Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout1995-1205 REG MINMINUTES FOR THE REGULAR MEETING ASHLAND CITY COUNCIL December 5, 1995 CALLED TO ORDER Mayor Golden called the meeting to order at 7:05 p.m., Civic Center Council Chambers. ROLL CALL Councilors Hauck, Hagen, Wheeldon, Laws, Thompson and Reid were present. APPROVAL OF MINUTES The minutes of the Regular meeting of November 21, 1995 and Adjourned meeting of November 28, 1995 were approved with the following amendments to minutes of November 28, 1995 page 2 paragraph 3 motion should read as follows: Councilor Thompson moved approval of PA 95-101 with the aforestated 3 conditions and a 4th condition that 50% of the area of the existing house be a month-to-month residential unit with access from Second Street. Amendment to page 2, paragraph 5, third sentence should read Councilor Thompson thought the action would produce irrevocable changes within the one year period. SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS AND AWARDS 1. Proclamation declaring Saturday, January 6, 1996 as "Christmas Tree Recycle Day in Ashland." Mayor Golden read proclamation "9th Annual Christmas Tree Recycle Day". Energy Smarts/Resource Conservation Manager Award from U.S. Department of Energy to the City of Ashland and the Ashland School District No. 5. Presentation by Mayor Golden, Russ Otte accepted for the Ashland School District No. 5 and Dick Wanderschied accepted for the City of Ashland. CONSENT AGENDA 2. 3. 4. Minutes of Boards, Commitions and Committees. City Administrator's Monthly Report - November, 1995. Monthly departmental reports - October, November, 1995. Liquor license application from Daren Strahm, Wesley Strahm, and Sharon Strahm dba Caliente's Grill and Cantina. Approval of Budget calendar. Councilor Thompson declared possible conflict of interest on item #4 stating that he is the landlord of this establishment. Councilors Hauck/Hagen m/s to approve consent agenda. Voice vote: aH AYES. Motion passed. SPECIAL AGENDA ITEM 1. Presentation by AI Koski, SOREDI, regarding Rural Investment Fund rules and funding availability. Reported the new program would be Administered by the Regional Strategy board and would begin to accept applications by mid-February. The program is designed to provide a flexible source of funding for remote rural areas. Presentation is made to Council because the Regional Strategy Board has approved the work plan subject to Public Hearings set for December 15, 1995 in Grants Pass and Medford. The program is designed to help rural areas finance locally determined economic and community development programs and projects that might otherwise be ineligible for other kinds of State and Federal funding. Stated that there are eligible applicants available in all areas of Jackson and Josephine County with the exception of those areas that are within the urban growth boundary of the City of Medford. These funds are available only to non-profit organizations. Council was provided with a draft copy of the 1995-97 Rural Action Plan, Rural Investment Fund (RIF). Stated that the Board will consider the following in determining and prioritizing which programs and projects to fund: 1) Preference to remote, rural areas that have greatest economic challenges; 2)priorities of rural communities; 3) Whether monies from the Rural Investment Fund will fill a gap in financing for programs and projects that are not eligible for state and federal sources; 4) The extent to which funding will leverage other resources by bringing in public and private partnerships; and 5) The degree to which applicants for funding have established measurable economic outcomes that can demonstrate, through specific Performance Measurements, progress towards achievement of the goals and objectives of the RIF. Explained eligible and ineligible activities. It was clarified for City Administrator Almquist that on the application there are points given for local matched monies to the RIF. Almquist stated that there may be a project through the Senior Center that may qualify for funding. PUBLIC HEARINGS 1. Citizen input on 1995-96 Council Goals not previously submitted in writing. PUBLIC HEARING OPEN 7:23 p.m. Rick Vezie/446 Walker/Spoke regarding resolving office space needs, Council Goal #4 for 1995. Stated that he didn't feel there had been enough progress on this issue. Cited the resolution passed in 1993 forming a Space Need Study Committee which would either adopt the recommendations from the committee or put an initiative measure on the ballot. He questioned the Council as to whether they had adopted the recommendation of the Space Needs Committee or if there would be an initiative on the next ballot. Almquist informed Mr. Vezie that there is progress in the matter of possibly acquiring the Hillah Temple. Mayor Golden requested that City Administrator Almquist keep Mr. Vezie up to date on this issue. Vezie requested that the Council act in good faith on the resolution passed in 1993. Jim Moore/1217 Park St/Submitted petition before the Council stating concerns on environmental, social, and economic reasons. Proposed that the Council direct staff to develop a Non Point Source pollution plan to address water quality concerns; including chemical and biological pollution, sedimentation, elevated stream temperatures and riparian habitat at risk. Requested that a committee of technically trained citizens be formed to coordinate and implement this plan. Richard Hart/308 Avery/Spoke in favor of forming a NPS pollution plan. Would like to see a plan within a year and would be willing to submit information to the Council to help facilitate. It was suggested that Conservation Manager Dick Wanderschied would be available to be a part of this. Bill Robertson/2175 Tolman Rd/Spoke as the chairman of Forest Commission. Requested $140,000 for additional proposed fire reduction projects. Hershel King/791 Faith/Spoke on the existing problems of the threat of wildfire in our watershed area. Larry Medinger/695 Mistletoe Rd/Spoke regarding Affordable Housing. Stated that the main key in making a program work is having adequate staff. Urges Council to hire new staff or look at how to utilize the current Housing Officer as the "Housing Officer". Susan Hunt/220 Nutley/Spoke regarding Hillside Development Standards. Danial White/945 N. Mountain/Reminded Council of the N. Mountain Avenue neighborhood plan. Evan Archerd/120 N. Second/Reported on the status of the N.Mountain Avenue neighborhood plan. Debbie Miller/160 Normal/Submitted in writing the following: I encourage the Council to take specific actions to work with other jurisdictions in the County and Valley to carefully plan future land uses for the area with the emphasis on sustainability (not overuse of finite resources) and retention of agriculture as a major factor of the economy. I believe the Rogue Valley can be a leader in the state to perhaps revise some state land use goals to reflect the needs of communities who want to maintain their small town/semi- rural character, as opposed urbanization. This Council can begin the discussion by making regional planning for sustainability a major focus of the 1996 agenda. Cate Hartzel/881 E. Main/Submitted in writing the following: 1) develop hillside development guidelines and regulations; 2) address, in an open and inclusive process, the issue of adequate future water supply for the City; 3) address what both the FOA Vision Planning process and that your survey gives evidence to, that is citizen's concern about the impact and rate of growth on Ashland as a community; 4) support the creation of a committee to review city projects for environmental impact and opportunity for education; and 5) continue support for the goal of increased communication between the City government and citizens. Stated that though she had a lot of criticism of the survey and the process by which it was designed, after reading it thoroughly found some information which she hoped the Council will use in deciding priorities. Felt it pointed out the fact that there is a lack of adequate information on a number of topics in town. PUBLIC HEARING CLOSED: 8:57 p.m. UNFINISHED BUSINESS 1. (Continuation) Request for Conditional Use Permit for a professional office (counseling) at 144 North Second Street. The office will provide a variety of services for disadvantaged families and individuals in the Ashland area [Applicant: Interfaith Care Community of Ashland (ICCA)]. Councilor Reid questioned the year review on the conditional use permit, and because these are Federal monies, what would happen if the funds were expended on a piece of property and then a year later the property lost its conditional use permit. Housing Officer Kelly Madding clarified for Councilor Reid that if the local jurisdiction granted a conditional use permit, even if it is for only one year, that is acceptable to HUD to purchase the property. In the event after one year it is determined that the agency can no longer operate out of this property, the contract normally runs for about 20 years and every year 1/20 of the grant can be forgiven. The City has the ability to structure the contract to meet its needs. If the use of the building did not work out, the City would own the building and it would be up to the Council to decide what to do with the building. The money that was used initially would have to come back to the Block Grant as program income and would be used again to benefit low and moderate income people. Madcling clarified for Council that another piece of property being questioned as a possible site for ICCA had been found to have environmental problems. Exparte contacts reported: Councilor Reid had a site visit, telephone calls from owners, general conversation with citizens; Mayor Golden reported a telephone call from Barbara Jarvis requesting that council consider setting percentage limits block by block within the RailRoad district. This would give the RailRoad neighborhood an opportunity to determine in the future how much commercial mix they want 3 with the understanding that some blocks might have no commercial buildings while some may have greater mix of commercial than residential but to make it a component of the plan so that the people within the RailRoad district have the opportunity to make block by block assessment of how they want their neighborhood to look like. Discussion by Council regarding criteria involving impact of area and change of use. Councilors Wheeldon/Hagen m/s to approve PA 95-101 with the aforestated 3 conditions and create a review process to review use within one year. The review committee should be made up of neighbors, staff and council. Discussion: Councilor Thompson voiced concern that the proposed use will have a greater impact than a duplex as to traffic and noise. Believe that the neighbors representative would show that by using statistics as to how many people would be visiting or served, it will show that the traffic exceeds the zoned use of the neighborhood which would be a duplex. A mixed use application could be shown that the traffic would not exceed for what the property is zoned or that the impact would be adverse to the neighborhood. Roll Call Vote: Thompson, Laws NO; Wheeldon, Hagen, Reid YES; Councilor Hauck abstained declaring conflict of interest. Motion Passed 3-2. Applicant granted an extension until December 15, 1995 for the approval of Findings and Conclusions. NEW AND MISCELLANEOUS BUSINESS 1. Presentation of results of Community Survey conducted by Barbara Tull of Advanced Marketing Research. Presented brief overview of Community Survey. It was reported that there was 74 % response rate on the study. Executive summary stated that Ashland's size tops the list of positive aspects of living in the city; rapid growth is what people would like to change most in order to make it a better place to live; people are generally "somewhat" or "very" satisfied with the overall level of services; highest marks was for "maintaining city park ground and equipment" and for "fire and medical emergency response times". People feel that the City should accommodate population growth through "a combination of additional housing within city limits and annexing more land"; economic growth was "just right"; recycling opportunities were better; quality of life rated high; moderate amount of ethnic and cultural diversity; moderate amount of trust in local government; moderately positive attitude toward tourists; felt safe in neighborhood; "somewhat satisfied" with opportunity to provide input on city decisions; Lithia Park most widely used; The Ashland Daily Tidings most widely used source of information. Discussion by Council regarding economic growth vs. population growth. Councilors Hagen/Hauck m/s to place on agenda for Council approval, assignment of Ambulance Purchase Agreement. Voice vote: aH AYES. Motion passed. 2. Assignment of Ambulance Purchase Agreement Fire Chief Keith Woodley reported that following the last Council Meeting and Public testimony regarding the Ambulance Service Area, there were a number of questions raised which required additional clarification. Mercy Flights was contacted and asked if they would be open to discuss these issues. A productive meeting was held and it was proposed that there could be a possible partnership formed. The Board from Mercy Flights did want not to form a partnership but would prefer to reassign the purchase agreement rights that Mercy Flights maintained with Ashland Life Support to the City of Ashland. Woodley requests from council authorization to accept assignment of Ambulance Purchase Agreement. 4 Councilors Reid/Hauck m/s to approve staff and city attorney to negotiate with Mercy Fights for assignment of agreement and bring back to Council for approval. Voice vote: all AYES. Motion passed. PUBLIC FORUM None. OTHER BUSINESS FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS None ADJOURNMENT Meeting as adjourned at 9:10 p.m. Barbara Christensen, Recorder Catherine M. Golden, Mayor 5