HomeMy WebLinkAbout2004-0819 Charter Review MIN
CITY OF
ASHL,AND
Charter Review Committee
August 19,2004
Regular Meeting Minutes
Council Chambers, 1175 East Main Street
CALL TO ORDER: Chair John Enders called the Ashland Charter Review Committee meeting to order
at 4:05 p.m. on August 19,2004 in the Civic Center Council Chambers, 1175 E Main Street, Ashland,
Oregon.
Members Present: Roy Bashaw, Hal Cloer, Kate Culbertson, John Enders, Laurie MacGraw, Pam Marsh,
Keith Massie, Michael Riedeman and Carole Wheeldon.
Member Absent: Donald Montgomery
Staff Present: Mike Franell, City Attorney
Ann Seltzer, Management Analyst, Staff Liaison to the CRC
Nancy Slocum, Clerk
I. CONSENT AGENDA
Laurie MacGraw / Pam Marsh m/s to approve the minutes as submitted. Motion passes unanimously.
II. PUBLIC FORUM
No one spoke.
III. REVIEW PUBLIC INPUT/PUBLIC EDUCATION DRAFT
Commission veered from the agenda to ask each other for successful examples of positive public
processes where the members involved were supportive of one another. Wheeldon and Massie both noted
the Siskiyou Boulevard Redesign Project. Marsh worked on a 20-member committee on the Palo Alto
(California) Downtown Redesign. Culbertson had no direct experience. MacGraw mentioned the North
Mountain Park lighting issue before the Parks Commission. It was a small group roundtable. Enders had
no direct experience but participated in a roundtable strategic planning process using a facilitator to keep
members focused. Riedeman worked with the Siskiyou Boulevard Redesign Project. Bashaw had no
direct experience in a political process, but worked in a technical capacity. Cloer produced el,ection
material. His experience using "forced" consensus was positive.
Agenda item tabled until after consultant discussion.
VI. DISCUSS PRESENTATION BY TOM SPONSLER
Seltzer announced that Tom Sponsler would present a two-hour public meeting on September 2nd in the
Council Chambers. The meeting will take place from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. Enders sent letters to aU elected
and appointed officials and a Guest Forum to the Ashland Daily Tidings and Medford Mail Tribune to
stimulate interest in the presentation.
Sponsler offered to address any specific questions during his presentation. Committee rec,ommended
questions including Sponsler's recommendations for change; the practical, political and legal issues; a
review of the time line and consultant's cost estimate; a recommended system of approaching the Charter
review; the typical top five controversial issues; the relativity of each controversial issue; the advantages
and disadvantages to brevity in writing the Charter; examples where other cities have had problems in the
review process; his election experience; the effort Sponsler takes in discovering a city's unique
personality.
Enders asked the committee to email additional questions to Seltzer within one week.
III. REVIEW DRAFT PUBLIC INPUT / PUBLIC EDUCATION
Committee reviewed a draft Public Involvement / Public Education plan provided by Seltzer. Enders
wondered how many hours per month and per season each member could contribute to the process. This
information would assist setting future subcommittee assignments. He asked members to e:mail Seltzer or
himself by next week.
MacGraw noted that an outreach plan should be focused, efficient and effective. She thought
implementation of the plan at this point in time is premature as the committee's current work is
preliminary. Enders and Marsh agreed. Marsh suggested public outreach after specific phases in the
Charter review process. She asked the committee to create a subcommittee to identify publ ic outreach
phases. Enders would put the issue on a future agenda.
Seltzer approached the Ashland Daily Tidings with the idea of a "Civics 101" column.
V. POSSIBLE FUTURE GUEST SPEAKERS
Former City Attorney Paul Nolte, former Mayor Cathy Shaw, former Parks Director Ken M[ickelson and
current Parks Director Don Robertson were suggested as possible guest speakers.
VI.ITEMS FROM COMMITTEE MEMBERS NOT ON THE AGENDA
The next regular meeting of the Charter Review Committee is set for Thursday, September 16th beginning
at 7:00 p.m.
The meeting was adjourned at 6:00 p.m.
John Enders
Chair
Respectfully Submitted,
Nancy Slocum
Clerk