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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC Minutes - 07/12/10 Work SessionMINUTES City Council McNutt Room — Eugene City Hall 777 Pearl Street — Eugene, Oregon July 12, 2010 5:30 p.m. PRESENT: Mike Clark, Betty Taylor, Jennifer Solomon, George Poling, Chris Pryor, Andrea Ortiz, George Brown, Alan Zelenka. Her Honor Mayor Kitty Piercy called the July 12, 2010, work session of the Eugene City Council to order. A. COMMITTEE REPORTS AND ITEMS OF INTEREST FROM MAYOR, CITY COUNCIL, AND CITY MANAGER Mayor Piercy reported that the council was celebrating the arrival of Ms. Taylor's new golden retriever puppy, Lucy, with chocolate cigars. Mayor Piercy thanked councilors Taylor, Clark, and Zelenka for being present to welcome the Sister City Delegation from Kakegawa, Japan. She read a letter of greetings and thanks from Kakegawa Mayor Saburo Matsui. Mayor Piercy reported that the street improvement project at 29 Avenue and Willamette Street had been completed. Mayor Piercy announced an upcoming statewide swim meet occurring at Amazon Pool in Eugene, which was expected to attract 500 competitors. Mayor Piercy announced she attended the recent Cascadia Conference in Portland, where discussion focused on different entities working together on high speed rail in the Cascadia corridor. Mr. Clark expressed appreciation for the opportunity to visit with the Kakegawa delegation. Mr. Clark reported the Police Commission met on July 8 to finalize its work plan, which would be the subject of council work session on July 21. The commission also reviewed the Use of Force Subcommit tee's recommendations regarding Use of Force Policy 300. Mr. Clark reported that he and Ms. Taylor would meet soon with the Police Auditor Mark Gissiner to discuss the parameters of his evaluation. Mr. Clark referred to the August Metropolitan Policy Committee meeting and expressed disappointment in the behavior of some of the members of the Board of County Commissioners in regard to the approval of the Metropolitan Transportation Improvement Plan (MTIP). He hoped Eugene's representatives worked to ensure all projects desired by participating municipalities were included in the plan. MINUTES— Eugene City Council July 12, 2010 Page 1 Work Session Mr. Clark announced he was asked to witness an effort to break the Guinness Book of World Records for the most people participating in a moonwalk following an Ems game at PK Park. Mr. Zelenka congratulated Fire Chief Randy Groves for being sworn in as the new chief of the merged Springfield - Eugene fire departments. Speaking to the comments of Mr. Clark, Mr. Zelenka did not interpret the Board of County Commission- ers' actions as an attempt to derail the MTIP, but rather to ensure they had input on a particular project, which he acknowledged held up the entire MTIP. Action on the MTIP had been deferred to August. Mr. Zelenka noted the high level of road construction occurring in the community and reported he was receiving complaints about it, but pointed to the benefit of such projects and the short time they took to complete. Mr. Zelenka noted his attendance at a Bobby McFerrin performance as part of -the Bach Festival. He commended Mr. McFerrin's performance as well as the performance of the Youth Choir as well, terming it amazing. He also noted the recent Prefontaine Classic, a hallmark event of Eugene summers. Ms. Ortiz indicated she planned to propose to include improvements to the Highway 99 corridor to the City's United Front lobbying package, with a particular focus on the section between Garfield and Roosevelt streets. That section, with the exception of the stretch including the railroad overpass, would not be included in the State's planned Highway 99 improvements. Ms. Ortiz thanked staff for providing free swimming at Echo Hollow and Sheldon pools while Amazon Pool was closed to host the 2010 MOST Invitational Swim Meet. Mr. Pryor also had commended the performance mentioned by Mr. Zelenka, and shared in his congratula- tions to Fire Chief Randy Groves. Mr. Pryor recalled that improved street maintenance had been a high priority for him when he joined the council. He was pleased to see progress on road maintenance and did not mind receiving complaints about such projects. He was confident the projects demonstrated to the public the council had been good stewards of its money. Mr. Pryor reported that the Housing Policy Board met earlier that day to discuss two responses to its recent Request for Proposals for construction of affordable housing of a publicly owned site; both respondents were so good that it was difficult to choose between the two, but after deliberation the board selected a proposal to forward to the council. Mr. Poling shared Mr. Clark's concerns about the MTIP and said he understood that the State funding for the Coburg interchange project was now in doubt because of the actions of the County commissioners. He said the County was not even paying its share of the project, which the State agreed to assume. He was concerned by how the County's actions would be interpreted by the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) and the Federal Highway Administration, and urged Mr. Zelenka to attempt to resurrect the project. In response, Mr. Zelenka indicated the Coburg interchange project was not dead; he understood that ODOT and the County commissioners were continuing to negotiate some of the issues related to the project. Mr. Poling had learned that City staff had suggested to representatives of Glorybee Foods that rather than relocate to the West Eugene Enterprise Zone, the business remain in its current location. That concerned MINUTES— Eugene City Council July 12, 2010 Page 2 Work Session him a great deal. He said that Glorybee Foods was the type of company the City was seeking to have in the zone. He did not want to see the company's project go away, but noted that the property the company intended for its campus -type development was again on the market. He asked Assistant City Manager Sarah Medary to follow up. Ms. Taylor said the Lane Workforce Partnership Awards were scheduled for August 27 at the Downtown Athletic Club, and she encouraged the council to attend. Assistant City Manager Medary said she and Mayor Piercy had attended the groundbreaking of the new University of Oregon east campus residence hall earlier that day. The project represented the second dorm constructed on campus in the last 40 years, and would include a "scholar in residence." Assistant City Manager Medary noted that July was National Parks and Recreation Month, and she called the council and public's attention to some upcoming recreation and cultural events sponsored by the City. B. WORK SESSION: West I V Avenue Corridor Study The council was joined for the discussion by Transportation Planning Engineer Chris Henry of the City's Public Works Department. Scott Mansur of DKS Associates was also present. Mr. Henry provided a brief presentation on the City's West 11 Avenue Corridor Study, which com- menced in 2008 and focused on short-term improvements to better facilitate movement in the corridor. He reported that the corridor was currently performing well, with some exceptions primarily related to the State system and west end of the corridor. Mr. Henry reviewed examples of improvements that, taken in combination, would improve travel time and efficiency in the corridor for all modes of transportation. The improvements mentioned included improved access management, signal timing changes, and intersection modifications. Mr. Henry provided cost estimates for improvements related to the City system, which totaled about $1.5 million, and said the costs would have to be weighed against other community transportation priorities. Mr. Henry spoke to the improvements needed to State facilities and estimated the costs to improve Terry Street at about $2 million, and the costs to improve Randy Pape Beltline at about $3 million. He added that those estimates had not yet been vetted with the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT). Mayor Piercy solicited council comments and questions. Responding to a question from Mr. Zelenka, Mr. Mansur confirmed that the 11 Avenue and Bailey Hill Road intersection was among the worst citywide, and would also rank high if compared to other dangerous intersections in the state. Mr. Zelenka was glad to see the intersection was a high priority for mediation. Mr. Zelenka noted the increase in accidents as access points per mile increased, and emphasized the relationship between reducing access and increasing safety. He asked how the City could implement the access management strategy contemplated in the study. Mr. Mansur briefly described the approach taken by the City of Salem. Mr. Henry said that the strategy could be implemented at the point of development. In addition, the City Code allowed the traffic engineer to modify or close accesses to improve safety. The City could independently implement a safety improvement project in the corridor that allowed it to MINUTES— Eugene City Council July 12, 2010 Page 3 Work Session prioritize accesses for the most benefit. Mr. Henry suggested the West Eugene EmX route could provide another tool to improve the corridor for both movement and the businesses along the route. Mr. Zelenka emphasized the importance of providing businesses with access, but noted that in many cases accesses were very proximate and he believed that the City could increase safety without hindering access. Mr. Henry clarified the study itself would not lead to changes; he reiterated that any changes would occur through redevelopment, or the City's direct actions. Mayor Piercy requested information about the approach used in Salem. She wanted to examine the benefits the City could offer to businesses through better access management. Referring to the intersection at Bailey Hill Road and West I P Avenue, Mr. Pryor recalled that many of the driveways were in place because businesses were not allowed to connect off - street. If one could get from one place to another off - street, driveways could be eliminated and traffic flow preserved. Mr. Pryor suggested the study provided the City with an opportunity to do something about the situation in West Eugene before it worsened. He believed that there was an impending transportation infrastructure problem in West Eugene that needed to be addressed. Mr. Henry agreed. He said staff was gathering data to inform its projections. As the community grew, so would travel demand, and that could require a combination of approaches that included enhancements to capacity, improvements to transit, and reductions in driving. He acknowledged that how the needs of the growing community would be solved had yet to be determined. Mr. Pryor endorsed the approach taken in the study, characterizing the recommendations related to access management and intersection improvements as "low- hanging fruit" that would produce results immediate- ly. Mr. Brown commended the report. He believed the City should proceed on some of the projects envisioned in the study without tying them to the EmX route, pointing out that one of the options related to EmX was the "no- build" option. Many of the report's recommendations, such as the recommendation for signal timing changes, could be implemented immediately with significant result. Mr. Brown said he frequently traveled along West I I th Avenue and most times of the day did not find it to be so congested. He asked if staff had traffic counts for Franklin Boulevard and Coburg Road for comparison. Mr. Henry indicated he would provide that information. Mr. Clark thanked staff for the report. He said his chief concern in regard to access management was its impact on local businesses. Many businesses near intersections had only one access. He wanted to know if Salem's approach to access management had negatively affected that community's businesses. Responding to a request for clarification from Mr. Clark about the condition of intersections on West I I 1 Avenue as they related to the standard for volume to capacity ratio, Mr. Henry said that the condition was not bad on the City system relative to City standards; capacity problems existed on the State -owned facilities, including Beltline and the streets west of Beltline. Mr. Clark noted that many recommendations represented short-term fixes dependent on the construction of the West Eugene EmX route extension, and he questioned whether that extension was a short-term project. He agreed with Mr. Brown that "no build" was an option for Em.X, and recommended the creation of a "Plan B" in the case the project did not go forward. MINUTES— Eugene City Council July 12, 2010 Page 4 Work Session Mr. Poling recommended that staff talk to Steve Korth of the Oakway Mall for his thoughts on access management as it had been instituted on Coburg Road. He expressed interest in seeing comparative information on traffic and accident counts on that stretch of Coburg Road before and after the institution of access management. Mr. Henry agreed to provide that information. Ms. Taylor questioned if the City could compel property owners to share parking areas and provide for access between adjacent parking lots. Mr. Henry said that the City Code allowed the City to require such access between lots when redevelopment occurred, so it occurred incrementally. Ms. Taylor asked if the code allowed the City to compel the construction of missing sidewalk segments. Mr. Henry said the City lacked a program compelling such improvements, which were generally assessed to the abutting property owner. Ms. Ortiz determined from Mr. Mansur that the City of Salem worked with private property owners on Lancaster and Market streets to voluntarily reduce access points along those roads. There was considera- ble give and take in such situations, and Salem had installed new signals and rebuilt intersections to provide better and safer access to businesses. Ms. Ortiz was also concerned about the businesses on West l I Avenue. She did not support any changes in policy at this time other than those that could occur through redevelopment. Many of the business on West 11 d' Avenue were small businesses with single access points owned by people operating in a difficult economy and she did not want to negatively impact them. She supported voluntary efforts to reduce access points. Mr. Zelenka was also concerned about businesses having access but pointed out that many such businesses would benefit from an increase in safety and the land made available for additional parking when driveways were eliminated. He asked how the City could spur improvements on the part of ODOT. Mr. Henry said that such improvements needed to be identified in the State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP). At this point, the Greenhill Road project was in the STIP, but the Beltline project was not. Transportation Planning Manager Rob Inerfeld noted the limited funding for State transportation projects and suggested additional funding would require a legislative strategy. Mr. Zelenka was also interested in the subject of completing the sidewalk system. He also noted the other benefits from signal timing improvements, such as a reduction in greenhouse gases and savings in fuel use. Ms. Ortiz emphasized her priority for improving Highway 99 and said if the City was going to seek more transportation funding, she wanted to ensure it sought funding for improvements along that road. Mayor Piercy suggested the council needed to determine what it wanted to achieve in that area to be prepared when funding opportunities arose. B. WORK SESSION: Endorsement of Willamette River Open Space Vision and Action Plan (A Refinement of the Rivers to Ridges Vision) The council was joined by Parks Planning Manager Neil Bjorklund and Senior Planner Jeff Kroeger of the Lane Council of Governments, who were present to request the council's endorsement of the Willamette River Open Space Vision and Action Plan. They provided a PowerPoint presentation regarding the plan and the partnership behind it. MINUTES— Eugene City Council July 12, 2010 Page 5 Work Session Mr. Clark applauded the work behind the plan and expressed appreciation for the voluntary nature of property owner participation. However, he was concerned that being overly specific about future property acquisitions might require the City to pay more for land than it might otherwise. He determined from City Attorney Emily Jerome that the City Council's endorsement of the plan did not bias it or bind it in regard to future land use decisions. Mr. Clark asked what value the council's endorsement had. Mr. Bjorklund suggested the value of the endorsement was that the plan provided a common framework for the participating agencies to work together, and it could be important when those agencies sought funding to realize the vision in the plan. Mr. Clark supported council endorsement of the plan, but he pointed out the council was considering some competing values. While he thought that such coordinated planning was important and valuable, he believed the City currently fell down in regard to many aspects of its river management, such as in how it managed illegal camping. Mayor Piercy suggested the plan created a framework for future voluntary property donations and pointed out that past donors had donated land not for profit but for the purpose of creating something good for the community and future generations. Mr. Poling hoped that the City did not take drastic measures to compel unwilling property owners to sell their properties. He supported the plan with emphasis on the conceptual and voluntary nature of the plan. Mr. Zelenka commended the report and the staff involved in its development. He said the plan provided an important vision for the future and that vision would be useful when the City sought funding from the federal government and granting agencies. He supported the endorsement. Mr. Pryor also supported council endorsement of the plan and suggested its implementation would be gradual. He further suggested that the Eugene council's pace of action in that implementation would to some degree dictate how the plan moved forward. He commended the vision in the plan and believed it was already producing benefits. Mr. Clark noted that the plan was very detailed and complex, and said he would like to see an economic vision and action plan of the same magnitude following completion of the City's joint elected officials committee process. Mr. Clark asked if mention of a specific private property adversely affected a property owner seeking to develop and finance improvements on that property. Ms. Jerome said not at this time. Mr. Clark, seconded by Ms. Taylor, moved to endorse the Willamette River Open Space Vision Plan and Action Plan. The motion passed unanimously, 8:0. Mayor Piercy adjourned the work session at 7:22 p.m. Respectfully submitted, ,6 ct� IAwt Beth Forrest City Recorder (Recorded by Kimberly Young) MINUTES— Eugene City Council July 12, 2010 Page 6 Work Session