Agendas and Minutes

City Council (View All)

Council Business Meeting

Agenda
Tuesday, September 15, 2020

 
 MINUTES FOR THE REGULAR MEETING
ASHLAND CITY COUNCIL
Tuesday, September 15, 2020
Held Electronically; View on Channel 9 or Channels 180 and 181 (for Charter Communications customers) or live stream via
rvtv.sou.edu select RVTV Prime.
Note: Written and oral testimony will be accepted for public input. For written testimony, email
public-testimony@ashland.or.us using the subject line: September 15 Business Meeting Testimony. Those who wish to give oral testimony can fill out a Speaker Request Form at ashland.or.us/speakerrequest
and return it to the City Recorder. The deadline for submitting written testimony or speaker request forms will be on Monday, September 14 at 10 a.m.
Note: Items on the Agenda not considered due to time constraints are automatically continued to the next regularly scheduled Council meeting [AMC 2.04.030.E.]
  1. CALL TO ORDER
Mayor Stromberg called the Business Meeting to order at 6:00 p.m.
  1. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
  2. ROLL CALL
Councilors’ Slattery, Graham, Akins, Seffinger, Rosenthal and Jensen were present.
  1. MAYOR’S ANNOUNCEMENTS
Mayor Stromberg announced the Commission Vacancies.
He also read a statement into the record (see attached).

Interim City Administrator Adam Hanks announced adding new items to the Agenda:
Bank Signatories, Rent Gouging and Water Curtailment.

Akins/Graham moved to add a Resolution authorizing bank signatories to the Agenda. Discussion:  None. Voice vote:  All Ayes.  Motion passed unanimously.  

Rosenthal/Jensen moved to add Stage 1 Water Curtailment to the Agenda.  Discussion: None.  Voice Vote.  All Ayes. Motion passed unanimously.

Akins/Slattery moved to add Rent Gouging to the Agenda. Discussion: None.  Voice Vote: All Ayes.  Motion passed unanimously.
  1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
    1. Study Session of August 31, 2020
    2. Business Meeting of September 1, 2020
Rosenthal/Slattery moved to approve the minutes. Discussion: None. All Ayes.  Motion passed unanimously.
  1. SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS & AWARDS
    1. COVID-19 Emergency Declaration
Hanks gave a Staff report.
 
Jensen/Graham moved to ratify the extension of the Declaration of State of Emergency by the City Council, effective immediately, shall remain in effect until and including October 20, 2020, and may be extended thereafter as the City Council deems appropriate.  Discussion: None.  Roll Call Vote:  Slattery, Graham, Akins, Seffinger, Rosenthal and Jensen: YES.  Motion passed unanimously.  
  1. MINUTES OF BOARDS, COMMISSIONS, AND COMMITTEES
Airport Budget Conservation
Historic Housing and Human Srvs. Parks & Recreation
Forest Lands Climate Policy Cost Review
Planning Public Arts Transportation
Tree Wildfire Mitigation  
  1. PUBLIC FORUM Business from the audience not included on the agenda.
(Total time allowed for Public Forum is 15 minutes. The Mayor will set time limits to enable all people wishing to speak to complete their testimony.) [15 minutes maximum] See note above for how to submit testimony for Public Forum.
  1. CITY ADMINISTRATOR REPORT
Interim City Manager Adam Hanks, Fire Chief David Shepherd, Police Chief Tighe O'Meara, Interim Public Works Director Scott Fleury, Parks and Recreation Director Michael Black and Fire Division Chief Chris Chambers each gave reports regarding their departments efforts since the start of the fire and currently.

For more information you call the Ashland Response Line: 541-552-2500 or go to the City Website:Almeda Fire 
 
Council thanked Staff for their reports.
  1. CONSENT AGENDA
    1. Approval of Contract with Selectron Technologies, Inc.
    2. ODEQ 2020 General Materials Management Grants Application Request
    3. Resolution Updating City Banking Authorized Signatures
Rosenthal pulled item #2.  Hanks gave a Staff report.
Rosenthal/Graham moved to approve the Consent Agenda.  Discussion:  None.  Voice Vote. All Ayes. Motion passed unanimously.
  1. PUBLIC HEARINGS (Persons wishing to speak are to submit a “speaker request form” prior to the commencement of the public hearing.  Public hearings shall conclude at 8:00 p.m. and be continued to a future date to be set by the Council, unless the Council, by a two-thirds vote of those present, extends the hearing(s) until up to 9:30 p.m. at which time the Council shall set a date for continuance and shall proceed with the balance of the agenda.)
 
  1. Public Hearing and First Reading of Open Space Ordinance Amendment
 
The electronic public hearing regarding proposed land use ordinance amendments to Title 18 Land Use in the Ashland Municipal Code related to the open space standards for new multifamily and single-family residential development has been rescheduled to the October 20th, 2020 Council Meeting at 6:00 p.m.
 
 
  1. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
  2. NEW AND MISCELLANEOUS BUSINESS
    1. Fire Chief Recruitment Process
Hanks gave a Staff report and introduced Human Resources Director Tina Gray. Gray gave a brief Staff report.
Council discussed options.

Jensen/Rosenthal moved to recommend pursuing staff Option 3, authorizing staff to conduct a recruitment for a Limited Duration Appointment (1-3 year) of a Fire Chief to maintain continuity of leadership of the department.  Jensen spoke in support of option number 3.  Rosenthal agreed with Jensen. He spoke that this could open the doors towards partnerships with surrounding cities.  Graham thanked staff. Roll Call Vote: Rosenthal, Jensen, Seffinger, Slattery, Akins and Graham: YES.  Motion passed unanimously.
  1. Mandatory Water Curtailment (Phase I) Ratification Request
Hanks gave a Staff report and introduced Interim Public Works Director Scott Fleury.  Fleury gave a Staff report.
Fleury gave an update on the water supply and each stage of curtailment.  
Council discussed revenue implications when the city goes into curtailment. Fleury explained that the City does not expect any revenue impacts with Stage 1. 
Jensen/Seffinger moved to ratify the City Administrators decision to enter into water curtailment stage 1 as outlined in AMC 14.06. Discussion: Jensen spoke that this is a wise move for the City and the sooner the better. Seffinger spoke in support of the motion and that this gives people some time to think about planning what they are going to do; such as landscaping.  Graham spoke in appreciation of the motion and the importance of the community pulling together.  Roll Call Vote: Slattery, Graham, Akins, Seffinger, Rosenthal and Jensen: YES. Motion passed unanimously.
 
  1. Discussion of Local Rental Property Rent Control Legislation
Hanks gave a Staff report.  It was noted that Akins and Slattery suggested to add this item to the agenda.
Akins gave a brief staff report.
Council discussed rental hikes and the housing market. Council discussed rental control.
City Attorney David Lohman discussed options the City could do in an emergency.
Akins spoke to the importance of preventing housing prices to go up and would be great to have this as a regional effort to see that that doesn’t happen.
Council discussed options.
Council discussed price gouging and rent control.
Graham suggested to get an overview of what the City can expect in the valley when FEMA arrives and the process of what they do.  
 
  1. ORDINANCES, RESOLUTIONS AND CONTRACTS
  2. OTHER BUSINESS FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS/REPORTS FROM COUNCIL LIAISONS
  3. ADJOURNMENT OF BUSINESS MEETING
 
The Business Meeting was adjourned at 8:42
 
Respectfully submitted by:
_______________________________________
City Recorder Melissa Huhtala
 
Attest:
_______________________________________
Mayor Stromberg
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need special assistance to participate in this meeting, please contact the City Administrator's office at (541) 488-6002 (TTY phone number 1-800-735-2900).  Notification 72 hours prior to the meeting will enable the City to make reasonable arrangements to ensure accessibility to the meeting (28 CFR 35

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