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HomeMy WebLinkAbout04/07/2008 Regular City of Springfield Regular Meeting MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE SPRINGFIELD CITY COUNCIL HELD MONDAY, APRIL 7, 2008 The City of Springfield Council met in regular session in the Council Meeting Room, 225 Fifth Street, Springfield, Oregon, on Monday, April 7, 2008 at 7:05 p.m., with Mayor Leiken presiding. ATTENDANCE Present were Mayor Leiken and Councilors Lundberg, Wylie, Ballew, Ralston, and Woodrow. Also present were City Manager Gino Grimaldi, Assistant City Manager Jeff Towery, City Attorney Joe Leahy, City Recorder Amy Sowa and members of the staff. Councilor Pishioneri was absent (excused). PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Mayor Leiken. SPRINGFIELD UPBEAT CONSENT CALENDAR IT WAS MOVED BY COUNCILOR LUNDBERG WITH A SECOND BY COUNCILOR WOODROW TO APPROVE THE CONSENT CALENDAR WITH ITEM S.C. REMOVED. THE MOTION PASSED WITH A VOTE OF S FOR AND 0 AGAINST (1 ABSENT - Pishioneri). 1. Claims 2. Minutes a. February 19,2008 - Work Session b. March 3, 2008 - Work Session c. March 3,2008 - Regular Meeting d. March 10,2008 - Work Session e. March 10, 2008 - Special Regular Meeting f. March 11, 2008 - Joint City CouncillPlanning Commission Work Session g. March 17,2008 - Work Session h. March 17, 2008 - Regular Meeting 1. March 24,2008 - Work Session 3. Resolutions a. RESOLUTION NO. 08-07 - A RESOLUTION TO ACCEPT PERMIT PROJECT P30542, ROYAL BUILDING ALLEY IMPROVEMENTS. b. RESOLUTION NO. 08-08 - A RESOLUTION TO ACCEPT PERMIT PROJECT P30467: 23RD AND OLYMPIC STREET PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS. City of Springfield Council Regular Meeting Minutes April 7, 2008 Page 2 c. RESOLUTION NO. 08-09 - A RESOLUTION TO ACCEPT PERMIT PROJECT P30477: 3RD STREET IMPROVEMENTS SOUTH OF S STREET. d. RESOLUTION NO. 08-10 - A RESOLUTION TO ACCEPT PERMIT PROJECT P3050l: RAKOCZY-WELKER SUBDIVISION. e. RESOLUTION NO. 08-11- A RESOLUTION TO ACCEPT PERMIT PROJECT P30473: NORTH A STREET IMPROVEMENTS. 4. Ordinances 5. Other Routine Matters a. Approval ofthe Liquor License Endorsement for Holiday Inn Hotels-Resorts, Located at 919 Kruse Wa.y, Springfield, Oregon b. Acceptance ofthe Bid from Owen Equipment Company for the Purchase of Two (2) Mechanical Sweepers in the Amount of $313,256. c. (Removed) d. Acceptance of the 2006/2007 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report. ITEMS REMOVED 5. c. Approval of an Agreement with Lane County to Provide Engineering, Construction, and Administrative Activities as Needed to Construct the Pioneer Parkway Overlay Project (P20438) and Authorize the City Manager to Execute the Agreement on Behalf of the City. City Attorney Joe Leahy explained that two minor amendments had been made based on input from Lane County this afternoon. IT WAS MOVED BY COUNCILOR WOODROW WITH A SECOND BY COUNCILOR BALLEW TO APPROVE ITEM S.C. AS AMENDED BY THE HANDOUT BEFORE COUNCIL DATED APRIL 7, 2008 FROM JEFF PASCHALL AND LANE COUNTY MAKING MINOR TEXT CHANGES IN SECTIONS 8 AND 9. THE MOTION PASSED WITH A VOTE OF 5 FOR AND 0 AGAINST (1 Absent - Pishioneri). , PUBLIC HEARINGS -Please limit comments to 3 minutes. Request to speak cards are available at both entrances. Please present cards to City Recorder. Speakers may not yield their time to others. None. BUSINESS FROM THE AUDIENCE 1. Alethalou Harmon. 145 Pioneer Parkway East, Sprin~field, OR. Ms. Harmon said she submitted a letter to Council last week. She first wanted to commend the Police Department. She worked with Captain Lewis for a March 13 evening event. He was very responsive, came to the activity and made his presence known. She noted that when trying to get people downtown they had to deal with panhandlers and undesirables and it didn't help their businesses. Captain Lewis's visibility was very effective and he had told them he would also be present at their May 8 event. Ms. Harmon also commended Carole Knapel, project manager for the Justice Center, for talking to Ms. Harmon about the construction and what was happening. Ms. Harmon said she was representing herself, Ruthie B' s and Country Rose --." City of Springfield Council Regular Meeting Minutes April 7, 2008 Page 3 and they were still experiencing problems. The construction was having a negative impact on parking and people weren't as willing to walk far in the downtown environment. She felt compelled to speak before Council on this issue because the construction would be ongoing. She would like to have a couple of suggestions considered: stores using some banners that hung perpendicular to the building making them visible to people walking or driving by; a moratorium on sandwich boards; or other concessions the City could allow over the summer. She said she was willing to work on a committee or work with people for these considerations. Businesses were suffering. She thanked Council for their time and asked if they had any questions. ' Councilor Ballew asked if they just wanted the banners allowed during the construction time. Ms. Harmon said she would like to see it extended into July because of the traffic with the Olympic Trials. She would like to report back to the City on feedback from her customers. The traffic moved so quickly on Main Street and it was difficult to see the businesses along the road. She noted other cities in Oregon that had desirable signage showing the stores along the roadway. She wanted to work within the guidelines ofthe City. She was representing three businesses, but felt others would be interested as well. She also asked for consideration of putting up a parking sign where parking was available on Pioneer Parkway. Councilor Lundberg asked to have staff work with Ms. Harmon and other businesses during the construction on possible variances. Mr. Grimaldi said he would put together a team. He acknowledged that the Council was interested in looking at some variances through the construction period. Ms. Harmon said she would be happy to report back with input from her customers. She felt that many other businesses could also be interested in these signs. They just needed guidelines. COUNCIL RESPONSE CORRESPONDENCE AND PETITIONS 1. Correspondence from Tom Draggoo, Springfield Renaissance Development Corporation, P.O. Box 841, Springfield, Oregon Regarding the Naming of the Justice Center. 2. Correspondence from Bob Keefer, Superintendent, Willamalane Parks and Recreation, 250 South 32nd Street, Springfield, Oregon Regarding the Listing of the Gray House on Springfield's Historic Landmark Inventory. 3. Correspondence from Senator Bill Morrisette, Regarding the Justice Center Name. 4. Correspondence from Kathy January and Larissa Worthington, Feline Assistance Network (FAN), Regarding Cat Issues in the Community. 5. Correspondence from Alethalou Harmon (Alethalou's Vintage Mall), Ruth Ballenger (Ruthie B's Antiques and Tea Room) and Sandra Shultz (The Country Rose) Regarding Construction, Street Closures and Crime in Downtown. ' IT WAS MOVED BY COUNCILOR LUNDBERG WITH A SECOND BY COUNCILOR WOODROW TO APPROVE THE CORRESPONDENCE FOR FILING. THE MOTION PASSED WITH A VOTE OF S FOR AND 0 AGAINST (1 Absent - Pishioneri). City of Springfield Council Regular Meeting Minutes April?, 2008 Page 4 BIDS ORDINANCES BUSINESS FROM THE CITY COUNCIL 1. Committee Appointments a. Historical Commission Confirmation. City Planner Molly Markarian presented the staff report on this item. On March 24, 2008, the Council interviewed and selected Sean VanGordon to serve his first, four-year term on the Springfield Historical Commission. Mr. VanGordon, a Springfield resident, has a background in Industrial Engineering and is currently a Project Supervisor for United Parcel Service. IT WAS MOVED BY COUNCILOR LUNDBERG WITH A SECOND BY COUNCILOR WOODROW TO APPOINT SEAN V ANGORDON TO THE HISTORICAL COMMISSION WITH A TERM TO EXPIRE SEPTEMBER 30, 2011. THE MOTION PASSED WITH A VOTE OF S FOR AND 0 AGAINST (1 Absent- Pishioneri). b. Room Tax Advisory Committee. City Planner Courtney Griesel presented the staff report on this item. The Springfield Room Tax Fund was established to enhance tourism activities, sports, and cultural attractions in the Springfield Community, especially those that generate additional economic activity and increases in room tax revenues. Applicants proposing projects needing Room Tax funds will submit an application for review by the R T A Committee which is charged with reviewing and recommending eligible Room Tax Fund recipients to the Springfield Budget Committee for the fiscal year 2008-09. They would meet on April 30, 2008 to review applications and recommend projects for presentation to the Budget Committee in May. City Council needs to select appointees to make up the Room Tax Advisory (RTA) Committee positions. At Council's discretion they may select any number or combination of the candidates listed in Attachment I fill the Committee. Councilor Ballew said the law for room tax funds had changed and she asked about uses for the room tax funding. Ms. Griesel said this committee would select projects that were tourism related that would bring more people into the community. She explained previous uses. Mr. Grimaldi said the law changed the percentage that went to tourism. He explained. Councilor Ballew questioned the need for a committee that only represented the hospitality industry . City of Springfield Council Regular Meeting Minutes April 7, 2008 Page 5 Ms. Griesel said the committee membership would not necessarily need to be made up of people from the hospitality industry. It could also include Budget Committee members. This committee would only make recommendations on a small percentage of the room tax funds. Mr. Grimaldi said this committee would only deal with dollars that generated tourism. If Council wanted to do it differently, it could be changed. Councilor Ballew asked about the amount of funds. Ms. Griesel said it was approximately $60,000 that this committee would address. Councilor Lundberg asked what the total amount of funds were. Ms. Griesel said she did not have that figure in front of her, but it was substantially more. The $60,000 was a small percentage of the whole. Councilor Ballew asked if all those listed were willing to serve. Yes. Mr. Grimaldi said Council could revisit their decision and determine not to allocate the funds. He reminded Council that they chose that option last year and were approached during the Budget Committee process and did end up allocating the funds. Councilor Lundberg said she had been on the Room Tax Advisory Committee in the past. It was an opportunity for the City to give back to the community with small projects. The scoreboard at the Willamalane Pool turned it into a regional facility that was able to host swim meets. In the past, the funds were used for worthy tourism related events. It was a fun committee and a small portion of the funds available. It was nice to give those dollars back how those taxes were generated. She was supportive of this committee. By going through this process, they could avoid issues coming forward to the Budget Committee. Ms. Griesel said the Convention and Visitor Association of Lane County (CV ALCO) had identified a staff member named Janis Ross to serve on this committee and the Springfield Chamber of Commerce Chamber had identified Dan Egan, Executive Director, to serve. Also, the Springfield area hotel representative was identified as Colleen Arruda, General Manager from the Holiday Inn. Discussion was held regarding how many others Council would appoint to the committee. It was determined that five would be an appropriate total, with the three representatives noted along with two Budget Committee citizen members. IT WAS MOVED BY COUNCILOR RALSTON WITH A SECOND BY COUNCILOR WYLIE TO APPOINT MAUREEN SICOTTE AND RITA CASTILLO TO THE ROOM TAX ADVISORY COMMITTEE. THE MOTION PASSED WITH A VOTE OF S FOR AND 0 AGAINST (1 Absent - Pishioneri). 2. Business from Council a. Committee Reports City of Springfield Council Regular Meeting Minutes April 7, 2008 Page 6 1. , Councilor Woodrow said the Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) for the Springfield Justice Center met last week. The Arts Commission had notified the CAC that they had a large supply of art that had been donated to the City that could be used in the Justice Center if the CAC chose. The Arts Commission could facilitate getting the art there. The CAC looked at the photos of the artwork and decided it would be best to view them in person. 2. Councilor Ballew reported on the Metropolitan Wastewater Management Commission (MWMC). At the last meeting they approved the budget and capital improvement project. The budget would be c~ming to Council on the Consent Calendar soon if Council agreed. 3. Mayor Leiken said he had served on a panel to select the new Region II Manager for the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT). Jane Lee was appointed, replacing Jeff Sheik. The Mayor said he was very impressed with all three candidates, any of which could have done a goodjob. He was very pleased with Ms. Lee's appointment. Mayor Leiken reported on the Transportation Governance committees. He thought he would be able to report in May where the committees were going. These were advisory committees and the decisions would be up to the legislators. He noted that Representative Beyer had been attending the meetings and she would be first in line for any transportation bills. The committees were hearing that cities were suffering in the area of operations and maintenance. BUSINESS FROM THE CITY MANAGER 1. Ratification of a Three-Year Contract with the Springfield Police Association (SPA). Human Resources Director Bill Spiry presented the staff report on this item. The collective bargaining agreement between the City and the Springfield Police Association (SPA) will expire on June 30,2008. SPA and City negotiators have agreed to "roll-over" the terms of the current contract with very limited change in lieu of extended formal negotiations. Contract terms were tentatively authorized by Council on December 3,2007, and the tentative agreement ratified by the membership of SPAin February. Provisions are effective July 1, 2008 with a three year term expiring June 30, 2011. In summary, the contract includes the following parameters. Term: 3 years - July 1,2008 - June 30, 2011 Wages: · Effective July 1 of years, 2008, 2009 and 2010, the salary schedule for all employees shall be increased by the increase in the US CPI-W February to February with a minimum of two percent (2%) and a maximum of five percent (5%) · Effective July 1, 2008, 2009 and 2010, the salary schedule for employees employed in the classification of Community Service Officer II shall be increased by an additional one percent (1 %) City of Springfield Council Regular Meeting Minutes April 7, 2008 Page 7 The maximum projected [mandai impact of this agreement over the life of the contract would be $3,314,000 for cumulative compensation and benefits, based on an assumed maximum CPI-W based COLA in all three years, which is within Council guidance. Mr. Spiry explained some of the negotiations that took place. Councilor Ralston said the total accumulative amount was $3.3M and the City's tax base was not going up at the same rate. His rate at work didn't go up at the same rate. He knew this had to be done, but he didn't like it. IT WAS MOVED BY COUNCILOR LUNDBERG WITH A SECOND BY COUNCILOR WOODROW TO AUTHORIZE RATIFICATION OF AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF SPRINGFIELD AND THE SPRINGFIELD POLICE ASSOCIATION (SPA) BARGAINING UNIT. THE MOTION PASSED WITH A VOTE OF S FOR AND 0 AGAINST (1 Absent - Pishioneri). BUSINESS FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at approximately 7:29 p.m. Minutes Recorder Amy Sowa Attest: City~