. Attachment B of the Agenda Item Summary showed the minimum
ROW requirements for the proposed cross section at various points in the corridor. The
minimum ROW requirement did not include any provisions for sound walls.
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During their regular session meeting of December 16, 1997, the Planning Commission passed
a motion to recommend to the City Council, a roadway section with some changes. The
changes recommended by the Planning Commission were to eliminate sidewalks from both
sides of the Pioneer Parkway Extension and install a landscaped sound wall in the southern
section of the Pioneer Parkway Extension, within the section of old Southern Pacific Railroad
ROW between Harlow Road and Game Farm Road.
Springfield City Council
Work Session - 4/27/98
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Transportation Plan Engineer Masood Mirza provided a large map and showed council
members the proposed area of the extension. He referenced the property the city currently
owns, including the railroad ROW. Staff did not know ifthe city owned the property in
the railroad ROW where the bend/curve is located. Mr. Mirza showed how the alignment was
shifted slightly to provide a better design with a 35 mph speed limit. He said 73 feet of ROW
is the minimum for the option recommended by the Planning Commission and would include
the road, sidewalk, and lighting requirements.
Mr. Mirza explained to council the road would become wider in the preferred option of the
Planning Commission. In the developed section, sound walls would be constructed in the
range of eight to 10 feet within the 73 foot ROW. In the wider section, no sidewalks or
sound walls would be constructed, but the ROW footage would remain at 73 feet.
A raised median strip with grass would also be constructed for the existing Springfield Utility
Board utility poles.
Councilor Maine asked if the city would be constructing sound walls or if it could
require developers abutting the extension to construct sound walls as part of development
requirements. Public Works Director Dan Brown said the city could request developers
to construct the walls under specific direction from council. He said Harlow Road does not
currently have sound walls, so they are not necessarily a needed item along that portion,of.,,~ '.
the extension. Councilor Maine said the level of traffic over the years should be
addressed now and sound walls should be considered as part of future development.
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Mr. Mirza provided levels of vehicle trips per day in certain areas ofthecity;
Councilor Burge commented that sound walls are very unattractive and quickly become
scarred with graffiti. He said he would not support the construction of sound walls
as the road section is not a portion of the freeway, but an arterial street. Councilor Maine
suggested not placing sidewalks in the ROW if there is a sound wall constructed, to help
stop graffiti or other types of vandalism.
Councilor Shaver agreed and suggested omitting the bicycle path and sidewalks on the
parkway from of the extension plan, due to the problems associated with sound walls.
Councilor Ballew asked if there are plants which could be used to help buffer the.
neighborhood from sound, such a bunn. Mr. Mirza said it is best to use a solid wall
which will absorb the sound and return it back. Shrubs provide a visual barrier, but
are not an effective sound barrier.
Councilor Burge felt there should be no less than four lanes in the extension design. He
said he had concerns about the levels of traffic in the Gateway area also. Mr. Mirza said
the extension would help reduce problems at the Beltline and 1-5 interchange also.
Staff has looked at many design options and felt the recommendation from the Planning
Commission was a good option'to bring forth.
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Work Session - 4/27/98
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Ms. Stein said the process only sets the alignment for future planning purposes. If and when
the trigger is met and funding is in place, then the actual construction would begin.
Councilor Shaver spoke in favor of the alignment. He suggested routing all bicycle traffic
to Game Farm Road and funding the project at the same time as the extension occurs. He
felt if the neighborhood wanted a sound wall, then the project should include a thin version
with a vertical growing plant in the front of the wall to keep it graffiti free. Councilor
Dahlquist agreed. He shared his concern over the traffic impacts on Gateway Street, and
felt the extension would eliminate traffic issues at the intersection of Beltline and Gateway.
Councilor Maine also agreed with the alignment. She encouraged staff to address the
undeveloped area of the extension now, as citizens knew for years that the Jasper Road
Extension project would also be occurring, but are currently not happy with the proposed
alignment. She asked if the city uses federal funding to complete the extension project, if
it would be obligated to install sidewalks. Mr. Mirza said there would be no obligation for
sidewalks, but there would be for a sound wall. He added the city could not complete the
project without federal funding, yet it may raise our costs in the placement of a sound wall.
Mayor Morrisette suggested staff again speak with the residents of the Game Farm area
regarding their preference for a sound wall or other alternative.
Council consensus was to approve the alignment without sidewalks or a bicycle path
along the portion of the alignment which is undeveloped at this time. After discussion it was
also consensus to have 90 feet of ROW as it is a wider amountthannecessary, but would,
allow for a future final decision regarding sidewalks.
Ms. Stein asked council to approve a copy of a letter which would be provided to the Lane
County Roads Advisory Committee, dated April 29, 1998. By consensus, there was
council consensus to support the letter being sent to the Lane County Roads Advisory
Committee.
The meeting recessed at 8:05 p.m.
The meeting reconvened at 8: 12 p.m.
2. Public Safety Coordinating Council (PSCC) - Levy.
Mr. Jim Carlson, Lane Council of Governments, provided a copy of the PSCC Funding
Priorities, dated April 23, 1998.
Mr. Carlson asked council to provide direction to Councilors Burge and Maine, Springfield's
elected official representatives on the Public Safety Coordinating Council; City Manager
Mike Kelly, vice-chair ofPSCC; and Police Chief Bill DeForrest, PSCC member; regarding
components of a potential public safety levy now under discussion by the PSCC for a
September or November 1998 ballot.
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Work Session - 4/27/98
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Mr. Kelly said the 31-member Public Safety Coordinating Council was created by state
statute and is charged with making recommendations for intergovernmental coordination of
public safety services, policy and funding. The council's effective area is Lane County and the
council has been meeting for the past two years. There have been some short-term
recommendations along the way, and will soon complete a long-range plan. The group is
currently focused on the development of a potential five-year serial levy proposal to meet
needs it considers urgent.
Chief DeForrest said the PSCC has. identified four parts of the regional public safety system
for which there is a funding gap: 1) capacity, 2) prevention, 3) system efficiencies, and 4)
prosecution. PSCC developed service goals, outcomes, strategies and benchmarks for each of
the four, as well as specific proposals for a potential levy. By consensus, PSCC members
have determined a levy is needed. The universe of possible levy items totals $93.6 million,
but a majority of members appear to favor recommending a five-year proposal that would add
no more than one dollar per thousand dollars of assessed value to a property owner's current
tax bill. This would result in a levy of approximately $70 million dollars over five years.
There is adequate room under the Measure 5, ten dollar cap, to accommodate such a levy,
should that be the council's desire.
Mr. Kelly said that work on the levy proposal is still in progress and would be the subject
of the April 28, Joint Elected Officials Meeting. This work session was scheduled to give
council a chance to discuss and prepare for the joint meeting.
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Councilor Shaver asked about a bond with amortization versus a levy. Mr. Kelly said '
he favored a bond measure and that Chief DeForrest felt a levy and bond measure should
be coupled. There was discussion regarding the capital needs which would accompany
a levy, which would help manage the operations side of the justice system. Councilor Burge
said he spoke with Sheriff Clements who also supported the two funding sources being sought
together. He added that there needed to be some certainty regarding the figures proposed
for the various services and he could not support the levy until definitive numbers
were produced.
Councilor Maine said the top four, or first tier of priorities, all received a close number of
votes. She said PSCC is trying to provide funding for those areas which have the greatest
need. Councilor Maine and Councilor Burge both shared their concern over the high cost of
tier-one numbers for the five-year total. Mr. Carlson said the numbers were not yet firm.
He added it may be hard to connect the levy and the bond together. If operating funds are
not approved, capital funds would not be utilized. The levy can be under utilized, and the tax
rate per assessed value would be lowered.
Chief DeForrest said his greatest concern is capacity. He felt the criminal justice system is
struggling with the problem now and if it is not dealt with soon then the problem will
continue to grow. Chief DeForrest said his highest vote went to an Adult Detention Center,
with the AIRS conversion also a high priority.
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Councilor Maine said there is no quick solution to the problem, but that many of the funding
priorities would help to make police services more effective in Lane County.
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Councilor Burge said PSCC should be careful not to make the levy too big, as another future
attempt at a reduced levy would bring people to believe the larger amount asked for initially
was not necessary. Councilor Ballew felt the entire levy might be jeopardized if too much
funding is sought initially.
Mayor Morrisette felt the tier one of funding options presented the right mix of services.
Councilor Dahlquist agreed.
Mr. Carlson provided information about which election to schedule the PSCC levy on. If
it was November 1998, then the tax base would be set and the funding would not be levied
until 1998-2000. If it was September 1998, then the tax base would not be set yet and the
funds could be levied in 1998-99. Mr. Carlson said the issue of which election to target may
ultimately be a Lane County Board of Commissioner's decision.
3. Council Business.
Councilor Shaver asked for council consensus regarding a proposed letter he drafted to
'send to Lane County regarding the Southern Willamette Private Industry Council (SWPIC).
The letter would show Springfield's support for consolidation of services. After review,
council consensus was to forward the letter to Lane County.
ADJOURNMENT
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The meeting was adjourned at 9:00 p.m.
Minutes Recorder - Shari Higgins
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ATTEST:
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Juh llson, CIty Recorder
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