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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1994-0104 STATE OF CITYJanuary ~ 1994 State of the City Address 1993 was a year in which the citizens of Ashland shaped and molded the direction of government more than any other year. Citizens made it clear that they wanted to be involved in the process and they were. It was also a banner year for cooperation between citizen groups and government departments. For most of the year public works took the most fire. I can think of no other department head who has endured as much public pressure or time demands as Steve Hall did this year. , In the lead was the waste water treatment plant with citizens, council and Steve Hall working to solve this huge problem. Citizens took the lead to bdng about closer examination of the wetlands options and finally the basin wide approach that, I believe, will prove to be critical in the years to come for the health of our water region. Ironically, it was the citizens of Ashland, in an effort to grapple with a basin wide solution to our sewage treatment plant that got major statewide departments to talk and work cooperatively with each other. The Department of Environmental Quality, Fish and Wildlife, Water Resources and the Governors office came to Ashland to join us in looking for solutions. At that meeting when DEQ inferred that Ashland was dragging its heels to avoid a solution, they said so to a council chambers full of concerned citizens most of whom were working diligently toward solutions. They also said so before citizens at home who had voted to tax themselves to solve this difficult issue. The acquisition .did not ring true and was dropped. ~ -'L A welcome and unusually wet Winter, Spring and Summer brought about an increase in odors at the Waste Water Treatment Plant. As a result, a neighborhood, that had until then been appropriately name quiet village, organized in an effort to be better heard. Outraged citizens who could no longer endure the conditions attended council meetings demanding relief and the council responded giving authority to use funds already appropriated elsewhere to immediately solve this untenable situation. Steve Hall dropped everything and put in place odor control measures to bring about immediate and long term relief to this neighborhood. This year also marked the construction of the Northwest Water project which promises to update a worn system with increase pressure and reliability. Unfortunately there seems to be no end in sight for the demands of our public works department for 1994. This year Steve will call on citizens interested in an alternative to sluicing Reeder Reservoir and his department will continue to wrestle with the Wastewater Treatment Plant, the wetlands option, our water basin as well as the federally mandated Water Treatment Plant updates, This year also brought to a close discussions around a third substation for the City. Citizen groups and neighborhood organizations had made it clear that they did not want a substation to be located near existing buildings. As a result twenty-eight acres along Mountain were purchased by the electric department. Retaining two for the substation, the electric department then sold the remaining twenty six to the parks department for a future active park using voter approved food and beverage tax money. The Parks Department was also active this year. Dedicated land on Garfield Street was developed into the first handicap accessible park in the city. Other highlights include a water play area, the first of its kind in the state, and a skateboard park that was designed by local kids. The Parks and Recreation Commission, in an effort to resolve the funding issue for the Open Space Program, also successfully passed the first food and beverage tax in the state of Oregon. While one percent of this is dedicated for future park land acquisition, the citizens also gave city council the authority to raise this an additional 4% to be used toward sewage treatment plant updates. As I indicated before, this 4% was strategic in our negotiations with DEQ over the mandated updates of the Sewage Treatment Plant. The Parks and Recreation Commission along with the city council was also actively involved in helping the schools with their funding problems brought on by Measure 5. In a cooperative agreement between schools, city and parks department a measure was placed on the ballot to pick up school recreational activities in hopes of freeing up funding for other school needs. While the effort was not successful the cooperation between citizens, the school board and the city was heartening. While development was down a bit this year it was an unusually active year for citizens working cooperatively with developers to find the best solutions for their neighborhood. The fact that we had no appeals to LUBA this year was due in part to two things: the Planning Departments commitment to mediation for neighborhood disputes, established by John Fregonese and carried out further by Planning Director John MacLaughlin. and to our City Attorney Paul Nolte. It is no coincidence that LUBA appeals have become a thing of the past since Paul came on board for the city. Paul has been extremely responsive to the citizens and an excellent advisor to the council and the Planning Department. The Ashland Fire and Police Departments have been exemplarily this year in citizen involvement. Police Chief Gary Brown's personal and prompt response to citizen concerns have been well received by the citizens. I have turned over to him a number of citizen complaints all of which were resolved with grace. Following complaints in the downtown of pan handling and transients, Chief Brown increased the Police presence without the police atmosphere. A difficult thing to do. Under his leadership officers I have spoken with report an all time high inmorale among all who work at the police department. Gary has also encouraged officers to respond directly to citizen concerns and complaints, an activity that will build sensitivity and stronger relationships between the police and our citizens. The DARE program in the schools has been enormously successful. In the long run we will all benefit as our kids become better educated on the ills of drugs in our society. I might add that 1993 marked Ashland as the first city in Oregon to have Drug Free Zones around schools. Fire Chief Keith Woodley is also gifted in citizen response: I hear nothing but praise for him in the public. His department along with the Forest Service and Public Works Department have aggressively taken on the very real dangers of the potential fire in the forest interface areas. He has stressed the importance of emergency preparedness and has pushed for comprehensive fire plans for our large buildings. Just today I received a letter from SOSC commending Keith Woodley and the fire department for their cooperative efforts in future fire planning for the College. Like the Police Department, the Ashland Fire Department has also had a strong presence in the schools. Our fire fighters stress education and prevention while encouraging our children to take more responsibility. I would also add that before Chief Woodley came on board grievances were a routine way of life for the fire department. This is no longer the case. High morale and excellent communication with the rank file has eliminated infighting and eased the way to more productivity and professionalism. 1994 will surely bring about more of the same. What can we expect for 1994? On the down side, in addition to the Public Works problems that I mentioned earlier, 1994 will unfortunately be marked by an increase in traffic. The Transportation Planning Advisory Committee has done a lot to ease this direction. 1993 brought increased bus service at a reduced rate. The result has been a marked increase in ridership. However, the bus isn't convienent for all. We as a community must work harder at providing more alternatives. Last year, Phil Arnold, along with the bike commission pushed for a bike way to run along the RR tracks between 6th Street in the RR district to Walker and beyond and citizens have long complained that the mixing of bikes and pedestrians on the Blvd is unsafe for both. I have good news on both accounts: we recently were notified that the City has received a $300,000 grant for construction of the bike lane between 6th and Walker and that a bike lane on Siskiyou made it into the State of Oregon Six Year Transportation Plan. Meanwhile, we can make every effort to thank those choosing not to drive by yielding to pedestrians in the cross walk and driving thoughtfully where there are bikes. 1994 will most certainly be the year of the citizen as more and more of you get involved in keeping Ashland the beautiful city that it has become. I think it will also be a year of government responsiveness to the citizen concerns. For example, tomorrow at 8am in the Plaza Cafe will be the first meeting of the recently appointed citizens group to look at City Hall building alternatives. Don Laws and Rob Winthrop were instrumental in bdnging about this solution to the escalating public debate. I would urge all of you who have interest in this to attend the meeting or closely watch this issue as it unfolds. Rob Winthrop and Don Laws are shining examples that government is best when it listens to and involves the people. I think I speak on behalf of the whole council when I say we look forward to your future participation in government.