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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOMP PLAN: Ch 09 - Public Svcs ~ . . ..,.~.. .. CHAPTER IX PUBLIC SERVICES CHAPTER IX PUBLIC SERVICES The permanence and stability of urban areas are greatly affected by the quality and ex- tent of public services, improvements and con- veniences. Usually a full range of services is eventually required for an area, even if the need is not immediately pressing. Traditional public services are water, sewer, police, fire, electricity, street lighting, cable television, and others may also be pro- vided. The cost of services has been increasing at a rate equal to or higher than general infla- tion figures. Costs are of special concern when continued growth requires new capital expenditures, such as enlarging the sewer treatment plant. Formulas have been devel- oped which attempt to relate the increase in population to the expected increase and cost in services and facilities. One method of keeping costs down is central- ized developments, which reduce the amount of facilities and travel. Where services are available, but no development occurs (as in vacant lots), a public investment is being under-utilized. Another way to lower costs is to have all services provided simultaneous- ly, through coordination 'between the agencies and departments providing these services. One method of removing some cost burdens from current City residents is to have new developments pay for the extension and pro- IX-1 vision of their services. Public services, especially those using poles and above-ground facilities, affect the ap- pearance of an area. Placement underground represents a higher initial cost, but usually lower maintenance costs. Some public ser- vices will require sites within a neighbor- hood (e.g., an electrical substation or fire station). ASSUMPTIONS: Residents will continue to demand services similar to those they receive now, while the scarcity and cost of materials, labor, and resources will force re-evaluation of tradi- tional methods of providing service. There will be increased secondary costs (transportation, energy, etc.) in developing peripheral areas. Services have a major impact on urban de- sign and on the effect of urbanization on the environment. GOAL: PROVIDE PUBLIC UTILITIES, SER- VICES AND FACILITIES IN AN ORDER- LY, EFFICIENT AND ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE WAY AND IN SUFFICIENT QUANTITY TO MEET CITY NEEDS NOW AND IN THE FUTURE. POLICIES: 1) Provide urban areas with the level of services appropriate to'the density of set- tlement and resultant service demand. IX-2 2) Provide services in a timely, coordinated and orderly manner that minimizes costs and inconvenience, and prevents prema- ture, incomplete development. 3) Prevent urban sprawl and "leap-frogging" by providing full services in a staged manner: first to areas within the City limits, then to the area within the Urban Growth Boundary. ~) Encourage the underground placement of utility lines, with any above-ground facilities designed to fit the landscape. 5) Encourage early planning and acquisition of sites for needed public facilities (e. g., fire stations, schools, roads, parks, etc.). 6) In conjunction with studies of housing, land use, downtown policies, etc., identi- fy and implement innovative service tech- niques in anticipation of major trends, needs, and economic or environmental changes, rather than waiting to react when all options are closed. 7) Use Capital Improvement Planning to en- sure that long-term public facility plan- ning be as cost-effective as possible. 8) Consider system development charges to fund large capital costs caused by growth. SANITARY SEWER SYSTEM The Ashland sewer system contains approxi- mately t20,000 lineal feet of concrete and clay pipe of which the majority is 6 inches in diameter. The largest size is 18 inches. Sewers were first constructed in the City in 1906, and, until 19il, they 'were generally made of clay. After 19tl, concrete pipe was used. There are no combined storm water and sanitary sewers in the City system. The system serves approximately 3200 of the 3800 acres within the present City boundary. Be- cause of the generally steep slopes and rela- tively minor infiltration, the system has capacity for additional flow from areas that are yet to be developed. New development is predominantly on the southeastern side of the City. It can be as- sumed that the bulk of additional sewage flow in the near future will be generated from this area. As more southeastern area sewers are constructed, the increased flow will begin to tax the capacity of the mains on $iskiyou Boulevard, Wightman Street and Morton Street. These sewers are the main conduits transporting sewage to the collecting trunks (i.e., Bear Creek Trunk, Ashland Creek Trunk, "A" Street Trunk, etc., located on the northern side of town). The trunks, in turn, convey the sewage to the treatment plant. These bottlenecks will have to be corrected in the future. The recently remodeled sewage treatment plant should accommodate additional popula- tion growth beyond the year 2000. The de- sign capacity of the plant is 3.1 million gal- lons per day, or a population equivalent of 40,600, which still leaves an adequate mar- gin for industrial use. Presently, the plant's average daily flow is 1.4 mgd. ASSUMPT IONS: There will be higher standards for effluents, eventually requiring tertiary treatment facili- ties. Individual treatment facilities will be im- proved, but still will not be as reliable as municipal systems. GOAL: PROVIDE SANITARY SEWERS THAT MEET ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARDS FOR ALL AREAS WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS. POLICIES: 9) Encourage early planning for new sewage treatment facilities, outlining site re- quirements, use of sewage treatment by- products, costs and financing. 10) Where feasible, require all development within the City to use Ashland treatment facilities. 11) Encourage productive use of sewage treat- ment by-products. 12) Consider the modification of the City's sewage treatment facility to a tertiary treatment facility as part of the City's overall Capital Improvement Plan. 13) Require annexation or contract annexation in order to receive sewer service in unin- corporated areas. IX-3 lg) Size future sanitary sewers to provide for projected growth within the Urban Growth Boundary, based upon the City's Compre- hensive Plan, and for anticipated future growth for the life of the facility. WATER SUPPLY AND SERVICE The City of Ashland owns and operates its own water supply and distribution system. The City's domestic water is primarily ob- tained from Ashland Creek, although in re- cent years provisions have been made to treat irrigation water from the Talent Irriga- tion District (T ID ) for domestic purposes. The City has acquired rights to 156g acre- feet per year from the TID. Reeder Reservoir, the primary storage facility for the City's untreated water, is formed by a dam across Ashland Creek. The reservoir stores excess runoff for use during periods of low streamflow and has a capacity of ap- proximately 860 acre-feet. There are two smaller covered reservoirs below it, Crowson and Granite Street Reservoirs, which store treated water. In 1978, the City's water system supplied water to 15,193 persons. The average daily water production for 1978 was 3.0k million gallons. The City has adequately provided water for the population in past years, but instances of conservation measures being im- posed are becoming more frequent. In the year 2000, the daily average of water re- quired is estimated to be 4./~ million gal- lons.1 For the City to provide adequate l"City of Ashland Comppehensive Watep Plan," R.W. Beck and Associates, Seattle, 1980, Table IV-3. water for the expected population of the year 2000, improvements to the existing water sys- tem will be necessary. A detailed study of the Ashland water system was prepared by R.W. Beck and Associates and submitted to the City in September, 1980. 'rhe "City of Ashland Comprehensive Water Plan" thoroughly studies the feasibility and costs of improvements necessary for the City's water system to meet the demands of me year 2000. According to the Comprehensive Water Plan, the City will require /+973 acre-feet of water in the year 2000. In a normal runoff year, the present Ashland water system would fall I/+0 acre-feet short of this supply require- ment. During drought conditions, the system would fall 13/+0 acre-feet short. Storage defi- cits of this magnitude can be made up through the use of TID water, but this would deplete water available for irrigation pur- poses within the City and conservation mea- sures would have to be imposed. This shows the need for larger water storage facilities. The Soil Conservation Service concluded in 1959 that a 100-foot high earth-fill dam was feasible at the Winburn site on the west fork of Ashland Creek. The dam would form a reservoir of approximately 5g acres, with a capacity of about 1600 acre-feet. A dam 80 feet high at the same location would form a reservoir of approximately 38 acres with a capacity of about 850 acre-feet. The lower dam would cost 25% less than the larger dam but would supply little more than half the capacity.2 Z Water Resources Management Plan and Facility Study, James M. Montgomery, Consulting Engineers, Boise, lg77, pp. 7-2 to 7.5. Increased water supply for the City could al- so come from acquiring more water from the Talent Irrigation 'District. The State of Ore- gon plans to review the water rights associ- ated with TID reservoirs and to perform a proof survey of these rights. Once the rights have been vested, the City can pos- sibly purchase an additional 1500 acre-feet per year, according to the TID. The Comprehensive Water Plan also studied the efficiency of the City's water distribution system. It was found that this system is in need of upgrading and improvement. At present, 28% of the water released from the water treatment plant is lost throughout the distribution system. A normal system in good condition can expect 10% system losses. Overall, the City's water system is in need of improvement to adequately supply the resi- dents in the years to come. Improvements will be costly and large capital expenditures should be planned for as part of the City's overall Capital Improvement Program. ASSUMPTIONS: The City will continue to utilize Ashland Creek water, but will need alternative sources to meet future water demands. There will be continued pressure for more residential development above the gravity- flow system. GOAL: PROVIDE SUFFICIENT WATER SUPPLY FOR ASHLAND RESIDENTS. POLICIES: 15) The City should continue to acquire pri- ority water rights on Ashland Creek as they become available. 16) The City should attempt to purchase addi- tional Talent Irrigation District water from confirmed owners. 17) The City should further study the con- struction of a new impoundment on Ash- land Creek at the Winburn site to aug- ment the City's storage capacity in the watershed. 18) The City should prioritize and implement needed water system improvements, as identified by the City Water Plan, as part of the City's overall Capital Im- provement Plan. 19) The City should develop water conserva- tion measures which can be implemented in critical water years. 20) The City should exert pressure on the U.S. Forest Service to manage the water- shed in ways which are compatible and not detrimental to Ashland's future use of the watershed as the City's water sup- ply. Uses of the watershed which cause increased sedimentation in Reeder Reser- voir should be very strongly opposed by the City. 21) Ensure that the City's efforts to remove sediment from Reeder Reservoir have as little harmful environmental impacts on Ashland and Bear Creeks as possible. (See Chapter IV, Water Resources.) IX-5 ELECTRIC SERVICE The City of Ashland owns and operates a municipal electric system which served ap- proximately 6700 customers in 1980. The sys- tem includes a 12.f+7' kv ' ~witching station and overhead and underground distribution facilities. Power is presently bought from Bonneville Power Administration ( BPA ) and resold to Ashland residents. The City's Electric System Study, completed in 1976 by R.W. Beck & Associates, indicated that peak demand has been increasing at an average rate 'of $.6%, with energy consump- tion increasing at an average rate of 5.3%. This rate of growth is expected to d~minish or reverse due to energy conservation. The system's annual peak typically occurs during December, January or February, with the mag- nitude of the peak directly related to clima- tological conditions. Changes in yearly weather patterns have resulted in as much as a 10% difference between successive an- nual peaks. The City's service area lies within the City limits. PP&L service area surrounds the City; however, in certain areas, due to lack of PP&L distribution circuits in areas immedi- ately outside the City limits of Ashland, PP&L has constructed lines as extensions to the City's lines to serve its customers. The system provides excellent service to its cus- tomers and has a very good operating record. (See XI, Energy.) IX-6 STORM WATER DRAINAGE The City of Ashland has an underground storm water drainage system throughout most of the City. There are no combined sanitary sewer/storm water drainage facilities in the City. All new developments which create new roads are required to install storm water. drainage facilities in conjunction with the new roads. The City has no overall Master Plan for storm water management at present, so storm water drainage is dealt with on a case-by-case basis by the City' s Public Works Department. GOAL: TO PROVIDE AN ADEQUATE STORM WATER DRAINAGE SYSTEM THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE CITY OF ASHLAND. POLICIES: 22) The City should fund and develop an overall storm water management plan for the entire City. 23) Ensure that all new developments include a drainage system which protects adjoin- ing property as much as possible. 2~) Encourage drainage systems that utilize natural drainageways and minimize the amount and rate of surface runoff. 25) Consider necessary improvements to the City's storm water system as part of the City's overall Capital Improvement Plan. 26) In all new developments, discourage the pumping of storm water drainage, includ- ing the use of sump pumps. SOLID WASTE Solid waste disposal is a regional activity which is regulated by Jackson County (which has been working on a regional solid waste plan) and the State of Oregon (which has es- tablished environmental standards). The Ash- land site for solid waste disposal meets or exceeds regional and State guidelines. The City of Ashland franchises the Ashland Sanitary Service for waste collection. Solid waste is disposed at a 120-acre site located approximately five miles from the City center on Valley View Road. The site consists of clay and sandstone formations which help pro- vide good surface runoff co.n,ditions. Two di- version ditches surround the site. In 1976; the Department of Environmental quality (DEQ) issued a five-year perrail on the solid waste site with the following condi- tions: blowing paper be controlled; was~es be compacted and covered daily; a caretaker be on duty; fire prevention equipment be available; and a suitable access road be pro- vided. All of th~se conditions are being ful- filled by the Sanitary Service. The Sanitary Service attempts some resource recovery operations, dependent on the market value of those resources. Some local groups have attempted resource recovery erierations, but have been hampered by the geae,:al diffi- culty of persuading residents to separate waste and by the economic uncertainty of mar- ketability. ASSU~PT ION: There will be increasing emphasis on recy- cling and resource recovery as natural re- sources are depleted, but there will continue to be a need for landfill sites. GOAL: PROVIDE SYSTEMATIC CONTROL OF THE SOLID WASTE PROCESS FROM COLLEC- TION TO STORAGE, EMPHASIZING EFFICIENCY, RESOURCE RECOVERY AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION. POLICIES: 27) Encourage opportunities for recycling and resource recovery in all solid waste col- lection programs. 28) Encourage high environmental and aes- thetic standards in the collection, re- source recovery and disposal of solid waste. 29) The City shall coordinate with Jackson County on the provision of solid waste disposal sites to meet current and long- range needs. SCHOOLS As in other communities, education programs and the general educational level are valu- able resources in Ashland. Educational facilities such as playgrounds, gymnasiums, and meeting rooms are important to the schools, but can be an asset to the whole community after school hours. Conversely, the City of Ashland has some resources which are useful to the School District. Southern IX-7 Oregon State College, with its special offer- ings and opportunities, is a very important asset, as students and faculty contribute their efforts to solving Ashland's problems. The number of children in the Ashland School System has not changed much despite in- creases in general population. As has been mentioned before, the demographics of in-mi- grants may account for this trend. (See Table IX-i, Ashland Public Schools Enroll- ment. ) The location of the student population is shifting toward the areas of newer construc- tion southeast and northwest of the City cen- ter. One result of this shift in student popu- lation is that the schools located in these areas have almost reached the limit of their capacity. Table IX-2 indicates that Bellview and Helman Schools are already at a critical capacity level. (See Table IX-2, Ashland Public Schools.) The ability of the existing school sites to ac- commodate additional enrollment should be gauged by present State and local standards for such educational facilities. For elemen- tary schools, the, Oregon Stale. Board of Educa- tion recommends five acres plus one addition- al acre for each 100 students as a site stan- dard. The Ashland School District uses a standard for future elementary schools of a maximum enrollment of about 500 students, which indicates a site size of ten acres. For junior high and high schools, the Oregon State Board of Education recommends ten acres plus one additional acre for each 100 students. The Ashland School District uses a standard of 1000 student limit for junior IX-8 TABLE IX-l'-~ Ashland Public Schools; Population - School Enrollmentx General Sept. Population Elementary Junior High Senior High 1970 12,342 1971 13,487 1972 13,980 1973 14,400 1974 14,500 1975 14.400 1976 14,500 1977 14,600 1978 14,700 1979 14,800 1980 14,9922 1,326 1 341 1 375 1 319 1 5011 1 543 1 489 1 550 1,495 1,469 1,494 Total 778 753 2,857 738 797 2,876 740 776 2,891 740 794 2,853 743 745 2.989 776 735 3,054 748 757 3,094 728 721 2,999 737 703 2,935 688 711 2,868 637 681 2812 1The increased enrollment in the elementary schools is due mostly to the addition of'the kindergarten program. - 21980 U.S. Census preliminary Census counts. TABLE IX-2 -- Ashland Public Schools - February, 1977. Number of School Classrooms Land Area Building Capacity Enrollment Capacity Remaining Bellview 13 9 ac. 328 340 12 Briscoe 12 4 ac. 268 312 44 Helman 12 10 ac. 308 312 4 Lincoln 16 6 ac. 353 390 37 Walker 18 10 ac. 318 400 82 Semi-total 71 39 ac. Jr. High 30 25 ac. Sr. High 47 22 ac. 1,575 1,754 179 741 8OO 59 742 950 208 TOTAL 148 86 acres 3,058 3,504 446 I ' ASHLAND OREGON 1 ~ \ \ ~- PAR KS - - - - - II SCHOOLS- - - - s::x t:::: ~'< ~-" ".,,( '''fill ~::Ll=LL__~ high schools and 1500 student limit' for lii~l&' schools. This indicates a site size of 20 acres for junior high schools and 25 acres plus for high schools. Comparing the above school site standards to anticipated and projected areas of student population indicates expansion and possible acquisition of several school sites will be needed. In the immediate future, for ex- ample, Bellview and Helman elementary schools will need to add more classrooms or significantly change district boundaries in order to accommodate anticipated enrollment. In new areas of development, existing schools will not be able to absorb additional stu- dents. Briscoe and Lincoln elementary schools, for example, are already below the recommended site standards. Thus, in order to accommodate even a modest increase in stu- dents over the next 23 years, expansion of existing facilities and/or acquisition of new school sites (especially elementary school sites) in the urbanizable area may be neces- sary. (See Map IX-l, Public Parks/Schools.) ASSUMPTIONS: There will be an increased demand for the multiple use of school facilities. Student population will continue shifting with future annexations. Such shifting will neces- sitate school district boundary changes. Continued population growth will eventually increase the student population, creating a demand for additional school facilities in the future. IX-9 GOAL: MAKE MAXIMUM EFFORT TOWARD UTILIZATION OF PRESENT AND FUTURE EDUCATIONAL AND RECREATIONAL FACILITIES AND RESOURCES THROUGH PUBLIC, PRIVATE AND CITY COOPERA- TION. POLICIES: 30) Encourage cooperation between the City and School District when new school facili- ties are considered or when City action affects the School District. 31 ) Encourage early acquisition of school sites of sufficient size for school/park facilities. 32) Assess the impact of large-scale proposed developments and their effect on the schools which they impact. POLICE SERVICE The staff of the Ashland Police Department consists of the Chief of Police, Lieutenant, four Sergeants, three Corporals, two detec- tives, ten Patrol Officers, six Clerk/Dispatch- ers, and an Executive Secretary. The Department operates four marked patrol units and four unmarked units, and is res- ponsible for the enforcement of Federal, State and local laws within the incorporated limits of the City of Ashland. At the request of the Jackson County Sheriff or the Oregon State Police, City units will assist their agen- cies with incidents occurring just outside the City limits. IX-10 The City's Dispatch Center is responsible for dispatching of all police and fire/rescue calls. The Dispatch Center is in radio con-. tact with police agencies in Jackson and Jo~e-. phone Counties through the JO-JAC radio,, ' and, in the new expanded facility, is in radio contact with other fire and ambulance services in the Ashland area. The "911" emergency number was implemented in early 1981 in the g82 and ~88 telephone prefixes to ring into the Dispatch Center. FIRE SERVICE The staff of the Ashland Fire Department con- sists of a Fire Chief and 21 additional paid personnel. The Department instituted a volun- teer program for 15 volunteers in September, 1981. The Department operates five motorized fire-fighting apparatus with one in reserve. They consist of one 750 gpm pumper, one 1250 gpm pumper, one 1500 gpm pureper, one 2000- gallon tanker, and an ambulance. The total water carried on all apparatus is 5220 ga'l- Ions. Also, the Department operates two specialized four-wheel-drive grass and brush units. The Department has 15 self-contained breathing apparatus, one breathing air com- pressor, three portable electric generators, and three smoke ejectors. The Department operates out of two fire stations and provides fire protection service to the Ashland City limits. The Department has also entered into mutual aid agreements with the other fire de- partments in the area. Fire dispatching is done through the City Dispatch Center.