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HomeMy WebLinkAbout03/02/2009 Work Session City of Springfield Work Session Meeting I MINUTES OF THE WORK SESSION MEETING OF TIlE SPRINGFIELD CITY COUNCIL HELD MONDAY, MARCH 2, 2009 The City of Springfield Council met in a work session in the Library Meeting Room, 225 Fifth Street, Springfield, Oregon, on Monday, March 2, 2009 at 6:00 p.m., wi$. Mayor Leiken presiding. ATIENDANCE Present were Mayor Leiken and Councilors Lundberg, Wylie (by conference phone), Leezer, Ralston, Woodrow and Pishioneri. Also present were City Manager Gino Grimaldi, Assistant City Manager Jeff Towery, City Attorney Matt Cox, City Recorder Amy]Sowa and members of the staff. I I I Mayor Leiken noted the change in the agenda. A Lane Transit District (LID) item ~as pulled and the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) item had been moved~to Item b. , 1. Community Development Advisory Committee (CDAC) Application Review. I I Housing Manager Kevin Ko presented the staff report on this item. Ther~ is one vacant position on the CDAC, the result ofthe resignation of Caroline Toy. Council is being requested to review the applications received for the vacant CDAC position during the CounSil work session on March 2,2009. Staff will be available to provide information and assistance. Following the , work session, the recommended applicant will be formally appointed to the CDAC at the regular session of the Council on March 2,2009. I ! I The CDAC consists of six at-large positions from the community, one representative from the City Council and one representative from the Planning Commission. The CDAC advises the City Council on all matters related to the City's housing and community develOpment activities which are funded annually by Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds and HOME Investment Partnership Program (HOME) funds received from HVD. Applications are encouraged from lower income earners, residents of lower income neightiorhoods, racial and ethnic minorities, senior citizens, disabled individuals and female heads qfhouseholds. All applicants must live within the city limits or urban growth boundary of Springfield. I The position was vacated by Caroline Toy who resigned upon moving ou~ ofthe area. It is one of the six at-large positions. The notice of an available position on the CDA~ was posted on December 29,2008 and applications were accepted through January 23, 4009. Three applications were received for consideration. Staff is requesting that Council review the three applications at a work session on March 2, 2009 and recommend one of the three applicants to fill the available position on the CDAC. Staff is also requesting that Council appoint the r~commended applicant to the CDAC at the regular meeting ofthe Council immediately following the work session. This CDAC position will have a term that begins upon appointment and expires on December 31, 2011. I ! I City of Springfield Council Work Session Minutes March 2, 2009 Page 2 I Mr. Ko noted a correction on one of the questions from Tess Chedsey on her application. She had only checked that she was available for noontime meetings. Mr. Ko called Ms. Chedsey and she said she meant to check all but late afternoon times. Mr. Ko said all thre~ applicants were excited and enthusiastic. I Mayor Leiken noted that Ms. Chedsey served on the Urban Renewal advisory committee and Mr. Eilers had just been appointed to the Downtown Urban Renewal Adviso~ Committee (DURAC). Councilor Lundberg asked if Mr. Spiker served on any other committee. Mr. Ko said he did not. Councilor Lundberg said this was a very high performing committee Wi~ very qualified people from a good cross section. She thought it would be good to allow Mr. Spiker to serve since he was not on another committee, and he was well qualified. . Councilor Woodrow asked ifthe CDAC had a recommendation. Mr. Ko said they did not, nor did staff. , Councilor Ralston agreed with Councilor Lundberg. All applicants were -kell qualified and he would like to get new people involved. I I I The Council agreed to appoint Mr. Spiker to the CDAC during the regular meeting. I " Mayor Leiken said he was pleased to see the quality of applicants. I 2. Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) Main Street Pedestrian Safety Proiect. Mayor Leiken welcomed staff from the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) for attending. He noted that this meeting had been scheduled for a long time, ;and didn't just occur because of the recent tragedy. Ifthose in attendance were interested, they could fill out a Comment Card located on the City Recorder's desk. Normally, there was;not an opportunity for public testimony during the work session, but he may allow that if time a~lowed. He did note that during the Regular Meeting starting at 7:00pm, there was an opportunity for people to speak under Business from the Audience. He would recommend they stay and testify. Again, he noted that tonight's discussion was on a subject that had been in the works for sbme time. , Transportation Manager Tom Boyatt presented the staff report on this ite~. ODOT Area 5 (Lane County area) is seeking City support for a Pedestrian Safety Study on the lfive-Iane portion of Main Street (OR 126B), from 21 st Street to 69th Street, prior to securing ptoject resources and moving ahead with the Study. I I ODOT has identified a need to investigate pedestrian safety treatments al6ng the Main Street (ORI26B, McKenzie Highway) corridor from 21st Street to 69th Street. Before embarking on a study project, ODOT would like to have City support for such an effort. The attached memo from David Helton, ODOT Area 5 Planner, outlines the intent of the Stud~ and how Study recommendations would be used in the future related to construction projects, land development/redevelopment, and highway driveway approach permitting.: ! City of Springfield Council Work Session Minutes March 2, 2009 Page 3 I I I ODOT Area 5 Manager Sonny Chickering and Area 5 Planner David Helton will present the material at the work session and answer questions. Mr. Boyatt introduced Sonny Chickering and David Helton from ODOT., Mr. Helton was bringing the study forward for Council consideration. Mr. Chickering, Mf. Helton or Mr. Boyatt was available to answer any questions. I I i " Mr. Chickering said soon after he arrived at ODOT about a year and a half ago, there was a series I of articles regarding pedestrian safety throughout the metro area. Several!, areas in the metro area were identified as potential hazards for pedestrian crossing. At the time, he hoped that with his new position at ODOT he could have some influence in correcting some ~fthose hazards. In the Spring of last year, he started talking internally with ODOT staff in Spri~gfield and in Salem about potential pedestrian improvements along Main Street. During those conversations, he learned that in 2006, ODOT had a project involving preservation and pa\\ing of Main Street, including the addition of bike lanes and some safety features. Several pedestrian refuge islands had been put in, but were later removed because of dissatisfaction of property owners and others. From that, he learned that ODOT didn't do their homework before proce~ding with that project. He would like to do a more thorough job this time and have conversation~ with property owners and the community. Following the internal discussions, ODOT staff met ~ith City staff to see if this was something the City Council was interested in pursuing. Often, stUdies were conducted with potential solutions, but then concerns were identified. ODOT wante~ to hear Council's concerns now. He did note that this had been in the works for some time.iHe referred to the tragedy last week and said his daughter had attended the same school as the victim. It had been very difficult for his daughter and other students at the school. He was hoping that by moving forward they could save other lives. : I Mr. Helton, Transportation Planner with the ODOT District 5 office in Sl?ringfield, said he wanted to focus his comments on the type of study they were proposing. 'ifhis would be a planning study to identify measures to improve pedestrian safety on Highway 126 and Main Street in Springfield. The focus ofthis study would be the five lane section of Main Street between 21 sl Street on the western end to the eastern city limits. That seethed to be the area of most concern around pedestrian safety. The study would engage residents, property owners and business owners to help identify areas where safety measures were needea, identify a range of safety measure that could improve conditions for pedestrians (including bicyclists), identify areas the measures were needed, and workable solutions. They wanted to hear tdeas from citizens, and would also conduct a full review to identify the full range of potential me~sure they could take. They knew that during this study they would need to examine a series of specific issues that , included: 1) the need for mid-block crosswalks, which could include pedestrians islands and medians and pedestrian activated signals; 2) improved street lighting; 3) llnprovements of marked crossings at existing signals; 4) potential for additional signals in the corri,dor; 5) the effectiveness of existing pedestrians medians; and 6) potential to reduce the speed limit,S in this corridor. These solutions alone would not solve the problem. In addition, they would reql.l;ire education for drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists, and improved enforcement. The education campaign would include signage in the corridor, and a media campaign and public outreach, coordinated with the School District, Lane Transit District (LID), Willamalane Parks and Recreation District, I churches, senior housing and businesses in the corridor. The improved enforcement should be coordinated with the timing of the improvements to encourage drivers to domply with those measures. I I City of Springfield Council Work Session Minutes March 2, 2009 Page 4 I Mr. Helton said the purpose of this study was to make the recommendedimeasures ready when funding was available, for private funding sources, safety related grant fUnds, transportation enhancement grants and other grants, and regular expenditures through tfue STIP. The Planning Study would help identify the measures needed to address the issues and ito get the proposals ready for engineering and construction. The study could include a presentation to the City Council with proposals if they would like. Although the study did not require a formal adoption by ODOT or the City Council, ODOT would ask for the City's endorsement of study recommendations by perhaps including some of the improvements in the! City's Transportation System Plan (TSP). They were not asking the City for a commitment or ~nding of substantial stafftime. ODOT was willing to fund and manage the study. They did hope for staff participation on their project coordination committee to help resolve issues of mutual concern that came up during the study. They would also like City staff participation at the public meetings to help answer questions from the citizens. In addition with coordinating with the City, ODOT was also coordinating with LID, the School District, Willamalane, and other COmInunity organizations. With Council approval, they would move forward. They hoped to complete the study in six months and.have recommended improvements ready to seek funding for construction in 2010. Mr. Chickering said they had also been in touch with Stef Viggiano fromi LID, who had expressed LID's willingness to participate in this study. The number 11 pus tra~els that route every day and Mr. Chickering rode that bus. People were always trying t<;> cross the street in order to get to the bus stops. ODOT felt they had a good handle on the proble~, were committed to finding a solution, but recognized they needed the City's assistance and support because some sacrifices may need to be made. Pedestrians may have to go a half a bloc~ to get to one of the crossings, a crossing may be placed in front of a business blocking some of their access, and ODOT may have to relax some of their rules. There may need to be some allowances made from a number of parties to make it successful. : i Councilor Pishioneri thanked Mr. Chickering and Mr. Helton for being h~re and said he was supportive of this study. During their study, he would like them to look at some additional bus warning systems, creating a safety corridor and enhancing fmes. He also ~uggested they look at enforcement grants through the Police Department, similar to seatbelt grapts and other grants available for speed violations and bus violations through an organization through ODOT's Safety Office. They could also put signage similar to what the City put on Olympic Street following a fatality, with pedestrian sanctuaries and pedestrian initiated warning sigtll:lls or systems. Businesses may have to make some sacrifices. : I Councilor Woodrow said he also appreciated ODOT stepping up and working with City on this. Lighting was an issue along that stretch of road and he hoped it would be 'part of the study. He drove that stretch to South 59th three or four nights a week, and it was very difficult to see people when it's dark. He w~uld appreciate having the information come back to: Council before it went forward, so they could provide input. i Councilor Lundberg said a friend of hers had driven that route for over 30. years and noted the issue of the lighting. It was very difficult to see pedestrians. She suggestecllooking into things , that could be done quickly, such as lighting, maybe using stimulus funds. ~The study would be beneficial for more permanent solutions, but she would like to do something now. Six months seemed like a short time frame for those that did this all the time, but for ~omeone that lost a I. , City of Springfield Council Work Session Minutes March 2, 2009 Page 5 I I , i family member, it seemed like an eternity. The improvements to Olympit Street were done fairly quickly. She wanted to encourage fixes that could be done in the interim.! I Councilor Wylie agreed. She was all for the study, but felt something net;ded to be done in the interim before there was another accident, such as painted crosswalks and warning signs. i I Councilor Leezer thanked ODOT for their work. She asked ifthey could !reduce the speed sometime before 2010 ifthey determined that was necessary. Dropping the speed could make a big difference, along with stepping up patrol. I ! Councilor Pishioneri said lighting was key. The City went from low pressure to high pressure for all lights east of 58th with high pressure, but it was too high focused and qid not disburse between the lights. He reiterated that they should look at what could be done. The :City was supportive and willing to assist. Councilor Ralston said it was a coincidence this occurred now, but they ~ad known this was an issue for a long time. He drove down Main Street at night last week and it was very difficult to see. Perhaps the lighting could be dealt with sooner rather than later. The!City would stand behind whatever decision was made to make improvements. Councilor Lundberg said education was definitely important at this time. ,She referred to the "Eye to Eye" campaign and that it would be good to tap into that program. They needed to get the education out there. I I , Mayor Leiken thanked ODOT for coming. It was unfortunate this discus~ion couldn't have occurred before the tragedy. Speed reduction was important to him and he didn't know how quickly they could act on that. Most people went at least 5 mph over the Speed limit. He would like to see the speed reduced to 35 mph at 54th Street and west. The lightiiJ.g also needed to be fixed. He said one of his major concerns was that someone from the Salem office might not go forward with things the City and Mr. Chickering felt were appropriate for safety. The Mayor gave his full commitment to this and offered to speak to those in Salem if needed. If Mr. Chickering needed support from the Mayor and council, either in the form of a letter br a phone call, he could count on them. They had gone through this with 42nd Street following the I horrible, untimely death of a child. He complimented Mr. Chickering and Mr. Helton on their pro~ctive approach and said he could fully support what they have proposed. He asked them to let the Mayor and Council know if there were issues with the Salem office. I I Councilor Woodrow said he was glad to hear ODOT was working with LID. Some ofthe bus stops were not strategically located and he would like that studied. I i I Mr. Chickering said Mr. Viggiano from L TD was willing to look at that. He said he appreciated the Council's thoughts and suggestions. He understood from the Council that they wanted some things done quickly, so they would move as quickly as possible. I I Mayor Leiken asked who would be on point from the City staff. , Mr. Boyatt said that would be assigned to the new Transportation Operations Engineer and Transportation Planner. . I City of Springfield Council Work Session Minutes March 2, 2009 Page 6 I Councilor Pishicncri said he was also concerned about the pedestrian traffic coming from A Street cutting across Highway 126. He asked them to consider that in thi~ study. I Mayor Leiken said there was some time left in the meeting and he would welcome citizens to speak at this time. I . Fred Simmons, Springfield resident, spoke.' He said Council adopted standards to go to the high pressure sodium throughout the City. Because of the dark sky standards, ,the disbursal between lampheads was reduced. That dark sky standard had created a problem with the spacing of the lamps along Main Street, not just the crossing at 51 st, but all crossings inlthat area. He noted the median strips put out by OnOT, only to remove two of them because ofthe effect on businesses and people running over them. To reduce the speed on Highway 126, they would need to go to the speed board. He drove the L TD bus for 15 years and noted that peop~e get offthe bus, walk around the back and head out into the street. He noted the danger in that ~ith the traffic going around the bus. A traffic light was put in at 48th Street, but was never act~vated. Improve the lighting and activate the light at 48th Street and breaks are created in tramc. He said he drove down that stretch of road on Tuesday evening and it was very difficult tol see. A few days later, a young woman was killed. He asked them to take some direct action. Mayor Leiken again thanked OnOT for attending. It looked like we werJ on the road to fmding . I solutIOns. ' ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjoUl;ned 6:40 pm. Minutes Recorder - Amy Sowa Attest: Pd~~lston ~or- C6uncil President I I I I I I I I I I I i I I i I Am~ City Recorder