HomeMy WebLinkAbout2012-0211 Council Goal Setting MIN ASHLAND CITY COUNCIL GOAL SETTING
February 11, 2012
Page I of I
MINUTES FOR THE GOAL SETTING SESSION
ASHLAND CITY COUNCIL
February 11,2012
51 Winburn Way
CALL TO ORDER
Mayor Stromberg called the meeting to order at 9:00 a.m. in the Siskiyou Room of 51 Winburn Way.
Councilor Slattery, Morris, Lemhouse, Voisin, Silbiger, and Chapman were present.
Interim City Administrator Larry Patterson conducted the session beginning with the objectives.
• Future challenges and the City's Mission
• Defining goals
• Team building
• Understanding of the City Organizations capabilities and shortcomings
• Additions, modifications or deletions to the goals
• Staff direction on developing work plan for council review and adoption
Council reviewed 2011 accomplishments and discussed current issues.
Economic Development—Council discussed how this could be accomplished.
Long-Range Planning— Council discussed having additional Study Sessions in order to prepare and understand
issues more clearly.
Safety—Council discussed conducting a staff analysis where needed.
Public Works—Council discussed water needs.
Organizational Development—Council confirmed their desire for a biennial budget and discussed administrative
staffing needs.
Other — Council discussed reviewing Commissions in regards to their designated "charge", holding to
"sustainability", implementing strategies in regards to the "homeless" issue and reviewing how volunteers fit
within our organization.
Interim City Administrator Larry Patterson will prepare the complete goal list to the council for their review.
Meeting was adjourned at 2:00 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Barbara Christensen
City Recorder
To: Mayor Stromberg and Ashland City Council
From: Larry Patterson, Interim City Manager
Re: Council Retreat
Date: January 3, 2012
The City Council annually has an annual retreat to discuss goals and
issues in January. The established Council goals are broad and will
probably be of interest for several years. This year's annual retreat will
be more a review of your goals, discussion of some elements of city
work-plan and any other pertinent issues that need discussion.
The objectives for this year's retreat should be:
1. A glimpse of future challenges and the City's Mission.
2. Defining goals.
3. Provide team building through a discussion of the issues and an
understanding of where each Councilor stands on each issue and
where the Council consensus is.
4. Provide a brief understanding of the City Organizations
capabilities and shortcomings. -
S. Provide any additions, modifications or deletions to the City
Council's goals.
6. Provide staff direction to develop work plan for Council review
and adoption
AGENDA
Saturday
February 11,2012
Siskiyou Room
Community Development
1. Review of 2011 accomplishments, retreat objectives and
discussion of vision and mission for City
2. Discussion of goals, work-plan and issues
3. Discussion of goal modifications, additions, or deletions
4. Adjourn.
Goals and Objectives Organization for Action and Evaluation
Future Trends and Scenarios
City Vision and Mission
Organizational Capabilities
I
Organizational Goals & Objectives Budgeting
Structure
Implementation
Performance Evaluation &Appraisal
I
Training Job Classifications Job Descriptions
Communication and Feedback
Ashland Today
An Initial View
Ashland in 2009 developed a vision statement (see enclosed) of what Ashland
would like in the next 20 years. To accomplish that vision the statement reads, "This
picture is positive and ambitious. It requires the City Council to tackle a variety of
problems -from economic change to new energy markets to political polarization -
in an optimistic and constructive way. While many of the statements in the vision
are ambitious, the Council believes it can be reached if the community shares hope
for the future and a willingness to work to ensure the community stays vibrant and
unique."
Beyond stating where you want to go, part of any visioning process is looking in the
mirror and seeing who you are. I don't know Ashland only being here a couple of
months,but at first glance here is what Ashland appears to be.
• A small town that enjoys it small town charm and atmosphere and wishes to
remain so.
• A small town that enjoys many amenities which are not usually found
in a town of 20,000
• The quality of life in Ashland is high and is a major calling card for the
community.
• A small town that expects a high level of services.
• A town,which may struggle with paying to maintain the level of
services that now are being provided and a town which may not
readily accept the cost it will take to maintain that level of service.
• Ashland economy is more diverse than one would expect for a small
community. The Ashland economy is comprised of:
• Tourism,which is primarily related to the OSF, but has a strong
outdoor recreation component (Trails, Golf, Mt.Ashland, River
Rafting, Fishing, etc.).
• Downtown is a major employer when viewed as a whole and along
with Lithia Park is the City's identity and front porch of Ashland for
special events and tourism.
• Non-profits and government. (Ashland Hospital,Southern Oregon
University and the City.)
• Several small businesses such as Bromma, Skye Research, etc.
• Ashland attitude toward growth is very guarded and more on the level of no
growth or limited growth.
• Ashland's growth historically has been small and presently it is
growing at a rate of less than 1% annually.
• Attitudes toward limiting growth leads to a climate of heavily
regulated policies toward growth and development;
• The public has suspicions of the development community and become
very concerned if the City develops too close a relationship with a
developer.
• Some may view the attitude in Ashland as not business friendly.
• Because of the higher cost of living a good portion of the work force
lives outside the city.
• Ashland has enjoyed a minimal levy of growth, which contributes to the
demographic trends seen in Ashland.
• Ashland's population tends to be older than the population of the
region,with the exception of the student population associated with
Southern Oregon University.
• The higher cost of living in Ashland contributes to an older more
established population..
• Youth who wish a career,many times are required to move from the
area to find employment.
• Younger families are not moving to Ashland or locate outside of
Ashland as is witnessed by the declining school enrollment.
• Ashland has closed two of five elementary schools in past few
years.
• Ashland employers have a more difficult time recruiting professional
tow career families because it is difficult for a spouse to find suitable
employment?
• Ashland is a very politically involved community
• Most of the City of Ashland decisions require a very committee
oriented decision making model and resist strong political and
administrative leadership.
• The Ashland City organization is unique with many elected positions
(Parks Board and City Recorder).
• In Ashland process is as important if not more so than progress?
2010 Vision Statement
June 2010
Introduction
In preparation for goal setting in 2009, the Ashland City Council developed a picture of what
Ashland would look like in 10 years—the year 2030—if the community makes decisions consistent
with its values. This picture is positive and ambitious. It requires the City Council to tackle a variety
of problems—from economic change to new energy markets to political polarization—in an
optimistic and constructive way. While many of the statements in the vision are ambitious, the
Council believes it can be reached if the community shares hope for the future and a willingness to
work to ensure the community stays vibrant and unique.
Vision for 2030
In 2030,Ashland is a beautiful town on the edge of the Siskiyou Mountains. Ashland is a safe and
welcoming place. Residents and visitors enjoy high quality outdoor recreation, and performing and
visual arts.
Ashland avoided sprawl,preserved historic buildings, and provided a variety of transportation and
housing choices as it has developed. Ashland has vibrant neighborhoods with singles, families,
children,and seniors living together. People know their neighbors, and they work together to care for
each other. Residents can find jobs, shopping,recreation, and open space within an easy walk from
their homes.
As a community, Ashland is a leader in sustainable environmental practices. Ashland's creeks
support fish,birds, and wildlife. The community meets its energy needs through conservation and
alternative energy generation. Many parks include community gardens, and Ashland supports
farming in the Rogue Valley through advocacy and economic development. Residents manage their
water use through conservation, drought tolerant landscaping, and reuse of storm water and effluent.
Ashland is connected to the Rogue Valley and west Coast through excellent telecommunications
infrastructure and strong transit and rail systems.
Residents and visitors share Ashland's downtown. Ashland is eclectic, and differences are treasured,
not just tolerated. Visitors return to Ashland year after year. Community events and festivals allow
locals,regional residents, and visitors to share music, food, and ideas.
Ashland's economy is adaptive, resilient, and flexible, built on an entrepreneurial private sector,
creative arts, and Southern Oregon University. The economic health of the community relies on
homegrown businesses, community reinvestment, education, quality public services and sustainable
business practices.
Ashland's K-12 school system is one of the best in the nation. Southern Oregon University graduates
students who succeed in life and their careers because they are well prepared for life and work in the
21 st century.
Ashland's forests are healthy and managed to support the unique habitat of the Siskiyou Mountains,
support recreation, provide clean drinking water, and ensure Ashland is safe from forest fire.
The City of Ashland is respected in Oregon and the region as an innovative, effective, and efficient
municipal government. The City is responsive to citizen and business needs. The City is an employer
of choice to high quality professionals who have chosen public service as a career.
Future Trends
Visioning is also looking at the future and trying to assess what trends and scenarios
will affect Ashland in the next few years and determining what these trends mean
for Ashland and if the City is prepared to addresses these challenges. Though my
crystal ball is always cloudy, below are a few trends that I believe Ashland must
consider in looking at its mission and its goals and objectives. I gathered some of
these figures from the PEW Research Center. I did not do allot of research on future
trends so this is an area you may want to look at harder as you attempt to determine
what the city will have to adjust to over the next several years.
• Local government budgets are in a difficult with the growth in expenses
exceeding the growth in revenues
• It will take a number of years and the retirement of Tier I employees
before Oregon Governments can move past the financial impacts of
the PERS crisis
• Health insurance cost continue to grow by inflationary increases
above CPI
• As budgets tighten at the state and federal level more pressures
resulting in increasing demands for services are cast upon local
governments
• The ability to gain concession from unions grows increasing difficult
and budget pressures mount and the economy tightens. The ability to
gain concession from unions is exacerbated by the collective
bargaining laws affecting Police and Fire Unions.
o Cities continue to increase standards,which result in higher costs of
construction.
o Much of a cities infrastructure is not sustained by a maintenance
budget that can maintain the construction standard.
Many older Americans indicate they may have to postpone retirement as
most state their personal income has worsened during the great recession.
• Older workforce is growing more than younger work force.
• Census data showed 14.2 % of young people ages 25-34 still living with
parents versus 11.8% before the recession began
o Many are postponing their independent lives and delaying not buying
homes.
• 15.1% (46.2 million) of American live in poverty and 49.9 million live
without health insurance
• Barely half of all adults in the United States -a record low-are currently
married; and the median age at first marriage has never been higher for
brides (26.5) and grooms (28.7).
• Other adult living arrangements - including cohabitation,single-person
households and single parenthood -have all grown more prevalent in recent
decades.
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POTENTIAL CITY NEEDS
By Department
FY 2012-2015
Department Stated Need Cost (Rough Potential Funding
Estimate Approaches
Police 2 Police Officers $160,000 General Fund
Police Annual techology $ 60,000 General Fund/Have
needs used Forfeiture fund
previously which are
tied up in BI Project
Fire Reducing staffing $97,530 General Fund
window from 7/9
to 8/9
Fire 3 Firefighters $0 first two SAFER Grant with
producing 10 per years General Fund
shift absorbing these
$270,000 third position in third year
year if members
retained
Fire 1 Fire Prevention $ 89,000 General Fund
Inspector ($65,000 over
cost of weed
abatement
officer
Fire Weed Abatement $ 24,000
Officer (in
additional
inspector not
funded
Fire Move Forest $ 13,000 General Fund
Resource Specialist
to Division
Manager
Fire Training budget $ 35,000 General Fund
and funding for
emergency drills
Fire EOC $ 11,000 General Fund
training/equip ment
Fire Trails Master Plan $ 5,000 General Fund
Fire Replace pumper $ 47,800 General Fund
(8811)with new
unit
Fire Payment to $ 47,800 General Fund
equipment
replacement fund
for capital outlay
items
Fire Payment to $ 86,000 General fund
equipment
replacement fund
for aerial ladder
Economic TBD $150,000 All Funds
Development Contribution, Urban
Renewal, Business
Improvement District
Library Replace County $1,200,000 General
funding Fund/increase in
Serial Levy
Public Works 1 Engineering Tech $ 85,000 Water Sewer Fund
Public Works 1 and 1h Water $110,000 Water/Sewer
Conservation
Specialist
Community .2 Building Official $ 19,000 General Fund
Development .2 Building Official
Administration Assistant City $126,000 General Fund
Administrator
Administration Conservation $126,000 Water/Sewer/Electric
Manager
Administration Department Head $ 50,000 All Funds
compensation
Administration Compensation $100,000 All Funds
compression
adjustments
Administration Health insurance $ 218,968 All Funds/In budget
increase 5.9%
Info Technology Office automation $ 160,000 All Funds
improvements
Total $3,267,098
City of Ashland
Goals and Objectives
Council Retreat February 11,2012
Goal 1: Diversify the economic base of the community, support
businesses that use and provide local and regional products,
increase the number of family-wage jobs, leverage Ashland's
tourism and repeat visitors.
Objective 1: Adopt a comprehensive economic development strategy
to accomplish goal as stated incorporating quality of life and social
entreprenuialship.
Objective 2: Adopt an action plan to ensure City programs and
activities support the overall strategic direction.
Objective 3: Complete feasibility study for urban renewal and tax
increment financing as a method of funding infrastructure as a method
of funding infrastructure, public facilities and economic development
programs for the Croman Mill District,the Railroad District and
Downtown.
• Task 1: Work with State and Developer on potential development
at the Croman Mill Site.
Objective 4: Increase clarity, responsiveness and certainty of the
development process and develop a specific action plan to respond to
the recommendation of the 2006 Zucker and Siegel Report.
Objective 5: Assist where needed and requested by Ashland.Hospital
with efforts to affiliate with another entity to insure retention of specific
medical service where feasible to provide Ashland with convenient
medical services and largest number of jobs retained.
Objective 6: Support efforts to have (Major Tourism Event) Use
Ashland during 2012.
Objective 7: Transfer Mt. Ashland SUP to Mt Ashland.
• Task 1: Insure Mt.Ashland Expansion is done in manner that does not
threaten the safety of the Ashland Watershed
Objective 8: Assist Chamber of Commerce with a business and
retention program.
Objective 9: Create an Economic Development website.
Objective 10: Update AFN Master Plan
Goal 2: Conservation and Sustainability.
Objective 1: Develop a concise sustainability plan for the community
and for City operations.
Objective 2: Adopt land use codes, building codes, green building
standards and fee structures that create strong incentives for
development that is energy, water, and land efficient and supports a
multi-modal transportation system.
Objective 3: Land Use Ordinance Improvements
Objective 4: Ashland Forest Resiliency
Objective 5: NPDES Implementation
Objective 6: Provide improvements to Water Street Riparian
Improvements
Objective 7: Trails Master Plan
Objective 8: Protect Wildlife in City and assist Citizen with wildlife
issues in neighborhoods
• Task 1: Adopt ordinance banning feeding of deer in City.
Goal 3: Social Equity
• Task 1: Appoint an ad-hoc committee to make recommendations to the City
Council by December 31, 2011 about how the City and partner organization
can work together in the long run to address the needs of homeless people
and to reduce homelessness in the Community.
• Task 2: Install port-a-potty in downtown for after hours use for all citizens
• Task 3: Review City's policies and practices regarding electrical service
cutoff and make determinations on whether to increase program.
• Task 4: Implement program of citizen donations to assist homeless and
reduce panhandling activities.
Goal 4: Position City Organization and Facilities to meet
tomorrow's challenges and needs.
Objective 1: Develop a plan for fiscal stability, manage costs, prioritize
services, and insure key revenue streams.
• Task 1: Adopt policies and targets to use surpluses in ending fund balances
to fund longer-term reserves.
• Task 2: Implement 2010 Council direction on Ending Fund Balance targets.
• 'task 3: Define division of tax rate appropriation between Parks and City
operations.
Objective 2: Adopt a plan to increase the City's ability to afford the cost
of employee wages &benefits while ensuring that employee benefits
remain a tool for recruiting and retaining a high quality work force.
• Task 1: Negotiation new contract of Police Union
• Task 2: Negotiation new contract for Fire Union
• Task 3: Negotiation new contract for clerical workers
• Task 4: Negotiation and approve new contract for Health Insurance
• Task 5: Evaluate class comp program and develop implementation plan or
modifications or new study.
• Task 6: Evaluate and develop plan to address compression in compensation
schedules
Objective 3: Recognize and affirm the value of the contributions of
volunteers to the City and the Community.
Objective 4: Develop a biennial budget plan and format to begin in FY
2013/14
• Task 1: Insure plan and format has Annual budget discussion and
adjustments where needed.
Obigctive 5: Evaluate the need to revise the powers, duties and
membership of the Tree Commission, Housing Commission,
Conservation Commission, Public Arts Commission and Planning
Commission.
• Task 1: Decrease membership on Planning Commission and Housing
Committee.
Objective 6: Update the Parks MOU
Objective 7: Fill critical staffing vacancies
• Recruit and hire new City Administrator
• Recruit and hire Assistant City Administrator
• Evaluate and decide on Conservation Manager
• Evaluate fire staffing issues
• Firefighter/Paramedics
• Forest Resource Specialist
• Fire Prevention Inspector
Objective 8: Remodel and expand Police Department Building.
Objective 9: Remodel and expand Fire Station #2.
Objective 10: Annual update of Capital Improvement Program (CIP)
Goal 5: Infrastructure
Objective 1: Adopt an integrated.land use and transportation plan to
increase the viability of transit, bicycles, walking and other alternative
modes of transportation, reduce per capita automobile vehicle miles
traveled, provide safe walking and bicycling routes to home, work,
shopping and schools and implement environmentally responsible
design standards, which minimize new automobile-related
infrastructure.
• Task 1: Update TSP.
• Task 2: Implement Road Diet Plan for portion of Siskiyou Hwy.
• Task 3: Improve ridership on RVTD.
Objective 2: Update Water Master Plan so it becomes an integrated
plan that address long-term water supply including, climate change
issues, security and redundancy, watershed health, conservation and
reuse and stream health; and will make decisions on rates necessary to
support actions and improve system's financial viability.
Objective 3: Update Waste Water Master Plan that includes stream
cooling improvements and makes decisions n rates necessary to
support actions and maintain system's financial viability.
Other Issues and Actions
1. Grubbs Investigation
2. Recology Rate Analysis
3. Review of Pedestrian Places Ordinance
4. North Normal Avenue Master Plan
S. Ashland Street/Tolman Creek Road Master Plan
6. Wireless Communication Ordinance
7. Installation of EV Charging Station
B. Organization Emergency Preparedness
9. ltron Electric Meter Conversion/installation
10. Mayors program of how help improve community safety
a. Lighting of Pathway and Memorial Bench
b. Other Suggestions
11. Special Events
a. Plaza Use/Noise Permits
b. Guidelines for Commission Sponsorship
c. Street Closures
12. ISO Rating
13. CERT
14. Firewise Communities
15. Wildfire Zone
16. EOC/EAP
17. Fire Equipment replacement and Ladder Truck
18. Library Funding
19. Public Safety Training Budgets
20. Telecommunication Franchise Agreements
21. Training Program for Planning Commission
22. Ham Radio Funding
23. Record retention policy (video)
24. Collection box policy and procedures
25. City staff to Chamber Green Committee
26. Downtown Issues
a. Panhandling
b. Plaza Redesign
c. Building's Seismic Retrofit
d. Streetscape and sidewalk improvements and cleaning
e. Northlight development options
f. Parking
i. Parking Study
ii. Parking Management
iii. Parking Structure/Surface
iv. Sign repair/replacement
v. Marking Spaces
vi. Charges for Parking