HomeMy WebLinkAbout04/19/2004 Work Session
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City of Springfield
Work Session Meeting
MINUTES OF THE WORK SESSION MEETING OF
THE SPRINGFIELD CITY COUNCIL HELD
MONDAY, APRIL 19,2004.
The City of Springfield council met in a work session in the Jesse Maine Room, 225 Fifth Street,
Springfield, Oregon, on Monday, April 19, 2004 at 5:45 p.m., with Mayor Leiken presiding.
ATTENDANCE
Present were Mayor Leiken and Councilors Ballew, Woodrow, Lundberg, Fitch, and Ralston.
Also present were City Manager Mike Kelly, City Attorney Joe Leahy, City Recorder Amy Sowa
and members of the staff.
1. Planning Commission Interviews.
Planning Supervisor Mel Oberst presented the staff report on this item. There were three
candidates for two vacant positions on the seven member Planning Commission. James
Burford's tenure expired March 31,2004, after which he served two full terms. William
Carpenter's tenure also expired March 31, 2004, but he was able to re-apply for one more term
of four years. The appointments for these positions would begin immediately upon Council
ratification and bring the Planning Commission roster to the full seven members.
The city received three applications for two positions on the Planning Commission. The three
applicants received by the city are from Steven J. Acton, William C. Carpenter and Frank B.
Cross. All three applicants reside within the city limits. Steven Acton resides at 332 South 69th
Place, William Carpenter resides at 680 "T" Street, and Frank Cross resides at 2580 "D" Street.
The Mayor and Council discussed the interview questions and chose those each would be asking
the candidates.
Council interviewed the following candidates:
1. Steven J. Acton
2. William C. Carpenter
3. Frank B. Cross
Council discussed the qualifications of each candidate. All three were very qualified candidates.
Mayor Leiken noted the difficulty in getting three applicants for these two positions. Discussion
was held regarding how to get citizens involved. Mr. Carpenter has been a valued member of the
Planning Commission and council chose to re-appoint him to his current position. Council
majority was to appoint Frank Cross to the other Planning Commission position, with a
recommendation to encourage Steven Acton to re-apply when another vacancy opened on this or
any other board, committee, or commission.
2. Street Light Standards.
Traffic Engineer Brian Barnett presented the staff report on this item. Mr. Barnett introduced
Jim Hanks, representing PeaceHealth; Tamara Johnson and Bob Linahan from Springfield Utility
Board (SUB); Greg Hansen from Balheizer and Hubbard Engineers representing MountainGate
Development and who has worked with the Downtown Association; and Don Emmens. All were
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City of Springfield
Council Work Session Minutes
April 19, 2004
Page 2
present in the audience. He acknowledged the assistance staff received from all of these people
on this proposal.
Current city code and standards require the use of Low Pressure Sodium (LPS) street lights and
allow decorative High Pressure Sodium (HPS) street lights in certain locations. Developers of
RiverBend and MountainGate developments, and representatives from the Downtown
Springfield Association submitted independent requests to use Metal Halide (MH) decorative
and roadway style lighting systems in lieu ofLPS and HPS. Copies ofthose requests were
included in the agenda packet.
Transition to MH and HPS lighting would improve human visual performance. This is important
for traffic safety and pedestrian security. MH lighting would also improve the appearance of
landscaping and building facades. Discontinuing installation of new LPS lighting would
diversify the lighting system and reduce the risk of relying on a declining lighting technology.
Use ofMH and HPS lighting would decrease initial costs and would not substantially increase
energy and maintenance cost to the city. Long-term cost to the city should decrease by changing
lighting standards. Staff requested approval to modify the relevant codes and standards for use
in all new construction throughout the City of Springfield, and when an existing LPS streetlight
fails it would be replaced with a MH or HPS streetlight.
MH lights were installed on Main Street at 6th Street to provide an opportunity for council and
staff to compare with adjacent areas illuminated with Ll~S lights. The Council Briefing
Memorandum in- the agenda packet included additional information.
Mr. Barnett said staff was asking council to take two separate actions this evening. The fIrst was
to direct staffto amend streetlighting standards through the various codes in the city. This
amendment would relate to new construction and ultimately the changeover of luminaries
throughout the system. The second action would be to adopt or not adopt a resolution that would
allow for a departure from the current city codes and standards to specific projects and
developments. Those developments include PeaceHealth, MountainGate and the Downtown
Association and other major arterial projects that are currently underway or in the planning
stages.
Mr. Barnett said the purpose for recommending the code change or the departure in the code for
the short term is to provide a better quality of life, a better cost efficiency of light utilization and
a better lighting system for the citizens of Springfield. He discussed the analyses that have been
done both by the private developers and the city. These analyses helped determine what relative
cost differences the city would have with the different types of lighting. The two issues are the
cost to purchase and the cost to operate and maintain.
Mr. Barnett discussed the different types of lighting the city currently has in place. He referred
to Attachment A, page 1 of the Council Briefmg Memorandum in the agenda packet which noted
the inventory of the different lights in the city and those lights that would be phased out. The
LPS lighting system was chosen in the mid-1970's because it was a highly efficient lighting
source. Energy credits were in place at that time to consolidate city lighting.
Mr. Barnett referred to Exhibit B included in the agenda packet which noted the human
responses to the whiter (blue rich) lights and the yellow lights. He discussed the differences
between the two types of lights. The blue rich light sources allow for better visibility. The
principal reasons staff is recommending the changes are lower cost to the city and better
appearance of the light source. The recommendation would be for decorative lights using MH
City of Springfield
Council Work Session Minutes
April 19, 2004
Page 3
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technology for developers in residential areas, all streets within the zone of a nodal overlay, and
all off-street access ways such as bike paths.
Mr. Barnett discussed roadway style lighting. He referred to the sample lighting fixtures that he
had available at the meeting. The size of the lamps staff is recommending is smaller and more
compact than the older lamps.
Councilor Fitch asked if the dissemination ~f the light covered the same area as the larger
fixture.
Mr. Barnett said it was not necessarily the same. The newer lights do not put out as much glare
and the amount of area covered by the light is more precise. He explained how the lens of the
fixture disseminates the light. Staff recommends using these lights with Metal Halide (MH) on
arterial streets, Bus Rapid Transit corridors and zones that would have a high degree of
pedestrian activity. The current area would total about fourteen percent ofthe city's total light
inventory. Removing the MH in roadway style fixtures would be a small part of the city's
inventory. In most other residential and industrial areas, staff is recommending a HPS roadway
type fixture. That would include approximately seventy-five to eighty percent of the city's
inventory. The reasons for using the HPS lights in these areas are lower capital and maintenance
costs.
Councilor Woodrow asked if the HPS lights would be like those Mr. Barnett had on display.
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Mr. Barnett said they would. Mr. Barnett said the recommendation is to eliminate the use of
LPS lights in new construction, to use MH lights in retail and high pedestrian activity areas or
where decorative fixtures are desired, and to use HPS roadway lights in all other areas.
Councilor Ballew asked what the housing looks like for the MH lighting.
Mr. Barnett said it would be the same as the lamp displayed at the meeting. He said the fixture is
inexpensive and more easily replaced.
Councilor Ballew asked if this type would be mounted at different heights according to the
application.
Mr. Barnett said the higher the wattage, the higher the light is mounted. The wattage would be
determined by the application.
Mayor Leiken thanked all those involved in this project. He thinks it is a good idea to do this as
a test case for these specific areas. The light staff is recommending is functional. He
appreciated staff getting others involved to look at this issue. It sends a positive message.
Councilor Woodrow asked if the city would eventually replace all the LPS fixtures with HPS and
MH fixtures. Mr. Barnett said yes.
Councilor Ballew asked about other technologies in lighting that may be better than these
proposed.
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Mr. Barnett said MH has been around for a number of years and continues to improve. It is a
light of choice in many applications, so there would be continued research efforts to improve
them. There is another type of lighting technology called induction lighting that is about ten
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City of Springfield
Council Work Session Minutes
April 19, 2004
Page 4
years old and is mentioned in the report included in the agenda packet. It has potential in the
decorative fixture arena, but not in large roadway uses because of less ability to control.
Induction lights are 100,000 hour lights, but the initial costs are higher. There are some areas in
Springfield that are currently using induction lighting. Mr. Barnett said there are other
technologies being formulated. He said MH is a stable but improving technology and HPS
would be around for a long time as well.
Councilor Lundberg said she has noted a substantial difference with the improved lighting that
was placed near her restaurant downtown. She would like the change to this type of lighting
occur as quickly as possible for the image of our city and for growth.
Councilor Fitch asked ifthere was a cost saving by purchasing larger quantities.
Mr. Barnett said many are purchased through state contracts and do not require a minimum.
Initial purchases for fixtures would pr:edominantly be done by developers because they put in
more lights than anyone else. Lights that were not available through the state contracts could be
bought in large quantities for cost savings.
Council commended staff for their research on this item.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 6:48 pm.
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Minutes Recorder - Amy Sowa
Attest:
~WR-
Amy Sow
City Recor er