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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1977-0222 ADJOURNEDROLL CALL WATER CRISIS MEETING MOVED BUILDING PERMITS IN PROCESS MINUTES OF ADJOURNED MEETING ASHLAND CITY COUNCIL February 22, 1977 The City Council met at 7:15 p.m. in Council Chambers of City Hall with Mayor Prickett presiding. Councilmen Phelps, Drescher, Ragland, McCannon and Laws were present. Mayor Prickett announced the purpose of the meeting was for the second reading of an ordinance establishing regulations relative to water crisis emergencies. City Administrator Almquist read the ordinance by title only. Ragland moved to postpone voting on the ordinance to later in the meeting. McCannon seconded, and motion passed on unanimous roll call vote. Ragland then moved to place discussion of building permit moratorium on agenda. Laws seconded, and motion passed on unanimous roll call vote. The mayor opened the meeting to discussion from the audience Dave Greene, president of Home Builders Association, read a letter protesting any curtailment of building permits (Exhibit "A"). Mayor Prickett read a letter from Bill Ligon, realtor, also protesting the moratorium on building permits while other large users of water are allowed to operate (Exhibit "B"). At this point it was announced the hallway was full of people who could not.hear the proceedings, so the mayor adjourned the meeting to Hillah Temple, allowing ten minutes for the move. Almquist reported that on February 15th, when a moratorium on building permits took effect, there were 13 applications in process - 9 for single faPily dwellings, one addition to a nursing home, two for 8-unit apartment buildings, and one for two triplexes. He said there was also an application for an addition to Appleberry Ice Cream, but this addition did not need extension of water service, so the permit was issued. Larry Herzman, builder, said he was located at 1497 E. Main in Ashland, and asked how the Council could prohibit connections in a subdivision when the subdivider had advanced $8,000 for connections and had signed a sub- division agreement providing for connections. He went on to protest a moratorium on building permits while Shakes- peare, SOSC, car washes and restaurants were allowed to operate, and asked if there is really an emergency. Mayor Prickett replied there is a potential emergency due to the drought. If TID water is discontinued, there is a potential emergency. He said the Council looked at storage and supply of water and took a pessimistic view, realizing that the worst could really happen. He said the reservoir is only 80% full today, and until it is filled, there is an emergency now. 2/22/77 Pg 1 He said he personally agrees with Herzman that it is unfair to single out the building industry on prohibitions, but all the residents have been asked to conserve voluntarily, and if the emergency ordinance is now adopted, there will be mandatory restrictions affecting all the residents. Charlotte Sheldon, 243 N. Mountain, said bath and laundry water can be diverted to the garden. Mike Broomfield, Lithia Electric, asked for a study of alternatives to curtailing building permits. McCannon answered that the ordinance under consideration will provide some alternatives and the Council will be looking at puttin? equity inthe restrictions. Laws said the reason for a moratorium on building permits was to prevent a rush for permits while study is given to other alternatives, and felt the moratorium is a temporary measure that was necessary. Rollie Lonner, who said he was formerly public works commissioner of Gold Beach, said several communities in that area had placed a moratorium on water connections, and argued that present residents have a right to protection of their resources. Susan Mann, 315 Wimer, said Ashland does not have a lack of water - only a lack of storage facilities. She asked that Shakespeare, SOSC and others.participate in reduced water usage, and said she did not want our parks and public facilities to accomodate 200,000 tourists this summer while she does not have enough water to wash her hands. She said builders are willing to conserve if others do, and charged that for two years the Council has fought all buil(ing in Ashland. Dres<'her said the City water department suggested some drastic measures for conservation of water, and the propose~ ordinances incorporates some of them and others will be considered, and asked for proposals. Mrs. Mann suggested a committee to act on conservation, to which Drescher replied that under City Charter the Council is the governinq~ body, and committees are advisory, and that there is an emergency to which the Council reacted, and pointed out that by August the available water could be all gone. Duane Smith suggested a survey of lots and an estimate of how many residence could be built and the impactof the building. Mayor Prickett said there is a water shortage, and Council or Committee must consider welfare of all of the residents, and asked if it is fair to allow additional water connectior when lawns and gardens are dieing. He reported being in Coos Bay where drastic measures must also be adopted, and it now appears there will be no cleaning of shrimp there this summer because of the water shortage. He said any measures we take will have some degree of inequity, and the Council will try to equalize the impact. 2/22/77 Pg. 2 Larry Herzman said if SOSC and Shakespeare are closeu, he will not ask for any building permits, to which McCannon replied that closure of those institutions would affect building in Ashland for more than a few months, and reminded Herzm~h that SOSC pays a huge electric bill, a portion of which pays for city operations. Jack Mills, plumber, said water consumption was increasing last week, bu~ ~e,'~;~sed over the weekend because students left town. '. ~-i.' ~!= '~'~'~ ~" Almquist read a'l~';~~ of the top water users - S.O.S.C., Ashland Schools, ~e'Grew Lumber, Adult Student Housing, SP Railroad, Wingspread Mobile Home Park, Comunity Hospital Colony Inn Apts., Mark Antony, Buy-Rite Shopping Center, and Ashland Shopping Center. Don Rounds, 1054 .A~hland St, read a letter protesting building morator,~r-'.~'f and making recommendations (Exhibit "C") Bill Retter, 375 Tudor St., asked how many water meters there are, to which water quality superintendent Ed Fallon replied 4500 to 4800. Retter said in that case the addition of 100 new connections would increase the number by only slightly more than one percent, and reductions of usage by all the citizens of one less flush of a toilet per day will offset that increase. On question by the Mayor, Jack Mills said he has not installed any shower restrictors in town. Mayor said the college has installed restrictors on all shower heads. Bob Miller, contractor, said the state is presently adoptin~ a requirement that all new homes have 3 1/2 gallon toilet tanks. The mayor suggested allowing the issuance of building permits to the 13 applicants who submitted plans before February 15th,.and a frequent evaluation to see if more permits can be iGsued, and at the same time to look at the curtailments, perhaps even to the extent of closing S.O.S.Co if necessary. Ruth Hibbard, 479 Euclid, suggested that all users be limited to 200 gallons per day. Bob Ridinger suggested the use of wells to alleviate the shortage, to which the mayor replied that we expect a water report in two weeks which will include a report on wells. Leo Zupan asked for issuance of building permits, and said the unemployment rate in Jackson County is now eleven per- cent. Mrs. Mann said lifting the moratorium will not create a rush for building permits because the cost of utilities connections and building permits is too high for those who have no real intention to build. 2/22/77 Pg. 3 MORATORIUM RESCINDED EMERGENCY ORDINANCE Walt Moorehouse, plumber, asked why there wasn't a study made before prohibiting building permits, and said there wouldn't have been any rush for permits, to which the mayor and Ragland answered that potential water shortages had beef discussed by Council and staff at several meetings before the moratorium was enacted, and Ragland said he was in favor of continuing the moratorium until the reservoir is filled. He said a lot of people in town attribute the expanding population to the builders and the resultant increase in water consumption. He went on to say that for two years the Council has been studying how to increase water supplies and that three years ago the voters approved a bond issue for expansion of sewer facilities. Almquist said in 1976 there were 75 single family and 30 multiple family residences built. Laws said if each resident uses 280 gallons of water per day or 102,000 gallons per year, the addition of 100 people means each resident will need to give up about two gallons per day, and spoke for continued employment in building with conservation measures by all residents, and then moved to rescind the moratorium on building permits. McCannon seconded. Drescher said it is unwise to rescind without a contingency plan, to which Laws spoke of adoption of the emergency ordinance, and McCannon asked for continued evalution of the water situation. Mayor Prickett said, witk approval of Council, he will order conservation measures, including reinstatement of moratorium on building if it appears to be necessary. On roll call vote, McCannon, Laws, Phelps and Drescher voted in favor of the motion; Ragland opposed. Almquist gave second reading 3y title only of the ordinance establishing regulations rela=~ive to water crisis emergencies. Phelps moved for adoption; McCannon seconded, and motion passed on roll call vote with Ragland opposed. McCannon moved to authorize the mayor to declare an emergency and put Section 2 of the ordinance into effect (prohibited acts during water crisis emergency). Phelps seconded. Some discussion of irrigation and use of Talent Irrigation District water ensured. Tim Kelley, 1314 Woodlan suggested limitation on quantity of water per household, saying each resident could monitor his meter and watch consumption. Drescher said Section 3-a of the ordinance requires that the mayor impose an inverted rate schedule on water. The mayor and administrator discussed lead-in time for computer to change rate, and the mayor said some mistakes will be made, but they will be rectified as we go along. Tim Kelley said the people are behind the Council and will cooperate. 2/22/77 Pq. 4 A1 Willstatter asked for an analysis of existing ponds, wells, and future alternative supplies, and long-range relief, to which the mayor said this is now under study, but we cannot afford to install a system that will always take care of the worst drought in the cer~ury. Ragland said he is opposed to control by a rate structure that will cause the poor to suffer and the rich to waste water, and would prefer rationing. After some discussion of method of determining a new water rate structure, the motion to authorize the mayor to declare an emergency was passed with Phelps, Drescher, McCannon and Laws voting YES, Raglan ~O. At 9:40 p.m. the meeting was adjour ed to a studZ/se sion to interview candidates for the Co n~il vacancy~~ ~ ~ R/~ ~er~d~ ~~ ~y " ~' ~ eco de . or 2/22/77 Pg. 5