HomeMy WebLinkAbout2020 12 15 AIS - CEP Revisions_Wetland Riparian UGB_12.15.20AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY Meeting Date: 12/15/2020
Meeting Type: Regular Meeting
Staff Contact/Dept.: Monica Sather/DPW
Staff Phone No: 541-736-1038
Estimated Time: 30 minutes
S P R I N G F I E L D
COMMITTEE FOR CITIZEN INVOLVEMENT
Council Goals: Promote and Enhance
our Hometown Feel
while Focusing on
Livability and
Environmental Quality
ITEM TITLE: WETLAND & RIPARIAN INVENTORIES FOR UGB EXPANSION AREAS –
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PLAN REVISIONS
ACTION
REQUESTED:
Approve proposed changes to the project’s Community Engagement Plan (CEP) as
shown in Attachment 1
ISSUE
STATEMENT:
Staff seeks approval by the Committee for Citizen Involvement (CCI) to revise the
timeline for the Wetland & Riparian Inventories for UGB Expansion Areas project
as reflected in the project’s CEP and to revise narrative sections of the CEP.
ATTACHMENTS: Attachment 1: Revised Community Engagement Plan (as proposed)
DISCUSSION:
Overview of Proposed Revisions
Attachment 1 highlights proposed revisions in legislative format. The revisions:
1. Address direction from the Department of Land Conservation and
Development (DLCD) with timeline adjustments (beginning on page 6).
Proposed modifications to the timeline section is as follows:
• Remove language in reference to DLCD’s required timelines for adoption;
• Further clarify that the timelines for each task are estimates; and,
• Shift tasks to future timeframes (as estimated).
2. Update additional narrative sections to reflect the current status and
circumstances of the project (pages 1 and 5).
Full Discussion
In its August 2020 Legislative Session, the Oregon Legislature reduced funds
appropriated for DLCD Technical Assistance Grants (2019-2021 biennium) due to
reduced State revenue resulting from the COVID-19 emergency. DLCD reduced
the amount of Springfield’s grant award. To accommodate the grant reduction, the
grant contract’s scope of work eliminated project tasks.
The eliminated tasks that affect the CEP are Task 4: Prepare Adoption-Ready
Inventory & Assessment Policy Language and Task 5: Adopt Plan Amendments.
Accordingly, Tasks 4 and 5 are no longer tied to a timeline required to satisfy the
terms of the grant. Completion of Task 4 involves drafting a staff report and
accompanying materials. The adopted plan amendments in Task 5 will result in
updates to Springfield’s wetland and riparian inventories and to the Springfield
Natural Resources Study. Tasks 4 and 5 will remain part of the project but may
require more time to complete without DLCD’s anticipated financial support.
Reviewing the CEP for timeline revisions revealed opportunities for further
revision. Additionally proposed updates reflect progress on the project since the
CCI’s initial approval of the CEP on April 21, 2020 and reflect the project’s
adaptation to COVID-19 circumstances by adjusting engagement strategies.
During the meeting, staff will give an overview of how these strategies could look
in action with specific examples of what is ahead for this winter’s “open house”.
WETLAND & RIPARIAN INVENTORIES FOR UGB EXPANSION AREAS
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PLAN
Approved by the Committee for Citizen Involvement: April 21, 2020
[Placeholder: Revisions Approved: December 15, 2020*]
*This Plan is revised as of December 15, 2020 to reflect a timeline extension due to reductions in State revenue to fund the
project and to reflect the project’s current status, including a continuation of COVID-19 precautions for this Plan’s strategies.
This project is funded by Oregon General Fund dollars through the Department of Land Conservation and Development.
The contents of this document do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the State of Oregon.
Note: Proposed revisions are highlighted in grey in legislative format (i.e., strikethrough and underline).
I. INTRODUCTION
This Community Engagement Plan (“Engagement Plan”) describes activities that the City of Springfield
will undertake as part of the Wetland & Riparian Inventories for UGB Expansion Areas project. This
Engagement Plan highlights the project’s strategies for ensuring that interested and affected parties,
together with the project team, receive and provide meaningful input to one another. This Engagement
Plan is designed with the general public, decision makers, Oregon Department of Land Conservation &
Development (DLCD) Grant Managers, and the project team in mind as the intended audience.
II. PROJECT BACKGROUND
Since the State’s acknowledgement of Springfield’s urban growth boundary (UGB) expansion in March
2019, the City is now able to make progress on implementing a planning framework for how and where
future development may occur in the areas where the UGB expanded (“UGB expansion areas”). The
purpose of this project is to further one of several ways to address this need. Future development actions
and other activities within the UGB expansion areas rely on an understanding of the land’s existing
characteristics—including its natural resources—to make informed decisions on best uses and the siting
of those uses. Protection measures for these resources must be adopted for compliance with Oregon
Statewide Planning Goal 5. To comply with Goal 5, the inventory will result in updates to the Springfield
Natural Resources Study. The most recent update to the Study (2011) included findings and protections
for resources found in Glenwood. This project will primarily follow the methods used for this previous
work.
This inventory project is made possible by a Technical Assistance Grant from DLCD and local matching
funds. These funds enabled the project to benefit from the support of the Lane Council of Governments
(LCOG) staff as members of the project team who bring extensive experience with local governments’
efforts to adopt natural resource-based planning documents, many of which were implemented through
DLCD grant programs. LCOG brings relevant knowledge to the City of Springfield, having managed the
wetland and riparian inventory and assessment process for the Glenwood area.
As of the date of this the original Engagement Plan was approved by the Springfield Committee for
Citizen Involvement (April 21, 2020), the City is was in the process of actively soliciting consultant
services through a Request for Proposals process to hire a wetlands consultant in May 2020. The City
selected SummitWest Environmental with support from Terra Science as the consultant team. Upon
completion of the inventory, updates to the Springfield Natural Resources Study will involve co-adoption
by the City of Springfield and Lane County.
The goals of the inventory project balance values of natural resources and open space with the need to
provide available land for employment and institutional opportunities. Specific project goals are:
▪ Further Springfield’s conformance with the Springfield Comprehensive Plan1.
1 Applicable policies include: Urbanization Policy 45: Continue efforts to restore, enhance, and manage the
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▪ Promote a healthy, safe, and clean community by making wise use of natural resources.
▪ Enable urbanization of Springfield’s designated employment areas by meeting State-mandated
planning requirements based on Oregon Statewide Planning Goal 5.
▪ Identify ways to enhance Springfield’s work by addressing other Statewide Planning Goals:
quality air, water, and land (Goal 6); natural hazards (Goal 7); recreation (Goal 8); and economic
development (Goal 9).
▪ Provide better certainty for developers by making development decisions streamlined and
predictable.
The goals of this Engagement Plan are consistent with the overall purpose of the project.
III. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PLAN GOALS
At the foundation of this Engagement Plan is an understanding of the extent and type of activities needed
to convey technical, scientific data in a clear manner. An understanding of how to reconcile potentially
competing interests and priorities to reach policy decisions will also guide the project’s success.
▪ Timely Communication: Provide stakeholders a project team that is accessible and responsive.
▪ Accurate and Understandable Communication: Target outreach in a manner that offers
platforms for quality input from stakeholders to ensure that the project results in quality outcomes.
Specifically, to facilitate effective communication with affected and interested stakeholders so that
the community’s values of Springfield’s natural resources are understood.
▪ Agency Collaboration and Public Service: Communicate actively with TEAM Springfield2
agency partners to allow them to consider if and how the knowledge gained from this project will
help TEAM Springfield fulfill their shared missions to ultimately serve the public.
▪ Appropriate Scaling: Develop engagement strategies and conduct outreach activities
commensurate with the level appropriate for this type of work.
▪ Respect: Ensure that all views and perspectives will be acknowledged and balanced where
possible.
▪ Alignment with Critical Dates: Enable the project tasks to occur at the most advantageous
times to obtain and provide optimal information and to fulfill the terms of the Grant Agreement.
▪ Reliability and Adaptability: Serve as a guiding document and resource for the project team
when questions arise and/or the need to revisit strategies becomes apparent.
Springfield Mill Race to fulfill multiple community objectives. Partner with Willamalane and Springfield Utility Board
to provide public access to the Mill Race where appropriate.; Urbanization Policy 47: Prior to approval of a plan
amendment or zone change that permits urban levels of development within the North Gateway or Mill Race
District urbanizable lands, the Springfield Local Wetland Inventory shall be updated in accordance with Statewide
Planning Goal 5 and Goal 5 administrative rules requirements.
2 TEAM Springfield includes the Springfield Utility Board, Willamalane Park & Recreation District, Springfield Public
Schools, and the City of Springfield.
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IV. STAKEHOLDERS
Though the inventories will be limited to the UGB expansion areas, parties who may have an interest in
the project are not necessarily limited to being physically located within these geographic boundaries.
Some of the stakeholders identified include, but are not limited to:
▪ Property owners in the UGB expansion area whose land accommodates (or may accommodate
in the future) a range of residential, agricultural, commercial, industrial, and/or institutional uses.
Specifically (in no particular order):
- Private property owners,
- Willamalane Park & Recreation District (property owner; environmental, recreational, and
educational interest)
- Springfield Utility Board (property owner; environmental interest)
- Eugene Water & Electric Board (property owner)
- Oregon Department of Transportation (property owner)
▪ Within the larger Springfield area and surrounding region (in no particular order):
- General public (including neighboring land owners and tourists)
- Employers who may choose to locate within the expansion area
- City and county appointed and elected officials with the role of representing these community
perspectives
- Oregon’s nine federally recognized Tribes (Klamath Tribes; Coquille Indian Tribe; Cow Creek
Band of Umpqua Indians; Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs; Confederated Tribes of the
Umatilla Reservation; Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians; Confederated Tribes of Grand
Ronde; Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians; and, Burns
Paiute of Harney County)
- Land, air, water, and wildlife conservation interests
- Transportation providers with adjacent rights-of-way
V. PROCESS OVERVIEW
The data collected by the consultant will inform which wetlands and riparian
areas will be protected with locally-adopted policies and regulations. The results
of the inventory and assessment will be more accurate if property owners within
the UGB expansion areas allow the consultant physical access to their properties
for on-site data collection. Input from stakeholders will be considered to verify
information presented after data collection and to determine appropriate local
protections for each wetland and riparian area, in compliance with State law.
After the inventory and assessment is approved by the Oregon Department of
State Lands, proposed policies and regulations to protect the identified resources
will go through a land use approval process. The process will begin with the
Springfield (and possibly Lane County) Planning Commission(s), providing a
recommendation to the Springfield City Council and Lane County Board on the
Comprehensive Plan amendments needed to protect the natural resources.
Obtain
Existing
Conditions
Identify
Resource
Functions &
Values
Consider
Policy
Options
Decide &
Take
Action
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VI. PROCESS STRATEGIES
The opportunities for working with the community on the project must follow the scope of the Grant
Agreement. As noted, the scope of the Grant Agreement establishes the framework of tasks where
community engagement is anticipated for the project. The project scope provides an outline for the
anticipated strategies as shown below. Task 1 of the project scope is to approve this Community
Engagement Plan. The outline below begins with Task 2.
Oregon Administrative Rules and Oregon Revised Statutes prescribe phases of the inventory process
where input from the public is required. The most recent inventories and assessments of wetlands and
riparian areas in Springfield and the subsequent update to the Springfield Natural Resources Study in
2011 proceeded with public involvement consistent with State law.
While the strategies in this Community Engagement Plan generally follow this previously successful
framework, the project team proposes actions to adapt to actions necessary to address the COVID-19
emergency. In some instances, certain tasks must differ in response, whereas others later on in the
project identify contingency tasks. Effective conveyance of information through a variety of means will
continuously serve as a fundamental principle of this Engagement Plan.
Task 2: Wetland & Riparian Inventory & Assessment
▪ Send letter and request access permission to property owners within the areas to be studied as
required by State law (April 2020). This letter must be clear about what is being asked of
property owners and also introduce them to the project. In the letter:
- Invite property owners to contact staff. Under current requirements for COVID-19, contact
will be limited to phone calls and e-mails. In-person meetings can occur once allowed.
- Create awareness of the project webpage.
- Ensure that the letter expresses that the needs and circumstances of each property owner
will be accommodated.
▪ Develop project webpage and project materials. The webpage will summarize the purpose of the
project, offer educational materials, be a resource for project documents and updates, provide
staff contact information, and may serve as the location for a virtual open house or other public
forum as further described in Task 3.
▪ Create and maintain an e-list for sending out periodic e-updates about the project; sign up form
will be on the project webpage. With permission from interested parties, staff can also add
parties’ information directly to the list instead of requiring completion of the sign up form.
▪ Publish media release to announce the project and promote awareness of how the project fits into
Springfield’s broader efforts.
▪ Open House (Fall 2020 or Winter 2020/21):
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- Hold online open house through the project webpage to:
▪ Reveal the results of the draft inventories to the affected and neighboring property
owners, project stakeholders, and the broader community;
▪ Provide a mechanism for the project team to follow up with property owners and
other interested parties to answer questions; and, to
▪ Gather any additional information that the community—particularly property owners—
may have prior to finalizing the inventory and assessment. The City may also seek
input about potential options for resource protection.
- Hold open house on a day and time that will result in the greatest likelihood of the open
house being well-attended. Potentially host at a location near the majority of the properties
inventoried (e.g., a Willamalane facility). Place materials and summary of open house on
project webpage.
❖ Contingency location for COVID-19: Hold virtual open house. Interactive method is to be
determined (i.e., live, content provided in advance and available for a specified range of
time, a combination of both, etc.).
- Announce the open house through appropriate media platforms (e.g., direct mailings to
affected and neighboring property owners, webpage, social media, etc.); clarify in
announcements the date by which the City needs notification of requests options for Spanish
translation services; and, ensure that the public is aware that the City will accommodate
accessibility-related needs.
▪ Within 120 days of approval of the inventory by the Oregon Department of State Lands, mail
notice to landowners whose lots contain or abut a mapped or probable wetland.
Task 3: Develop Protection Measures
▪ Ensure that partner agencies are involved in this process (e.g., Oregon Department of State
Lands, DLCD, Willamalane Park & Recreation District, Springfield Utility Board, Lane County,
etc.).
▪ Allow for input from stakeholders on policy options by posting a memo of potential protection
mechanisms on the website and notifying interested parties of the opportunity to comment.
Continue to be available by phone and e-mail. Any meetings requested by interested parties
should be considered according to the applicable public health requirements in place at that time.
▪ Share memo of potential protection mechanisms with Springfield and Lane County Planning
Commissions (potentially), Springfield City Council, and Lane County Board as appropriate.
▪ Communicate with Springfield and Lane County Planning Commissions, Springfield City Council,
and the Lane County Board as needed (e.g., memorandum and/or Work Session). Ensure the
public is aware that such sessions are open to attend and that the City can accommodate
accessibility-related needs when notified in advance of the Work Session.
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Task 4: Prepare Adoption-Ready Inventory & Assessment Policy Language
▪ Continue to be available by phone and e-mail. Any meetings requested by interested parties
should be considered according to the applicable public health requirements in place at that time.
Task 5: Adopt Plan Amendments (Spring – Fall 2021)
▪ Advertise joint City/County Public Hearings in legal notices section of the Register-Guard.
▪ Mail notice of Public Hearings to affected and adjacent property owners.
▪ Provide Public Hearing agendas and/or agenda packets to interested parties who have asked for
such notification.
▪ Post information concerning proposed amendment and dates of joint City/County Public Hearings
on City website, at City Hall, and other appropriate locations.
▪ Ensure the public is aware that the City will accommodate accessibility-related needs when
notified in advance.
VII. PROJECT TIMELINE
An Intergovernmental Agreement between the City and LCOG was fully executed in January 2020. Also
in January 2020, the City and DLCD finalized the Grant Agreement. The project became officially active
in February 2020.
To meet the terms of the Grant Agreement, Springfield and Lane County must either:
▪ Co-adopt the update to the Natural Resources Study pursuant to the Plan Amendment process
by May 31, 2021; or,
▪ Provide evidence in the form of draft, adoption-ready products that provide substantial evidence
of a reasonable effort to adopt the Plan Amendments in September 2021.
Due to the inherent uncertainties of timelines associated with the adoption processes for amending
comprehensive planning-related documents, staff is prepared for the possibility that adoption may extend
into Fall 2021. The visual project timeline summarizes the targeted dates and estimated start and
estimated duration of each task. As shown for Task 1 below, working with the community to share
knowledge and determine outcomes will occur throughout the duration of the project.
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