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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2014-0602 Study Session PACKET CITY OF ASHLAND CITY COUNCIL STUDY SESSION AGENDA Monday, June 2, 2014 Siskiyou Room, 51 Winburn Way 5: 30 p.m. Study Session 1. Look Ahead review 2. Possible time, place, and manner regulations concerning medical marijuana dispensaries 3. Continued discussion of draft Council goals In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need special assistance to participate in this meeting, please contact the City Administrator's office at (541) 488-6002 (TTY phone number 1-800-735- 2900). Notification 72 hours prior to the meeting will enable the City to make reasonable arrangements to ensure accessibility to the meeting (28 CFR 35.102-35.104 ADA Title 1). COUNCIL MEETINGS ARE BROADCAST LIVE ON CHANNEL 9. STARTING APRIL 15, 2014, CHARTER CABLE WILL BROADCAST MEETINGS ON CHANNEL 180 OR 181. VISIT THE CITY OF ASHLAND'S WEB SITE AT W WW.ASHLAND.OR.US CITY OF ASHLAND Council Communication June 2, 2014, Study Session Possible Time, Place, and Manner Regulations Concerning Medical Marijuana Dispensaries FROM: Dave Lohman, City Attorney, lohmand@ashland.or.us SUMMARY This agenda item is to seek Council input to staff on which potential time, place, and manner ("TPM") regulations on medical marijuana dispensaries should be prepared as draft ordinance provisions for Council to consider at its June 17 business meeting. BACKGROUND AND POLICY IMPLICATIONS: Under Oregon statutes, medical marijuana dispensaries must meet certain TPM requirements, such as distance from schools, security arrangements, and background checks for operators. Various other standards not addressed in Oregon statutes have been adopted by cities in Washington, Colorado and California, as well as some Oregon cities. Council will consider at its June 17 meeting recommendations from the Planning Commission on possible land-use regulations for medical marijuana dispensaries, as well as a draft ordinance to tax marijuana sales in Ashland. The June 17 meeting would also be an opportune time for the Council to consider whether the City should impose its own TPM requirements, beyond those set by statute and beyond the land use restrictions recommended by the Planning Commission. Attachment A is a list of potential City of Ashland TPM•dispensary requirements. The list is not exhaustive; it includes only options that staff believes to be worthy of Council consideration. To avoid having staff prepare ordinance provisions for options the Council shows no interest in pursuing, it is hoped this study session agenda item will result in guidance to staff as to which options currently appear to have enough Council support to warrant consideration at the June 17 Council business meeting or shortly thereafter. FISCAL IMPLICATIONS: N/A. STAFF RECOMMENDATION AND REQUESTED ACTION: Provide guidance to staff as to which options from the list in Attachment A Council members wish to have presented to them for consideration amendments to the City Code. Page 1 of 2 CITY OF -ASH LAN D SUGGESTED MOTION: N/A ATTACHMENTS: Attachment A Page 2 of 2 Mr, Attachment A POSSIBLE MARIJUANA FACILITY REQUIREMENTS DISPENSARY REGULATIONS A. Site Regulations: • Ventilation and filtration system required (so does not leave premises) • Full-time outside lighting of entrances and exits (so required video cameras can be effective) • No co-location with marijuana social clubs or smoking clubs B. Operations Regulations: • Require special City dispensary license (like City pawnbroker and liquor license ordinances) o Fee for City license investigation/processing o Initial fire and building inspections, including ventilation and filtration system o Dispensary employee and financier background checks and fingerprints (state now requires only for licensee) o Attestation that the current fees and taxes owed have been paid o Approved accounting system • Prescribed cash accounting system • Prescribed inventory record-keeping • Prescribed (perhaps daily) financial reporting • Require annual renewal of City dispensary license o APD review (see City liquor license ordinance) o Comm Dev review for compliance with Site Regulations • Require permission for unannounced periodic inspections (could be incorporated into ordinance on special local marijuana tax) o Financial and inventory audits o Fire and building inspections, including inspection of ventilation filtration system o APD inspections for compliance with state and local regulations o APO access to video surveillance tapes on request o Periodic testing of wastewater for chemical concentrations • Prohibitions o On-site production of cannabis oils or extracts o Minors or non-cardholders in building housing dispensary and its yard area o Smoking/combustion inside dispensary GROW-SITE REGULATIONS • Testing of discharges into sewer system for excess fertilizer • Prohibit booby-traps • Not visible from public property OTHER • Clarify availability of injunctive relief for code violations (see AMC 1.08.02013 and 1.08.050). • Individual right of action for nuisance (odors from grow sites or dispensaries)(see solar access ordinance) CITY OF ASHLAND Council Communication June 2, 2014, Study Session Continued discussion of draft Council goals FROM: Dave Kanner, city administrator, dave.kanner@ashland.or.us SUMMARY The Council met in a day-long goal-setting retreat on March 8°i to initiate a strategic planning process that will provide direction for a variety of City initiatives over the course of the next two to six years. From that session comes a list of potential goals organized by major goal topics: Government; Organization; People; Environment; Economy; Energy & Infrastructure; and Public Safety. The Council began the process of refining the list at its April 14`h study session and resumed at its May 5`h study session. That discussion continues at this study session. BACKGROUND AND POLICY IMPLICATIONS: Prior to the Council's goal-setting session of March 8h, each Councilor met individually with the session facilitator, Steve Bryant, to provide input as to where they wanted to see the City in the next five to ten years and where they felt the City should be applying its resources. The Council's thoughts were assembled by Mr. Bryant in a list titled "Frequently mentioned themes for Ashland's future," which appears on page 4 of the attached minutes of the March 8`h meeting. Following this meeting, at which the Council went through a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis and identified major goal topics, the themes and opportunities were organized under goal topics in a new document. This document was distributed to the Council with a request that each Councilor add, subtract or change goals and sub-goals, then provide their input to the city administrator's office. That input has been captured in a "Goals organized" document. This document presents seven major goal topics. Within each major goal topic there are proposed Council goals and within each of those goals there are subgoals. For instance, under the major goal topic "Environment," we have the goal "Protect the integrity and safety of the watershed" and under that goal we have the sub-goals "Implement and maintain the Ashland Forest Resiliency Project" and "Educate and engage the community in watershed stewardship." At its April 14`h study session, the Council reviewed and modified this document, and the document resulting from that review is attached. At its May 5'h study session, the Council began brainstorming action steps it could take to support the goals and the result of that May 5`h discussion is attached. At this study session, if time allows, the Council can resume the goal-setting discussion where the May 5`h discussion left off. FISCAL IMPLICATIONS: None. Page I of 2 CITY OF -ASHLAND STAFF RECOMMENDATION AND REQUESTED ACTION: This item is scheduled for discussion only. SUGGESTED MOTION N/A ATTACHMENTS: Goal setting minutes, March 8, 2014 http://www.ashland.or.us/Agendas.asp?Display--Minutes&AMID=5596 Goals organized Discussion notes from May 5, 2014 study session Page 2 of 2 Ia, City Council - Goal Setting March 8, 2014 Page I of 10 MINUTES FOR THE GOAL SETTING SESSION ASHLAND CITY COUNCIL Saturday, March 8, 2014 Siskiyou Room, 51 Winburn Way Goal Setting began at 8:30 a.m. by Steve Bryant, Project Manager for Oregon Solutions. Mayor Stromberg, Councilors Voisin, Morris, Lemhouse, Slattery, Rosenthal and Marsh were present. Staff: City Administrator Dave Kanner and City Attorney Dave Lohman (left 12:30 p.m.) were present. Outline of presentation began as the following: What outcomes will make today worth investing 8 hours of your time? • A longer term plan for moving forward • Agreement on long term goals • Financial strategic ideas that look beyond the current budget cycle • Begin to develop more of a strategic plan • View this as the beginning of the planning process • Get it off to a good start! • Try to get to both the long term goals and some steps for getting there. • Nothing wrong with the current set of goals • Recognize that future councils will have their own thoughts and priorities • Leave with some vision for the future that we can pass on • Have some follow-up strategic planning with departments, boards and commissions, etc. • Look at big picture • Build bridges to other boards and commissions • Strengthen regional relationships Councilors were asked to consider the followine: In 2025 Ashland will be renowned as a city that... • Embraces sustainability • Supports arts, conservation • A downtown that others would die to have • A city that is resilient-systems that are diverse, families thrive, diverse economy and infrastructure that relies on a variety of sources • Maintain what is already good! • A more diverse economic portfolio • Young families see themselves living here long into the future • Capitalize on Oregon's reputation as an innovative place to do business City Council - Goal Setting March 8, 2014 Page 2 of 10 • Ashland becomes the new place in Oregon where new sustainable high tech ideas are incubated • A city that is willing to be and is known for innovation • A place where people want to live and want to raise their families here • A community that creates opportunity out of challenge • A community that is innovative in approaching issues that are common among communities and is responsibly progressive. • Is ahead of climate change in policy and infrastructure • A community that is a cooperative city based on buying local and keeping wealth in our community • Is a city that is affordable for the working class and working poor • Ashland has one of the most rigorous conservation plans in the state for energy and water • We will have achieved incorporation of a variety of ideas and views for making sustainability work • Being in government is something that people are excited about and we draw the be best people into government • Increasing citizens recognize and appreciate the excellent exhibited by city government and as such they see themselves as part of good governance-citizens are fully engaged • We are known as a model for other cities because we are forward thinking in our infrastructure management • We are doing a good job in dealing with issues that previous councils didn't want to deal with • We buy local • We grow internally and have good succession plans in place • We tackle tough problems and take care of them! • We are professional in all that we do • We set an example of other communities Observations shared on interviews with Council and staff: • You have really good city council and staff members who want basically the same things for Ashland. In fact, the common themes were surprisingly similar and can provide the basis for consensus agreement on the general areas of needed emphasis. • Each of you has a deep commitment to the city of Ashland based on its unique attributes that keep you engaged, and you are equally passionate about its future. That passion is commonly rooted in wanting to protect all that is good about living here while also desiring a future that promises a high quality of life for those who wish to call Ashland their home 20 years from now. • You have similar interests in using this process as the beginning step of developing a more comprehensive strategic plan for guiding the future of the city-influencing both short and long- term decision making; however, the immediate focus of this process should be on longer-term goals. City Council - Goal Setting March 8, 2014 Page 3 of 10 • To increase your effectiveness as a governing body in making progress toward the long-term goals, you agree that some future work may be needed to improve both internal communication dynamics and external communications with the public. The following are typical elements of a good strategic plan for public organizations: 1. A focused effort to conduct a thorough SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis. a. Process should be integrated/iterative between council and staff b. Council leads community SWOT analysis c. Empower the staff the be honest with the council in the SWOT analysis d. Avoid "us vs. them" mentality e. Respect the roles of council and staff 2. A well crafted mission and organizational values statement that has a high level of ownership short list of major goal topics. a. Develop the mission statement after other elements of the strategic plan evolve. b. Develop organizational values from the bottom up. c. Council may need to articulate community values that guide development of long-term goals. d. Council may also need to articulate council values that guide group behaviors and actions e. Needs to happen after SWOT and before finalizing goals 3. Agreement on a relatively short list of high-priority mid to long-term goals (2-6 ,years, occasionally longer) and re-visit at least every two years. 4. Agreement on short-term (1-2 year) objectives necessary to make progress toward the mid to long-term goals. a. SWOT analysis annually b. Review short-term objectives annually 5. Listing of specific and measurable organizational tactics and implementation measures necessary to achieve the objectives and, ultimately, the goals. a. Quarterly reports b. Check in with City Council 6. A systematic plan for measuring progress and modifying, as necessary, the goals, objectives and tactics. a. Quarterly reports-put them on Council agendas b. Citizen surveys c. Administrative measures d. Both council and staff may need to seek clarification on how progress should be measured e. Council needs to provide feedback mechanisms for ensuring that staff has clarification f Use boards and commissions as a primary information source for decision-making and measurement g. Develop both qualitative and quantitative measures City Council - Goal Setting March 8, 2014 Page 4 of 10 Frequently mentioned themes for Ashland's future: 1) Leader in innovation in land use, economic development, and resource management 2) Maintain a continuous focus on community sustainability actions a) Seek energy independence/neutrality b) Seek to become more self-reliant c) Focus on measures to achieve a high level of self-reliance for goods and services d) Seek to achieve carbon neutrality e) Anticipate the effects of climate change and plan accordingly f) Engage in sustainable forestry practices g) Fully implement the Ashland Forest Resiliency Project It) Examine "STAR" Community Sustainability Planning Framework 3) Maintaining and improving Ashland's high quality of life is paramount a) Protect and enhance the natural, cultural and recreational resources that make Ashland unique b) Build on Ashland's "sense of place" and small town feel c) Strengthen partnerships and programs that enable all citizens to meet their basic needs 4) Promoting and achieving a "family friendly" community a) Pursue affordable housing opportunities, especially workforce housing commensurate with local employment opportunities b) Seek pathways for SOU graduates to remain in the community c) Address "aging in place" issues and needs 5) Overall excellence in "governance" becomes the recognized norm. a) A sustained focus on leadership development-both internally and externally b) Establishment of collaborative communi and regional partnerships c) Effective citizen communication and engagement d) There is a high level of tolerance for all viewpoints e) Governance that is transparent f) Boards and commissions are fully engaged in supporting the strategic plan g) Increase effectiveness in regional and state policy arenas h) Become more regionally connected i) Charter is updated based on "best practices" j) Empower community partners to help achieve the goals 6) Achieve excellence in infrastructure management and modernization a) Recognize the constraints of the watershed and plan accordingly b) Complete the downtown transportation plan element c) Replace City Hall with consolidated office space that is safe, welcoming, fosters improved communications and serves the community long into the future d) Work to keep utilities efficient and affordable 7) Creation of new economic opportunities and diversification while strengthening support of Ashland's existing economic base a) Examine and remove certain barriers to business start-up opportunities b) Create predictable pathways for development of employment lands City Council - Goal Setting March 8, 2014 Page 5 of 10 c) Take advantage of new technologies for which Ashland is primed based on its fiber network, workforce, and other assets 8) Efficient, innovative and affordable public services 9) Comprehensive review and common understanding of core services, service levels and financial resources a) The community is engaged in a conversation about core services, desired service levels and alternative or more efficient funding mechanisms. b) A sustainable model is developed for parks and recreation services that commensurate with the prioritization, funding and administration of other core city services. 10) Provide for the immediate and long-term public safety needs of the community Ashland SWOT (Strengths/Weaknesses/Opportunities/Threats) - EXERCISE 1) Strengths a) Talented citizens b) Purity of the water c) Cultural opportunities d) Full spectrum of education opportunities e) People feel safe here f) Innovative businesses g) Lively downtown h) Natural environment i) Walkability j) Climate k) Abundance of world-class parks l) Cultural assets in) Know our neighborhoods-strong neighborhoods n) Small town feel o) The Shakespeare festival alone has over 100,000 visitors each year p) City staff is experienced and excellent q) Ashland is well-known r) People come from everywhere to be here-both visitors and permanent residents s) The same people have been coming to visit here for many years t) Involved citizenry u) The town is small enough that our problems are not intractable v) We have a very charitable community w) Our citizens are self-confident x) We are at a size where it is still possible to do things face to face y) The community holds their elected officials accountable z) We are an easy one-day drive to Portland and S.F. aa) We are forward thinking/progressive bb) Unique political make-up cc) High diversity of activities City Council - Goal Setting March 8, 2014 Page 6 of 10 i) Recreation ii) Tourism iii) Social activities iv) Political activities v) Faith-based dd) High quality and diverse/alternative health care systems ee) Proximity to increasingly strong and well-know wine industry ff) Excellent culinary options gg) Smithsonian Lemelson Center for American History Museum 2015 exhibit studying AFR and other local creative invention and innovation ideas hh) Building film industry ii) International businesses jj) City services not found in other places kk) Local control over critical infrastructure 11) City amenities and services that many cities don't have mm) Relatively low property taxes nn) Unique chamber of commerce oo) Large number of community activities and festivals pp) Long history of socially responsible chamber of commerce qq) Large number of service organizations that are focused on the community rr) Healthy, active, highly educated senior population ss) Compact urban form tt) Excellent community facilities uu) High citizen retention rate vv) Strong financial position compared with other jurisdictions ww) Proximity to Medford xx) City is visually attractive 2) Weaknesses a) We lose families when they reach their 30s b) We have a male-dominated senior staff c) The community lacks racial diversity d) Public discourse can get hurtful/disrespectful e) Huge gap between town and gown f) We lack economic diversity g) We are not view as an easy place to develop h) High cost of living/affordable housing/land/etc. i) Lack of family wage jobs j) Drug and alcohol addiction k) Lack of available and appropriate mental health treatment options 1) I-5 location attracts transients m) We are perceived as "weird" n) Lack of good transit system City Council - Goal Setting March 8, 2014 Page 7 of 10 o) Lack diverse resources to fund all our system needs p) Lack of water security q) Tourist economy is fragile r) Rats and deer s) Aging infrastructure t) Future financial capacity will be challenging u) Airshed can be problematic v) Lack of retail diversity w) Negative perception of our land use regulations x) We tend to over-regulate in order to solve problems y) Perception of arbitrary and capricious land use decision making z) Downtown is at risk for fire and earthquakes aa) Small vocal groups/individuals can make or break development projects bb) We are sometimes too involved in process and not involved enough in results cc) It's difficult logistically for families to live here dd) School schedules are inconsistent cc) Students lack local social opportunities ff) SOU instability (especially funding model) gg) Uncertainly around Mt. Ashland hh) Lack of workforce housing ii) NIMBY issues J) Resistance to change kk) Desire to change Ashland in the image of where others came from 11) Stalled conservation plan mm) Failure to integrate newcomers into the community nn) Staff near retirement oo) Thin on administrative staff pp) Lack of council support staff qq) Potential loss of institutional memory rr) Lack of succession planning/funding ss) High incidence of drug and alcohol abuse among young people tt) Difficulty in providing competitive pay and benefits to employees uu) Employees can't often afford to live here vv) Lack of diverse stock of housing supply ww) Lack of parking and multi-modal transportation plan xx) Gaps in the health care system 3) Opportunities a) To recognize SOU as a generator of business opportunities b) SOU/city relationships c) E-commerce overlay d) Nurture tech industries and other start-ups e) Nurture emerging markets City Council - Goal Setting March 8, 2014 Page 8 of 10 I) Market and further develop AFN. Improve penetration/increase related revenues. Retire the debt in 2024. g) Opportunity for energy aggregation h) Engage an educated and resource heavy public in conservation measures i) Make our airport more robust as an enterprise j) Plan for climate change k) To make the watershed safer and increase multi-use opportunities while also protecting its integrity 1) To make better use of our Imperatrice property. m) Croman property redevelopment n) Film industry growth o) City hall replacement p) Clean-up the railroad district and re-use q) Examine underperforming assets r) Take advantage of local talent s) Strengthen local non-profits t) Develop food security locally and regionally (promote local farms, community gardens, friendly ordinances, etc.) u) Optimize the downtown-guide the reinvestment opportunities v) In addition, reinvest and optimize opportunities in other commercial districts w) Position ourselves as an incubator of high-tech x) Leverage our high profile to have more influence in our county and state y) Leverage existing regional relationships to a much greater degree z) Use our relationship with the parks commission to develop a long-term collaborative plan for moving forward aa) To continue to build social equity assets/ideas (example: resource center) to help those in the community at risk bb) Leverage funding and building partnerships to explore new funding opportunities cc) Use existing financial tools to support economic development (e.g. urban renewal, enterprise zones, tax credits, etc.) dd) Use existing experienced leadership to do train and mentor employees cc) Opportunity to use dry seasons to get the community to adopt "water smart" habits ff) Develop freight rail opportunities gg) Review the charter 4) Threats a) Natural disaster b) PERS c) Lack of meaningful home preparedness d) Climate change e) Instability of financial systems f) Water supply insecurity g) Changing economy City Council - Goal Setting March 8, 2014 Page 9 of 10 h) Technology-keeping pace i) Neighboring counties--insecurity j) Aging population k) SOU insecurity/uncertainty 1) Drugs and alcohol culture among youth m) Communication-finding best ways to communicate with our population n) Secure methods of protecting our technology infrastructure o) Pending timber legislation p) Mt. Ashland instability q) Increasing utility rates r) Changing tax base based on relative value of newly created housing s) Future revenue streams don't match up with anticipated service levels t) Future of library services u) State legislation and/or constitutional amendments/initiatives that affect local revenue streams and/or local control v) Federal gridlock w) We have a tendency to be destructive in our public discourse x) Tourism industry disruptions y) Aging tourists z) Uncertainty with rail aa) Lack of participation in government by younger adults We value: I. Meaningful engagement by Boards, Commissions and members of the public. 2. Ashland as a viable family community. 3. Our institutional, community and regional partnerships. 4. Innovation. 5. Our natural environment. 6. Excellence in governance. 7. Being prepared for climate change. 8. Economic opportunities that sustain a diversity of workers. 9. Excellent city services and infrastructure. 10. Diverse views City Council - Goal Setting March 8, 2014 Page 10 of 10 Goal Topics Governance Organization Physical Infrastructure Public Safety Economy Health and Human Service Natural and built environment Climate and energy Ashland 2020 - To be completed by June 30, 2014 Next steps: 1) Organize opportunities by goal topic 2) Finalize goal topics 3) Filter opportunity subjects 4) Express surviving opportunities as potential goal statements 5) Choose preliminary goals by consensus or majority vote, if necessary [weed out items for which there isn't agreement] 6) Identify specific objectives for each preliminary goal including measures, resources, and timeline a) Seek feedback from boards and commissions and public [at some point before finalizing] b) Invite staff input c) Make adjustments as appropriate 7) Tactics are developed by operational departments/entities and review by council 8) Finalize the values list in consideration of the selected goals 9) Consider crafting and adopting mission statement 10) Final adoption by 6/30/14 11) Compare final strategic plan with 2025 aspirations Session ended 4:45 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Barbara Christensen, City Recorder Government Leverage our regional and state relationships to increase effectiveness in relevant policy arenas. Promote effective citizen communication and engagement • Engage boards and commissions in supporting the strategic plan • Engage community in conversation about core services, desired service levels and funding mechanisms • Develop leadership that sustains both commissions and council Support and empower our community partners • SOU • Mt. Ashland • Parks -develop along term sustainable plan for P&R services Organization Use our assets to strategically support city mission and goals. • Examine city hall replacement. • Look at underperforming assets. • Examine longterm use of Imperatrice property. Ensure that we have a trained staff adequate to support the organization's work. • Use existing leadership to train and mentor. • Grow leadership within. • Develop appropriate succession plans. • Match staffing with work plans. People Seek opportunities to enable all citizens to meet basic needs. • Pursue affordable housing opportunities, especially workforce housing • Leverage partnerships to build social equity programming to help those at risk • Address gaps in mental health treatment options. Develop supports to enable citizens to age in place. Maintain and strengthen community's viability for young families. • Seek pathways for SOU students to remain in the community. Strengthen and support local nonprofits. 1 Environment Protect the integrity and safety of the watershed. • Implement and maintain the Ashland Forest Resiliency Project. • Educate and engage the community in watershed stewardship. Enhance and expand natural and recreational resources. Protect the community, especially the downtown district, from risk of fire and earthquakes. Empower Community Development Department to effectively develop and implement land use planning. • Complete land use revisions. • Examine form-based planning approach. Cultivate Ashland's "sense of place" and small town feel. Develop andsupport ' land use and transportation policies_to achieve sustainable develo~pmeent Develop m611 pohcies~ Support alterna6e trarisportatlon chokes. Create incentives for energy efficient buildings) Encourage and/or develop public spaces that bwld'communty and_promote mterZ n! - Economy Seek opportunities to diversity the economy. • Support film industry growth. • Promote local talent. • Partner with SOU to generate business opportunities. • Strengthen local nonprofits. • Examine and remove barriers to business start up opportunities. Nurture emerging new technologies. • Position ourselves as a high tech incubator. • Promote e-commerce zone. Market and further develop Ashland Fiber Network. • Complete and implement the 5-year plan. Diversify transportation options. • Strengthen airport as an enterprise. 2 • Develop freight rail opportunities Ensure that commercial and industrial areas are available for development. • Create predictable pathways for development of employment land. • Examine Croman redevelopment plan. • Re-use railroad district. • Optimize downtown and other commercial districts by guiding reinvestment opportunities. • Use existing financial tools to support re-development. Focus on measures to achieve a high level of self-reliance for goods and services. • Develop food security local and regionally. Energy and Infrastructure Seek excellence in infrastructure management and modernization. • Re-examine and review master plans on regular basis. • Complete downtown transportation plan element. • Expand transit. • Work to keep public services efficient, innovative and affordable. Plan for climate change. • Seek energy independence/neutrality. • Seek carbon neutrality. • Develop rigorous conservation plans for energy and water. • Complete internal and community-based sustainability plans. • Recognize impact of climate change on the watershed. Public Safety 3 Council Study Session - May 5, 2014 Strategic Planning/Goals Government Leverage our regional and state relationships to increase effectiveness in relevant policy arenas 1) Develop plan for coordination with Jackson County on the following: a. County Road Improvements within the City limits b. Weed abatement on County land within the UGB 2) Create mechanism for developing stronger relationships between Mayor/Council and County Commissioners 3) Explore League of Oregon Cities (LOC) involvement on either Board or Policy Committee levels a. LOC connections could be coordinated and scheduled to ensure continuity and sustainability over time b. Explore creation of select alliances with other Oregon LOC members that share similar issues, interests and/or concerns c. Expand regional involvement in LOC activities with other Rogue Valley cities 4) Develop a formal connection with the Medford Water Commission 5) Improve coordination and regular communication with State Legislators a. Potential for regular reports to Council from assigned Councilor from Legislative hotline (during legislative session only) b. Explore the utilization of other forms of legislative representation (lobbyist, dedicated staff, etc) c. Develop a local legislative agenda prior to the session (possibly with Ashland Coalition partners) 6) Continue to engage state and federal Representatives on issues affecting the Ashland Forest Resiliency (AFR) project 7) Develop mechanism for reporting from Administrator and/or Department Heads to Council on upcoming/potential issues within their scope/field. a. Explore use of Study Sessions as reporting venue 8) Identify issues that have direct impact/relevance to our community as early as possible 9) Be accessible to and engage with regional Economic Development partners 10) Work to expand/offer County heath/social services in Ashland Promote effective citizen communication and engagement 1) Evaluate existing communication tools currently in use, such as: a. Open City Hall b. Listserve c. RVTV d. Newspapers e. City website 2) Expand and promote those tools that are most effective, meaningful and efficient for the public to use for understanding an issue (fact gathering), enabling participation, providing avenues for input to Council and being made aware of decisions made. 3) Develop a "Fact Base" tool to assist Mayor/Council and staff in communicating with engaged but less than fully informed citizens 4) Repackage and make more accessible Council Communication documents to assist in informing the public on issues. 5) Explore the use of Town Hall style meetings for Council/public interaction. 6) Explore "City Walk" style outreach program (Council and staff proactive personal engagement in the community). 7) Balance existing time commitment/constraints of Council with new outreach efforts. 8) Identify key issues to develop advanced outreach and input opportunities (informational sessions) and conduct them "on their turf' 9) Expand/develop a communication plan that incorporates policy level tools and strategies in addition to operational efforts. 10) Use the Mayor's State of the City (SOC) address to honor, recognize and appreciate community/volunteer involvement. a. Incorporate Ragland Award activities (and other potential volunteer related activities) with SOC