HomeMy WebLinkAbout2012-0117 Council Mtg MIN ASHLAND CITY COUNCIL MEETING
January 17, 2012
Page I of 3
MINUTES FOR THE REGULAR MEETING
ASHLAND CITY COUNCIL
January 17,2012
Council Chambers
1175 E. Main Street
CALL TO ORDER
Mayor Stromberg called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. in the Civic Center Council Chambers.
ROLL CALL
Councilor Slattery, Morris, Lemhouse, Voisin, Silbiger, and Chapman were present.
MAYOR'S ANNOUNCEMENTS
Mayor Stromberg noted that staff had pulled item (2) Will Council approve First Reading of an
ordinance titled, "An Ordinance Amending AMC 14.08.030 Connection - Outside City, Inside
Urban Growth Boundary and Adding AMC 14.09.020 Sewer Lateral Ownership" and move the
ordinance on to Second Reading? under ORDINANCES, RESOLUTIONS AND CONTRACTS
from the agenda.
He went on to announce openings on the Housing, Planning, Public Arts, Tree, and Transportation
Commissions, and the Audit Committee.
SHOULD THE COUNCIL APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THESE MEETINGS?
The minutes of the Executive Session of January 3, 2012 and Regular Meeting of January 3, 2012 were
approved as presented.
SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS & AWARDS
The Mayor's proclamations regarding January 26, 2012 as Peace House Appreciation Day and January
16, 2012 as Universal Right to Education Day were read aloud.
CONSENT AGENDA
1. Will Council approve the minutes of the Boards,Commissions,and Committees?
2. Does Council wish to approve a Liquor License Application from Steve Hoxmeier dba IDA's at
475 A Street?
3. Will Council, acting as the Local Contracts Review Board, approve an exemption from the
competitive bid process to directly award a contract to Dennis Bleser of Bleser Construction to
provide professional installation of playground equipment in Lithia Park?
Councilor Morris/Slattery m/s to approve Consent Agenda items. Voice Vote: all AYES. Motion
passed.
PUBLIC HEARINGS
1. Will Council approve criteria for selection of the new City Administrator?
Human Resource Director Tina Gray explained that six final candidates were coming to Ashland to
interview for the City Administrator position. The evaluation criteria for the selection process included
Vision, Experience, Leadership, Communication, and Self Management. The public could attend a
reception January 26, 2012 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Plaza Inn and Suites in the Hospitality
Room to meet the candidates and provide staff with their input.
Public Hearing Open: 7:10 p.m.
Public Hearing Closed: 7:10 p.m.
ASHLAND CITY COUNCIL MEETING
January 17, 2012
Page 2 of 3
Councilor Voisin/Lemhouse m/s to approve the selection criteria as presented by staff. Voice Vote:
all AYES. Motion passed.
PUBLIC FORUM
Thomas Letchworth/888 Clay Street/Requested Council waive the $350 event fees for the Southern
Oregon University(SOU) "March Forth March Fourth" political march and rally.
Council directed staff to add the item to the next City Council agenda.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS-None
NEW AND MISCELLANEOUS BUSINESS
1. Does the City Council have any questions with respect to the Community Development
Department's actions targeted at addressing the Council Goal to improve the Clarity,
Responsiveness and Certainty of the Development Review Process?
Community Development Director Bill Molnar explained the Council Goal resulted in three staff
recommendations. The first recommendation would unify the Land Use Ordinance (LUO) and combine
standard regulations with those adopted by the City of Ashland. The second would improve the
development process from inception through compliance while the third recommendation would improve
existing technologies internally and externally. With continual improvements and technology
advancements, Mr. Molnar thought the Council Goal was an ongoing process rather than a goal with a set
completion date.
He went on to describe how the department tracked customer inquiries and in 2011, they averaged 250
customers monthly for a total of 42 hours staff time per month. Processing Building Permit Plan checks
concurrently throughout the City was going well and additional software would increase efficiency.
Performance for Type If planning actions increased from 94.4 days to 98 to cover the complexity of Type
11's, public hearings, and state requirements. Staff was considering reinstituting Staff Permits for specific
actions. The process to unify the Land Use Ordinance would start March 2012.
ORDINANCES,RESOLUTIONS AND CONTRACTS
1. Will Council approve a resolution titled, "A Resolution Establishing a Streetside Memorial
Marker Program"?
Engineering Services Manager Jim Olson explained the resolution stemmed from Janet Brandson whose
son suffered a fatal skateboard injury and her request to the Transportation Commission to establish a
memorial marker to memorialize her son's passing. Currently the City did not have an ordinance or
policy relating to memorial markers. The proposed Resolution would allow memorial markers for public
streets to reinforce the,need for safety. The markers were standard size, mounted in the right of way with
verbiage applicable to the situation, and would remain in place for two years with adjacent property
owners consent. At the end of the two years, staff would remove the marker and return it to the applicant.
In most cases, applicants would fund the markers at approximately $1504200. The Public Works
Department would process applications and the Street Department would erect the markers. Memorial
markers could go in both residential and commercial districts.
City Attorney Dave Lohman suggested removing the word "residential' from Section 3.Procedure(B).
Councilor Voisin/Chapman m/s to approve Resolution #2012-01 as amended. Voice Vote: all
AYES. Motion passed.
. ASHLAND CITY COUNCIL MEETING
January 17, 1012
Page 3 of 3
2: Will Council approve First Reading of an ordinance titled, "An Ordinance Amending AMC
14.08.030 Connection - Outside City, Inside Urban Growth Boundary and Adding AMC
14.09.020 Sewer Lateral Ownership"and move the ordinance on to Second Reading?
Item pulled from the agenda by staff.
3. Will Council approve a resolution titled, "A Resolution Establishing a Reward Fund for
Information Resulting in the Apprehension and Conviction of Persons Responsible for the
Murder of David Michael Grubbs"?
Police Chief Terry Holderness explained they had received several requests from citizens who wanted to
donate to a reward fund. Initially they were using the Crime Stoppers Reward Fund but soon realized
people were reluctant to donate since it was a roll over fund without a refund if someone not eligible to
receive the reward solved the case.
City Attorney Dave Lohman suggested changing the language under Section 2. Issuance of Rewards (E)
to read: "Unless the City and Jackson County agree otherwise, the County Commission of Jackson
County shall be the sole and final judge of the right of any claimant to a reward, PROVIDED
HOWEVER, that the Chief of the Ashland Police Department shall prepare recommendations for
such reward claims,and rewards shall be determined in accordance with such recommendations in
the event the County Commission chooses not to take action on reward claims within 60 days after
documentation supporting any such claims have been submitted to the City and the County."
Mr. Lohman went on to confirm that City Councilors were not eligible to receive the reward.
Council6r Slattery/Lemhouse m/s to approve Resolution #2012-02 as amended. Voice Vote: all
AYES. Motion passed.
OTHER BUSINESS FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS/REPORTS FROM COUNCIL LIAISONS
Mayor Stromberg recognized Jackson County Commissioner Don Skundrick was in the audience.
ADJOURNMENT
Meeting a umed at 7:58 p.m.
Barbara Christensen, City Recorder J n Stromberg, Mayor