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HomeMy WebLinkAbout06/14/1999 Work Session . MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE SPRINGFIELD CITY COUNCIL HELD MONDAY, JUNE 14, 1999 The Springfield City Council met in Work Session at Springfield City Hall, Jesse Maine Room, on Monday, June 14, 1999 at 5:05 p.m. with Mayor Maine presiding. Present were Mayor Maine and Councilors Ballew, Hatfield, Leiken, Lundberg, and Simmons. Councilors Fitch was absent (excused). Also present were City Manager Mike Kelly, Assistant City Manager Gino Grimaldi, Administrative Aide Shari Higgins, Project Manager Len Goodwin, and members of staff. 1. Coos, Douglas, Lane Fiber Consortium. Project Manager Len Goodwin presented the staff report. He explained Williams Communications, Inc. announced they intend to build two fiber optic networks in southwestern Oregon. One network would run north from Bandon near Coos Bay and through Reedsport using county and state roadways and BP A transmission towers. It would pass through Eugene and Springfield to the Jasper regeneration station being constructed by Pacific FiberLink (PFL). The second network would run from the same point near Bandon but would go east on county and state roads to near Roseburg, then north near Sutherlin, Drain, Cottage Grove and Creswell to the Jasper regeneration station. . Mr. Goodwin said staff from the various jurisdictions had met with Williams Communications, Inc. and offered to facilitate the permitting process to the extent possible andwaive annual right of way use fees, in exchange for the company donating certain equipment and facilities to the various local governments, acting as a consortium pursuant to an agreement under ORS 190. Mr. Goodwin said currently, the proposed Williams routes use railroad right of way and affect city street crossing easements, but do not cross city right of way. Mr. Goodwin provided specific infornlation on the discussions with Williams to date. Mr. Goodwin provided hand-outs titled, Bandon-Eugene BP A Route and Bandon-Eugene Wagon Road Route. He reviewed a wall map which showed the route and access point in Springfield. He said Williams and the group of cities have discussed an. agreement similar to the one the city has with Pacific Fiber Link (PFL). Participating agencies include: the cities of Springfield; Veneta; Florence; Dunes City; Reedsport; Lakeside; Coos Bay; North Bend; Bandon; Coquille; Roseburg; Sutherlin; Drain; Y ollcalla;Cottage Grove and Creswell; and Lane County; Douglas County and Coos County. Mr. Goodwin said the City of Eugene had high demands for data movement and had asked Williams to extend another 96 strands from the Eugene (Lane County Jail) vicinity to Lane Transit District headquarters in Glenwood, running along the railroad track. He felt the city may also wish to participate in that extension and bring the strands into the city at 5th Street or even to meet the Springfield Utility Board line at 10th Street. . Councilor Ballew asked about strands versus network capability. Mr. Goodwin said the lit strands would have enormous capacity, above and beyond what the city could ever expect to use. City of Springfield Work Session - 6/14/99 Page 2 . Councilor Simmons asked what it would cost to go from the Glenwood line to the Natron site. Mr. Goodwin said the basic cost is roughly $17,000 per mile. He felt it would provide a valuable link both from Eugene to Springfield, but also through the city of Springfield. Mr. Goodwin thanked council for their input and said after continuing discussions, he would come back for final approval of the intergovernmental agreement. 2. Roundabouts Overview. Traffic Engineer Brian Barnett and Traffic Engineer in Training Kristi Mayes gave a powerpoint presentation on roundabouts. This is a follow-up to a previous work session on Gateway traffic capacity, where councilors requested information on the characteristics of roundabouts. Mr. Barnett said modern roundabouts have become a subject of great interest and attention over the last few years and how they follow design principles that are different from those of traffic circles used in the United States in the early part of the century. Ms. Mayes explained what a roundabout is, how it circulates traffic, and how yielding occurs at an entry or in the traffic circle. She provided examples of both small and large circles and showed examples of a modem roundabout. . Mr. Barnett reviewed the benefits of a roundabout, including safety, conflicts, capacity, aesthetics and traffic decisions. He said safety was the main feature that attracted his division to begin research on roundabouts. Mr. Barnett said the primary reasons to consider roundabouts include: 1) greater safety, 2) shorter delays, 3) lower costs, and 4) aesthetic and design issues. Mr. Barnett said public reaction to roundabouts is generally positive. He reported in one survey, typical public response was 68 percent negative or strongly negative, but improved to 73 percent positive or strongly positive after roundabout construction. In another survey, 56 percent of respondents were positive, 29 percent neutral, and 15 percent were unfavorable. Mr. Barnett stated he had every confidence that the public would be supportive of a roundabout, when the construction phase was completed. Councilor Leiken asked Mr. Barnett how other cities educated their public/citizens during the construction of roundabouts. Mr. Barnett did not have the answer, but said he would inquire and report back to the council. Councilor Hatfield said roundabouts make sense. He spoke about pedestrian use and safety features and how the small design makes the concept attractive. Councilor Hatfield said he would support a demonstration location. Councilor Lundberg said roundabouts are aesthetically better due to less use of traffic signals. There was a discussion on the ability for emergency vehicles to get through. Councilor Simmons said roundabouts need to have a realistic turning radius for buses and larger vehicles. He asked staff to take that into consideration when planning for construction. . Councilor Simmons spoke about the use of roundabouts for the I-5/Beltline construction project. City of Springfield Work Session - 6/14/99 Page 3 . Mr. Barnett provided specific information on the site and reported one branch of the Oregon Department of Transportation did not want to discuss the concept, yet another branch felt it may be feasible. Councilor Ballew said she would like to see public acceptance prior to any firm decisions being made on a specific location to place a roundabout. There was a discussion of the public input process. Councilor Lundberg said she would support an intense public information process, as it is better to hear information or concerns prior to constmction. Mr. Barnett referenced information that Steve Moe brought back from Australia regarding Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and roundabouts. Mayor Maine asked if the pedestrian crossing was raised in the modern roundabout example. Mr. Barnett said not unless a speed bump was wanted. There was a discussion regarding costs for roundabouts versus signalization. Mayor Maine said she would like to use a current video for the public education/information process. She would also like personal testimony from staff and residents of areas where roundabouts have been successful. She 'supported the review and possible construction of one. . There was a discussion of test' constmction site: Staff is, recommending 58th Street. Councilors felt the use of a roundabout would have ,a positive'impact on the traffic. movement atthatlocation. Mr. Barnett said the cost would be, comparable to a signal within 20 percenteither.wayOther benefits would include safety features. and the effect' of speed reduction. By consensus, council members provided their acceptance of beginning the design for a test project on 58th Street. They reminded staff to prepare for a public education and information period, prior to construction. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 6:20 p.m.. Minutes Recorder - Shari Higgins: ~~ Maureen M. Maine, Mayor ATTEST: LJ~ .