HomeMy WebLinkAbout03/08/1999 Work Session
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MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE
SPRINGFIELD CITY COUNCIL HELD
MONDAY, MARCH 8, 1999
The Springfield City Council met in Work Session at Springfield City Hall, Jesse Maine Room,
225 Fifth Street, Springfield, Oregon, on Monday, March 8, 1999, at 6:00 p.m. with Council
President Ballew presiding.
Present were Councilor President Ballew and Councilors Fitch, Hatfield,. Leiken, Lundberg and
Simmons. Mayor Maine was absent (excused). Also present was City Manager Mike Kelly,
Assistant City Manager Gino Grimaldi, City Attorney Joe Leahy, Senior Management Analyst
Rosie Pryor, Administrative Aide Shari Higgins, Planning Manager Greg Mott, Planner II Robin
Johnson, and members of staff. Guests Claire VanBloem, Jim Croteau, Tom Schwetz and Gary
McKinney.
1. Review of Council Operating Policies and Procedures.
Councilor Ballew conducted the review ofthe Council's Operating Policies and Procedures.
She explained items higWighted in bold were suggested changes by staff. By consensus, the
changes were approved. Councilor Ballew then provided copies of a memo titled, Council
Operating Policies and Procedures Amendment. She said she had contacted members ofthe
council for their input into the policies document, but the comments were minimal and she felt
there was more of a need for a councilor handbook.
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After council discussion, it was decided the following items would appear in the handbook:
detailed instructions and samples of commonly used fonns i.e. reimbursement, mileage, etc;
state laws and regulations for conflict of interest, elections, public notice, etc.; reimbursement
and outside meeting attendance guidelines; an annual calendar of events, including city holidays
council recess dates, etc.; a delineation of duties among the City Council, Mayor, City Manager
and Management Team members; council committee duties for council subcommittees; and
what the role of council liaison is to city boards, commissions and committees.
Other items needing follow-up were providing current phone directories to all councilors and the
idea of forming a council subcommittee to begin review of the City Charter. It was clarified the
Charter review would begin with general housekeeping and non-controversial items. Councilor
Ballew agreed to. lead the subcommittee, with Councilors Simmons and Hatfield agreeing to
participate.
After further discussion, council also agreed to hold their work session meetings (scheduled
the second and fourth Monday's) beginning at 5:00 p.rn. instead of the standard time of 6:00
p.m. It was decided this would occur on a trial basis for the balance of the month of March and
the entire month of April. After the trial time period, the time change would be discussed, prior
to a formal decision being made.
2. Metropolitan Area Residential Land and Housing Study.
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Planner II Robin Johnson was present for the staff report. She introduced Clair Van Bloem
from Lane Council of Governments (LCOG) who is the project coordinator, and Jim Croteau
representing the City of Eugene on the study.
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Work Session - 3/8/99
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Also introduced were Councilor Hatfield who led the Planning Commission process, and current
Planning Commission member Don Lutes.
Ms. Johnson said the Residential Land Use and Housing Element of the Eugene-Springfield
Metropolitan Area General Plan contains broad policy direction for residential land use,
density, housing types and other related issues. The recommendations being forwarded to
the council from the Springfield, Eugene, and Lane County Planning Commissions, if adopted
by the Springfield and Eugene City Council's and the Lane County Board of Commissioners,
would replace the exiting Housing Element of the plan. She said the study is a major work task
associated with the state-mandated Periodic Review process and would update local
comprehensive plans to bring them into compliance with new state regulations and
changing local conditions.
Ms. Van Bloem began her formal presentation with powerpoint information on the
Eugene/Springfield Residential Land Study, Supply and Demand Analysis. Paper copies
of the presentation were also distributed.
Council members asked questions regarding the number of housing units predicted, the new
endangered species listing of fish, and floodplain and riparian buffering. Mr. Leahy said the
study does not take any private property, but it did include a buffer. It was also clarified that
land owned by the University of Oregon, Lane Community College, the Springfield Utility and
the Board, Eugene Water and Electric Board are all public parcels removedJrom the inventory.
Ms. Van Bloem clarified that through the study it was determined some land would be used to
build schools, churches, and parks but other parcels may also be removed.
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Ms . Van Bloem said historic housing was not excluded, but assumptions were made on the
acreage and the ability to partition the land. Ms. Johnson said only lots of one-third acre or
larger were considered on the basis of being partitioned. There was a discussion on infilllots
and the conversion factor. Councilor Simmons said a rural home with a larger lot would
become more of a commodity in the future.
Council discussed household needs, policies which promote housing choices and the need to not
preclude any type of housing. Councilor Lundberg said the process of determining policies is a
way to mitigate the issues which density creates.
Ms. Johnson provided the Residential Land Use and Housing Study, Recommended Goal,
Findings, and Policies. This item was included in the original hand-out distributed.
Discussion items included meeting state land use goals, the city's policy on extension of services
pertaining to development outside the city limits, the city's adopted strategy for annexation of
unincorporated areas, and continuing to provide key urban services as stated in the Metro Plan.
Eugene staff member, Jim Croteau said the legal counsels of Eugene and Springfield reviewed
the goal, findings and policy document to try to ensure the five-year supply, but the supply is
not necessarily within a city's control.
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City Manager Mike Kelly asked how large of an inventory the metro area has had in the past.
He also inquired about the rate per acre growing faster than inflation for development of
residential property.
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Mr. Kelly's concern was people being able to afford the land in the residential supply. Mr.
Croteau said that was a key issue in Eugene's Growth Management Study. Land costs have
increased at a larger rate than inflation, but it is hard to set policy in an open market of supply
and demand, even based on factual information.
By consensus, council said they were comfortable with this item and did not need further
review prior to the scheduled April 14, Joint Elected Officials Meeting. Ms. Johnson said the
Springfield Planning Commission went over the document, word for word, and it was also
reviewed by the Planning Commission's of Eugene and Lane County.
3. Review of Draft TransPlan.
Project Coordinator Tom Schwetz from LCOG was present for the staff report. Also Gary
McKinney. Mr. Schwetz said the Eugene/Springfield Metropolitan Area Transportation Plan
(Trans Plan) guides regional transportation system planning for a 20-year period. It also
establishes the framework upon which all public agencies can make consistent and coordinated
planning decisions regarding inter jurisdictional transportation. Mr. Schwetz said it is a federal
requirement to have a transportation plan for our urban area.
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Mr. Schwetz said the Eugene, Springfield and Lane County Planning Commissions and Roads
Advisory Committee had all recently completed their review of the TransPlan. Their review
followed a set of four public hearings and two joint work sessions. Their recommendations
followed the goals, policies and implementation measures as contained in the draft plan. Mr.
Schwetz said the next public review period would occur in May, in order to provide sufficient
time for review prior to the Joint Elected Officials meeting scheduled in June.
Mr. Schwetz reviewed with council the Summary of Planning Commission/Roads Advisory
Committee Review of TransPlan, Attachment 2, page 3 of the agenda item. He explained the
goals, policies, project lists, financial constraints, performance measures, nodal development,
and Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) issues, as well as the coordinating Planning Commission action.
Councilor Leiken said he just returned from the United Front trip to Washington and
commended the process and the draft plan. He said Springfield is an area where people
want to locate and the local officials are preparing well for quick growth. Councilor
Hatfield agreed and said there were issues of alternative modes of transportation at the
Planning Commission level, but felt personally that the plan was well balanced.
Councilor Simmons asked why the plan didn't address clean water, as it did clean air. Mr.
Schwetz said work is currently occurring on addressing clean water issues in conjunction with
the plan, but the information is not included. Councilor Simmons said the plan should show the
impacts and be revised if necessary. Council had a lengthy discussion on the topic of clean air
and water. Councilor Simmons complimented the work which had gone into the plan to date.
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Councilor Lundberg said she would like to see more bike transit encouraged to help eliminate
traffic flow issues and produce alternative transportation incentives. Although she recognized
this would be a community challenge, as we are still a car based city. Councilor Hatfield said
citizens are living and working closer together now that in the past, with stronger livability
occurring in neighborhoods.
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Stephano Viggiano from Lane Transit District (LTD) and Peter Watt from LCOG were
introduced. They discussed briefly, BRT and nodal development.
Councilor Lundberg shared her concern that BRT would not solve the problem that
neighborhoods have in getting to bus stops. Mr. Viggiano explained the process which L TD
had designed that has a neighborhood bus concept from shopping center and residential areas
which connects to bus stops.
Councilor Simmons shared his concern over bus routes being lost in nodal development and
spoke about other types of alternative transportation. He felt nodal development needed a lot
of community support and was too new at this time.
Mr. Schwetz closed his presentation by discussing roadways versus costs. Future efforts
will look at improving technology which would lower the cost of building and maintaining
roads. Mr. McKinney spoke to concerns raised regarding trucking and rail transportation.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting adjourned at 8:20 p.m.
Minutes Recorder - Shari Higgins
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Maureen M. M~ine, Mayor
ATTEST:
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