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Home My WebLink About1999-0520.SS.MINMINUTES FOR THE STUDY SESSION ASHLAND CITY COUNCIL May 20, 1999 CALL TO ORDER Mayor Shaw called the meeting to order at 12:10 p.m., at the Civic Center Council Chambers IN ATTENDANCE: Councilors Laws, Hauck, Hanson, Wheeldon and Fine were present. Staff present included: City Administrator Mike Freeman, Public Works Director Paula Brown, Administrative Director Dick Wanderscheid, Communication/Marketing Manager Ann Seltzer. Viewed video produced by RVTV on Ashland Fire & Rescue. Administrative Service Director Dick Wanderscheid explained how RVTV is working with the city to produce various videos. Noted that they currently working on a video on riparian ways. Stated that the city has a contract with RVTV for $15,000 to produce videos. Councilor Fine questioned whether these videos could be marketed. Freeman noted this question and will check into and report back to council. Discussion to scope the process to be used to implement the Strategic Plan Goal of developing a Citizen Involvement Process Plan. Wanderscheid introduced the proposed process and project scoping. Noted that citizen involvement has been a high priority. Proposed a time frame in how to proceed. Requested from council their input and direction. Suggests going back three years and look at how projects have worked or didn't work. Based on what is found by going back and checking on projects, staff would develop draft essential core elements. These core elements would be brought back to council for discussion at a study session. The revised core elements would be scheduled for a public hearing for input, and based on input from public, would be presented to council for adoption. Laws commented on the difference between different commissions, committees, and ad-hoc committees. Finds it hard to find a process that would make all equal. Freeman explained that the process in mind is mostly for ad-hoc type of committees, not really impacting boards and commissions. Laws questioned whether this project may be too staff heavy and whether council, and public citizens could be more involved in the development of this process plan. Fine feels this may be somewhat premature, and views this as proposal to set a process, or mechanism for certain subsets of the councils decision functions. Stated that before this is done, standards should be established for all decision making with respect to public input. Standards could include the following five elements: 1) A definition of how we will afford full public access to information prior to a decision making exercise; 2) A pledge and description of how we will afford adequate notice is given as a general right or principle; 3) Define notice requirement and make it applicable, define public access and make it applicable and right of public to give input; 4) Pledge to report to community on all tentative decisions and allow feedback; 5) Standard that any decision taken by a subordinate body will always either be presented to the council for approval, or an opportunity will be presented for council veto. Commented that there may be other standards or pledges that Ashland City Council Study Session Minutes 05-20-99 1 council may want to have, but if council would consider his suggestions, it help in specific type situations to see if it meets the standards that are applicable to their task, but always have the same standards. Wheeldon agreed there should be a minimum standard set. Voiced her experience with various committees and that there does not seem to be predictability on public process. Goal is to touch the bases on concern being voiced in the community in regards to public process. Does not want to take away from allowing additional public process, but would like to streamline the process. Commented on what the expectations are of groups, and is very important to clarify. Laws agreed, but noted that there needs to be flexibility along with the expectations. Discussion and comments on how the Tolman Creek Neighborhood project has worked. Wanderscheid commented on how up front information and direction to committees is important. Shaw agreed that the problems with ad-hoc committees is because there has not been clear direction in what their roles are, which is unfair to the committee members. A misconception by the committee happens when they do not know what their boundaries are. Stated that the committee structure needs to be clear. Concerned with not doing an evaluation from previous committee members. Council discussion on how to engage citizens to determine what will work in developing a process for public input. Councilors Fine and Laws agreed to work with staff on the project. Shaw asked that continued feedback be sought from other council as this process proceeds. Wanderscheid stated that he hoped to convene the committee by June and will revise discussed plan and submit to council for their information. lI Discussion to scope the process used to implement the Strategic Plan Goal of analyzing demand for transit and other alternative modes of transportation. Wanderscheid introduced a process under development to discuss along with a draft proposal. Proposed that the scoping begin with the study session. Gather existing data to present to council to analyze what data is missing and needed. Then to develop a draft survey instrument. The survey should include an origin/destination study by zip code and also by voter precincts or school districts for Ashland residents that both work and live in Ashland. Following the development of the draft, to provide for public input on the survey. The survey would then be conducted and the results and draft recommendations presented to council. There would then be a public hearing and adoption of recommendations. Laws not sure that additional monies should be spent on obtaining data that we all ready have. Stated that council knows what our specific strategic goals are, and to ask individuals what goals are would be very difficult. Would rather ask citizens what they think of the current specific goals. Feels that what most individuals want is fast, convenient way to get from one place to another, which is by automobile. Council discussion regarding whether they know or do not know what residents already want in regards to transportation. Fine requested that staff provide council with a tentative budget for approval of the expenditure cap on the proposed survey. Stated that the objective would be to get as many groups in the community to buy-in to whatever solution comes out of this project, if any. Feels the best way to get others involved, would be to give them input at the earliest opportunity. Possibly input in setting the parameters of the study, and suggests advising groups that this is happening and solicit their suggestions as to methodology. Ashland City Council Study Session Minutes 05-20-99 2 Shaw concerned with getting a survey that has a low margin of error, and this cannot be accomplished by asking groups that have specific vested interests in the outcome. Stated that you must go to a broader degree to the population as a whole. Fine clarified that the survey will be to a broad population, but that the groups would provide input for the formulation of the survey instrument. Council discussion on how to identify all sub-groups that have needs, which will mean a large survey. Freeman noted that RVTD is currently doing a survey of SOU students on transits, and that the Chamber through students at SOU is currently doing a survey of parking downtown. Suggests trying to obtain information that has already been gathered before deciding to spend dollars for additional data. Explained that the first step will be to come back to council with data that has been gathered before proceeding further to analyze what data is missing and needed. III. Set date for Team Building Tentative date set for July 7~" from 8:30 until 5:00 p.m. Council consensus that they felt comfortable with previous facilitator from strategic planning. Freeman will approach the facilitator and bring the agenda back to council for approval. Freeman handed out information on economic development plan from the city's comprehensive plan. ADJOURNED The meeting was adjourned at 1:25 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Barbara Christensen City Recorder/Treasurer Ashland City Council Study Session Minutes 05-20-99 3