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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2003-06-19 Bicycle & Pedestrian_MIN Bicycle and Pedestrian Commission th, June 19 2003 Regular Meeting Minutes Roll Call Knickerbocker, Rewcastle, Beaudoin, Catron, Baxter, and Chapman were present. Nutter arrived at 6:00 p.m. Dan Masi from the Rogue Valley Transportation District (RVTD) and Steve MacLennan of the Ashland Police Department (APD) were also present. Call to Order Chapman called the meeting to order at 5:09 p.m. Approval of Minutes th The minutes of May 15, 2003 were approved as presented. Public Forum None. Chapman introduced new members Brad Knickerbocker and Lexi Rewcastle. Knickerbocker noted that he had been an Ashland resident since 1989. He added that he is a journalist and frequent traveler and that he walks and bicycles daily. Rewcastle discussed her past service on the commission, noting that she had left to complete her master’s degree. She added that she had organized the recent Bike Swap. Members introduced themselves to the new appointees. Start Time & Attendance Catron noted that he valued his time and he would appreciate it if meetings could start promptly. He emphasized that members should make an effort to be on time, but the meetings should start on time in any case. He suggested that if making it by 5:00 were too difficult, members should consider changing the meeting start time to 5:15 p.m. After discussion noting that several members were unable to arrive by 5:00 due to work schedules, it was generally agreed that 5:15 p.m. would be a better option. Catron/Beaudoin m/s to change future meeting start times to 5:15 p.m. Voice vote: All AYES. Motion passed. Harris asked if members would prefer to designate an end time as well. Chapman explained that the general understanding has been that the meetings are to be two hours. There was discussion of the history of past meetings, and it was agreed that no set meeting end time was necessary. Rewcastle/Beaudoin m/s to remove the time allotments for each agenda item from the agenda. Voice vote: All AYES. Motion passed. Crosswalk Enforcement APD Officer Steve MacLennan noted that there had been 34 stops and 18 citations generated from the last crosswalk enforcement effort. He added that 2 of these had been dismissed after review of the tapes. He also pointed out that there had been 22 citations issued for failure to yield for the month, and 177 speeding violations and 27 crashes. Chapman asked about increasing the use of volunteers to lessen APD staffing requirements. MacLennan responded that the needed staffing is to have officers to make stops. Chapman offered to help more if possible. Chapman discussed his experience volunteering for the enforcement effort last month. Catron questioned how fines are used, and MacLennan explained that they are split between the city, the county and the state. MacLennan pointed out that the overtime costs for these enforcement operations are paid by the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT). Bike Swap Rewcastle reported that the profit from this year’s event was approximately $1500, and she pointed that this was about half of the amount earned in previous years. She added that the event seemed fairly well-attended, and that she was in the process of reviewing things with the accountant. 2003-0515_Bike Min.doc Page 1 of 5 Rewcastle noted that she hoped to prepare a manual for conducting the event by next September, assuming that the commission will have some role. She noted that there were questions around how to handle things financially and legally, and she questioned whether it might be worthwhile to create a non-profit entity to handle the event. She also raised the questions of where to hold the event in the future and what the goal of the event was to be. She noted that many people were disappointed that boats weren’t included in the event this year. She concluded that she would like to hold a meeting in September to look at the next event. Catron suggested that the use of the word “swap” may confuse some people and asked that some way to clarify this be considered. He also stated that he would like to see better control of access at the entrances and exits. Catron commended Rewcastle on her efforts. Baxter emphasized that he was very happy with a $1500 profit given the timeframe that was involved. He reiterated that this was a smaller scale event and that $1500 profit was huge. He indicated that future events with more time to plan could be expected to earn much more. Catron added that in addition to the profit, the event put bikes in the hands of those who could otherwise not afford them. Chapman agreed that the event was important to the community, but he stated that he would like to distance the event from the city. Harris suggested that it may be more appropriate to prepare a separate non-profit to conduct the event due to the advisory role of the commission. She emphasized that fundraising is outside of the scope of the commission’s charter. She added that another reason is the potential conflict with Oregon budget law. Harris noted that the fundraising issue had become a problem for the Historic Commission with the Lincoln statue. She added that the city’s involvement in fundraising can tend to confuse people. She suggested that from a legal and a marketing standpoint, a non-profit foundation would be justified. Harris also pointed out that the commission cannot enter into contracts or appropriate funds, and that the commission’s role is set as an advisory body to the council. She also explained that city staffing levels do not accommodate the necessary accounting to handle events such as the Bike Swap. She provided examples of the Heritage Foundation arising out of the Historic Commission and the Ashland Schools Foundation being created from the School Board as examples of similar situations. She suggested that the commissioners consider forming a separate non-profit entity, and she noted the need for separate liability insurance. Baxter noted that Bike Swap funds could be run through the Ashland Schools Foundation to get the money back into the school programs. Rewcastle noted that Susan Bacon would be a good contact person with whom to discuss this possibility. Baxter suggested that Siskiyou Velo might also be interested in being involved. Harris pointed out that the commission could still serve as an event sponsor and provide some assistance with advertising costs, but there would need to be a separation for involvement beyond that level. Catron suggested that more advanced planning would help. Chapman questioned how the Oregon budget law issues would apply to the commission acting as, or hiring, a fundraiser for the BTA program. Harris emphasized that the commission could not hire anyone or enter into contracts. There was discussion of how to separate from the commission and form a non-profit, and it was noted that the non-profit could not be a function of or tied to the city. Catron suggested forming a subcommittee. Harris clarified that members could look at this issue informally, but the formation of the non-profit could not be “commission work” and could not be a commission decision or occur on commission time. She reiterated issues of Oregon budget law, that the commission cannot enter into contracts, and that any non-profit formed would need to carry its own liability coverage. Rewcastle reported that she had returned the petty cash used to make change at the Bike Swap to the city, and added that she had spent $209 in city funds from those allocated as part of sponsorship by the commission. Baxter suggested that the meeting in September be a volunteer meeting to discuss how to move ahead from here. Rewcastle stated that she would contact the Schools Foundation to gauge their interest in being involved. Bike Lanes on North Mountain Avenue Chapman explained that the Traffic Safety Commission (TSC) had decided to move ahead with these bike lanes at the request of a citizen. He noted that some parking would be lost on one side of the street, but he also pointed out that neighbors were notified of the 2003-0515_Bike Min.doc Page 2 of 5 upcoming change and no one had objected. Chapman pointed out that the intersection of East Main Street and North Mountain Avenue is three lanes and will not accommodate the bike lane. He added that City Engineer Jim Olson was proposing to merge bikes into the sidewalks due to the number of children riding in the area. Harris and Chapman questioned the wisdom of diverting bikes to the sidewalk, and Chapman suggested that Harris speak to Olson about current state standards for these situations. Rewcastle suggested, and both Baxter and Beaudoin agreed, that the commission express support of the state guidelines and avoiding the use of the sidewalks at this intersection. Beaudoin/Baxter m/s to direct staff to forward the recommendation to the Traffic Safety Commission that they follow Oregon state guidelines for the bike lane design at North Mountain Avenue and East Main. Voice vote: All AYES. Motion passed. Commission Vacancies & Combining Commissions Chapman noted that the commission is now full, and there are two additional applications on file for people who have expressed an interest in serving on the commission. Harris recounted the recent history of the discussion of combining with the Traffic Safety Commission (TSC) for new members and those who may have missed a meeting. Harris explained that she had a few proposed dates for a joint meeting with the TSC, and she thth asked whether 7:00 p.m. on June 30 or July 7 worked better for members. Harris asked members if they were interested in pursuing these discussions further, and reminded members that the final decision to combine the commissions would be up to the city council. She suggested that if there is interest, members of both groups should get together for discussion based on their experiences and opinions in order to prepare a recommendation to council. She concluded that staff would draft ordinance changes for council consideration based on the meeting outcome. Rewcastle asked that the agendas of both commissions be looked at closely. Catron agreed and suggested that he thought the combined commission’s agenda could be cumbersome. Harris noted the similar missions of these two commissions’ missions in the charter and municipal code and emphasized that the long term plan of the city is to develop a multimodal transportation plan. She added that staffing efficiencies could be gained through combining that would allow items to move forward more quickly. She explained that the TSC has some more power to get concrete things done, such as the bike lanes on North Mountain Avenue, and she suggested that this might even improve if any overlap between the two commissions were eliminated. Beaudoin referred members to the previous staff memo outlining the benefits and concerns related to combining commissions. Harris added that the council had briefly discussed this at a recent meeting and there seemed to be some interest. thth After some discussion, members expressed a general preference for a meeting at 7:00 p.m. on June 30, with July 7 as a possible, but not preferred, alternative. Chapman added that another option would be to seek greater power for the Bicycle & Pedestrian Commission. Rewcastle questioned when Chapman was planning to leave the commission. He responded that this commission’s role is to encourage bicycling and walking, and his interests are more oriented toward the TSC except that the TSC does not consider bicycles and pedestrians as much as he would like. He explained that this is why he would prefer to combine commissions, and he added that if the two did not combine service on both commissions would get to be too much for him. Catron pointed out that this group had helped get the pedestrian enforcement actions underway, and he suggested that this was an important accomplishment. Bike Safety Education/Safe Routes to School Chapman pointed out that this has been an ongoing agenda item for at least two years. Harris directed members to the letter received from the Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA), and she reminded members that the commission had approved $1250 for the BTA to teach bicycle safety in three local schools. She added that this was matched by the TSC. She explained that with staff changes in the BTA, the program was only being presented in one school. She questioned if members wanted to pay the same amount as was agreed upon for three schools. She pointed out that the BTA was requesting full payment, and noted that she needed to know with the approaching end of the fiscal year. 2003-0515_Bike Min.doc Page 3 of 5 Catron asked whether the work done was worth the full amount. Chapman explained that the commission had become involved in the program again due to the failure of BTA, and that after the commission came up with the funds to get the program back under way the BTA has not fulfilled its obligations. Chapman clarified that the BTA has done one third of the work and continues to request full payment. Catron suggested that perhaps only one third of the funding is deserved, but he asked what this would mean for next year. Harris reminded members that the Middle School may be interested in a stand-alone program, which is what the program was originally designed to be. Catron suggested that money seems to be the only issue now. Harris added that she did not feel that the commission could pull all funding at this point. Catron/Rewcastle m/s to give one third of the funds to the BTA and to communicate the reasoning behind this decision to them in a letter. Discussion: It was noted that the Bike Swap funds were dedicated to bike safety, but that this was not necessarily earmarked for BTA. Harris clarified for Beaudoin that no payment has been made to BTA yet. Knickerbocker questioned whether this recommendation was to be directed to the Community Development Director or the TSC. Harris stated that the TSC was currently unaware of the situation, but she added that she would pass on background information along with the commission’s recommendation. Baxter noted that funding for the fall cannot come at this time. Rewcastle recognized the need for a discussion of the future of the program. Voice vote: All AYES. Motion passed. Beaudoin noted that communication with Lynn Reynolds was needed to determine what had been discussed with Ashland Middle School. Beaudoin added that he feels the Middle School is the best site for classes and he also feels there is interest on the part of the school. He suggested that the Middle School just does not want to have the program micro-managed by BTA. Chapman recommended that a commission member take the lead on getting this program in place at the Middle School, and he questioned the status of Reynolds’s membership given her absence from recent meetings. At Baxter’s request, Dan Masi from RVTD noted that they have an interactive bus education program for K-6 and Middle School students, and he suggested that the bicycle safety classes could be combined in as a component of this program. He added that RVTD has already established good working relationships with valley schools, and he recommended combining the programs for an all-day event combining a bicycle class and a bus class. Masi noted that Doug Staples is the instructor, and he added that he also contracts for the BTA. Masi added that he could request a memo addressing the possibility of combining the programs from Matthew Barnes. Rewcastle stated that splitting the presentation into two classes would address concerns over class size and was a good idea. Nutter asked how often each school is visited. Rewcastle noted that she found the Middle School to be the easiest target to reach the most students, but she added that it was also the least effective in terms of changing habits and attitudes. She explained that younger students were more impressionable and more likely to take what they learn to their parents. Masi pointed out how enthusiastic students are about the interactive bus. Catron questioned whether the intent was to have something in place by this September, and he indicated that a decision would be needed by the next meeting. Chapman noted that Vice Principal O’Malley was the person to approach at the Middle School. Baxter asked what RVTD is doing and what they are proposing. Nutter questioned how many visits there would be in Ashland. He also asked how many classes were involved and how long they would be. Catron suggested that this should be a big item on the next agenda. Nutter suggested calling Reynolds to find out what she had done. Chapman pointed out that the Middle School could support a program itself, whereas an elementary school’s P.E. class could not support it. Nutter noted that Siskiyou Velo might be able to provide a story in their magazine to encourage volunteers. Catron suggested starting the program in the Middle School and trying to work down into the elementary schools once the program was established. Beaudoin concurred with the need to get the program started in one place first. 2003-0515_Bike Min.doc Page 4 of 5 Nutter questioned if the commission could help by funding someone. Harris clarified that the commission could not be involved in funding, but she added that a private source could. Rewcastle noted that Miles Murphy had expressed an interest in providing information to the public through the Mail Tribune and Daily Tidings. Chapman noted that he had been involved in the program at the Middle School and Lincoln School last year. Nutter noted that the Velo may be willing to provide funds. At Catron’s request, Chapman agreed to contact Reynolds about her efforts and her continuing interest in the program. Catron suggested that this be a major item on the next agenda, with at least one and a half hours dedicated to the discussion. ODOT 25 Year Plan Update Chapman explained that this is a plan for traffic safety, and he added that as they are seeing success they are looking to update the plan. He noted that there had been a meeting in Grants Pass, with ten representatives from the Rogue Valley. He added that input can also be submitted via the internet. July Meeting – City Talk Show Harris noted that Telecommunications and Marketing Manager Ann Seltzer wants to highlight the commission for a one hour chat and call-in session in July. She explained that the show would be at 5:30, and that attendees would need to be there at 5:00. She discussed the shows format, which is to include Seltzer, Harris, Chapman and one other commission member. There was discussion of how to handle the July meeting in light of the concurrent television filming and several members and staff being unavailable. th Beaudoin/Catron m/s to schedule the July meeting for the 24 at 5:15 p.m. Voice vote: All AYES. Motion passed. New Business Rewcastle agreed to approach Vice Principal O’Malley at the Middle School. Beaudoin expressed interest in being a liaison to the gym teachers. He also indicated an interest in appearing on the city talk show broadcast. Harris stated that Seltzer would contact members to arrange details. Nutter asked that staff inquire about street sweeper coverage of Crowson Road, and he asked to emphasize the need to sweep the bike lane. Masi noted that RVTD is giving a Transportation Hero Award and asked for nominations from commission members. Agenda Items for Next Meeting Bike Safety Program. Adjournment There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 6:48 P.M. Next Meeting th 5:15 p.m. on July 24, 2003 2003-0515_Bike Min.doc Page 5 of 5