HomeMy WebLinkAbout03/28/2005 Work Session
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City of Springfield
Work Session Meeting
MINUTES OF THE WORK SESSION MEETING OF
THE SPRINGFIELD CITY COUNCIL HELD
MONDAY, MARCH 28, 2005.
The City of Springfield council met in a work session in the Library Meeting Room, 225 Fifth
Street, Springfield, Oregon, on Monday, March 28, 2005 at 5:34 p.m., with Mayor Leiken
presiding.
ATTENDANCE
Present were Mayor Leiken and Councilors Fitch, Ballew, Ralston, Lundberg, Woodrow and
Pishioneri. Also present were City Manager Mike Kelly, Assistant City Manager Cynthia
Pappas, City Attorney Joe Leahy, City Recorder Amy Sowa and members ofthe staff.
1. Arts Commission Application Review.
Librarian Barbara Thompson presented the staff report on this item. The Arts Commission has
one vacancy on its board. Member Sandra Dominguez has moved from Springfield and has
therefore resigned from the commission. Her term would expire December 31, 2007. Rosalee
Baker has applied for the position.
The commission recommends that Rosalee Baker be appointed to the commission, with a term to
expire December 31, 2007.
The Arts Commission reviewed her application. Ms. Baker was unable to attend the
commission's regular March meeting, but did meet with a delegated group of members on March
17.
Ms. Baker, now retired, taught music in the Springfield school district for several years. The
commission believes that Ms. Baker's connections with the school district and involvement with
the music community will be of special benefit to the Springfield community. The commission
believes she is well qualified to be appointed to the Arts Commission.
Ms. Baker meets with the residence requirement that members have a business or reside within
the 97477, 97478, and 97482 zip code areas.
The appointment is scheduled to be ratified at the regular session, April 4, 2005.
Councilor Fitch said Ms. Baker was a teacher with Springfield High School when her own
children attended. She said she was an excellent teacher.
Councilor Ballew asked if the Arts Commission dealt with music.
Ms. Thompson said the Arts Commission deals with all forms of art. The Arts Commission felt
that Ms. Baker would be a valuable asset to the commission.
Council consensus was to appoint Ms. Baker at the April 4, 2005 council meeting.
2. Sewer and Drainage User Rates and Capital Funding to Implement Council Goals.
Environmental Services Supervisor Gary Colwell and City Engineer Al Peroutka presented the
staff report on this item. The first work session in this series, on March 7, 2005 laid out the issue
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City of Springfield
Council Work Session Minutes
March 28, 2005
Page 2
of unmet capital funding needs, the state of our current fundmg for sanitary and stormwater
management projects, and the choices which face the city regarding the ability to fund unmet
needs through adjustments in priorities or adjustments to System Development Charges (SDCs)
or user rates. The second work session on March l4, 2005, discussed some policy issues related
to SDCs and the relation of SDCs to capital funding needs. This work session will focus on user
rates, including options for the council to consider in deciding on new rates for next year, and the
potential role of user rates in meeting sanitary and stormwater capital funding needs. User rate
options will be presented for council discussion and feedback to staff, but no decision is needed
at this meeting. A future work session with council is scheduled for April 25 to finalize a
recommendation on rates to take to public hearing and adoption.
Mr. Peroutka said Mr. Colwell had been doing the city's user rate modeling for many years. Mr.
Peroutka reviewed the council briefing memorandum which was included in the agenda packet.
He referred to the chart at the top of page 2 of Attachment A included in the agenda packet
which listed the Sanitary Projects the City has Funded over the Last Ten Years. The total was
nearly $20M and included expansion of the system and expansion capacity of the system. A
$6M debt was incurred from the projects over the ten years, which the city was currently paying
back. That payment affected user rates. He said there was nearly a $680,000 annual debt
service, which would retire in 20l4.
Mr. Peroutka referred to the chart on page 2 of Attachment A included in the agenda packet
which showed the Sanitary Projects in the Current Five- Year Capital Improvement Program
(CIP). The large projects listed there, such as the wet weather flow management, combined with
the $680,000 debt service would take up a great deal ofthe city's capital projects funds.
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Mr. Peroutka referred to the chart on page 3 of Attachment A included in the agenda packet
which showed the Unmet Sanitary Capital Funding Needs Identified. The city depleted its
reserves in the fund. The city started the design process for the Harlow Road Lift Station and
identified additional costs of about $500,000. Staff did a preliminary cost estimate for the Jasper
Road Trunk Sewer which brought the total cost for that project to $4.8M. An additional $l.5
million would be needed to bring that fund to fifty percent. He discussed the Gray/Jaqua
development.
Councilor Ballew asked what the city's participation would be in the Gray/Jaqua development.
Mr. Peroutka said the city's participation would include the extension of the sanitary sewer. The
project was included in the city's master plan. Nearly $2.9M ofunmet needs were identified for
sanitary capital funding.
Mr. Peroutka referred to the chart on page 3 of Attachment A included in the agenda packet
which showed the Remaining Sanitary Master Plan projects. There were only a limited number
of projects remaining in the current master plan to build out the city's system. Those projects
totaled about $5.8M.
Councilor Fitch asked about the Other Sanitary Repair as listed on page 2 of Attachment A
included in the agenda packet. She asked if that amount would be sufficient to keep our system
repaired or if that amount needed to be increased as the city's system gets older.
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Mr. Peroutka said staff was trying to build up to a goal of an annual $lM rehabilitation cost for
the city's system. That goal has nearly been met. He said the Wet Weather Flow Management
had a dual purpose. It was part of the management of flow to the treatment plant reducing
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Council Work Session Minutes
March 28, 2005
Page 3
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infiltration and inflow (I and I). It also processed replacing and rehabilitating some of the older
sewers.
Councilor Ballew said it was to reduce the flow to the plant.
Mr. Peroutka said it was the cost effective solution.
Mr. Colwell explained.
Councilor Ralston asked about the Grand View pump station. He asked if the funds for that
project came from the Jasper Road Trunk Sewer project.
Mr. Peroutka said that was already set aside.
Councilor Ralston said that over the past ten years, the city had spent about $2M a year. He
noted that the projected five-year CIP was $9M, which was consistent with the past. He asked
why there was now a crisis.
Mr. Peroutka said the $20M did not include the debt service. The actual project list was about
$5.3M. He said the crisis involved the unmet needs and how those fit with the city's CIP and the
ability to meet those needs. Staff was trying to look at it, not just as a rate and SDC issue, but at
other options.
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Councilor Ralston discussed the Jasper Road Extension (JRE) trunk sewer and the developer's.
responsibility to pay for those improvements.
Mr. Peroutka said the city would like to get at least fifty percent ofthe costs in place. The trunk
sewer needed to be built in order to attract development. The city's philosophy was to wait for
the demand to be there and offer some incentives. He also spoke of the potential for economic
grants.
Mr. Peroutka discussed the rate options as shown on page 4 of Attachment A included in the
agenda packet called Analysis of Rate Options. This chart showed comparisons with other cities.
Mr. Colwell said there were some cities that were lower than Springfield, some that were quite a
bit higher, but most were about the same.
Mr. Peroutka discussed the six percent increase that would occur regionally in the next two
years.
Councilor Ballew asked how much the city brought in annually from sanitary user rates.
Mr. Colwell said about $5M for sanitary sewer and $6M from stormwater.
Councilor Ballew said that seemed like a lot.
Mr. Pertouka said that cost covered CIP as well as upcoming projects.
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Mr. Peroutka said in looking at modeling, if the capital contributions were maintained at the
same amount as last year, less the debt service, and the increase was at two and a half percent,
the city could run a $400,000 surplus. Some of the surplus would be due to carryover from
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Council Work Session Minutes
March 28, 2005
Page 4
reserves. Staff outlined several options to meet the unmet rteeds. These options were outlined
on pages 5 through 6 of Attachment A included in the agenda packet. He described each option.
Mayor Leiken asked Finance Director Bob Duey ifthere would be a tie to prime rate on Option
2b under State Revolving Loan Fund. He asked how that interest rate would be set. He
discussed the increase in the prime interest rate over the last year.
Mr. Duey said the rate was set for as long as that pool of money was available, so he could not
say when it changed.
Mayor Leiken asked ifthere was a trend of how many years the rate was set.
Mr. Duey said he would have to go back and research that question.
Mr. Goodwin said the rate was set until the next sale. At every sale, the rate was blended.
Mayor Leiken said if council was interested in this scenario, caution needed to be followed as
interest rates were increasing. He asked for information regarding trends on how long a rate was
kept in place.
Mr. Peroutka continued his discussion regarding the options.
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Councilor Woodrow asked if the two and a half percent increase was for local fees and a six
percent increase for regional fees. Mr. Peroutka said that was correct. Councilor Woodrow
asked if that made a combined increase of eight percent.
Mr. Colwell said combined it would actually be a four percent increase. The two and a half
percent would bring down the six percent.
Councilor Woodrow asked if the city was regaining all the costs for development processing
through SDC's.
Mr. Peroutka said that was not the intent ofSDC's. Within the state law, the SDC's were used
for administrative costs related to the capital project list and how development might impact
those projects. There were costs of development that the Public Works and Development
Services Department incur that were not eligible for SDC funds.
Councilor Woodrow asked how SDC's increased.
Mr. Peroutka said there was a methodology put in place several years ago. The city must prove
there were capital needs and the city would have development that would not have impact on
those capital needs. A calculation was used to determine a fair share of payment by development
for those capital needs in the last methodology. The city could increase those costs if the city's
costs increased. That could be done outside the methodology. Another option could be to
reconvene the Citizen Advisory Committee to review the new master plan to determine if
additional projects would add to our need and our ability to collect fees for that part of the
system. He said there was a process in place which included public hearings, meetings and
potential challenges. He said staff must be very careful about setting the rates. They felt there
was a potential the rates were on the low side.
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Councilor Woodrow asked if the current SDC methodology included current users assuming part
of the payment for new development.
City of Springfield
Council Work Session Minutes
March 28, 2005
Page 5
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Mr. Peroutka said there were cases where current users and new development were using the
same services so all users would have to be charged.
Councilor Woodrow said the Jaqua property was a completely new development. He asked if
the methodology would include charging current users part of that cost or if the cost would be
borne only by the developer.
Mr. Pertouka said the rates are set city-wide not per project. The developer would pay their
portion of the impact from their development. The system built for the Gray/Jaqua development
would also serve a larger area. He said it was hard to separate by project. The rate was analyzed
citywide.
Mr. Leahy said the Gray/Jaqua property was currently outside city limits. To develop, the
owners would need to put in for annexation" and an annexation agreement would include details
for payment.
Councilor Ralston asked if each option could bring in the adequate amount of revenue.
Mr. Peroutka said it was up to council as to what was needed. The CIP included specific
projects, but other needs had been identified by staff and by council.
Mr. Colwell said all the options do bring in enough to complete the CIP, although some use debt
for part of the amount.
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Councilor Ralston said he did not mind raising the residential user rates modestly, but ultimately
development should pay its fair share. He would rely more on the SDC's to pay the greatest
portion, but any combination would be fme. He said he didn't believe anyone of these options
alone would provide enough for all that needed to be done. There could also be a need to
borrow. He discussed preparing areas for development which would then bring in additional
revenue.
Mr. Peroutka said the Jasper Trunk line could be held until an immediate need came along and at
that time borrow the funds. Raising the rates to $1.57 would give the most flexibility.
Mr. Colwell referred to the master sanitary plan. Once that plan was created, council would have
a better idea of the city's situation. He said he didn't believe in building out, but there was a
point where $2M a year might drop to a $lM because the large infrastructure would be in place
and more of the work would include infill. If the city had big needs now with falling needs in the
future, that scenario may need debt fmancing.
Councilor Lundberg said the master plan update would give a better sense of the needs. She said
the updating process for SDC's was difficult and often contested. It would be important to
evaluate when and why the updates were needed. She discussed the Gray Jaqua proposal and the
Jasper Road Trunk Sewer line. She asked for timelines for these projects.
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Mr. Peroutka said the Jasper Road sewer was difficult to estimate. That fund had been used to
borrow funding for other projects over the last few years. At one point, there was $1.75M which
represented about half the cost for that project. Council does not like taking from one project to
another and would like to reimburse that account so it would be ready when the time was right.
He said most likely, it would be ready for the sewer line once the Jasper Road Extension was
fmished.
City of Springfield
Council Work Session Minutes
March 28, 2005
Page 6
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Mr. Kelly said the second phase of that road should be completed in about three to five years. At
that time, sanitary sewer would be needed. Current and future owners in that area may be
motivated to annex to the city and hook-up to the sanitary sewer. Businesses may begin to
establish in that area as well. The sanitary master plan wouldn't be ready by April when the
rates came before council to be set.
Councilor Pishioneri asked ifthe funds collected were designated for these projects. That was
correct. Councilor Pishioneri asked if the addition of more ratepayers as we grew was included
in these figures.
Mr. Colwell said the figures related to a short period of time and rate payer base only increased
slightly each year.
Councilor Pishioneri asked if the increases could stop once the city was caught up. He asked if
the increases would at least slow down.
Mr. Colwell said rate increases do not generally quit, but it could be that the increases would
slow down. He discussed Portland's situation that had reached that point.
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Mr. Peroutka referred to the chart on page 6 of Attachment A included in the agenda packet
which showed the Stormwater Projects Funded over the Last Ten Years and discussed some of
those projects. He referred to the chart on page 7 of Attachment A included in the agenda packet
which showed the Stormwater Projects in the Current Five-Year CIP and discussed some of
those projects. He referred to the chart on page 8 of Attachment A included in the agenda packet
which showed Unmet Stormwater Capital Funding Needs Identified. He said there was currently
$500,000 of unprogrammed funds in the CIP which could remain unprogrammed to build
reserves. He said there was about $30M listed in the current master plan for projects throughout
the city.
Mr. Peroutka referred to the chart on page 9 of Attachment A included in the agenda packet
which showed the Analysis of Rate Options. This chart compared Springfield with other cites
regarding montWy residential storm drainage fees. He said Springfield was at the high range in
this comparison. Staff calculated that a 9.1 percent increase would be needed in the next year.
That would bring the cost per month from $7.29 to $8.17. Mr. Peroutka reviewed the different
options for stormwater: Option 1 - Reprioritize CIP; Option 2 - Increase funding for capital
projects; Option 3 - Rely on anticipated SDC increases in future SDC updates; and Option 4 -
Changes to the base rate and flow basis of the rate.
Mr. Colwell discussed Option 4. He said by increasing the commercial user rate, the city could
avoid the increase in residential user rates. If there was a 9.l percent increase on commercial,
the residential rate increase would be reduced to 5.4 percent. This would put Springfield on
more of an equal standing with Eugene.
Councilor Lundberg asked Mr. Colwell to explain about the large commercial user and the
change in their rates regarding their imperious areas. She asked how many dollars that would
generate.
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Mr. Colwell said the rates shown in the memo were only residential rates. He explained the
components of residential and commercial rates which included the base fee and the impervious
area of industry and commercial users. He said commercial users would pay the base fee plus
City of Springfield
Council Work Session Minutes
March 28, 2005
Page 7
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the same fee for lOOO square feet of impervious area. He gave an example. Option 4 would
raise residential rates by 5.4 percent and commercial rates by about 10 percent.
Councilor Lundberg asked if it was an advantage for commercial sites to be located in
Springfield. That was correct.
Mayor Leiken said this was an important discussion. Commercial and industrial land was much
more cost effective for a city than residential. Council must make some decisions regarding this
issue. He said Springfield was in a position to be the employment center of Lane County. It was
up to council to determine if the city should continue on that path or build more residential.
Springfield may want to continue to have it be an advantage to be a business in Springfield rather
than match up to Eugene.
Councilor Ballew said there was an interest that growth pay its way regarding SDC fees as much
as possible. She said it was important to avoid debt if possible and not overburden the city. She
said there was not a lot of interest in charging commercial significantly more than residential.
She referred to the charts and noted that the increases were not substantial. She suggested using
both sanitary and stormwater rates as much as possible and calculating and collecting SDC's as
accurately as possible. Issuing debt would be the last choice if needed. She confirmed the
percentage increases were for one year. That was correct. She suggested bringing information
showing the increases over a two to five year period.
Mr. Colwell said that could be done.
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Mayor Leiken said time was money. He encouraged the timeliness in the process for developers
and acknowledged staff's work to achieve timely processing. Timing was very important to the
developers.
Councilor Fitch said she agreed with Councilor Ballew, especially the steady increase over
several years. The initial step might have to be bigger than future years. She noted that the
government has raised their standards for stormwater. She said she would not want to fund this
with debt, as that was only a short term fix.
Councilor Pishioneri said by showing the increments for several years, staff could reassess
projects and funding needs each year.
3. South 42nd Street Reconstruction Proiect. Phase I (P20347).
Traffic Engineer Brian Barnett and Civil Engineer Jeff Paschall presented the staff report on this
item. South 42nd Street is currently scheduled to be reconstructed from Jasper Road north to the
Mt. Vernon Road during the summer of2005. The City Council approved conceptual design
elements at a public hearing held December 6, 2004. Due to recent citizen comment, Council
has asked staff to report back regarding issues surrounding the approved roundabout design.
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Due to recent citizen response regarding the final design of phase 1 of the South 42nd Street
reconstruction project, City Council has requested staff report back to provide more information
regarding pedestrian safety and right-of-way impacts in conjunction with a roundabout design
versus traffic signal design. A report on possible financial impacts that may be incurred due to
delaying the project was also requested. These issues and the background for the project are
discussed in detail in the Council Briefing Memorandum (Attachment A). Also included is a
roundabout study with specific data regarding pedestrian safety at intersections located near
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City of Springfield
Council Work Session Minutes
March 28, 2005
Page 8
schools (Attachment E). The current roundabout design is shown graphically in Attachment B.
Schematics for alternate intersection designs are shown graphically in Attachments C and D.
Following the work session discussion, council may choose to convene a special Regular
Meeting if further action is desired.
M P hll fi d
h
h
II hi h h
d h fi II
fi 42nd S t/J
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r. asc a re erre to a c art on t e wa w c s owe t e o owmg or tree asper:
Roundabout (Current Design) Traffic Signal 4 Way
Stop
Pedestrian Safety Up to SO% Fewer Collisions Increased Ped. Similar to
Exposure Signal
Complex Decision
Vehicular Safety 32% Fewer Collisions Increased Similar to
68% Fewer Injuries Vehicle/Vehicle Signal
Conflict Pointes
(8 vs. 32)
Cost 10%-20% Less Than Signal Approx. $200,000 Minimal
R-O- W Impact Up to 4300 square feet Up to 2100 Square Less than
(mitigations have been made to Feet 2000
get it back to what the CAC Square Feet
approved)
Schedule/Time On Schedule for July 15,2005 Delay of 1 Month Delay of 1
Start or More Month or
More
Does it Meet Warrants N/A No Warrants Met Does Not
Now Out of 8 Meet
Warrants
Does it Meet Warrants N/A 1 Warrant Met Out N/A
2025 of8
ODOT Allowed Non Issue Most Likely No Most
Likely Yes
With
Conditions
Level of Service Excellent 2x More Vehicle 2x More
Delay Vehicle
Delay
For 42nd Street and Mt. Vernon:
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1 Way Stop 3 Way Stop Mid-Block
(Current Desi2n) Silmal
Pedestrian Safety Pedestrian Activated Flashing High Rate of Similar to
Warning Lights Stop Violation Signal
Increased Ped.
Risk
Vehicular Safety Fewer Collisions Increased Rear Similar to
Fewer Injuries End Collisions Si~al
Cost Minimal Minimal $120,000
R-O-W Impact Current Design Can Fit in Can Fit in
Current Design Current
Design
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Council Work Session Minutes
March 28, 2005
Page 9
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Schedule/Time On Schedule for July l5, 2005 Minimal Delay Minimal
Start Delav
Does it Meet Warrants N/A Does Not Meet N/A
Now Warrants
Mr. Paschall explained the figures in the tables.
Councilor Lundberg said she reviewed the process for this project including the meetings and
recommendation from the Citizen Advisory Committee (CAe). She asked staffto address what
changed from what the council approved to what actually would be going on the ground. It
appeared to have gotten bigger, which was the issue to the neighbors. She asked what had
changed now to make it more acceptable.
Mr. Barnett said the CAC recommended and council approved a conceptual design of the
roundabout that did not have the details it had now. He explained how the actual design moved
closer to the Kramer and Schoettle properties. He discussed concept versus fmal design.
Councilor Lundberg said the CAC members understood that what was approved was an accurate
depiction of what would occur on their property. That issue was now what staff and council
were trying to address and fix.
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Mr. Barnett said staff did make it clear that the original drawings were conceptual only, but the
CAC's expectations were violated. In an effort to mitigate that, staff worked on how the
sidewalks along the frontages could be handled to get the curb lines to the place where the
original sidewalk design was located in the original conceptual design.
Councilor Lundberg asked about the amount of right-of-way needed for the roundabout
compared to the traffic signal.
Mr. Barnett said the same design criteria was used for the signal as the roundabout. For the
Kramer's it would be roughly the same amount of square footage necessary in about the same
location.
Councilor Lundberg asked about pedestrian safety at the roundabout or the traffic signal.
Mr. Barnett eXplained where the crossing would be for a traffic light and a roundabout. For a
traffic light the crossing area would be about 65 to 67 feet from curb to curb. The crossing area
for the roundabout would be about 22 to 24 feet from curb to curb.
Councilor Lundberg asked if there was a mechanism in the roundabout to mitigate car traffic.
Mr. Barnett said the travel path for the roundabout would be much slower than that going
through an intersection with a traffic signal. The current travel speeds were 30 miles per hour on
South 42nd Street and 35 miles per hour on Jasper Road. Those would be the speeds traveling
through an intersection with a traffic signal.
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Councilor Pishioneri said this project was set to go until the issue of the property was brought
forward. Since that time, child safety had come out as an issue. He said it appeared the property
issue was no longer an issue, just safety. If the roundabout was fifty percent safer than a traffic
signal, those safety needs were being met. He noted that the traffic signal would cost an
additional $200,000 and he asked where that money would come from.
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Council Work Session Minutes
March 28, 2005
Page 10
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Mr. Paschall said the roundabout would cost about $180,000 and a traffic signal would cost
about $200,000. There would be funding from the reserves that were being set aside. The bigger
issue would be to get approval from ODOT for a traffic signal.
Mr. Kelly discussed the jurisdictional transfer of 42nd Street to the city, which would allow the
city to make improvements. During that transfer, ODOT gave the city an amount of money to be
used for improvement costs and maintenance costs for the future. If council were to choose a
different design with additional costs, that money would come from the maintenance portion of
the funds.
Councilor Pishioneri said with a roundabout, the pedestrian would only need to go a short
distance to find refuge. Crossing at a traffic signal would be much longer.
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Councilor Ralston said he spent a lot of time in the area and observed. He went across from Mt.
Vernon where the flashing yellow light was located. He talked with some of the residents in that
area. He said he did not see any need for the third turn lane on South 42nd Street. He said that
was a big issue for the neighbors as well. He asked why bike lanes needed to be included on
both sides of the road. He discussed a sidewalk from Mt. Vernon along the road. He felt the
property could be taken on the other side. He said there were a lot of trees along that side of the
road and people don't want those trees taken down. He suggested cutting the project down and
moving it to the other side. He said no one would ride a bike down 42nd Street because of safety
and there was no where to go once they reached Jasper Road. He said one of the biggest
problems was that no one stopped for the flashing yellow light. He said he tried it, hit the light,
and no one even slowed down. He asked why a red flashing light couldn't be installed or some
other safe way for pedestrians to cross. If there were sidewalks on each side of the road,
pedestrians could have one safe place to get across the road without having to go to Jasper Road.
He suggested making a combination bike path/sidewalk where people could ride their bikes or
walk. He said it was an unreasonable amount of property to take with the third lane and bike
paths included. He referred to the tree on the Shoettle' s property that would have to be removed
for the roundabout. He said no one would want to live in a house with the road that close to their
house. He thought the roundabout could be moved north or west more to give the Shoettle's five
or six more feet. He said he didn't have a problem with the roundabout, as long as there was a
safe place for pedestrians to cross. He said, however, that he didn't feel the roundabout was the
best way to protect the pedestrians.
Councilor Ralston asked Chief Smith about the difference between a yellow or red flashing light
and if there were statistics on safety for each.
Chief Smith said flashing yellow or red lights would be warning lights only. He noted that
pedestrians would have the right-of-way in an intersection, but it could be dangerous.
Councilor Ralston asked if there were statistics or studies done with flashing red lights versus
flashing yellow lights. He discussed where people would want to cross. He would not have a
problem having cars stop along that road to allow people to cross. He said he would want to hear
that negotiations could be made regarding the bike lanes on both sides of the road and removal of
the middle turning lane. Once the Jasper Road Extension was built, this road would be overbuilt.
Mayor Leiken asked if the bike lanes were state standards.
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Mr. Barnett said as a minor arterial road, it was required to have bicycle facilities unless a
parallel facility was available.
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Council Work Session Minutes
March 28, 2005
Page 11
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Councilor Woodrow asked about the standard setback for a house facing a city street.
Supervising Civil Engineer Ken V ogeney said front yard set back was ten feet from the house
and eighteen feet from the garage to the right-of-way, typically one foot from the sidewalk.
Councilor Woodrow asked about the size of the proposed sidewalk on the roundabout.
Mr. Paschall said it was a three foot sidewalk with a two foot setback.
Councilor Woodrow asked if the twelve feet was from the setback to the sidewalk.
Mr. Paschall said it was from the back ofthe sidewalk, and eleven feet from the setback.
Councilor Woodrow said the regular intersection was designed for truck traffic, but there was not
a lot of truck traffic along the west side of Jasper Road or on the south side of 42nd Street past
Jasper Road. He asked if it would be difficult to develop an intersection that would not take up
that amount of space so there were not two lanes that were left turn lanes on the west part of
South 42nd.
Mr. Barnett explained why the lanes were left as they were to align the intersection. They were
not put in for capacity, but for flow of traffic. He explained the confusion if one of those lanes
was removed.
Councilor Woodrow asked how far the sidewalk extended on the northeast corner.
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Mr. Barnett said it went along the entire frontage of the Korner Market. Discussion was held
regarding the current lanes and the proposed lanes for an intersection.
Councilor Woodrow asked where they got the statistics of safety for the roundabout versus a
traffic signal.
Mr. Barnett referred to page 5 of Attachment A in the agenda packet which listed the sources for
that information. Some of the information was from Europe and some was from the U.S. He said
he also found additional information that corroborated those fmdings.
Councilor Woodrow asked ifthere were statistics of accidents at the 42nd Street and Jasper Road
intersection.
Mr. Barnett said over the past three years, there were no vehicular or pedestrian accidents at
either intersection.
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Councilor Fitch said she appreciated the safety information provided by staff. She said
sometimes conceptual design and final design were different. She said the best way to go would
be with the roundabout design at 42nd Street and Jasper Road. She said it would allow the project
to proceed and the right-of-way had been reduced. If the city tried to come up with traffic
warrants to get approval from ODOT for a traffic signal, it would be difficult and could put the
project on hold for a long time. She said originally there was a roundabout proposed at the Mt.
Vernon Road intersection. She said something did need to be done at that intersection and a
pedestrian activated light with signage should be helpful. She discussed signage throughout
other areas where traffic was diverted reminding drivers to drive slowly. There could be a way
to educate people to slow down. She did not feel a three way stop would be safe. She would like
City of Springfield
Council Work Session Minutes
March 28, 2005
Page 12
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to see this project go forward. The city promised to do something about this road and the
intersections. She said she believed this would be the best way to meet the safety requirements.
Councilor Lundberg said she agreed with Councilor Fitch that something needed to be done at
the Mt. Vernon and South 42nd Street intersection. She said it would be important to have
crossing guards out with the students no matter what kind of signal was in place. The students
needed to be educated as well. She said the turn signals may not be warranted, but there would
still be quite a bit of right-of-way needed no matter what. She thought there could be a little
room for adjustment on the roundabout, but it should be put in the best possible location. The
roundabout was acceptable following the CAC meetings. She said the biggest issue was how
close it would be to existing houses and safety. She said she supported the roundabout with all
the mitigation possible to make it work and ease the impact.
Councilor Pishioneri asked if there were statistics on roundabouts that had been installed in
Springfield.
Mr. Barnett said that information was summarized in the agenda packet. In the three years prior
to the installation ofthe roundabout at Thurston and 58th Streets, there was one collision
involving two vehicles, two parties were injured and one was admitted to the hospital. Since the
installation of the roundabout at that location, there was one single vehicle collision. There have
been no pedestrian collisions. The roundabout located at International Way had one single
vehicle, DUll collision.
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Councilor Pishioneri asked what impact the completion of the Jasper Road Extension (JRE)
would have on South 42nd Street and Jasper Road, either negative or positive. .
Mr. Barnett said it would decrease traffic significantly. Trips would be diverted to the JRE. He
said it may not decrease truck traffic to the extent it would decrease auto traffic. That would
depend on whether or not it remained designated a truck route.
Councilor Woodrow asked ifthere was a crossing guard available at Mt. Vernon and 42nd Street
during school hours.
Mr. Paschall said during school hours a crossing guard was on duty that walked the students
from the crosswalk to the school and from the school to the crosswalk. The crossing guard used
a flashing light and a stick with a flag on it.
. Councilor Woodrow said it would appear that ODOT would not allow a traffic light at the Jasper
Road/42nd Street intersection. He discussed the current situation at that intersection and
confirmed there had been no accident history at that location in the past. He asked if truck traffic
and farm equipment would still be able to get into the Little Red Farm with the newly designed
roundabout.
Mr. Barnett said that was correct.
Councilor Woodrow asked Mr. Barnett to explain warrants.
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Mr. Barnett said warrants are included in the federal manual on uniform traffic devices.
Warrants are used as a guide to determine when particular traffic signals should be used. There
are warrants for two-way stops, yields, four-way stops, traffic signals and other items. They
were essentially safety, volume, geometric and other issues that were put into a formula to
determine what type of device should or shouldn't be used.
City of Springfield
Council Work Session Minutes
March 28, 2005
Page 13
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Councilor Woodrow asked if the roundabout would meet all traffic warrants.
Mr. Barnett said there were no warrants for roundabouts at this time. The traffic signal would
meet one warrant by 2025, but did not meet any warrants with current volumes.
Mr. Kelly said the ODOT decision may be critical. Council would have the ability, ifthere was
council consensus, to seek a jurisdictional change for the east leg of 42nd Street to allow the city
to make the decisions. The city could then negotiate with ODOT to make the improvement. The
project would be put on hold during that process, but would give the city sole jurisdictional
responsibility.
Mayor Leiken said that process could cause a long delay. He said, although he is not a fan of
roundabouts, he supports what is best at this location. If council chose to put in a traffic signal,
Representative Terry Beyer and others would need to be involved to move things along. He
acknowledged the efforts of Jeannine Crane to get something done on South 42nd Street to
improve safety. He said he appreciated her work to make this happen. He said everyone would
not be happy, but council needed to look to the long term issues. He referred to the original vote
on the roundabout and the project back in December.
Mr. Kelly said this had not been a scheduled part of council's agenda since their decision on the
design, but was brought up by the public for reconsideration. A special regular meeting could be
convened immediately following the work session if council wanted to change the design.
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Mayor Leiken asked if there were other decisions that needed to be made.
Councilor Woodrow said based on consensus from the council to move forward with the original
design approved by council with the roundabout corrected, there would not be a need for a
special regular meeting. He asked that staff take into consideration the issue of the third lane and
mitigation of traffic congestion during construction.
Councilor Ralston said he would like a proposal that takes out the third turning lane on South
42nd Street. He would like to have the roundabout moved as far from the house on the corner as
possible. He said he would not approve this if it continued to have the third lane. His second
major concern was that there needed to be an effective pedestrian crossing near Mt. Vernon.
Mr. Kelly said the design with the roundabout and the third lane was originally approved by
council.
Mr. Paschall said conduit could be put in now near the Mt. Vernon intersection, which would
allow a mid-block crossing at a future date. This could be reassessed at a later date to determine
if a mid-block crossing was needed.
Discussion was held regarding the third lane on South 42nd Street.
Mr. Barnett said they did make a commitment to the Korner Market to include that extra lane for
customers to access in and out of the market.
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Councilor Pishioneri asked if the extra lane was designated for turning, but could be used for
traffic pulling in or out of the street. It would be a multi-use lane for people coming out safely to
get into traffic without causing collisions. He referred to a multi-use lane on Main Street and its
effectiveness.
City of Springfield
Council Work Session Minutes
March 28, 2005
Page 14
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Discussion was held regarding the size of the road with the multi-use lane.
Councilor Ballew said the issues could be separated. The council supported the roundabout as
designed.
Mr. Barnett said the city made a commitment to Korner Market to put in that left turn lane and
there should be a left turn lane from South 42nd Street to Mt. Vernon Road. Shortly after the 42nd
Street and Mt. Vernon intersection, the road could be tapered down to two lanes, then back to
three lanes before the Korner Market. People turning into their driveway may slow down or stop
traffic behind them where there are only two lanes. It would not make a significant difference in
level of service. It may make a difference in terms of safety because those people who are
waiting to make a left turn could be rear-ended by someone who was not paying attention. The
third refuge lane would be safer for those turning left from South 42nd Street. It would require
less right-of-way in the area with only two lanes.
Mr. Paschall said the city had acquired quite a bit of the property for the right-of-way. He
discussed other developments going in and the added need for the safety of the third lane.
Mr. Kelly said the cross section which included the third land resembled the stretch of road on
Jasper Road between 32nd and 42nd Street. The curb to curb width was similar to what South 42nd
Street would look like in the proposed design with the third lane.
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Mr. Paschall said there would be an impact in timing of at least a couple of weeks if the street
needed to be redesigned.
Councilor Lundberg said she felt the project should move forward as scheduled. She discussed
the medians that had been considered, but then were removed. She asked if it was the same
width and same right-of-way with the third lane as it was with the median.
Mr. Paschall said the lane would be wider, but there would be a distance of about eighteen inches
on either side. It would have looked the same width, but the concrete median was actually
narrower than the lane.
Councilor Lundberg asked if the width was the same between those two options.
Mr. Paschall said that was correct. It would have required as much right-of-way.
Councilor Lundberg said she would prefer keeping the third lane along the entire length of the
road as originally approved.
Mr. Paschall confirmed that a mid-block crossing could be installed at a later date. The conduit
could be put in place now.
Councilor Woodrow said council consensus (less Ralston) was to go forward as originally
designed. A special regular session was not needed.
Councilor Ralston noted that he was opposed to the third turning lane and wanted to be assured
the roundabout would be smaller than the stakes now indicated.
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Mr. Paschall said the roundabout itself would not be smaller, but changes had been made to
reduce the amount of right-of-way needed.
City of Springfield
Council Work Session Minutes
March 28, 2005
Page 15
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Mayor Leiken confirmed with Mr. Leahy that no further action was needed or a special session
called.
Mr. Leahy said that was correct. Council had already given direction to staff by resolution for
the design of this road.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 7:34 pm..
Minutes Recorder - Amy Sowa
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City Recorder
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