HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem C: Funding Crest Drive/Friendly Street/Storey Boulevard Improvements
ECC
UGENE ITY OUNCIL
AIS
GENDA TEM UMMARY
Work Session: Funding Alternatives for City’s Share of Road Improvements for Crest
Drive, Storey Boulevard and Friendly Street
Meeting Date: September 8, 2008 Agenda Item Number: C
Department: Public Works Staff Contact: Mark Schoening
www.eugene-or.gov Contact Telephone Number: 682-5243
ISSUE STATEMENT
The purpose of this work session is to present alternatives for funding the City’s share of the
implementation of the approved design for Crest Drive, Storey Boulevard, and Friendly Street, and for
the City Council to either select a funding alternative or delay implementation of the improvements.
BACKGROUND
On January 23, 2008, the City Council held a work session on the recommended design for Crest Drive,
Storey Boulevard and Friendly Street, and a financial plan for funding the improvements. Attachment A
includes a map of the area highlighting the project streets.
On April 14, 2008, the City Council approved the conceptual design of Crest Drive, Storey Boulevard
and Friendly Street as recommended by the Crest Drive Community Team. The total estimated cost of
the proposed improvements is $5,750,000. Of this cost, $3,150,000 is not assessable. The non-
assessable costs include $1,500,000 for storm drainage improvements and $1,650,000 for street
improvements. In addition, the estimated assessment to the Morse Ranch is $238,000. The total City
cost is $3,388,000.
On June 9, 2008, the City Council adopted the FY09 Budget. The FY09 Budget includes $2,550,000 in
the Special Assessment Capital Projects Fund to provide the interim financing for the assessable share of
the project. The FY09 Budget includes $1,075,000 in the Stormwater Fund in the program area General
Stormwater Rehabilitation. This amount and previously budgeted funds for General Stormwater
Rehabilitation will fund the non-assessable stormwater improvements. The FY09 Budget includes
$530,000 for Neighborhood and Community Park Development. A portion of these funds could be used
for the Morse Ranch assessment.
The estimated cost of $1,650,000 for the non-assessable street improvements is not included in the FY09
Budget. The different options to fund this component of the total project cost are listed below. Use of
any of these sources would involve trade-offs with other programs or projects.
Lane County Road Fund Exchange
– The City and County entered into an intergovernmental
agreement to exchange $4.5 million of Lane County Road Fund money for $4.5 million of City of
Eugene General Fund money. The $4.5 million of Lane County Road Fund money has been
Z:\CMO\2008 Council Agendas\M080908\S080908C.doc
appropriated in FY09 in the Pavement Preservation Program. Using a portion of this funding for the
proposed Crest Drive, Storey Boulevard and Friendly Street improvements would mean less funding of
pavement preservation projects to address the more than $170 million backlog on the improved street
system.
Facility Reserve
– This fund was established to set aside funds for the eventual replacement of City
Hall. The fund has a balance of slightly more than $23 million. The City Council has indicated an
intention to use $1 million of this balance for pothole work in FY10. The balance has been earmarked
for the City Hall master plan project. Use of this reserve for other projects means that either the City
Hall master plan projects would need to be scaled back due to less funding, or the City Council would
need to ask voters for additional funding for the project.
Delayed Assessment Fund
– This fund was established to provide interim funding for street
assessments for partially or undeveloped large lots. At the time of development of the lot the assessment
is due from the property owner and the fund is reimbursed with the payment of the assessment. There is
approximately $700,000 available in this fund. Use of this balance for the proposed Crest Drive, Storey
Boulevard and Friendly Street improvements may result in insufficient funding for delayed assessments
for future street improvement projects.
System Development Charge Fund
– The current methodology restricts the use of SDC funds to the
arterial and collector street system. The Crest Drive neighborhood has stated on numerous occasions
that it opposes the classification of the Crest Drive area streets as anything but local streets. The City
Council will consider the issue of street classification later this fall. Attachment B includes a memo to
the Mayor and City Council dated July 17, 2008, responding to a council assignment outlining the steps
necessary to be able to spend SDC funds on unclassified streets. In addition to the issues outlined in the
memo, use of SDC funds for this project would mean that other projects currently funded and in various
stages of project development would have to be delayed.
Local Gas Tax
– The ordinance establishing the local gas tax limits the use of the revenue to
reconstruction, repair, maintenance, operation and preservation. An amendment to the ordinance could
be adopted that would allow the funds to be expended on the City’s share of unimproved street
improvements. With this alternative an interim source of funds would have to be identified to
immediately fund the initiation of the final design to maintain a 2009 construction start. Using a portion
of this funding for the proposed Crest Drive, Storey Boulevard and Friendly Street improvements would
mean less funding of pavement preservation projects to address the more than $170 million backlog on
the improved street system.
General Contingency
– The FY09 budget included $340,000 in General Contingency. The council has
allocated approximately $75,000 of the General Contingency leaving a balance of about $265,000. Use
of General Fund contingency for this project would mean that other high-priority emerging issues for the
City Council would have no readily-available funding source, and would either have to be delayed or
other funding sources would need to be identified.
Z:\CMO\2008 Council Agendas\M080908\S080908C.doc
RELATED CITY POLICIES
Transplan Goal #2: Transportation System Characteristics
Enhance the Eugene-Springfield metropolitan area’s quality of life and economic opportunity by
providing a transportation system that is:
a.Balanced
b.Accessible
c.Efficient
d.Safe
e.Interconnected
f.Environmentally responsible
g.Supportive of responsible and sustainable development
h.Responsive to community needs and neighborhood impacts
i.Economically viable and financially stable.
COUNCIL OPTIONS
The council may:
1.Direct the City Manager to proceed with the final design and construction with a single source of
funding for the $1,650,000 non-assessable street improvements with the intent to appropriate the
funds in FY09 on supplemental budget #1.
2.Direct the City Manager to proceed with the final design and construction with a combination of
funding sources for the $1,650,000 non-assessable street improvements with the intent to appropriate
the funds in FY09 on supplemental budget #1.
3.Take no action and delay implementation of the improvements to Crest Drive, Storey Boulevard and
Friendly Street.
CITY MANAGER’S RECOMMENDATION
The City Manager recommends proceeding with the final design and construction with a combination of
$700,000 in funding from the Delayed Assessment Fund and $950,000 from the Lane County Road
Fund exchange. As a result, the overall project financing would be as follows:
Type of Cost Amount Funding Source
Private Property owner share of $2,362,000 Property owner assessments
improvements
Morse Ranch assessment $238,000 Neighborhood & Community Park Development
City’s share of storm drainage $1,500,000 Stormwater Fund – General Stormwater
improvements Rehabilitation
City’s share of street improvements $1,650,000 Delayed Assmt Fund ($700,000) + Lane County
Road Fund exchange ($950,000)
$5,750,000
Z:\CMO\2008 Council Agendas\M080908\S080908C.doc
SUGGESTED MOTION
Move to direct the City Manager to proceed with the final design and construction with a combination of
$700,000 from the Delayed Assessment Fund and $950,000 from the Lane County Road Fund
exchange, and include the Delayed Assessment Fund share as part of Supplemental Budget #1 in FY09.
ATTACHMENTS
A. Map of the Crest Drive Neighborhood
B. Memo to Mayor and City Council regarding Transportation SDCs
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Staff Contact: Mark Schoening
Telephone: 682-5243
Staff E-Mail: mark.a.schoening@ci.eugene.or.us
Z:\CMO\2008 Council Agendas\M080908\S080908C.doc
ATTACHMENT A
Public Works
Engineering
City of Eugene
M
EMORANDUM
858 Pearl Street
Eugene, Oregon 97401
(541) 682-5291
(541) 682-5032 FAX
Date:
July 17, 2008
To:
Mayor Piercy and City Council
From:
Mark Schoening, 682-5243
City Engineer, Public Works Engineering
Subject: COUNCIL ASSIGNMENT: EUGENE CODE AMENDMENTS TO ALLOW USE
OF SDCS ON UNCLASSIFIED STREETS, IF IMPROVEMENT INCREASES
CAPACITY
This memo is in response to the Council Assignment – “Provide information on how Eugene Code
could be amended to allow use of SDCs on unclassified streets, if improvement increases capacity.”
The Eugene Code provides local policy for the development and expenditure of SDCs within the state-
wide framework of SDC provisions of the Oregon Revised Statues (ORS). Eugene Code sections most
relevant to the question point specifically to compliance with the requirements of State Law. ORS
223.307 Authorized expenditure of system development charges states in part: “Reimbursement fees
may be spent only on capital improvements associated with the systems for which the fees are assessed
…”; “Improvement fees may be spent only on capacity increasing capital improvements…”; and, “Any
capital improvement being funded wholly or in part with system development charge revenues must be
included in the plan and list adopted by a local government pursuant to ORS 223.309.” In order for
SDCs to be used on a capital project on an unclassified street, the project would need to meet these
requirements. Changes to the Eugene Code would not modify the statutory requirements.
In addition to ORS requirements, the City Council has by resolution directed that transportation SDC
reimbursement fee revenue be dedicated to “SDC-eligible capital improvement costs associated with
preservation and maintenance of Eugene’s arterial and collector streets”.
Capital Improvements to the System for which Fees are Assesses
Eugene’s transportation SDCs are currently based on the arterial and collector street and off-street
bicycle path portions of the transportation system. In order to allow reimbursement fee expenditures on
unclassified streets the SDC methodology would need to be modified to include such streets in the
basis for the fee. This would require analysis of the capacity elements and characteristics of
unclassified streets. Any modification of the transportation SDC methodology would trigger a major
modification from the current level of service methodology approach to one based on an adopted
project plan and list. In addition, to allow reimbursement fee expenditures on unclassified streets the
Council would need to repeal or modify the resolution directing use of such fees on Eugene’s arterial
and collector streets.
Page 1 of 2
Capacity Increasing Improvements
For a street improvement project to qualify for SDC improvement fee expenditures it must be a
capacity increasing capital improvement. Per ORS requirements an increase in system capacity may be
established if a capital improvement increases the level of performance or service provided by existing
facilities or provides new facilities.
Local policy establishing capacity and level of performance measures of the arterial and collector street
system are established in TransPlan (Transportation System Improvements (TSI) Roadway Policy #2,
Motor Vehicle Level of Service). Six levels of service are defined and assigned a letter designation
from A to F, with LOS A representing the least congested and LOS F the most congested. The LOS is
determined by calculating the ratio of the peak-hour traffic volume to the maximum hourly volume the
roadway can accommodate. The LOS policy defines reliable and acceptable performance as LOS D.
The City of Eugene Systems Development Charge Methodologies were adopted by Council resolution.
The capacity of the street system in the methodology was based upon level of service standards and
TSI Roadway Policy #2: Motor Vehicle Level of Service. The transportation SDC methodology
would need to be modified to recognize capacity measures on unclassified streets.
Prior to amending the Systems Development Charge methodology by Council resolution to include the
City’s unclassified streets, a substantial amount of technical analysis is necessary. The technical work
includes identifying an acceptable level of service, determining the existing capacity and future
capacity needs of the unclassified street system and estimating the cost to implement improvements to
meet the defined level of service.
Project Plan and List
To comply with the plan and list required by ORS 223.309 the City Council adopted an ordinance
establishing Eugene Code 7.715 SDC – Compliance With State Law. This section of the Code states
that the Metropolitan Area General Plan (Metro Plan) or the Eugene Capital Improvements Plan shall
be the capital improvement plan required by ORS. Transplan is a functional plan of the Metro Plan.
Projects added to Transplan require action by the Eugene and Springfield City Councils and the Lane
County Board of Commissioners after consideration by each jurisdiction’s Planning Commission.
The Eugene Capital Improvements Plan (Capital Improvement Program (CIP)) is updated every two
years. The next scheduled update will begin early this fall. Improvements to unclassified streets may
be included in the CIP. The Planning Commission and Budget Committee both review the CIP and
forward recommendations on to the City Council. The Council will likely adopt the FY 2010 – 2015
CIP in early spring 2009.
Page 2 of 2