HomeMy WebLinkAbout04/09/2018 Work Session City of Springfield
Work Session Meeting
MINUTES OF TIM WORK SESSION MEETING OF
THE SPRINGFIELD CITY COUNCIL HELD
MONDAY,APRIL 9,2018
The City of Springfield Council met in a work session in the Jesse Maine Meeting Room, 225 Fifth
Street, Springfield, Oregon, on Monday,April 9, 2018 at 6:00 p.m.,with.Mayor Lundberg presiding.
ATTENDANCE
Present were Mayor Lundberg and Councilors VanGordon, Moore, Stoehr,Woodrow and Pishioneri.
Also present were City Manager Gino Grimaldi, City Attorney Mary Bridget Smith,City Recorder
Amy Sowa and members of the staff.
Councilor Wylie was absent(excused).
1. Comcast Franchise Renewal.
Neil Obringer,Management Analyst,presented the staff report on this item.
Staff is representing Springfield in negotiations with Comcast for renewal of the regional cable
franchise.The current cable franchise contains language referencing a Springfield customer service
center; however, Comeast closed the Springfield customer service center in 2012. In crafting the new
franchise agreement there are two questions on which staff is requesting input from Council;
1.) Is it acceptable to continue negotiating removal of language referencing a Springfield
customer service center?
2.) If yes to above,what terms of removal would the Council find acceptable?
The direction provided by Council may have a direct financial impact to the City.This question
involves a potential donation to the Springfield Library Foundation for equipment at the Springfield.
library.
Mr. Obringer said if the Council approved of the funding to the Library Foundation,those funds would
be put towards improved WiFi capacity in the Library,add remote printing capabilities,and update
two educational computer devices. If the Library Foundation received$50,000,the projects noted
would be done, as well as online tutoring to students and adults,ten additional devices would be
available to be checked out at the Library,and they would add a desk top publishing and small
business computer station for public use.
Councilor Woodrow said she is fine with removal of the service center and liked the proposal of
$50,000.Comcast is very involved with ARC. She explained the services and hardware they provide
to ARC. She felt a larger number going to the Library($35,000)and smaller amount to ARC
($15,000)would be more appropriate as the library reaches a larger population. She likes the proposed
list for the library.
Councilor Moore asked why it is only$50,000 rather than $75,000 that was given in the past.
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Mr. Obringer said he was not involved in this piece of the negotiation,but felt it may have been due to
the amounts previously given.
Councilor Moore asked about a park facility for Are and if Willamalane was involved.
Mayor Lundberg said they would not be involved as it would be a private park.
Councilor Pishioneri expressed concern that negotiations were started before the Council was
involved. The initial$75,000 was given as a gift, and the City allowed them to move across the
freeway and have no presence in Springfield. He pointed out that the bus ride to Valley River is
lengthy from Springfield and could be difficult for those needing to use public transportation. It is
important for citizens in Springfield with transportation issues to have Comcast reasonably close, even
if it is just a kiosk at Gateway or another store.He doesn't want the City to underwrite any parks
because that is under Willarrialane's purview. If it was a public park,he may be more supportive. Arc
should apply to Comcast independently from this for the park.
Mayor Lundberg said last time when Comcast provided funding to the City,the Council was not
involved in the negotiations.
Mr. Obringer said he believed the Library foundation was chosen through discussions with Comcast
and the previous staff member working on this agreement. Any agreement would need to be
confirmed by Council. These are all preliminary options and are up for negotiations and changes based
on Council input. Any final agreement would be executed into any agreement similar to what was
done for the$75,000 which was documented in a side letter.
Councilor Stoehr asked how many employees were working at the Springfield center.
Mr. Obringer said he recalled there were 3 employees.
Councilor Stoehr asked if Comcast was aware this would be subject to Council approval. He has a
concern with the franchise being renewed without the requirement of the service center in Springfield.
Councilor VanGordon said the business model is changing.He understands that it could be difficult
for people with limited transportation to get to Valley River and he appreciated hearing that concern.
He supports the direction,but would like to get some type of commitment for a presence in Springfield
with a drop box, kiosk,or some other way to address those that can't get to Valley River.He supports
$35,000 and$15,000,but would be fine with an even split. He said he would expect that the$25,000
was new money corning into the community. Comcast does put a lot of money in this community.He
isn't sure the online printing is as a high priority as the tutoring or business solution for the library.He
would encourage them to move those projects up on the priority list.
Councilor Pishioneri said if the funding was provided,he would suggest funds only go to capital use
for the library. He is concerned about giving to Are rather than looking at other needy organizations in
the community.He would like to allow other organizations to apply for those funds so they could be
leveraged throughout the community.
Mayor Lundberg said she sits on the cable commission,via MPC, and there is a bigger discussion
regarding the franchise agreement. She is not interested in giving Arc any of these funds. Comcast
sponsors many things and she feels they have the funds to give to the community. The City gives
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funds to Arc through Human Services Commission.The City has more limited funds so she wants
them all to go to Springfield for the library. She would prefer it all goes to electronics. She is not as
interested in a Springfield site,because they can drop equipment off at any UPS store. She
commended City staff who respond to complaints about Comcast because they get things done. There
are options available. This will have to fold into the bigger discussion.
Mr. Obringer said there will be an update to the cable commission in May. From there,it is dependent
on how the remainder of the negotiations goes with Comcast. Ideally it will happen prior to the August
I expiration deadline.
Mayor Lundberg said she would like to see Comcast offer the same $10 program that is offered for
low-income school children,to low-income senior citizens.
Councilor Moore said she has seen improvement in Comcast services and asked staff to share that with
them. She asked if the franchise negotiations will include what they pay the City.
Mr. Obringer said we can negotiate the definition of gross receipts which is used to determine how
much they return to the City. We are regulated by federal law and capped at 5%of gross receipts.
Councilor Moore said she didn't support a park for Are. These funds are for the citizens of
Springfield. She asked if there are other groups in the City that could use funds. She asked why it isn't
$75,000 this time around. She also felt customers should be aware that they can drop off their
equipment at UPS.
Councilor Woodrow said she is comfortable having all$50,000 to the library. She feels Comcast will
provide the funds needed for Arc's park regardless. She also asked that it be relayed to Comcast that
they shouldn't lower the download speed for those on the$10 program. It can make people feel like
second class citizens.She would like to ask for$75,000.
Councilor Stoehr agreed. He would like to advocate for giving it to the Library Foundation.
Councilor Pishioneri said he agreed they should ask for$75,000, but he's not sure he wants to earmark
neast runs security software program, so perhaps some of the funds
it all to the Library Foundation. Cor
could be used for electronic security and monitoring if we get more money.
Councilor VanGordon said he is good with$75,000,making the last$25,000 less restrictive so it
could be used for other uses around the building.
Mayor Lundberg said she wants to know what they are looking at in regards to the franchise.
Mr.Obringer said this would be separate from the new franchise.This side agreement would need to
be approved by Council.
Mayor Lundberg said Council would like to ask for$75,000,with$50,000 going to the Library
Foundation and$25,000 for security.
Councilor VanGordon added that Comcast needs to know that there needs to be a physical building in
this area.The City shares the concerns of Eugene to keep a facility.
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2. Market Study for Non-Union Employees and Update to Compensation Plan.
Chaim Hertz,Human Resources Director,presented the staff report on this item.
Nonunion employee pay ranges have not increased since January 1, 2015. Similar to last time,the
City contracted with.Gallagher Benefit Services to perforin the market survey and to update the
compensation plan. The same group of agencies used in 2010 and 2014 were included, and the same
criteria used to determine a comparator organization was utilized again(employer size and
complexity; geographic proximity,nature of series provided).
The City of Springfield Non-Union General Service positions on average are currently lagging the
market 5061 percentile of range midpoints by 0.3%.This tells us that our pay plans have remained
competitive over the last three years despite the CPT for Portland-Salem increasing by 7.5% over the
same time period (2015-2017). There are 55 employees in this group, most of Whom are supervisors,
managers and directors who perform most of the higher decision-making and risk-taking functions in
the City.
Mr. Hertz described the process in gathering the market infonnation.
To implement the proposed plan, staff recommends that employees be moved on to the new pay plans
July 1 to the closest step that isn't a decrease. This will result in an average increase of 2.38% in year
one with a budget impact of$106,288. The following two years would follow the consultant's
recommendation of increasing the pay plans by 1.5%per year. Implementing in this manner results in
a final overall cumulative increase of 5.38%and a 3 year budget impact of$520,562.This amount
falls within budget projections.
For the Non-Union Public Safety employees,the consultants have recommended increasing their pay
ranges by 3% a year over the next two years to keep from experiencing compression issues with the
with the Lieutenant position receiving an additional 1.5%over
represented police unit they supervise;
the next two years. Total two-year budget impact is $118,042 and within budget projections.
Councilor Stoehr asked for clarification on some of the proposed increases for public safety.
Councilor VanGordon asked how many steps we have on average.
Mr.Hertz responded that there are seven steps,with an increase between steps of 5% or less.
Councilor VanGordon asked about what triggers someone moving to the next step.
Mr.Hertz said it is based on both an anniversary but is predicated on meeting performance
expectations.
Councilor VanGordon said this is in line with the private sector that he knows. He is comfortable with
the number and with what is being proposed for law enforcement. It is important to remember that we
compete with the private sector for these positions. He would like us to look harder at how we are
compensating employees and feels we can do better recognizing the work of managers.
Councilor Moore asked about different ways to do this type of study.
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Mr. Hertz said the annual approach is more common in the private sector due to market changes. He
explained. They could start with the aging approach first.
Councilor Moore asked if the Council had input to changing the process.
Mr. Hertz said Council does have input. Staff could continue to keep an eye on the private market
either way. The private sector uses a wider pay range with a smaller range between steps and there are
some advantages to that. He also recognized the benefits with how the City's structure is set up. He
explained. He would like to look at the triggers for employees moving from one range to another.
Councilor Moore agreed it needed to be fair for employees.
Councilor Pishioneri spoke regarding compression with public safety and asked Mr.Chaim to look at
the base wages. Someone could cboose to work a lot of overtime,which would.mean they would
make more than a manager.
Mr. Hertz said he is speaking on behalf of the non-union staff, but agrees there is some balance. The
base wage amount should be enough to encourage people to move into leadership. They need to look
at and retain some width between the two. He will continue to monitor.
Councilor Pishioneri said other agencies pay extra into retirement for management in lieu of higher
wages. There are ways to not go into higher wages.
Councilor VanGordon said this is the second year of this type of process and he is open to doing
something different. He would shy away from more steps because they don't necessarily incentivize
the right kind of work, He wants to look at this to make sure we are compensating people in the right
way and getting the best out of everyone.
Mayor Lundberg said she is fine going forward, but is interested in Mr. Hertz's experience. She would
be interested if there are some adjustments to make it better or make it move forward more smoothly.
Mr. Hertz said there is a lot of science to all of this. He applauded the dedication of City of Springfield
employees and agrees they should be appropriately compensated for the work they do.
Mayor Lundberg said she would be.interested in whatever improvements could be made to make
recruitment more attractive.
3. Transportation Funding Priorities.
Emma Newman, Senior Planner,presented the staff report on this item.
City Council began its discussion on Transportation Funding Priorities at the March 26,2018 work
session. This agenda item is a continuation of that discussion in response to Council's request to have
a follow up meeting.
The Central Lane MPO is starting the process to determine programming transportation funds for
federal fiscal years 2019,2020, and 2021. There will be approximately$16.5 million available for the
region over the three year period, after accounting for continued funding of MPO staff time(including
$45,000 for City of Springfield Transportation Planning) and Point2Point program costs.
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Based on Council discussions,staff has developed a range of funding scenarios to facilitate further
discussion of City of Springfield priorities.
The regional staff Transportation Planning Committee(TPC)will make a final recommendation later
this spring or early summer. Subsequently,the Metropolitan Policy Committee(MPC)will make the
final decision on regional funding allocations.Mayor Lundberg and.Councilor Wylie are City of
Springfield MPC representatives.
Ms.Newnan noted the scenarios offered. She also mentioned that mobilization costs are paid for each
project, so would have to be charged each time a different segment of a project was done unless done
continuously.There are also some issues with road closures for splitting projects into multiple
segments.Finally, she noted that during a reconstruction of Mill Street,they would have to bring the
street up to standards including a bicycle and pedestrian project for restri.ping and signage.
Discussion was held regarding the bicycle and pedestrian portion of the project. It would be need to go
through a study and public process. There would still be two lanes on Mill Street.
Councilor VanGordon asked how much the extra mobilization costs would be if they broke up the
project on Mill Street.
City Engineer Jeff Paschall said it would be anywhere from 10-15%of the total cost.Each company
has their own calculation. If Mill Street is not reconstructed now, it will deteriorate further, in part
because of a water line project by SUB.
Councilor VanGordon said he is in favor of including 140'Street,28"'Street, 19`h and Marcola
intersection and Franklin Boulevard on the list.
Councilor Woodrow said she is in favor of keeping Mill Street on the list, as well as 28'h Street, 19°i
Street and Franklin Boulevard.
Councilor Stoehr asked about Franklin Boulevard and the design work.
Ms.Newman provided background on the Franklin Boulevard project and design work.
Councilor Stoehr asked about Marcola Road and the connecting streets.
Ms. Newman responded to his questions.
Councilor Stoehr said he favors 28''Street, 14a'Street and Mill Street.
Councilor Moore said she is in favor of 28'J' Street, 140' Street and 19`h Street preservation. She agrees
Mill Street reconstruction is needed,but costs too much money.
Mayor Lundberg asked about other funding sources.
Mr.Boyatt said TIGER funds increased substantially.The disadvantage we have is that we don't have
the match,the right of way,or the design to acquire right of way. The TIGER.rules want a quick
-of-way.
turnaround and like to fund project completion. We have proved we can get right
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Ms.Newman said there is a lot of earmarking for the beginning of the House Bill funding. We are
going to receive$24M for 42"d Street which is programmed for 2023.The STIP funding we previously
got through the Lane ACT will not be coming around for another three years.The State safety
program has funds which we have received for the Main Street project. This is more flexible funding.
Councilor Pishioneri asked about sharing the cost of Mill Street reconstruction with SUB. He noted
several failed areas where SUB has dug up the street for projects.He asked if we could use those
examples as leverage for Mill Street.
Mr. Paschall said the City has increased the standard with SUB and are monitoring their work. It is
difficult on streets that are already failing. They could have come up with a partnership for Mill
Street,but the City has had difficulty finding the funds for our portion.He noted that he does sit down
with SUB to review and compare their project lists annually.The street fund no longer has a budget to
partner,but they do try to coordinate when we do have funds. SUB is on a robust water line iproject
timeline in order to beep the system from failing. The City will work with them on South 28t'Street.
He further described SUB's projects.
Councilor Pishioneri said he is good with including Mill Street,28th Street, 19th Street and Franklin
Boulevard.
reet preservation would be the top choice for staff.
Mayor Lundberg asked if the 28t'' St
Ms.Newman said both 28'h Street and 14'b Street.
Mr. Paschall said 14`x' Street has a lot of commercial traffic so it is better to preserve the street rather
than reconstruct to minimize the impact. 28'h Street is a major truck route and would be a higher
priority in his opinion. There is some sidewalk infill which would help as they bring the road up to
ADA requirements.
The final list Council agreed upon included:
• 28"preservation
• Mill Street reconstruction
• New Franklin
19t /Marcola intersection
Councilor VanGordon asked about the Moe Mountain prpject.
Ms.Newman said it was not included in Willamalane's last bond but is part of their Capital
Improvement Program (CII').The funds are not extra dollars for the purpose of this list.
Councilor Moore noted that if the City is trying to attract something in Glenwood, it would be
beneficial if we shore we are willing to continue to invest the continuation of Franklin Boulevard.
Mayor Lundberg said the Council can consider a bond measure in the future to help with street
projects.
Mr. Grimaldi said staff will bring something to Council in work session.
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Councilor Moore said that for that discussion, she would like to know how many streets in the City are
not paved at all.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 7:33 p.m.
Minutes Recorder—Amy Sowa
Christine L. Lundberg
Mayor
Attest:
c�$At e-
Ai Sow
City Recorder