HomeMy WebLinkAbout09/13/2004 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, SEPTEMBER 13, 2004.
The City of Springfield council met in a work session in the Jesse Maine Meeting Room, 225
Fifth Street, Springfield, Oregon, on Monday, September 13, 2004 at 5:35 p.m., with Mayor
Leiken presiding.
ATTENDANCE
Present were Mayor Leiken and Councilors Ballew, Woodrow, Lundberg, Ralston and Fitch.
Also present were Assistant City Manager Cynthia Pappas, City Attorney Meg Kieran, City
Recorder Amy Sowa and members of the staff.
1. Lane County Public Safety District Proposal.
Mayor Leiken welcomed Lane County Commissioner Bobby Green and Lane County Sheriff Jan
Clements.
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Assistant City Manager Cynthia Pappas introduced this item. Lane County Administrator Bill
VanVactor had talked with Springfield City Manager Mike Kelly and Assistant City Manager
Cynthia Pappas about having Sheriff Clements and Commissioner Green speak before the
Springfield City Council regarding the Lane County Public Safety District the county plans to
place on the November 2006 General Election ballot. In addition, a letter to Mayor Sid Leiken
and City Council Members from County Commissioner Bobby Green (Attachment I included in
the agenda packet) was received in the City Manager's Office on September 3,2004. In this
letter was a request to speak before the Springfield City Council on the proposed district.
Ms. Pappas introduced Lane County Sheriff Jan Clements, Lane County Commissioner Bobby
Green and Lane County Acting Administrator David Garnick.
Lane County Commissioner Green said they appreciated the time to make this pre~entation. He
offered Bill VanVactor's apologies that he was not able to attend tonight's meeting as he was
attending a conference. Commissioner Green said he would be discussing what the Board has
done regarding direction to staff for this proposed safety district. He said Sheriff Clements
would be discussing the public safety components. Commissioner Green reviewed the Lane
County Board of Commissioners Meeting of August 25 in which this item was discussed.
Commissioner Green referred to a chart which showed the Lane County Five-Year General Fund
Forecast. He explained the lines on the chart; one showing revenue and one showing expenses.
Lane County's revenues have remained stable, but the expenses have continued to rise.
. Revenues are limited to rising three percent, but expenses are rising at six percent. Tonight's
. discussion is very preliminary and more of a courtesy call. He said they would be asking council
at the end of the evening to allow the Springfield City Manager and Springfield Police Chief to
assist the county in forming this district. Commissioner Green and Sheriff Clements will also be
meeting with Eugene and other cities throughout Lane County to discuss this proposal. Their
proposal is to have this Public Safety District to the voters in November 2006.
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City of Springfield
Council Work Session Minutes
September 13, 2004
Page 2
Commissioner Green said the first step is to make a Metro Plan amendment. The amendment
would be minor and would ask for services that are county services. Currently, the Metro Plan
does not address the county's role in terms of public safety as it relates to planning and
development. He explained the reason for looking into this district due to the deterioration of the
county's General Fund. He discussed the tax rate the cities receive compared to the county.
Lane County has not had a tax base increase in a number of years. The proposal would be to
create a public safety district to provide county services. They recognize that cities are the basic
providers for urban services. This proposal allows the county to get a handle on their financial
situation. They do not yet know the'tax rate, or the geographical boundaries. The Board of
Commissioners has given staff direction to start the process to get the Metro Plan Amendment in
place. To get the amendment passed, the county needs to have discussions with all jurisdictions
and approval from the Lane County Boundary Commission. From that point on, in perhaps a
year from now, they will work on educating and convincing the public that a district would be
beneficial.
Mayor Leiken asked Commissioner Green about the Oregon and California (0 and C) payments
and current federal payments to the county.
Acting Lane County Administrator David Garnick said the county received about $16.9M in
their best year and for the upcoming year they will receive about $15M in federal money. The
federal act that provides that money has a sunset date.
Councilor Lundberg asked when the sunset date would occur and if there had been any thought
given to renewing that funding.
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Mr. Garnick said it was set to sunset in FY2006-07. There is a national delegation working on
renewing the funding as well as the county's congressional delegation.
Sheriff Clements said any services provided within a district must be consistent with the Metro
Plan. The issue is what type of services the Metro Plan envisioned dealing with. Lane County
provides countywide public safety services such as correction, juvenile justice, prosecution,
parole and probation, none of which are currently provided by municipalities. These are not
growth oriented services. They also need to address the issue of the definition of police
protection, which the Metro Plan does identify. They would seek to clarify those definitions.
The amendments would be minor and would remain consistent with the plan. The emphasis of
the Metro Plan is also to reduce a fragmented approach to service delivery, but in this case they
are talking about countywide provided services, None of the public safety services currently or
historically provided by Lane County outside the urban growth boundaries have discouraged
compact growth or augmented or enhanced sprawl. He said several public safety services are
statutory mandated for counties to provide, but the disparity between revenue growth and
expense growth has created a situation where the county is cutting public safety and criminal
justice infrastructure annually. He discussed the cuts they have made over the last several years,
including closure of jail beds, and the adverse affect these cuts have had on the ability for the
county to provide adequate services.
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Sheriff Clements discussed the timeline to get this to the voters by November 2006. The district
would take the services formerly funded by the General Fund and put them in a county wide
service district whose funds are dedicated and permanent. It would allow them to fund the
services that all municipalities are dependent upon. He discussed the lack of incarceration space
and lack of prosecution. All of these things render a law enforcement agency less affective than
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Council Work Session Minutes
September 13, 2004
Page 3
it otherwise would be if there was adequate capacity. This district must serve all the citizens in
Lane County, including those within cities.
Commissioner Green said their efforts tonight are not to dissuade the city from the option the
city has before the voters to build a municipal jail.
Commissioner Green acknowledged Jefferson County Commissioner Mary Zempke from
Madras, Oregon. She is part of the Association of Oregon Commissioners, Commissioner
Exchange Program, as is Commissioner Green.
Mayor Leiken welcomed Ms. Zempke.
Councilor Fitch said one of the concerns when Springfield brought forward the idea of a Fire
District was compression. She asked what affect this public safety district would have on the
compreSSIOn issue.
Commissioner Green said that is an important issue and also concerns the County
Commissioners. This district may lead into compression. If jurisdictions prohibit that, the
county would have to accept that.
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Councilor Fitch said the city could suffer by this compression. She noted the need for the county
to provide jail space. The county does not have anything on the November ballot to address that
need and beds have again been reduced. She discussed the cost to the cities to purchase jail beds
through the county. She asked if the citizens of Springfield and Eugene were double paying for
the jail expenses that the county is required to provide.
Sheriff Clements said they are not double paying because they are not paying much. Springfield
and Eugene have purchased an insurance policy against the matrix system. It is not optimum and
if the capacity problem is solved, it would negate the need for Springfield and Eugene to have
any contracts for jail beds. There are several ways to mitigate compression. One way is that
what is presently used in the General Fund for public safety, could be rebated to the taxpayers.
Councilor Fitch asked if the county would be rebating the entire amount that is currently in the
General Fund for public safety if this district went into place.
Sheriff Clements said either all or part of that money rebated back could be an option, although it
would be up to the County Commissioners. If the money was held onto, there would need to be
justification. He noted the closure of countywide services the cities no longer has to provide
such as INET and other services. The district could pay for those services and staff which could
free up that General Fund money in any of the jurisdictions. Contracts with other cities could be
eliminated because they would have an enhanced level of patrol. Rural patrol should not be
provided by this district unless there 'was a tiered rate; a higher rate for those areas
unincorporated in Lane County, such that municipal citizens would not be taxed twice for their
law enforcement services.
Commissioner Green clarified that the commissioners have not yet had the discussion nor made
any decision regarding rebating money back to the citizens. They would ha~e that discussion in
future meetings.
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Councilor Ballew noted that election results over time have gotten worse for the county. She
recommended limiting what they would ask the citizens for, such as just the jail. She suggested
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City of Springfield
Council Work Session Minutes
September 13, 2004
Page 4
proposing a less expensive way to operate the jailor juvenile facility with lower costs. Make it
focused.
Councilor Woodrow said there is only one pot of money from the taxpayers. He doesn't
understand how this would be better than it is now because all three entities are experiencing
funding difficulties regarding public safety. He asked if the extra money would be coming from
additional taxes.
Sheriff Clements said there would most likely be a raise in taxes. Attention would need to be
focused on compression and how that would affect all jurisdictions. The county rate is not
growing, but the demand is there.
CouncilorW oodrow said the cities are in the same situation.
Sheriff Clements said the county has not raised their taxes in a very long time and that is the only
thing they have left. The voters value public safety and part of the continuum of public safety is
the urban municipal law agency, but the rest includes incarcerative capacity, prosecutorial
capacity and supervisory capacity. They are all connected. In whatever form this takes, the
citizens need to see value for their dollar and know that it is dedicated only for public safety.
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Councilor Ralston said it is difficult to comment without knowing which services would be
provided and the costs of those services. It will be substantial. The district does not solve the
problem because it is all coming from the same pool of money. Something else will suffer or
taxes will increase and this will cause compression, He noted that he and the Springfield council
are very supportive of law enforcement, which is evident by the measure they are bringing to the
voters this November. Springfield residents are part of Lane County and he does not see any
way to get support for this district without the support of Springfield residents. He feels this is a
game and has no better chance than the Fire District.
Commissioner Green said as the local governing body, they have the responsibility to put the
option before the citizens. If there is a better idea, they would like to hear the answer, He
appreciated Commissioner Ballew's suggestion regarding how they present this to the citizens.
Councilor Ralston discussed comments from citizens of Lane County regarding the lack of
service. He suggested charging a fee for those who require a service. He said the county should
look at other revenue sources that relate to the use of the services. As a citizen, he would be
happy to pay for the service.
Sheriff Clements said the district would require a new tax. It would be different money, and not
from the same pot of the General Fund. They do charge for certain services, but he feels public
safety should be an equitable benefit for all citizens. He does not want to sell public safety to
only those who could afford it.
Councilor Lundberg said it never hurts to ask the jurisdiction to at least take a look at this issue.
She said the citizens do not understand the services the county actually provides. She discussed
the lack of knowledge regarding public safety services in the general public. It is important to
understand what services would be included and make that clear to the citizens. Let the citizens
know what the parts are of the whole picture, She is not a big supporter of special districts;
however, she would be willing to look at this and see a list of services.
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City of Springfield
Council Work Session Minutes
Septernber13,2004
Page 5
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Sheriff Clements discussed Councilor Ralston's comment regarding lack of clarification on
services and costs. Tonight they are discussing cleaning up the metro plan to deal with
something it was never intended to deal with so this could proceed if it is deemed viable. From
there further discussions could be held regarding specifics.
Commissioner Green said the county also has a problem in the public safety system. Many of
the problems can be traced back to treatment or lack of treatment. He understands they need to
be clear to the public. If nothing else, this is a great opportunity to show the public the services
the county does provide. He explained the decision to close one hundred and nineteen beds at
the Lane County Jail and the lack of response from the public. The commissioners' job is to
inform the public, put the options in front of them and allow them to vote.
Councilor Fitch commended Sheriff Clements and Commissioner Green for coming to the
Springfield City Council and making Springfield their first stop. She discussed the measure the
Springfield councilors have put to the ballot regarding a municipal jail and that operating costs
must be identified before construction of the jail begins. She suggested the county look at the
option of dedicating a percentage of their revenue from this district to assist in the operations of
the municipal jail allowing some of the beds to be used by other cities. Once Springfield gets
more control of our own problems, the municipal jail beds could be leased out to other cities,
That could be a way to solve both problems with a newer system at a lower cost. Try to make
this a win-win situation for everyone.
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Councilor Ballew said the only way this will work is to charge people more money. The
challenge is to create something the citizens will want to support. She discussed the interest in
forming special districts around the county and in other municipalities. She asked if there was
some way they could word the amendment to allow options for other jurisdictions. With more
options, they could get more support from the jurisdictions.
Commissioner Green thanked council for their great suggestions. The more questions during
these discussions, the better.
Councilor Ballew said this takes a lot of personnel time. The city doesn't have the resources at
this time to provide too much staff time.
Sheriff Clements said they don't want to overuse the city's resources, but would like a listening
ear to keep the city informed of the process. When opportunities arise, they could meet with
elected officials or staff once a year to update and keep them as part of the process.
Councilor Woodrow said he appreciated Sheriff Clements looking outside the box for a solution.
He asked if it would be easier to approach the metro plan change with a project in hand rather
than trying to get the plan changed first and then finding something to fit into it.
Councilor Ralston asked what part of the metro plan they were looking at changing.
Commissioner Green said the changes in the metro plan relate to services the county already
provides. The changes would be throughout the plan. The changes would not affect growth or
the urban growth boundaries. He referred to Councilor Woodrow's comment about bringing the
plan forward first. He said procedurally they would most likely need to change the metro plan
before presenting a project.
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City of Springfield
Council Work Session Minutes
September 13, 2004
Page 6
Councilor Ralston said he is concerned the changes would affect the cities and their status as
service providers.
Sheriff Clements said they would be very cautious about wording the change so it would have no
ill affect on cities.
Jackie Mikalonis, from Lane County Administration, said the Metro Plan was created with great
concern about those urban services that promote growth, such as water, sanitary sewer and roads.
It did not address the things the county provided, such as corrections. It addressed interim
special districts, but did not address the services the sheriff and commissioner are discussing. It
would be a language searchable fix, not to take away those things, but to address the county
provided services that aren't there.
Mayor Leiken said he would like City Manager Mike Kelly and Police Chief Smith to continue
to work with the county on this, but he has a caveat. He wants Mr. VanVactor to explain why it
was o.k. for the county to oppose a fire district within the city, but it is o.k. to present a district
for public safety for the county. Mayor Leiken said that question needs to be answered before he
can be on board to support this district. He thanked Sheriff Clements and Commissioner Green
for their presentation. The Mayor said he appreciated the good working relationship he and
Commissioner Green shared.
Councilor Fitch said they have a tough road ahead and will face many more questions from the
other cities they visit.
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2. Franklin Boulevard Transportation Planning and Sidewalk Proiect.
Transportation Manager Nick Amis presented the staff report on this item. City staff proposes
conducting a preliminary design study for Franklin Boulevard and the McVay intersection, and
implement the Transportation Enhancement (TE) grant project in order to advance the economic
redevelopment of Glenwood.
For over two years the City Council has supported staff efforts to plan and strategize for the
redevelopment of Glenwood. The Glenwood Specific Area Plan and supporting studies have
developed a range of ideas to assist the city in redeveloping Glenwood. An important strategy
from a market analysis done for the city called for significant improvements to Franklin
Boulevard. The Glenwood Specific Area Plan began the study of Franklin Boulevard by
assessing current conditions and devising some rough ideas for a landscaped boulevard road.
Staff is proposing to use the work already conducted in the Specific Area Plan and develop more
detailed preliminary designs for Franklin Boulevard and the McVay intersection in order to seek
funding from local, state and federal sources for the improvements. In addition, the city was
successful in obtaining a $550,000 TE grant in 2003 from the Oregon Department of
Transportation (ODOT) to c<?nstruct bike lanes, landscaped setbacks and sidewalks for the
segment of Franklin from the Willamette bridgehead to Brooklyn Avenue. The
intergovernmental agreement (IGA) to access the TE funds is included in the agenda packet for
review. The TE project would be coordinated with a preliminary design for the McVay
intersection. A Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC) would be formed for this project.
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Councilor Woodrow asked if the concept for the Glenwood redevelopment presented by city
planner Susanna Julber included enhancements of Franklin Boulevard from the bridge. He asked
if this proposal would be different.
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Council Work Session Minutes
September 13, 2004
Page 7
Mr. Arnis said his proposal is more extensive and includes cost estimates and a phasing in of this
project. This proposal has more details.
Councilor Fitch asked if that roadway would be considered in the city limits.
Mr. Arnis said parts of the road are in the city limits and some are not at this time. The
jurisdiction is ODOT because it is a state highway. He has talked with ODOT.
Councilor Fitch discussed the transients under the bridge. She asked if we would have
jurisdiction to police that area if we were the agency to pay for and implement these
improvements.
Ms. Pappas said city staff, including staff from Police, Development Services and the City
Manager's Office along with ODOT and the County Sheriff have met several times to discuss
this issue. It is very complex because of the different types of properties involved, such as
private property and public property.
Police Chief Jerry Smith said because it is outside the city, the city cannot exercise enforcement
of the municipal ordinances regarding drinking in public.
Councilor Fitch asked if it would become our jurisdiction if the city is expending the money for
the improvements to that site.
Chief Smith said it has to be within the corporate city limits to be enforceable by city police.
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Mr. Arnis said the sidewalk we put in may be city property if we assumed maintenance for them.
Chief Smith said the city had an agreement with ODOT that the city could enforce trespass on
ODOT's property, but that agreement was pulled due to a case decision.
Councilor Fitch asked if we charged ODOT for clean-up the city must do because of the trash
left behind by the transients.
Ms. Pappas saidmost ofthe clean-up sweeps have occurred on private property. The city works
with the private property owners. The city has also asked the private property owners to allow
the city to arrest for trespass on their property.
Mayor Leiken discussed the cleanup by private citizens such as John Brown, from Duncan and
Brown. Mr. Brown brings forth volunteers to clean up that area and the river. With the
agreement being pulled by ODOT, the city is caught in the middle again. Complaints come to
city officials and councilors, but there is little the city can do.
Councilor Fitch said she wants to improve Glenwood, but she does not want to improve it to give
transients a better location.
Mr. Arnis said the city has until 2006 to do this project. He will ask ODOT about the right-of-
way question and jurisdiction issue.
Councilor Fitch said we need an agreement with ODOT that allows the city to clean up that area.
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Councilor Ballew asked when they need a formal action on this item.
City of Springfield
Council Work Session Minutes
September 13,2004
Page 8
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Mr. Arnis said it would be brought to council under Consent Calendar at the September 20
meeting.
3. Discussion of Buildable Lands Inventories.
Planning Manager Greg Mott presented the staff report on this item.~tate law requires each
city's comprehensive plan to include "buildable lands" that are suitable, available and necessary
for residential uses accommodating estimated housing needs for a 20 year period.
Comprehensive plans must also provide for at least an adequate supply of sites for industrial and
commercial uses consistent with plan policies addressing such matters. These three activities,
along with schools, parks and open space, comprise the majority of all land uses designated in
comprehensive plans.
Although this work session discussion could, but is not intended to result in any direct action or
instruction by the council, it does allow an opportunity for the council to consider a broader
policy issue regarding the various inventories we are mandated to provide. It is no secret that at
least two organizations that represent specific land use interests in this community believe that
the residential and industrial lands inventories are wanting, if not worse. This broader question
for the council then is: Notwithstanding the city's current compliance, or efforts at compliance,
with state law, do the quality, quantity and location of sites in the various inventories enable the
City of Springfield to successfully and efficiently pursue its vision for this community?
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Attachments 1-3 in the agenda packet refer to the legal standards and requirements of buildable
lands inventories. Attachment 5 in the agenda packet gives an overview of the city's various
inventories and how current projects and associated activities may influence these inventories.
Mr. Mott said council would be considering a request on Monday, September 20 from Lane
Metro Partnership to help fund a metro-wide industrial lands survey to evaluate suitability and
availability of industrial development sites in the metropolitan area.
Mr. Mott said past councils have put a priority on homeownership on residential properties,
whereas the City of Eugene has chosen affordable housing, not necessarily homeownership. In
terms of economic development regarding commercial and industrial lands, council has
expressed a broad spectrum of need. Last time council discussed this issue was when they
changed Article 21. Council reviewed and approved a commercial lands study and the findings
of that study, but did not make a decision on what they would like to occur on that acreage. He
discussed some of the options for what could occur on those properties. There has been a great
deal of change in how industry operates over the past years. There is a multitude of directions
the council could go. He discussed other cities and what they have done.
Mayor Leiken said he feels this community has adapted and improvised in looking at what
opportunities are out there. The state Oregon Economic and Community Development
Department (OECDD) looks at recruiting businesses around the state, facilitated by the Lane
Metro Partnership. Because business is changing so rapidly, we need to focus on keeping an
open mind and adapting to the opportunities that come our way. This goes along with council
and staff philosophy. They need to look at what businesses are market driven. He discussed the
former Sony site and the relocation of OML to that location. Springfield needs to be in the
position to adapt to what is presented and be open for business.
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City of Springfield
Council Work Session Minutes
September 13, 2004
Page 9
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Mr. Mott said we have all endured tough economic times over the years, especially during the
late 1970's and early 1980's. It is practical from a private standpoint to build something that is
adaptable, and that kind of flexibility is in the best interest of the community. The city is
obligated by state law to provide for anticipated growth and development. The state has set up a
20 year cycle which is useful in one sense and meaningless in another. He gave examples. There
is a good base and foundation and it makes logical sense, but anomalies do occur and there are
shifts in what is occurring economically. He discussed the periodic review process. The city is
in compliance with the law as far as the state is concerned. The state did not feel Springfield had
an issue with industrial land, but that is not to say that is an accurate assessment. There will be a
request on Monday, September 20 regarding inventory of industrial and commercial lands.
Councilor Fitch said the state has required the twenty year inventory on residential land. She
asked if the twenty year period was used for the projection for the industrial and commercial
lands.
Mr. Mott said the twenty years was not originally part of the law, but has been imposed by rule.
Infrastructure design is supposed to accommodate development of the land in the urban growth
boundary. It is all part of the plan. The inventories are for a cyclical time period, not necessarily
related to how long it takes to put in the infrastructure.
Councilor Fitch asked about how long it might take if Springfield wanted to increase the urban
growth boundary (UGB). She asked if Springfield would have any buildable land left within the
current UGB after the process of increasing our UGB.
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Mr. Mott said Springfield has direction, which the state has acknowledged, to provide for an
additional 250 acres of commercial land. There is no commitment on the part of the City
Councilor the state about how that would occur. One option is to expand the UGB and that has
its own process. This is a justification for increasing that boundary. If Springfield does not
increase the UGB, it would need to re-designate other properties which would affect that
inventory. It is difficult not to have a ripple affect on anything you do. Once the determination
is made, the process would take about the same amount of time to hold the public hearings for
these changes. There is a considerable amount of work to determine those sites. Scheduling a
joint meeting with the Lane County Board of Commissioners could be done in a timely manner.
Councilor Fitch asked what affect Region 2050 had on this inventory process.
Mr. Mott discussed Region 2050. The only things that would prevent Region 2050 from
occurring would be a very poor economy or if the state law changed and cities no longer had to
accommodate growth. Otherwise Eugene and Springfield have to expand into those areas.
Councilor Fitch said Springfield wants to be open for business and has looked at the Region
2050 and Rivers to Ridges in looking to keep some of Springfield's more challenging buildable
area in a green arena. Springfield would have to go into areas identified by Region 2050 for
expanSIOn.
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Mr, Mott said we no longer have urban reserves to look at first, so we could look at everything.
The first step in the law is to look internally, and if there is nothing internal, you can look
externally at urban reserves. If there are no urban reserves, we could look at everything. The
last type of land to look at for growth is farm land. Other than hillsides, farm land is about all
Springfield has to expand into for growth.
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Council Work Session Minutes
September 13, 2004
Page 10
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Councilor Ralston asked if the 250 acre shortage was a current estimate and includ~d campus
industrial.
Mr. Mott said it was strictly commercial and retail.
Councilor Ralston asked if we had a surplus of residential or industrial land.
Mr. Mott said the residential lands analysis that council adopted in 1999 determined that we
could accommodate both the high and the low population projections based on distribution of
housing by type, density and cost for the twenty year period. If council were to require
minimum density, it could regulate the number of houses per acre. He explained how density
affects the number of homes built per acre.
Councilor Ralston asked if they were looking at creating an inventory for all buildable lands.
Mr. Mott said the city has a residential inventory based on the 1995 database and approved by
the state in 1999. The commercial inventory was also based on the 1995 database and approved
by the state in 2000. The state said these satisfied the law with respect to the twenty year plan.
The state said Springfield did not have enough commercial land and needed an additional 250
acres.
Councilor Ralston said it is possible to rezone to accommodate.
Ms, Pappas said that is a possibility or they could also rely more on redevelopment.
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Councilor Ralston asked if there were identified areas if the city did need to look at increasing
the UGB to accommodate the 250 acres.
Mr. Mott said the question would be where to place the commercial sites. When looking at one
property type at a time, it's important to look at where it would be best suited. All components
must be considered; such as residential, schools/parks and employment. They all fit together.
The commercial lands were going to focus on redesignation first rather than rezoning.
Councilor Ralston said redesignation is a logical place to start.
Mayor Leiken read the definition of buildable lands and asked who interpreted the term
buildable lands in the City of Springfield.
Mr. Mott said buildable lands would be the final tally with respect to accommodating all of the
different activities for a certain land type. He said they need to accommodate each type of
housing activity within the residential designation. A community's employment and population
projections make up the basis for those calculations. A community can change that trend, but
needs to justify that would happen and is consistent with provisions of the goal. Mr. Mott
eXplained how land would be identified as buildable.
Mayor Leiken discussed other issues with buildable lands, such as slopes and streams. The
interpretations from Oregon Fish and Wildlife regarding fish-bearing streams seem to get
broader and broader. He asked how the city could get some interpretation in years to come,
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Mr. Mott said there are policies in place to allow people to build on sloped property.
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Council Work Session Minutes
September 13, 2004
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Mayor Leiken asked if the state had jurisdiction over what the cities can interpret as land
available. The challenge is the information received from state agencies which limits
development and building. He discussed one such circumstance in Roseburg.
Ms, Kieran reminded council they had enacted some clean water changes in Springfield's code
that were responsive to state and federal regulations regarding salmon bearing waterways. When
those changes were drafted and presented to council, the state weighed in on which ditches were
to be included. Those areas might be identified as constrained on the inventory depending on
how much information we have at any given time.
Mayor Leiken said the state has left the door open on what constitutes a waterway. Council may
have to come back to this in three to five years to deal with changes.
Mr. Mott said he would find the answer to that question. All activities that influence residential
inventory, including development, annexation, rezoning, plan designation and new legislative
enactments, are part of the annual monitoring report. The city is required to do an analysis on
the work they are doing regarding the wetlands and riparian corridors and how that affects
residential land inventory. The city can act outside the periodic review process as often as they
choose.
Councilor Lundberg said our own actions are limited. She asked if the state gives the city
guidance as to options such as using internal redevelopment sites if our inventory is short.
Sooner or later the city will grow and will need to increase the UGB. She asked if part of
increasing the inventory included increasing the UGB. Council needs to prioritize their options,
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Mr. Mott said the law is clear. Cities can use measures within the UGB or extend the UGB. The
state does not direct. There are experts who can assist cities to know what they need. He would
look at the UGB and consider growing.
Mr. Grile reinforced that the state does not direct. The council can present the rationale based on
their findings and analysis that what they choose to do meets Oregon law. It is important for the
city to be in compliance with the law, but with a different set of assumptions could have a more
aggressive or less aggressive growth package that would also be in compliance with the law.
Staff's job is to help council frame those specific options.
Mr. Mott said staff welcomes any facts to help them do a bett~r job, whether it is statistical
information or probabilities. The information enables staff to present council with better
information. Council is not prepared to give the information to determine whether or not council
needs to do anything at this time.
Councilor Fitch said staff is asking for direction. It is a balancing act between developers and
property owners. Council needs to determine their priorities and what land they want to keep in
reserve and what is enough. There needs to be a balance between residential and commercial.
Commercial lands support the tax base, not residential. She discussed other communities and the
balance they have with the different types of properties. If our commercial lands lag behind, our
tax income also lags.
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Mr. Mott said he does not need any direction from council tonight. This is information only. If
council has other questions about inventory issues before they do make any decisions, staff can
bring those back to council.
City of Springfield
Council Work Session Minutes
September 13, 2004
Page 12
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Ms. Pappas said the decision staff would be asking council to make'next week would not be a
leading decision regarding expanding the UGB. Staff may make a decision to update the
inventories which would lead to no action.
Councilor Woodrow said at some point Springfield will have to expand the UGB. Ifwe are short
250 acres of industrial land, it would be better if that industrial land was closer in the city where
we cannot expand the UGB. If Springfield did extend the UGB to include 250 acres of
residential lands, some residential land could be redesignated to commercial property to offset
the difference.
Councilor Ballew said when staff assesses the need for industrial land, historical data will not be
accurate. Industry has changed drastically and continues to change.
Mr. Mott said the assessment of the survey would be, done by someone other than Springfield
staff.
Mayor Leiken noted companies that have expanded in our community. The Governor has seen
what Springfield is doing in a positive way by presenting opportunities when they come to the
Willamette Valley. He said there will be an ongoing fight with the West Eugene Parkway
(WEP). There will be more of an emphasis with Phase II of the Jasper Road Extension, opening
up Jasper Natron and other extensions we are working on in Springfield. There may be a
possibility the state could help with infrastructure costs. We need to think about some of the
possibilities that are out there in the future. We need to look out twenty years. He asked how
much time it would take to increase the UGB.
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Ms. Pappas said it could be eight or nine months, but that does not include the work by staff up
to that point.
Mr. Mott said it is difficult to estimate. This would be a legislative act. Previously they hired a
consultant who looked at about fifty-four different sites to justify expansion of that particular site
and it took about four months. A legislative act where you are trying to accommodate the needs
of the community, it could take longer.
Mayor Leiken said he is .looking at anticipating future lands needs.
Mr. Mott discussed the public hearing process.
Mayor Leiken asked who has jurisdiction of the Lane Community College (LCC) Basin.
Mr. Mott said right now Lane County has jurisdiction. The way it is crafted, Eugene is the home
city for any issues west ofI-5, and Springfield for issues east 00-5. That means, without
amending the plan, Eugene or Creswell is the city with jurisdiction of the LCC Basin.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 7:30 pm.
Minutes Recorder - Amy Sowa
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City of Springfield
Council Work Session Minutes
September 13,2004
Page 13
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Attest:
{2,'tt.Jn~
Amy So
City Recorder
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