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Minutes - 11/04/1996 COUNCIL WORKSHOP MEETING MINUTES November 4, 1996 TAPE READING 0001 DATE. COUNCIL CHAMBERS, CITY HALL, CITY OF WOODBURN, COUNTY OF MARION, STATE OF OREGON, NOVEMBER 4, 1996. 0003 CONVENED. The Council met in a workshop session at 7:00 p.m. with Mayor Kirksey presiding to review Council goals and to solicit input from other Commission/Committee/Board members as to future goals and funding. ROLL CALL. Mayor Councilor Councilor Councilor Councilor Councilor Councilor Kirksey Chadwick Figley Hagenauer Jennings Pugh Sifuentez Present Absent Present Absent Present Present Present Staff Present: City Administrator Childs, Community Development Director Goeckritz, Finance Director Gillespie, Public Works Director, Assistant Planner Engledinger, Assistant Planner Tejeda, Park Director Holly, Library Director Sprauer, City Recorder Tennant Planning Commission members present: Mary Schultz, Lillian Warzynski, JoAnn Bjelland Library Board member present: Phyllis Bauer Park Board member present: Frank Anderson Budget Committee members present: Barbara Lucas, Bruce Thomas Chamber of Commerce representative present: Jane Kanz, Executive Director 0044 Mayor Kirksey welcomed the participants to this workshop which was called for the purpose of receiving input from other City boards, committees, and Planning Commission on the Council's goals and future direction the Council and/or staff should consider in proceeding with these and/or new goals along with funding of these goals for 1997-98. 0080 Administrator referred to a memo attached to the agenda which was provided to the Budget Committee in March 1996. The memo addressed Council goals which were developed for a two-year period beginning fiscal year 1995-96. He briefly summarized the status of each of the following goals. Water Master Plan -- consulting work is nearing completion and an Open House is scheduled for December 5th to receive public input on the Plan. Wastewater -- facilities plan has been adopted and pre-design work is being done by an Page 1 - Council Workshop Meeting Minutes, November 4, 1996 ,........ . ..~...__._--'".<._.~-,-,..__. ..._._'_._~....~ .._-_._.~"~----_........~. -.-...-.-..--.---., COUNCIL WORKSHOP MEETING MINUTES November 4, 1996 TAPE READING outside consulting firm. Bonds have not been sold to date since the City had obtained a low interest loan from DEQ in the amount of $400,000 to fund a portion of the pre- design work. Parks Master Plan -- A Request for Proposal has been drafted and it will be advertised in the near future. Funds have been allocated within the current budget to pay for this consulting work. Centennial Park Project -- Plans are to accomplish Phase I of this project during this fiscal year. With the construction of the new school adjacent to Centennial Park, certain improvements to the Park will be made in conjunction with the school project. Community Center -- This project was not included as part of the 1995-96 Council goals, however, it is now an issue that is being discussed and a committee has been formed to work on this project. Transportation Issues -- 1) Steps have been taken towards the formation of a Local Improvement District to improve the downtown alley north of Hayes Street. The Council is also in the process of considering an additional 2 cents per gallon gas tax to help fund road improvements; 2) City is working with the County and State Transportation Dept. to present a group effort before the legislature to get their backing for the construction of a 2nd 1-5 interchange; and 3) the Transportation Plan has been adopted and implementation has begun. Downtown -- Exploring options to enhance the vitality of the downtown area was the main objective of this goal. A grant award of approximately $35,000 was recently awarded to the City and WDA to develop a Downtown Development Plan. It was also noted that the WDA has hired a part-time manager to work with downtown businesses in order to keep the downtown core area vital within our community. Liveability -- 1) Develop opportunities and strategies for beautification which would include an "Adopt a Street" program for picking up litter in neighborhoods and recognizing those individuals or groups who participate in that type of program; 2) maintain quality, safety and cleanliness of neighborhoods by vigorous enforcement of City ordinances; and 3) promote neighborhood watch programs throughout the City. Public Involvement -- 1) the Human Rights Commission will again be meeting later this month and the Council will be extending the ordinance for another year; and 2) the Council developed policies and procedures for all boards and committees about a year ago. Personnel -- This goal involved the formulation of an employee recognition program by and from the Council, however, no formal program has been established to date. Administrator Childs stated that the Council continues to be very supportive of city employees. Administrator Childs stated that the Council will probably be setting another goal setting session in late winter or early spring to update their goals for the next two years. He also informed the group that this is the first year the City has been out of compression since the Ballot Measure 5 was passed. The City now has the opportunity to levy Page 2 - Council Workshop Meeting Minutes, November 4, 1996 r _M ...,," ._,~_. .'_'___,"_"_"""___,,~_,_,_~,_--,,,,,-",___ - - COUNCIL WORKSHOP MEETING MINUTES November 4, 1996 TAPE READING additional Library and Parks and Recreation property taxes under their continuing levy authority if the Budget Committee so desires to levy additional taxes. Mayor Kirksey reminded the group that Ballot Measure 47 is now before us which may severely impact the City's operations. Administrator Childs stated that if Ballot Measure 47 does pass, the State Revenue Department has projected an estimated $700,000 loss in property taxes to the City which equates to 20% of the total taxes levied by the City. If this occurs, the City will be losing a lot after struggling back since the loss of property taxes in 1991. 0773 Mayor Kirksey invited each participant to convey their thoughts on the goals brought forth and/or on any other issue they wanted to bring before the Council. Frank Anderson, Park & Recreation Board, stated that participation in recreation programs continues to grow and the Board would like to see additional programs targeted toward middle and high school students. They have had good success with older adult programs and they would also like to see participation in this area increase. The Park Department is on the edge of completing Phase I of Centennial Park and they hope to have Phase II and III done much sooner than what it has taken to complete Phase I. Additionally, the aquatic center provides recreational activities to all age groups within our community and the surrounding area. Nevin Holly, Park Director, stated that the Board would also like to see more Capital Funds made available whether it be for upgrading current park facilities or building a new Community Center. Recreational opportunities need to be available to children since keeping them involved in activities is considered as a method of crime prevention and it deters children from gang association. Councilor Jennings stated that if Ballot Measure 47 does pass, he hoped that another joint workshop with the boards and commission would be held to re-evaluate the situation therefore giving staff some direction when preparing their armual budget. He briefly brought up his desire to have staff explain more thoroughly to the Budget Committee interfund transfers. He commented on the positive attitude displayed by the Budget Committee last year during the hearings process. He also suggested that neighborhood parking permits be researched for the purpose of making more spaces available to individuals who live in a limited parking area. 1108 Bruce Thomas, Budget Committee, suggested that an annual workshop be held to follow- up on the Council's goals which also gives the participants a better understanding of what is going on in the City. Councilor Pugh suggested that a procedural review be conducted to better understand how costs are allocated to various budgetary funds, and, if Ballot Measure 47 does pass, the City needs to regroup to set goals and then more forward. Councilor Figley stated that she was glad to have the goals discussed. In her opinion, Centennial Park is a top priority and the wastewater upgrade is progressing. In regards to upcoming budget sessions, passage of Ballot Measure 47 will present some challenges in our next budget year. The Council has also been asked by the Chamber to change Page 3 - Council Workshop Meeting Minutes, November 4, 1996 r- -.- - . COUNCIL WORKSHOP MEETING MINUTES November 4, 1996 TAPE READING their philosophy on how and/or how much the Chamber is paid from hotel/motel taxes. She also stated that revitalization of the downtown area will take capital investment and this topic will need to be discussed with the consultant for the Downtown Development Plan. 1296 Linda Sprauer, Library Director, stated that the Library will survive if Ballot Measure 47 does pass, however, the current service level will be reduced. Currently, the Library has 6-day service, however, they would like to expand the service and be open to serve their patrons more hours each week. The Library is staff intensive and more hours mean more personnel costs. Goals of the Library Board include upgrading technology and upgrading the facility. 1406 Phyllis Bauer, Library Board, agreed with the comments made by Director Sprauer and stated that she is impressed with the high caliber of individuals leading our City. Councilor Sifuentez stated that if more funds were available, she would advocate an investment in recreational programs for youth. She also felt that, as a group, continued meetings are necessary to realize the goals for our community. Lillian Warzynski, Planning Commission, stated that the downtown area and downtown streets are on her priority list. These issues have been overlooked for too long and the City needs to pursue these goals. The Downtown Development Plan grant will be a starting point for revitalization of the downtown core. She suggested that consideration be given to a "Town Square" concept and we need to look for investors to achieve this goal. JoAnn Bjelland, Planning Commission, agreed that the youth are very important within our community and they need someplace to go that is safe. In regards to the downtown core area, the City now has a window of opportunity available to them and we need to take action to fulfill this goal. The City should also look to the future and secure the property just east of the City Hall parking lot before any building commences on that site. In regards to liveability, she expressed concern with the Council's lack of ability to assist the Marshall Street neighborhood watch group in evicting residents from their neighborhood who continue to violate the law. She feels that a joint meeting of neighborhood watch captains should occur periodically to keep the neighborhood groups updated on what is going on in the community since often times the removal of an individual from one neighborhood results in that individual moving into another neighborhood in town. Mary Schultz, Planning Commission, suggested that the City pursue the acquisition of land as it becomes available in the area surrounding the existing City buildings. Additionally, she is glad to see that the Water Master Plan is now being formulated and she would also like to see those unincorporated pockets of land be brought into the City. 1783 Jane Kanz, Chamber Executive Director, stated that the Chamber has recently sent a proposal to the Council regarding the hotel/motel tax. The Chamber is proposing that the City continue to contribute 10% of the tax collected and drop the maximum contribution as so provided for in the ordinance. Liveability is a goal the Chamber is interested in helping to promote. In addition to using a portion of their net proceeds Page 4 - Council Workshop Meeting Minutes, November 4, 1996 r' ...._.___..___-..,.---.,.. ._~~._,_._._.,~.".~_...___'w.._,'__,...".__.._ - . COUNCIL WORKSHOP MEETING MINUTES November 4, 1996 TAPE READING from the annual auction, they are interested in utilizing hotel/motel tax funds in starting a fund for "Welcome to Woodburn" signs and they would encourage other local organizations or individuals to contribute to the project. She briefly outlined other projects which the Chamber is interested in that would be funded through the hotel/motel tax funds. She reminded the group that the Chamber Auction will be held on Friday, November 15th, at the Woodburn Fire District building. 2090 Barbara Lucas, Budget Committee, brought the following issues before the group: 1) the gas tax proceeds be used for resurfacing existing city streets; 2) update the Comprehensive Plan to be in agreement with the Zoning Ord; and 3) the planning fees be paid by developers rather than the subsidized by the taxpayers. Discussion was held on the planning fee issue with some individuals expressing their opinions that development fees are already to high in comparison with other surrounding communities while other individuals felt that fees should be raised to offset some of the planning costs incurred by the City. Some discussion was also held regarding the level of general fund support for planning. Administrator Childs stated that he has found this to be a productive workshop since he can take the information, sort it out, and come up with a balance that will be reflected in the upcoming city budget. Public Works Director Tiwari commented on some of the issues brought up at this meeting and reminded the group that the basics must be in place in order to achieve their goals. Goal setting sessions provide the staff with the necessary guidance on the direction the Council wishes to proceed. He also reassured the group that city gas tax is only spent on city streets and not in the unincorporated areas of town. Tape 2 0027 Mayor Kirksey stated that the City still needs to focus on a vision for the future. City ballot measure 24-80 will provide the Council with some direction regarding acquisition of property. She is very interested in the outcome of a committee report on a yard debris recycling program. She also suggested that a joint workshop with the boards, committees, and commission be scheduled 3 times each year beginning in January for about an hour before a regular Council meeting to continue this type of Council/community interaction. Councilor Jennings stated that he has had continued contact with members of the Marshall Street neighborhood watch group. He also suggested that the Council pursue the acquisition of land at the corner of Front St. and Cleveland Street. JoAnn Bjelland reiterated that the City needs to plan for the future even if it takes more than one try. She also suggested that Councilor Jennings contact the Neighborhood Watch Captain to update her on the status of their situation. Page 5 - Council Workshop Meeting Minutes, November 4, 1996 r- --- ...._."....,--...-..-_.,._.~_._.__.~------~,--- .. . COUNCIL WORKSHOP MEETING MINUTES November 4, 1996 TAPE READING Bruce Thomas stated that city taxpayers have responded to the needs of the community through passage of tax base, aquatic center, and new schools. If Ballot Measure 47 does not pass this year, we will be faced with a similar tax issue in another two years. He reminded the group that goals are important for focusing on the future liveability within our community. 362 Phyllis Bauer stated that one drawback the City faces is the limited access of motorists into town. Councilor Jennings stated that the City is waiting for the County to complete their Transportation Plan so that we can work together to lobby for a 2nd 1-5 interchange, however, it may be another two years before the County completes their Plan. 0485 Some additional discussion was held regarding interfund transfers and it was decided to hold a separate meeting to address accounting practices versus budget format. 0550 ADJOURNMENT. Mayor Kirksey called the workshop to a close at 8:54 p.m.. APPROVED "':?~Sl'~-/.'7 NANCY A. KIRK Y, MAYOR ATTEST fY/~ --r::.... ~ Mary nnant, Recorder City of Woodburn, Oregon Page 6 - Council Workshop Meeting Minutes, November 4, 1996 r ,..,-. ---....._..........._."...^..-._~..".., . T