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HomeMy WebLinkAbout12/09/2002 Work Session . . . a' MINUTES OF THE WORK SESSION OF THE SPRINGFIELD CITY COUNCIL HELD ON MONDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2002 The Springfield City Council met in Work Session at Springfield City Hall, Jesse Maine Meeting Room, 225 Fifth Street, Springfield, on Monday, December 9, 2002 at 5:02 p.m. with Council President Hatfield presiding. ATTENDANCE Present were Councilors Fitch, Hatfield, Lundberg, Ralston and Simmons. Mayor Leiken and Councilor Ballew were absent (excused). Also present were City Manager Mike Kelly, Assistant . City Manager Gino Grimaldi, City Recorder Kim Krebs, and members of staff. Guests: Willamalane Park and Recreation District, Director Mayo, Director Hastings, Chair Adams. Bob Keefer, Terry Lande. 1. Joint Meeting with Willamalane Park and Recreation District. Development Services Director Cynthia Pappas was present for the staff report on this issue. She said the purpose of this work session was to meet with the members of the Willamalane Park and Recreation District Board of Directors and staff regarding current and upcoming issues important to each organization. Bob Keefer, Willamalane Parks and Recreation District Superintendent, thanked the council for the invitation to meet with the board this evening. He said Willamalane has enjoyed working with the City these past few years, and he could not imagine a better working relationship then that between the district, City Council, and City staff. Mr. Keefer provided a brief update on the status of the Skate Park. He anticipated that the park would be usable around Spring Break, although it will not be 100 percent complete. Mr. Keefer noted that a hitch in the contracting process had caused some part of the delay. He acknowledged the work of Barb Zetner and Councilor Christine Lundberg and the contributions of Concrete Solutions and Langlier Construction in the fact the entrances and paths would be of impervious material, which would both wear better and reduce storm water runoff. Mr. Keefer said that he would continue to challenge staff and others to meet the opening deadline. He characterized the Skate Park as more of a "street" park versus a "vert," or deep bowl, park. Mr. Keefer said that the district planned to have a grand opening, and the City Council will be invited to the grand opening when that OCCllrs. He said City staff has been very helpful in this process. · Sports Complex Update A preliminary site plan was displayed overhead. Mr. Keefer explained the layout of the sports / complex. He anticipated there would be two synthetic surface fields; he had met with manufacturers to discuss the different characteristics and costs of various products and had done several site visits to other facilities in Oregon. While there was sufficient funding on hand to install four natural turf fields and parking, Mr. Keefer said that Willamalane had begun to research grants, potential partnerships, and in-kind and cash donations. Staff was developing a Request for Proposals (RFP) for a landscape architect. His goal was for construction to begin in August/September 2003. Mr. Keefer noted the importance of coordination to other efforts, such as the redevelopment of 32nd Street. . Springfield City Council Work Session Minutes - December 9, 2002 Page - 2 . . Mt. Vernon Volunteer Park < Mr. Keefer reported that Willamalane received a $125,000 grant from the Land and Water Conservation Fund to redevelop the former playfield behind old Mt. Vemon School as Mt. Vernon Volunteer Park. Willamalane was using in-kind services to match the grant. He referred to a conceptual master plan of the park displayed overhead, and anticipated that work on the park would begin in the spring, with some work done by Willamalane staff and some done by contract. Councilor Hatfield asked how the new park would impact pedestrian safety on 42nd Street. Mr. Keefer believed it would be a help rather than a hindrance because local children would not have to go to the school to reach a playground. He pointed out on the location of the park on the master plan. . Comprehensive Plan Update Greg Hyde noted that the Board and City Council received a status report on the topic in October. At that time, both bodies reviewed the needs assessment. Staff was now working on a strategies and action plan. A consultant had begun to work on a draft of that plan, which would be reviewed by staff as well as the Technical Advisory Committee and Citizen Advisory Committee and adopted by the Board and City Council. That work would be followed by the development of a capital project list and funding plan and another round of review. Ultimately, the plan would be adopted as a part of the Eugene-Springfield Metropolitan Area General Plan, satisfying State Goal 8, Recreation. He anticipated that would occur in summer 2003. Mr. Hyde emphasized the district's interest that the plan be the community's plan for parks and recreation, and noted the extensive public involvement in the plan. . Councilor Simmons asked ifthe district had taken a position on attempts to legislatively limit the parks systems development charge (SDC) while providing more flexibility in how it could be spent to extend to operational uses. Mr. Hyde was unaware of the issue. Councilor Simmons recommended that he discuss the issue with Roxie Cuellar given the magnitude of the issue on Willamalane funding. District Chair Adams noted that some time ago, the Board adopted a policy to recapture 50 percent of new growth through SDCs. The current SDC was not achieving that goal, and he anticipated the Board would be reexamining the parks SDC in the upcoming year to ~nsure it was recapturing the same percentage of growth the district promised its patrons in the past. Councilor Simmons recommended that the district be vigilant in monitoring the upcoming legislative seSSlOn. . . Mill Race Project Participation Maintenance Manager Ed Black provided background regarding the Mill Race Project. He said that about five years after the City received the land donation from Georgia-Pacific, it began to investigate strategies to better manage water flow in the Mill Race. Staff worked on management alternatives and begin to discuss the possibility of an aquatic ecosystem restoration project for the Mill Race with the Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE). The ACOE had done a reconnaissance study and was in the process of completing a feasibility study. He anticipated that the feasibility study would result in an ACOE project on the Mill Race. Mr. Black referred to an overhead map to illustrate the scope of the ACOE project. He said other project objectives were stabilization of the water flow and improvement of the water quality in the Mill Race. As part of the project, the Mill Pond would be eliminated to increase the velocity in the channel, and small seasonal ponds . . . 'Springfield City Council Work Session Minutes - December 9, 2002 Page - 3 would be created. Mr. Black estimated the total project cost at $3.5 million, with a 65/35 funding split; the City's portion of the cost would be the land it had to contribute to the project. Mr. Black noted that staff was working on a conceptual plan for potential educational and recreational opportunities associated with the project. He anticipated a public review of the conceptual plan. He used the overhead map to highlight the location of educational and recreational facilities being considered by staff. Mr. Black noted that the ACOE would allow up to ten percent of the total project cost, at a 50:50 funding split, for such amenities. Mr. Black indicated that the ACOE anticipated construction to begin in summer of 2004. Councilor Ralston asked how far the entrance of the project was from downtown. Mr. Black said that it was about 3.5 miles from the Mill Race outlet. Councilor Ralston determined from Mr. Black that there were conceptual discussions of pedestrian trails but no predetermined locations for such trails. At the request of Councilor Lundberg, Mr. Black noted the location of the Springfield Utility Board well fields on the overhead map. Mr. Keefer noted that the City purchased the Vineyard property next to Clear Water Park to facilitate the Mill Race project, and Willamalane had an opportunity to apply for additional Land and Water Conservation Funds to purchase that property in order to keep in public ownership. Those funds required a 50 p~rcent match from Willamalane. Mr. Keefer said that the district and City staffs were beginning to consider the future of that parcel and ways in which the district could acquire the parcel for long-term management. He asked if the council had any thought about how the district could acquire the property from the City given the district's funding limitations, and noted that grant applications were due January 17,2003. Councilor Simmons observed that the funds used to purchase the parcel in question were bond funds, and he was unsure what legal limits that placed on the City. He suggested that the City's legal counsel examine the issue. Councilor Simmons endorsed the concept of ultimately transferring the property to the district. Len Goodwin noted that there was a work session on the Mill Race scheduled in January 2003. That work session would include a discussion of property acquisition needed to make the project work. It was possible the City would need the proceeds from the sale of the Vineyard property to facilitate those acquisitions. He said that whatever happened, the property in question must fit into the concept for which the bonds were issued. Councilor Simmons asked if routing of the rapid flow portion would alter the flows east of the pond. Mr. Black said there were no plans to alter the flow in that direction. Using the overhead map, Mr. Black highlighted the direction that water flowed in the Mill Race. The council had a brief discussion of the timing of the federal grant application process. Mr. Keefer said that the district needed a letter from the City in support of the application stating its . intent to sell the property to Willamalane in order to proceed with the grant application. Councilor Hatfield noted the City Council's previous direction to staff to sell the front part of the Vineyard property to further development of the Mill Race, but he thought the district's proposal was interesting and the council should keep it in mind as it discussed other alternatives. Springfield City Council Work Session Minutes - December 9,2002 Page - 4 . Responding to a question from Councilor Hatfield, Mr. Goodwin advised the council that it was conceptually possible to transfer the entire parcel to Willamalane if adequate restrictions about uses around the Mill Race and the inclusion of a buffer adjacent to the Mill Race. It was possible a part of the parcel could be transferred. Mr. Mayo emphasized the district's interest in taking advantage ofthe City-owned property to enhance the expansion of Clear Water Park, which he believed would be as integral to Island Park to the City of Springfield in the future. He said that some State moneys for acquisition were also available. City Manager Mike Kelly determined from Mr. Keefer that the district would not know the results of the grant application until May 2003. Mr. Kelly suggested that the City Council could invite the Willamalane Board to the January work session for further discussion. Or, if the council perceived the concept as a viable option at this time without committing to the sale of the site, it could consent to have the district apply. In the meantime, the council could decide if it wished to go forward. had those discussions. Councilor Simmons said he believed that the City's letter of support could be constructed to protect its interests, and recommended that staffbe directed to go forward. . Councilor Lundberg concurred with Councilor Simmons. She said the City had held the property with the Mill Race improvements in mind, and it was the only river frontage with the potential for enhanced river front access. It was a very nice place to be, and she wanted to see it further enhanced, acknowledging that the council might have to rethink the concept at a later date. Councilor Fitch agreed with Councilors Simmons and Lundberg, saying that the City should leave open the option to negotiate a final price with the district. She did not think the City should turn away potential money when it purchased the property knowing that a portion of it would be sold after the MillRace project was completed. Mr. Keefer said that the property would need to be re-appraised given the age of the current appraisal, and he indicated Willamalane's willingness to do so. Councilor Hatfield said it appeared there was council consensus to go forward with a carefully crafted letter in support ofWillamalane's grant application to the Land and Water Conservation Fund. He invited Willamalane board members to attend the January work session. . Out-of School Programs. Terry Landau provided some brief history regarding the out-of-school programs, describing the grant funding that supported the programs and the objectives of improving test scores for third and fifth graders and providing after school activities for middle school children. Mr. Landau said the programs combined enrichment and enhancement programs. He briefly noted some of the efforts supported by the grants, including teen programs and centers in the middle schools and the teen annex east of Willamalane Pool. . . Mr. Landau noted the expiration dates for grant funding and Willamalane's effort to sustain the programs past those dates. The district was reviewing a number of options to keep those programs fundltd, including future grant applications, serial levies, bond levies, and the reallocation of funds. He hoped to have the United Front and Team Springfield involved in the Springfield City Council Work Session Minutes - December 9,2002 Page - 5 . effort. He anticipated that Willamalane would be seeking dialogue with the City, the school district, and other partners about how best to continue to fund the after school programs. Councilor Fitch asked about the budget for Willamalane's preschool and day time alternative assistance programs. Mr. Landau said that Willamalane was receiving funding from the Best Grant award of about $500,000 over three years from a total grant amount of $1.2 million. The Schools Plus grant was for $400,000, and Willamalane was using about $180,000 of that. The school district was submitting a grant to double the Schools Plus grant. Councilor Lundberg asked if the district had considered additional partnerships. Mr. Landau said yes. The district had looked at number ofthings that the City of Eugene had done and partnered with different groups, such as the Lane Regional Arts Council. He emphasized the district would continue to seek all the partnerships it could find. Councilor Ralston noted that the Boys and Girls Club appe<l!'ed to offer very similar programming and recommended the district and school district partner with the club. Mr. Keefer thanked City staff for its support of Willamalane programs and other community events that made Springfield a great place. He asked the council to keep the district in mind when it considered the enterprise zone concept because of the fmancial impact on the district. Councilor Hatfield thanked the board for its contribution to the community. . 2. Sanipac. Technical Services Manager Len Goodwin was present for the staff report. He noted that John Hire of Sanipac was also present for the item. He noted that the annual report from Sanipac was . attached to the Agenda Item Summary (AIS) in the meeting packet. Mr. Goodwin reported that on occasion, citizens requested a yard debris program similar to that of Eugene's. That program provided for a specialcan to be provided to customers for the disposal of yard debris. The can was picked up every two weeks, and every customer was charged for the service. The program enabled Eugene customers to shift from a 90-gallon can to . a less expensive 32-gallon can. Mr. Goodwin said the economic advantage to Eugene customers would not exist in Springfield because the cost of the larger can was sufficiently close to the cost of the smaller can to result in a consumer cost increase with no way to effective reduce that cost. Another option was to provide a subscription program. The program cost would be based on the number of subscribers. However, the residents would probably avoid the service given the availability of yard debris dumping sites at less cost. Mr. Goodwin said that while Sanipac was more than happy to enter into any yard debris program, staff was not recommending such a program at this time. Councilor Fitch observed that from what she heard from citizens, at this time they were not interested in a yard debris program and were happy with the annual clean up. She asked about the possibility of doing the annual clean-up twice a year. . Mr. Hire said that Sanipac was prepared to do the clean-up twice a year. He said that it could be a budgetary issue for the City, but if the council wanted to extend the clean-up, Sanipac would be prepared to do. Springfield City Council Work Session Minutes - December 9,2002 Page - 6 . Responding to a question from Councilor Simmons, Mr. Hires explained how the leaf pickup program worked and explained that the company charged the City for its specially equipped trucks for only the time they were in the field. Mr. Goodwin noted that the leaf pick-up program cost the City $32,000 per year, and residents did not directly pay those costs. Councilor Hatfield determined there was general consensus on the part of the council that it was not interested in a yard debris program at this time. He further determined there was general consensus for the City Manager to explore having a clean-up twice yearly, possibly adding such an event in the fall. Responding to a question from Councilor Fitch, Mr. Goodwin clarified that the last rate increase- was in April 2000, not April 2002. He said that the Finance Department had examined Sanipac's books on a confidential basis as required by State law. He believed that Sanipac's request for a rate increase was supported by those financial records. Mr. Goodwin noted that staff recommended the rate increase become effective on February 1, 2003. The council would hold a public hearing tonight, and a second reading of the ordinance was scheduled for January. Councilor Hatfield solicited council comments. . Councilor Simmons asked if Sanipac factored in the cost of the proposed transportation system maintenance fee (TSMF) in the budget. Mr. Hires responded that the rate increase was a forward- looking rate increase and because of its close work with City staff, Sanipac was able to incorporate such factors in its calculations. He acknowledged that Sanipac used City roads heavily, and expected to be a partner with Springfield in sharing those costs. Councilor Fitch said she supported the proposed 15 percent increase, and believed the partnership between the City and Sanipac was rewarding for the citizens. Mr. Hire indicated he intended to meet with each councilor over the next year to discuss various program-related issues. Councilor Ralston asked if Sanipac has received any complaints from residents in Glenwood about the odor from the transfer site. Mr. Hire said no, because the transfer site was owned by Lane County. He said that the County must move the pile and ensure that it did not stay in place for vector control. When the pile was turned, it could be smelled. He noted that he was on the Resource Recovery Advisory Committee and would ask if the County received complaints. Councilor Ralston asked if there were plans to move the transfer site. Mr. Hires said that the ten- year Solid Waste Plan recently adopted by the Board of County Commissioners did not include any mention of moving the transfer site. He indicated he would raise the issue with the County. . Councilor Simmons suggested that if the council was to charge Mr. Hires with a task, it should ask him to develop closure costs for the Short Mountain Landfill as he anticipated another dump site would be needed soon and there was no funding in the Solid Waste Fund to pay those costs in the future. He did not think the current tipping fee of $40 per ton was adequate to pay those costs, which would mean more money must be found elsewhere. In addition, another site must be found, and that would raise many NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) issues. 3. Transportation System Maintenance Fee. 'Springfield City Council Work Session Minutes - December 9,2002 Page - 7 . Councilor Hatfield invited Councilor-elect John Woodrow to the table to join in the discussions on this matter. Public Works Director Dan Brown noted that Mr. Goodwin distributed revised copies of the ordinance that would be the subject of the later public hearing. Mr. Brown reminded the council that item 32 on its list of 2002 targets was sustainable transportation funding. The council directed staff to work with other local agencies to evaluate and consider new local revenue sources. Mr. Brown said that the council had provided staff with direction regarding those revenue sources. That direction was reflected in Attachment A. The council's direction included guidance on the revenue target amount of$I.6 million. Mr. Brown said that in the absence of additional funding, the capital budget the council would receive for fiscal year 2004 would have no pavement preservation funds. If that was allowed to continue, deferred preservation and maintenance costs would go from $6 million to $20 million in five years. The costs would grow exponentially after that. Mr. Brown indicated that if the City Council adopted the ordinance following the public hearing, staff would proceed with the methodology and rate setting for council consideration and adoption. Mr. Brown said Attachment C highlighted the potential revenue yields from a Transportation System Maintenance Fee (TSMF). . Mr. Brown reported that the Eugene City Council was also considering a TSMF at its meeting tonight to meet its growing maintenance backlog, which was projected to reach $230 million in ten years if no additional revenues were received. The Eugene council would also consider a local gas tax option in January 2003. Councilor Fitch noted that she received many telephone calls on the topic and was pleased that the majority of those contacts were seeking greater understanding of the issue. Her contacts had been in agreement that the fee was needed. They hoped the word would get out that the City's true need was about $1.6 million, which the proposed user fee was not sufficient to meet that need, and the fuel tax was also needed. If the fuel tax was not enacted, the City would have to revisit the user fee or another source of funding. Councilor Fitch said that she encouraged those with a concern about the impact of the fee on small businesses to come to the council if the fuel tax did not pass and request that the commerciaVindustrial ranges be revisited. Councilor Fitch asked Mr. Goodwin how those operating cottage industries from their homes would be affected by the fee. Mr. Goodwin clarified that the definition of "residential use" was use of a premises exclusively as a dwelling unit. In theory, if a residence was used for other than dwelling purposes, the City could charge the owner at the business rate. The practical reality was, to the extent the City was employing the utility board as a billing agent, it would not be making inquiries as to the nature of the use at the residential address. Councilor Fitch suggested that if the City had a business license fee, the situation might be different. Mr. Goodwin concurred. . Responding to a question from Councilor Ralston regarding the type of uses generating 20,000 trips daily, Mr. Goodwin said that Wal-Mart came to mind. He confirmed that he was discussing customer visits. Councilor Ralston asked if businesses would be charged for truck visits from out of state that "just happened to make a destination there to drop something off and then leave." Mr. Goodwin said yes. He said that a company would be classified in a category as stipulated in .Springfield City Council Work Session Minutes - December 9, 2002 Page - 8 . the Institute of Transportation Engineers Manual. If a company believed it had substantial fewer trips that was indicated by the category, it could do a traffic study to document its use and move to a lower category. . Councilor Ralston said it appeared that Springfield's charges would be substantially less than those of Eugene. He said that in his initial discussions with citizens, they were hostile, but once he explained the mechanism, people were accepting of the concept. He believed that a small gas tax increase could also be explained and accepted. Councilor-Elect Woodrow said that a combination of the user fee of$1.75 per month and the proposed gas tax increase would cost a resident the same as a larger fee of $3.50 per month. He had discussed the proposal with people in his neighborhood, and they had no problem with the concept either. He had used Schedule C using the larger fee in talking to residents, and he did not think that $42 would be an economic hardship for residents. He acknowledged that people did not want to pay more, but they did not want to see potholes in front of their houses either. He was concerned that the gas tax proposal would fail at the polls and the council would have to return to the citizens with an increase in the fee to $3.50, and at that time the citizens would question why the council had not adopted the higher fee earlier. Councilor-elect Woodrow appreciated the fact that the gas tax would capture revenue from out of the area, but believed it would be difficult to pass. He recommended that the council "bite the bullet," go with a higher fee, and save the gas tax for a time it was needed later. . Councilor Ralston preferred to let the voters decide on a gas tax. He agreed that there was no difference in the revenues ultimately realized, but wanted to give the voters control. Councilor Simmons said that while he tended to agree with Councilor-elect Woodrow, he thought the political reality of the issue supported the lower fee amount of$1.75. He agreed that if the gas tax failed, some would argue that the council should have set a higher fee, but he believed that those people would represent a minority of the community. He did not think the community would be overwhelming against a fee increase if it was needed because they recognized that need. Councilor Hatfield noted that the ordinance, if adopted by the council, must be referred by the voters to go to a vote. He said that ifthe council must defer a portion of the maintenance backlog because the gas tax was unsuccessful, it could do so, but it must eventually work on the backlog, because it would not go away. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 6:50 p.m. Minutes Recorder - Kim Krebs Jc. . ~. Kim Krebs, City Recorder