HomeMy WebLinkAbout04/19/2010 Work Session
City of Springfield
Work Session Meeting
MINUTES OF THE WORK SESSION MEETING OF
THE SPRINGFIELD CITY COUNCIL HELD
MONDAY, APRIL 19,2010
The City of Springfield Council met in a work session in the Jesse Maine Meeting Room, 225 Fifth
Street, Springfield, Oregon, on Monday, April 19, 2010 at 6:26 p.m., with Mayor Leiken presiding.
ATTENDANCE
Present were Mayor Leiken and Councilors Ralston, Lundberg, Wylie, Leezer, Simmons, and
Pishioneri. 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.
1. 1-5 Willamette River Bridge Naming.
City Planner David Reesor and Transportation Manager Tom Boyatt presented the staff report on this
item. Mr. Reesor introduced members oftheI-5 Willamette Bridge Community Advisory Group
(CAG). He distributed a letter of support from Willamalane Park and Recreation District Board Greg
James that was received after the agenda packet had been delivered to the Mayor and Council.
The 1-5 Willamette River Bridge Community Advisory Group (CAG) recently voted to support the
name "Whilamut Passage" as the name of the new 1-5 bridge between Eugene and Springfield. The
CAG was seeking input from Council regarding the proposed bridge name. Bridge naming procedure
would be presented followed by an oppommity for questions and comments. Formal action by the
Council was not requested at this time, but would be sought at a later time.
ODOT officials had worked with the 1-5 Willamette River Bridge Community Advisory Group (CAG)
to create a name for the new Willamette River Bridge. The bridge bordered the cities of Eugene and
Springfield and provided a critical link for moving freight and people on the 1-5 corridor.
ODOT CAG member David Sonnichsen was leading the bridge naming public process. The bridge
naming procedure required input and support from local jurisdictions, including City of Springfield.
Mr. Sonnichsen would briefly discuss the critical steps in the bridge naming process. Doug
Beauchamp, Executive Director of the Lane Arts Council, would provide some background on how
the name "Whilamut Passage" was formed. Esther Stutzman, a Kalapuya Elder, would also provide a
short presentation describing why the proposed name was important to the Kalapuya Tribe.
Attachments 1-3 of the agenda packet further described the bridge naming procedure and summarized
why "Whilamut Passage" was chosen by the CAG. Letters of endorsement for the new bridge name
were also included in Attachment 4 of the agenda packet.
Mr. Sonnichsen thanked Mr. Reesor for all of his help in scheduling this work session time. The CAG
was fIrst coming to Springfield because this was where a lot of fIrsts regarding this project had
happened. In 2001, Willamalane erected a kiosk in their east gate woodlands that gave a history of the
Kalapuya people on this land. In 2002, there was as ceremony commemorating the naming of the 237
acres of the formerly East Alton Baker Park as the Whilamut Natural Area of Alton Baker Park, also
in the eastgate woodlands. In 2008, in Island Park in Springfield, the fIrst Kalapuyacanoe constructed
in over 150 years was launched. He felt the naming of the new 1-5 bridge was a logical progression
City of Springfield
Council Work Session Minutes
April 19,2010
Page 2
from these events. Advocates of the Whilamut Passage name were undergoing a public process
detailed by the ODOT. While ODOT remained neutral on the naming, they had funded four additional
talking stones in the Whilamut Natural area and invited Kalapuya Elder Esther Stutzman to be the
speaker at the groundbreaking event. They featured the word Whilamut in their informational video
about the bridge project. Mr. Sonnichsen introduced Doug Beauchamp of Lane Arts Council. He also
introduced project manager Dick Upton and members of the Citizen Planning Committee for the
Whilamut Natural Area of Alton Baker Park (CPC): Steven Cooper (Chair), Charlene Larison,
Charlotte Behm, and Esther Stutzman. (Member Cora Jones arrived shortly after)
Mr. Beauchamp spoke regarding the naming process of the bridge. He referred to a map -of the bridge
and the surrounding area. The bridge not only encompassed across the river between Eugene and
Springfield, but also an entire place. About a year and a half ago when ODOT settled on the design of
the bridge, they began to look for a theme. At that time, he made a presentation about how public art
or design and amenities could affect the place making for something like this. He noted the Whilamut
Natural area on the map. A subgroup of the CAG, which included residents of both Springfield and
Eugene, adopted this as a theme. He discussed the term 'passage' and the significance of that in this
project. Whilamut Passage became a metaphor that spoke to something larger than a name of a bridge,
but rather a feeling that had a past, identity in the present, and spoke to what we aspired to in the
future. The name was not particular to a certain time or place, but provided openness to the project.
This had been the guiding theme regarding the art and the amenities development. He referred to
Attachment 2 of the agenda packet which gave more details of the theme Whilamut Passage. He was
here to encourage Springfield to take advantage of this opportunity to move along with them in
Whilamut Passage by recognizing all the aspects of what this bridge represented. They hoped to get
Council support for adoption of the name before moving it along to ODOT. This project wouldjoin
together the two communities.
Esther Stutzman, Kalapuya Elder, said it was a great honor to speak to the Mayor and Council. She
said she was a member from the confederated tribes of Siletz and also Y oncalla Kalapuya. This area
they were talking about was the area her ancestors lived since the world began. It wasn't too many
years ago that those ancestors came up and down the river in their beautiful long cedar canoes, and
came onto the fields to dig camas. Until this community stepped up to honor the Kalapuya with the
Whilamut and the talking stones, there was no geographical area in the state of Oregon that had the
Kalapuya name. There were once 15,000 Kalapuya people living all the way from the Umpqua River
to the Columbia River. When those names of Whilamut and the names on the talking stones came to
this area and the community supported that, her people were oveIjoyed that this community would
honor the original inhabitants of this land and recognize that they were still here. The name of
Whilamut Passage went quite deep. It not only talked about the passage down the river and onto the
land, but it talked about a passage of time, a passage that went from the time before the pioneers, to
the present, and to the time of our grandchildren. It was a passage over a beautiful area where the
water rippled and ran fast. This was why she was so much in support of this name and she hoped they
would also feel the same way. It was a beautiful name and honored her people and everyone who
supported those things that were important, such as understanding all people.
Mr. Reesor said he would like to bring this back to the Mayor and Council for action..
Mayor Leiken said the third item scheduled for tonight could be moved to May 3 if needed. He wanted
them to take the time they needed for this discussion. He commended the CAG for their work. It was
, appreciated that ODOT had respect for the public process.
City of Springfield
Council Work Session Minutes
April 19, 2010
Page 3
Mr. Reesor said the point of this work session was introductory to let Council know the history of the
name. It was a public process. He didn't have anything further to say, but was available to answer
Council's questions.
Councilor Simmons asked when this would come forward for a formal vote.
Mr. Reesor said that had not yet been scheduled.
Councilor Pishioneri asked if there had been public forums and if there had been any objections.
There had been no negative comments. There were letters to the editor in favor. Springfield was the
first public body the group had met with.
ODOT had several open houses and the name had been prominent at several open houses. They had
received no negative comments.
Mr. Reesor referred to the letters he had received which were all positive.
Councilor Pishioneri said he was happy with the name.
A question came up about the cost of the signage. The cost for this was unknown at this time.
Councilor Leezer thanked Ms. Stutzman for speaking and thought it was wonderful how she honored
her ancestors.
Councilor Lundberg also thanked Ms. Stutzman. She was at the dedication for the stones, and she
encouraged anyone that hadn't been there to visit the talking stones. Springfield had wonderful things
. in the urban core that we didn't always take advantage of. She would encourage more learning
experiences of using the river and would love to see more interpretive venues.
Councilor Ralston said he approved.
Mr. Reesor thanked the Council for their time.
Mayor Leiken again thanked the CAG for their hard work, as well as the staff at ODOT.
2. Regional Wastewater, Local Wastewater, and Local Stormwater User Fees for Fiscal Year 10-11.
This item was delayed until the May 3 CouncilW ork Session.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned 6:45 p.m.
Minutes Recorder - Amy Sowa
City of Springfield
Council Work Session Minutes
April 19, 2010
Page 4
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