HomeMy WebLinkAbout1993 STATE OF THE CITYMAYOR GOLDEN'S ANNUAL ADDRESS
HIGHLIGHTS
JANUARY 5, 1993
POLICE DEPARTMENT:
New Chief Gary Brown hired after retirement of Vic Lively.
Department was restructured to equalize the workload and eliminate
duplication of services.
Resolved 3 pending employee grievances prior to going to arbitration
and no additional grievances have been filed.
Held team-building workshops involving management and rank and file
employees.
Expanded the foot and bicycle patrols.
Future plans:
Maximize effectiveness of Department using resources i.e. alternate
means of police patrol.
Expand volunteers and use non-police personnel for certain duties to
free up officers for police work.
Study cost effectiveness of dispatch activities.
Expand crime prevention program.
Prioritize police services with the help of the community.
FIRE DEPARTMENT:
Chief Keith Woodley spent last year rebuilding the organization from
the ground up.
He implemented mutual aid with Oregon Dept. of Forestry - Ashland Fire
Dept. and will begin canvass of homes in the mutual aid area this
Thursday.
Restricted burning in high risk areas.
Set up education program for residents in woodland areas.
Dana Sallee, employee of the dept. set up a door to door program after
participating in the Rogue Valley Fire Prevention Co-op campaign last
summer.
Woodley developed a complete Emergency Management Plan: assign lead
agency in event of high wind damage, floods, fire, earthquakes, etc.
First exercise this Spring.
School education programs in fire prevention. 3300 students were
reached with 2 classroom visits/year.
Woodland resource:
Prohibition of development of land over 40% slope.
Adopted stricter road and driveway grade standards.
Forest Management Plan:
$20,000 to Parks Dept. to manage Siskiyou Mountain Park.
Continue to removed dead and dying trees and down fuels.
Have acquired or been donated 310 acres and dedicated 500 acres to
Ashland Parks Dept.
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT/PLANNING:
Resignation of John Fregonese, Planning Dir.
Adoption of Hospital Master Plan and Health Care Zone.
Garfield Apt. opened last year - first Affordable Housing project by
the City.
Mediation of Mahar and Hospital disputes.
Changed parking ord. to not allow massive parking lots and keep out
huge major developments e.g. WalMart.
Adoption of following elements of Comprehensive Plan: Parks & Open
Space; Historic; Economic Development; Population; and Energy.
Woodstove replacement program/water conservation program.
PUBLIC WORKS:
Water Conservation Program in conjunction with Community Dev.
Ashland is considered a leader in the state with many communities
modeling their ord. after ours.
Water curtailment implemented this Summer - even though Mt. Ashland
has nearly 100 inches of snow.
Lots of maintenance on our collection system - new equipment -
improvement of sanitary sewer lines up 100% over last year.
Northwest water project and bond measure.
FINANCE DEPARTMENT:
Budget process - meeting twice a week for weeks and weeks.
Examined: every service and activity provided by General Fund Depts.
(police, fire, street, finance, administration, community development,
and senior services)
Prioritized services
Charged Dept. Heads with finding more effective ways to provide
services.
CITIZEN LEADERSHIP:
Wetlands Coalition brought forward an organization and professionals
to push the wetland idea to the forefront.
Commercial Dev. Standards Committee
Railroad Park L.I.D.
Downtown development and beautification project.
Transportation Planning Advisory Committee: Bus service doubled
5 covered bus stops on line
Redirect energy away from cars and toward pedestrians, bikes,
mass transit.
Mt. Ashland purchase.
GENERAL:
Through Cable Access you have watched it all.
Nearly all of these issues have passed by this Council for review and
input.
TO COME:
Better communication between dept. heads and elected officials.
Resolution of wastewater treatment plant issues.
Woodland resource/fire prevention.
Water conservation.
Transportation.
Homeless issues.
Meanwhile, volunteers to help give direction for the city. The
Christmas Tree pickup is an original idea of Angela Barber who is
still in critical condition due to the actions of a drunk driver.
Volunteers raised money and put up the lights for Ashland's "Festival
of Lights".
CITIZEN INPUT:
Council goal-setting will be held at the end of January. Please give
input through letters or phone calls to Mayor and Councilors.
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