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HomeMy WebLinkAbout10/28/2004 Work Session . . . .! MINUTES JOINT MEETING OF THE SPRINGFIELD CITY COUNCIL AND LANE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS WORK SESSION October 28,2004 6:15 p.m. Library Meeting Rqom, Springfield City Hall The City of Springfield City Council and Lane County Board of Commissioners met in a work session in the Library Meeting Room, 225 Fifth Street, Springfield, Oregon, on Thursday, October 28, 2004 at 6: 10 p.m., with Council President Fitch presiding. ATTENDANCE Council President Tammy Fitch called the meeting of the Springfield City Councilors to order with roll call. Present were Councilors Fitch, Ballew, Lundberg and Woodrow. Also present were City Manager Mike Kelly, City Attorney Joe Leahy, City Recorder Amy Sowa and members of the staff. Mayor Leiken and Councilor Ralston were absent (excused). County Commissioner Don Hampton called the meeting of the Lane County Board of Commissioners to order with roll call. Present were Commissioners Hampton, Dwyer and Sorenson. Commissioners Morrison and Green were absent (excused). 1. Joint Meeting with the Lane County Board of Commissioners. Planning Supervisor Greg Mort said Willamalane is presenting a new Parks and Recreation Plan which replaces the previous plan which was adopted in 1980. Willamalai1e is the Parks and Recreation provider for the City of Springfield. The Metropolitan Plan recognizes that relationship and what the district does for the city and their constituents, which includes citizens outside the city limits. This plan responds to the guidelines of StatewIde Planning Goal 8 Recreational Goal compliance in Chapter III-H Park and Recreation Facilities Element of the Metro Plan. Because the boundaries ofthe park district go beyond the city, the Board of Commissioners has a responsibility in adopting this along with the Willamalane Board and the Springfield City Council. Mr. Mott introduced Rebecca Gershow, planner from Willamalane Parks and Recreation District. Commissioner Sorenson asked if the park district was outside Springfield's urban growth boundary (UGB) and if so, if it pre-dated the Metro Plan. He asked if there was any change contemplated in *e service for those living outside the UGB. Mr. Mott said the district is located outside the UGB is a few places. Work Session Minutes Springfield City Council/Lane County Board of Commissioners October 28, 2004 Page 2 . Ms. Gershow said the district was not planning for the area outside the UGB, but already has several parks in that area that they received mostly from the county. They will continue to develop and plan for those parks, but are not planning for future parks in the UGB. Commissioner Sorenson asked ifWillamalane or the City of Springfield were allowed to serve people outside the UGB. Mr. Mott said the boundary of the Willamalane Parks and Recreation District is approved by the Lane County Boundary Commission, not by the City of Springfield. Councilor Ballew asked if the parks that are outside the UGB would be more natural resource type of parks. Ms. Gershow said Harvest Landing is classified as a natural area park, as is most of Clearwater Park. Ruff Park is a Magnolia Arboretum. . Ms. Gershow distributed handouts which outlined her power point presentation. Ms. Gershow is the Project Manager on the Parks and Recreation Comprehensive Plan project. She noted that Willamalane Superintendent Bob Keefer was also in attendance to answer questions. Ms. Gershow said the purpose of the Parks and Recreation Comprehensive Plan is "To provide a framework for decision-making over a 20-year period regarding the acquisition, development, and management of the Springfield area's park, recreation and open space system". She described the Comp Plan process as outlined in the power point presentation. The steps included I) Project Start-up; 2) Determining Needs; 3) Developing the Plan; and 4) Adopting the Plan. 1) Project Start-up (Winter 2002): Ms. Gershow described the different groups who met to discuss the plan. The Citizen Advisory Committee included six citizen representatives, five alternates from the six planning sub-areas, one citizen representative from the urbanizable area, two Willamalane Board Members, one Springfield City Councilor (Christine Lundberg) and one . Lane County Commissioner. The Technical Advisory Committee included the Springfield School District; Springfield Utility Board (SUB); Lane County Parks; Lane Council of Governments (LCOG); Department of Land, Conservation and Development; Oregon Parks and Recreation Department; City of Springfield Planning, Public Works Maintenance, Transportation, Environmental Services, Public Safety; and others. Elected and appointed officials from the following organizations also gave input on this plan: Willamalane Board of Directors; Springfield City Council; Springfield Planning Commission; Lane County Board of Commissioners; Lane County Planning Commission; and Springfield School Board. 2) Determining Needs (Spring 2002 - Winter 2003): Thefmal result of this portion ofthe process was the Needs Assessment Report which is included in the Comp Plan. Ms. Gershow explained the process through community profile, community survey, focus groups and stakeholder interviews which brought about that report. She explained the park and facility assessment, program analysis, management and operations analysis, and committee and board input. . 3) Developing the Plan (Springfield 2003 - Winter 2004): Ms. Gershow described how they developed the plan through draft strategies and actions, draft capital improvement programs (CIP), draft performance measures and committee and board input. She described the outline of the Comp Plan: Introduction; Planning Framework; Highlights of Improvements; Strategies and Actions, CIP and Operations Plan; Performance Measures; and Appendices. Work Session Minutes Springfield City Council/Lane County Board of Commissioners October 28, 2004 Page 3 . Ms. Gershow said the mission ofWillama1ane is to provide exceptional park and recreation facilities. She discussed their core values of affordability, accessibility, play, stewardship, and environment. Willamalane's Vision Summary is: We enhance quality of life in our community through people, parks and programs. Their mission is: Willalamane provides exceptional park and recreation services that enhance the livability of our community and the lives of the people we serve. Ms. Gershow discussed the eight highlights of improvements I) Partnerships, 2) School DistrictIWillamalane Collaboration, 3) Park Development, 4) Natural Area Parks, Linear Parks and Trails, 5) Community Recreation Center, 6) Recreation Services Plan, 7) Park and Facility Rehabilitation, and 8) Park Maintenance and Operations. Ms. Gershow referred to maps which were included in the Comp Plan document. The first map, Map 2, showed existing and proposed park and recreation resources. The second map, Map 3 showed the existing, planned and proposed multiuse paths and bikeways. She discussed some of the trails and projects being proposed. 4) Adopting the Plan: The Comp Plan was adopted by the Willamalane Board of Directors in March 2004. At that point they submitted their application for their Refinement Plan adoption and submitted it to the City of Springfield in June 2004. They met with the joint Planning Commissions and held a public hearing in September 2004. Both Planning Commissions unanimously recommended the Plan to be adopted by their adopted officials. That is the purpose of tonight's meeting. . Ms. Gershow thanked the elected officials for their participation in this process. Their participation is in addition to the 750 other residents of the area who have told Willamalane what they are interested in and what they need in terms of parks and recreation and open space in their community over the next twenty years. Because of that, this plan is a community plan. Mr. Mott said sometimes there are things in.a Refinement Plan that would call for a change in the Metro Plan. Staff performed an audit on all the proposals that are contained in the content of Willamalane's Comprehensive Plan in terms of strategy and implications if the strategies were carried out. They considered how those relate to existing plans and policies.\ In every case there was consistency with policies. That is reflected in the fmdings of the staff report. This is a perfect fit for a piece that has been missing. The city has relied on Willamalane for many years to provide this function and service and it has been done without an up-to-date plan. The original plan was adopted in 1980 and things have changed substantially since that time. It is nice to have a contemporary document that fits so well with the Metro Plan. Mr. Mott added that parks and recreation opportunities are important for people looking to locate their family or business. This plan is something people can refer to for that type of information. This is a good promotional tool for the City of Springfield. Councilor Fitch said it was very well laid out and strategic and involved the community. Councilor Lundberg kept council members well informed of the progress. It was very well done. Councilor Ballew said she was pleased to see the cooperation between the schools and the Park District. She asked if there were any barriers in expanding that cooperation. . . . . .. Work Session Minutes Springfield City Council/Lane County Board of Commissioners October 28, 2004 Page 4 Mr. Keefer said there are some barriers with the schools regarding school safety and integrating parks. He referred to Guy Lee School and the fence that has been put up around it next to the Guy Lee Park. It is a challenge, but it is not impossible. It's a matter of how the facility is designed to work together and how to make the management piece of it work. That is only one minor complication. The rest will only get better and better. There is a critical mass of public recreation and education base in one place that everyone considers their neighborhood school and park. The school and park districts will continue to work through those details. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 6:40 pm. \ Minutes Recorder - Amy Sowa Attest: ~a~