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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1997-0218 Council Mtg MIN MINUTES FOR THE REGULAR MEETING • ASHLAND CITY COUNCIL February 18, 1997 PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Mayor Golden called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m., Civic Center Council Chambers. ROLL CALL Councilors Laws, Reid, Hauck, Hagen and DeBoer were present, Councilor Wheeldon was absent. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Minutes of the Regular meeting of February 4, 1997 were approved as presented. SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS & AWARDS 1. Update on status of Wastewater Plant Project by Carollo Engineering. Assistant City Administrator Scoles along with Bob Eimstad from Carollo Engineering presented status update on preliminary design and regulatory issues for the Wastewater Plant project. After review and analysis of a number of options, the facilities plan made a commitment to cease direct discharge of wastewater treatment plant effluent during the dry season when strict phosphorus limits are placed on the City's effluent. It was decided that the cost of constructing and operating advanced phosphorus removal facilities at the treatment plant was • not warranted and that other options for dry season disposal and polishing were available to the City. The City will continue to discharge WWTP effluent in the wet season when no phosphorus limits are to be imposed. Carollo is continuing to coordinate with DEQ, as DEQ has not finalized its requirement for discharge to the creek in the wet season. The following requirements will be imposed on wet season WWTP discharges to the creek: 1) Secondary treatment Qa30 mg/1 BOD and 30 mg/1 TSS; 2) Nitrification to eliminate ammonia tonicity; 3) No phosphorus removal and 4) Disinfection and a zero chlorine residual. The facilities plan anticipated that the work to meet wet season effluent limits would be on-line by 2001. Commented on the number of innovative options that the City is pursuing for dry season disposal. Noted the current alternatives for dry season disposals as the following: 1) Wetlands and Soil Filters; 2) Discharge to TID and 3) Land Application. Felt that all these options represent a cost savings over remaining in the creek during the dry season. Identified the treatment plant improvements that are necessary to meet the wet season treatment requirements. These improvements will need to be constructed regardless of the dry season disposal/polishing options ultimately implemented by the City. Provided list of these improvements and their costs. • City Cmnul Meeting 2-1 8-97 1 The planned improvements to the WWTP are driven by wet season effluent limits when the • WWTP is discharging to the creek. Noted that the preliminary estimated cost of the improvements to the treatment plant to permit wet season discharge to the creek represents an approximate 20% savings over the facilities plan cost estimate. There are cost savings for each dry season disposal/polishing alternative compared to staying in the creek. Each of these alternatives offers a significant cost savings compared to the cost of treatment facilities to meet the strict phosphorus limits imposed by DEQ to protect water quality during the dry season. Anticipates bringing back a draft memorandum for staff review in the near future. 2. Proclamation designating March 1997 as "Hunger Awareness Month." Mayor Golden read proclamation designating "Hunger Awareness Month". CONSENT AGENDA 1. Minutes of boards, commissions and committees. 2. Monthly Departmental Reports - January, 1997. 3. Memo from League of Oregon Cities regarding Elected Officials Workshop in Medford. 4. Mayor's confirmation of appointments to Selection Committee for Ashland Creek/Winburn Bridge Restoration Project. Mayor Golden clarified for council the selection of members on the committee for Ashland • Creek/Winburn Bridge Restoration Project. The members would be, Councilor Hagen with Councilor Wheeldon as a back-up, Park Commissioner Al Alsing, a representative selected by the Watershed Partnership, Donna Zimmerman and Kate Jackson representing the Chamber of Commerce, Parks Director Ken Mickelsen, Assistant City Administrator Greg Scoles, Tom Ferraro who is a local geologist and hydrologist engineer and Sue Rolle from the US Forest Service. Councilor Reid requested that item #1 be pulled, Councilor Hauck requested that item #4 be pulled from the Consent Agenda. Councilors Hauck/Reid m/s to approve consent agenda items #2 and #3. Voice vote: all AYES. Motion passed. Councilor Reid commented on the Plaza Nomination for National Register in the Historic Committee minutes. Reid felt that in the future this nomination should be made by council. Planning Director John McLaughlin explained that this was done quickly because, if the city could get a determination of eligibility concurrent with FEMA coming into town, there would be an opportunity for additional monies available for the plaza flood restoration. • City Cound Muting 2.18-97 2 Councilor Hagen questioned how the RFP for the flood restoration project was advertised. • Comments from the public led him to believe that the RFP could have been more locally advertised. Assistant City Administrator confirmed the placement of information for the RFP in local newspaper. Councilors Hauck/DeBoer m/s to approve Consent Agenda items #1 and #4. Voice vote: all AYES. Motion passed. PUBLIC HEARINGS None PUBLIC FORUM John Sully/365 Granite St/Submitted to council statement to be made part of the public record concerning John Sully letter/Lantern Hill Development dated January 31, 1997. Mr. Sully's statement noted an application filed for a 6 lot subdivision on Granite Street (Planning Action 90-057) was reviewed by staff and a staff report dated April 10, 1990 was prepared and submitted to the Planning Commission. The point of his discussion is that all of the factors noted in his statement were and are contributory to the debris/mud slide that caused all of us in the 300 block of Granite Street costly property damage. The unjustified ignoring of the April 10, 1990 Staff Report and the approval of a subdivision by the Ashland Planning Commission and City Council that did not • comply with the existing hillside ordinance resulted in the debris mud slide and damage to his property, loss in property values, draining of our financial resources and much personal and family stress. Evidence noted in statement supports his contention that no mud slides occurred before the property was developed and that there would have been no mud slide if there had been no development. He believes that McLaughlin's statement is absurd and insupportable. Mr. Sully does not believe that the memorandum submitted by Planning Director John McLaughlin supports a conclusion that the slide would have occurred even if the subdivision had not been built. Fred Caruso/102 Garfield #14/Spoke regarding buildings that are in need of code revisions. UNFINISHED BUSINESS 1. Proposal of Mayor of "a Resolution Prohibiting Water Connections Outside the City Limits." Councilor Hauck commented that he could understand an application processing fee, but would like to see the factual justifications for the amount indicated in the resolution. Mayor Golden explained that this fee was included because of prior discussion regarding doubling system development charges and how it was felt to be difficult to justify. • city council Meeting 2-18-97 3 City Attorney Paul Nolte suggested to council, that they amend the resolution to say,"on an • application processing fee set by order of the council". The council could adopt the resolution and come back with some figures to justify the processing fee. Golden explained that the processing fee was set so that there would be no burden to the tax payers within the city to provide city water outside the city limits. Nolte explained to council that the city is more free to set a fee in this regards than to set a fee on the system development charges. Council discussion regarding setting application fee of$2,000 when there is a situation where a water system cannot feasibly be repaired or improved and there is no other feasible source of water for the premises. Comments by council included health reasons that may need to be considered when allowing connection to the city water system. Councilor Hauck/Hagen m/s to approve Resolution. Roll Call vote: Laws, Reid and DeBoer, NO; Hauck and Hagen, YES. Motion denied. 3-2. Council discussion on the pros and cons dealing with the application processing fee of $2,000. Cate Hartzell/Requested that council set guidelines and supports dis-incentives for connection to the city water system. • Mayor Golden will continue to modify the resolution dealing with water connection outside the city limits for council discussion and approval. 2. Report of ad hoc committee on Ashland Sidewalk Repair project on Highway 66. City Attorney Nolte submitted memo to council regarding the Ad Hoc Committee on Ashland Street trees. Rick Landt submitted proposal by the Ad Hoc Committee where the 19 trees that were previously recommended for removal by the committee be completed and the sidewalk where these trees are removed be replaced with ADA compliant sidewalks. Nolte stated that because this proposal brings the city into compliance within the originally proposed three year timeframe, he is comfortable recommending this to the Department of Justice. In addition, the committee recommends that the council adopt an Ashland Street plan within the next six months and direct staff to prepare and present a plan acceptable to the council for adoption within this timeframe. Nolte requested that the council consider three matters. One, if a street plan is adopted, funding for the plan has not been identified. If funding delays the implementation of the street plan, the committee proposal still moves forward by removing trees in six month • city Cuunal Mating 2-16.97 4 intervals. Two, there is a fine undefined line between "maintenance" of sidewalks which wdoes not trigger ADA compliance and "repair" of sidewalks which does trigger ADA compliance. And three, by breaking the sidewalk project into 6 months intervals and adding interim maintenance of filling and grinding, the costs are likely to increase. There may be offsetting cost savings, however, if some trees are ultimately not removed. Interim Public Works Director Jim Olson submitted report on progress of Ashland Street sidewalk repair which confirmed the removal of the 19 trees identified by the committee. He reported that the existing irrigation system is currently being capped and/or repaired for future use. Olson suggested that interim maintenance work be accomplished on the sidewalk beyond the initial removal of the 19 trees. In areas where upheaval is less than 1 inch, the concrete panels would be ground down. The estimated cost for grinding is $1,400.00. It is also recommended that decomposed granite be used as a temporary fill in areas that cannot be ground. The estimated cost for this work is $3,360.00. Councilors Laws/Reid m/s to adopt reports submitted on the Ashland Street trees. Voice vote: all AYES. Motion passed. NEW & MISCELLANEOUS BUSINESS 1. Mayor's appointment of Council liaison to various boards and commissions. Listing of new Council liaison appointments submitted to council for their information. Council changes to the list included, Councilor Hauck replacing Councilor DeBoer on the Historic Commission. Additional appointments for Oregon Department of Transportation is • Councilor DeBoer, Regional Planning Effort is Councilor Reid and Rogue Basin Steering Committee is Councilor Hauck. 2. Adoption of Council Goals for 1997-1998. City Administrator Almquist submitted to council the following goals that were initiated during the Goal Setting Session held by the City Council on January 31, 1997. Five areas of focus were noted: 1. Continue to communicate the importance and practice of the "Valdez Principles" in all aspects of City operations, especially related to flood restoration and control projects. Ensure that the City supports the activities of the Watershed Partnership and the City Forest Commission. 2. Ensure that emergency water requirements are adequately addressed through the examination of an intertie with Talent, Phoenix and the Medford Water Commission, additional water from the T.I.D., or other sources. 3. Re-examine Flood plain and hillside areas in light of the recent flood event and modify maps appropriately. 4. Review Fire Department space needs and acquire appropriate land as opportunities arise. 5. Position the Electric Utility to remain competitive in the coming regulated electric utility environment. • Cily council Meeting 7.18-97 $ Council request to amend item #1 to state, "including carrying out last two items on the • Valdez Principles", item #3 "and modify maps and ordinance s appropriately" and item #5 should indicate "deregulated electric utility environment". Councilors Reid/Hauck m/s to approve adoption of Council goals with amendments. Voice vote: all AYES. Motion passed. ORDINANCES. RESOLUTIONS AND CONTRACTS 1. Second reading by title only of "an Ordinance Adopting a new Transportation Element of the Ashland Comprehensive Plan and Repealing the Existing Transportation Element. Councilors m/s to approve Ordinance #21%. Roll Call vote: Reid, Hauck, Hagen, DeBoer and Laws, YES. Motion passed. 2. Reading by title only of "a Resolution increasing the Transportation Utility Fee for the Establishment of an LID Arterial Street Assistance Account." Councilors m/s to approve Resolution #9708. Roll Call vote: Hauck, Hagen, DeBoer, Laws and Reid, YES. Motion passed. 3. Reading by title only of "a Resolution Adopting a Heritage Street Name List." • Council approved request by Councilor Reid that the name Leabow be added to the street name list. Councilors m/s to approve Resolution #97_07 with amendment. Roll Call vote: Hagen, DeBoer, Laws, Reid and Hauck, YES. Motion passed. OTHER BUSINESS FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS Councilor Reid requested that the date set for the Electric Department sub-committee be re- scheduled. Councilor Reid shared information on deregulation and how other states are dealing with this issue. AD.iOURNMENT Meeting was adjourned at 8:30 p.m. XA� 6L-Z%e Barbara Christensen, City Recorder Catherine M. Golden, Mayor • City counu7 Mating 7,18-W 6