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HomeMy WebLinkAbout05/08/1995 Work Session (3) . City of Springfield Work Session Minutes MINUTES OF THE WORK SESSION OF THE SPRINGFIELD CITY COUNCIL HELD MONDAY, MAY 8,1995 The City of Springfield Council met in Work Session in the Jesse Maine Room, Springfield City Hall, 225 Fifth Street, Springfield, Oregon, on Monday, May 8, 1995, at 8:25 p.m., with Mayor Morrisette presiding. Present were Mayor Morrisette and Councilors Beyer, Burge, Dahlquist, Maine and Shaver. Councilor Walters was absent. Also present were City Manager Mike Kelly, Assistant City Manager Gino Grimaldi, City Attorney Joe Leahy, City Recorder Eileen Stein, and members of staff. 1. Status Report on Community Development Corporation Organizing Activities . Planner II Robin Johnson presented the staff report. Ms. Johnson said the purpose of this report is to discuss the status of organizing activities of the Springfield Community Development Corporation (CDC). She introduced Mr. Ron Middleton of Key Bank who discussed the mission and purpose of the Springfield CDC. Mr. Middleton discussed recent organizing activities of the CDC including applying for non-profit status, planning initial fundraising activities, and identifying initial demonstration projects. He explained how the CDC has been able to accomplish it's objectives through the use of city staff and requested that continued staff support be provided. Council asked questions of Mr. Middleton and Ms. Johnson about involvement by Key Bank and other banks, whether the CDC plans to request public funding for projects, the request for continued staff support, coordination of this CDC with other CDCs in the Springfield community and the missions and abilities of each one, what specific types of projects the Springfield CDC might take on, how the community banking institutions can assist the CDC, and when the initial kick-off activities would occur. By consensus, the Council agreed to continue city staff support for the CDC. 2. TransPlan Update Interim Goals and Objectives Planner II Mel Oberst and Traffic Engineer Gary Mc Kenney provided the staff report. Mr. Oberst gave an overview of the TransPlan update process and discussed the various state and local agencies involved. He indicated that the project is halfway completed and that interim goals and objectives have been established through public involvement processes. He reported that Council review and discussion of the goals and objectives as they pertain to Springfield is needed. Mr. McKenney discussed how existing goals and objectives would apply in Springfield and the implication of these goals and objectives. . . Work Session Minutes May 8, 1995 Page 2 The Council discussed how the specific goals were developed and whether there was consensus by metropolitan policy leaders on the goals and objectives. They also discussed the extent to which the goals and objectives aplly to Springfield and how the plan could be designed to meet Springfield's needs. Councilor Shaver suggested the priority goals and objectives for Springfield should be: 1) recognition that the automobile will be the predominant form of transportation for the forseeable planning future, 2) there should be adequate and efficient surface streets with enhanced signalization to facilitate automobile transporation, 3) Springfield's share of state transportation funding should be used primarily to enhance automobile transporation versus mass transit, such as high speed rail, and 4) there should not be forced reductions in vehicle miles traveled (VMT.) The Council discussed the priorities suggested by Councilor Shaver and commented on the goals and objectives that were of most importance to the Springfield community. Mr. Mc Kenney indicated it isn't clear how the specific preferences of each metropolitan agency will fit within the framework of the TransPlan, but that in future discussions this issue will need to be dealt with before the plan is final. He indicated it was most important now to capture the Council's intentions about specific goals and objectives that were most important to Springfield. . Councilor Maine commented it is important for staff to communicate that the Council does not want to impose it's standards on the metropolitan area, but wants to state that transportation issues within Springfield are being addressed within the context of the values of the Springfield community. Mr. Mc Kenney discussed examples of transportation planning issues that staff has been evaluating, taking into consideration the city's physical infrastructure and what street build out scenarios would look like. He discussed how the addition of traffic lanes in certain areas would begin to impact visual amenities and community livability, and therefore why some alternative transporation solutions must be looked at. The Council discussed the goals of the TransPlan, specifically to reduced vehicle miles traveled (VMTs) and whether the TransPlan adequately addresses all the transportation planning issues in the metropolitan area, or in Springfield specifically. The Council discussed the range of options from building additional lanes to accomodate more vehicular traffic, to broad socially engineered solutions that change people's behavior, to multiple solutions that address specific transportation issues (ie. shuttle vans to Gateway Mall from nearby residential areas.) . By concensus, it was agreed that in addition to the priorities suggested by Councilor Shaver, the TransPlan goals and objectives should focus on multiple strategies that address specific transportation issues. It was further agreed that, based on these preferences, staff should create a specific statement about which goals and objectives should be incorporated into the TransPlan that reflect the values of the Springfield community. ... ." .. . . . Work Session Minutes May 8, 1995 Page 3 3. Metro Plan Periodic Review Projects - Citizen Involvement Planning Manager Greg Mott discussed the various Metro Plan periodic review activities and the citizen involvement components. He indicated that specific direction is being sought regarding the Springfield Committee for Citizen Involvement (CCI) as being the oversight body for citizen involvement in Springfield planning projects pertaining to periodic review. He also stated that an ex-officio Council representative to the Commercial Lands Study (CLS) Citizen Advisory Committee is needed. The Council discussed the purpose of the advisory committee and by consensus agreed that Councilor Burge would serve as the ex-officio Council representative to the Commercial Lands Study Citizen Advisory Committee. Mr. Mott provided a status report on the citizen involvement components of the other periodic review work programs, including the residential lands study and natural resources special studies. By consensus, it was agreed that the Planning Commission, in it's capacity as the Committee for Citizen Involvement (CCI) would make the appointments to the other citizen advisory committees. 4. Proposed Regional and Local Sewer User Rates Environmental Programs Manager Gary Colwell provided the staff report. Mr. Colwell distributed a handout showing average monthly residential charges for local sewer services. He indicated that the Council approved a large increase in sewer rates last year which will provide the revenue mechanism to issue revenue bonds for completing the South A and Kelly Butte Sewer Interceptor Projects. Mr. Colwell indicated that there would be a modest increase this year in local rates in order to smooth out long term rates which would be advantageous for the bond market. Mr. Colwell reminded the Council of the pending issue of revenue bonds for the South A Sewer Interceptor Project. The Council discussed the proposed rate increase including whether the promise had been made last year that rates would not be increased again, how the smoothing out of rates would occur, and past efforts to stabilize rates. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 10:16 p.m. Minutes Recorder - Eileen Stein ~JI/-~ Attest: ~Mu.Iu~ City Recorder .