Charter Review Committee

August 19, 2004

Regular Meeting Minutes

Council Chambers, 1175 East Main Street

CALL TO ORDER: Chair John Enders called the Ashland Charter Review Committee meeting to order at 4:05 p.m. on August 19, 2004 in the Civic Center Council Chambers, 1175 E Main Street, Ashland, Oregon.

Members Present: Roy Bashaw, Hal Cloer, Kate Culbertson, John Enders, Laurie MacGraw, Pam Marsh, Keith Massie, Michael Riedeman and Carole Wheeldon.

Member Absent: Donald Montgomery

Staff Present: Mike Franell, City Attorney

Ann Seltzer, Management Analyst, Staff Liaison to the CRC

Nancy Slocum, Clerk

I. CONSENT AGENDA

Laurie MacGraw / Pam Marsh m/s to approve the minutes as submitted. Motion passes unanimously.

II. PUBLIC FORUM

No one spoke.

III. REVIEW PUBLIC INPUT/PUBLIC EDUCATION DRAFT

Commission veered from the agenda to ask each other for successful examples of positive public processes where the members involved were supportive of one another. Wheeldon and Massie both noted the Siskiyou Boulevard Redesign Project. Marsh worked on a 20-member committee on the Palo Alto (California) Downtown Redesign. Culbertson had no direct experience. MacGraw mentioned the North Mountain Park lighting issue before the Parks Commission. It was a small group roundtable. Enders had no direct experience but participated in a roundtable strategic planning process using a facilitator to keep members focused. Riedeman worked with the Siskiyou Boulevard Redesign Project. Bashaw had no direct experience in a political process, but worked in a technical capacity. Cloer produced election material. His experience using "forced" consensus was positive.

Agenda item tabled until after consultant discussion.

VI. DISCUSS PRESENTATION BY TOM SPONSLER

Seltzer announced that Tom Sponsler would present a two-hour public meeting on September 2nd in the Council Chambers. The meeting will take place from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. Enders sent letters to all elected and appointed officials and a Guest Forum to the Ashland Daily Tidings and Medford Mail Tribune to stimulate interest in the presentation.

Sponsler offered to address any specific questions during his presentation. Committee recommended questions including Sponsler's recommendations for change; the practical, political and legal issues; a review of the timeline and consultant's cost estimate; a recommended system of approaching the Charter review; the typical top five controversial issues; the relativity of each controversial issue; the advantages and disadvantages to brevity in writing the Charter; examples where other cities have had problems in the review process; his election experience; the effort Sponsler takes in discovering a city's unique personality.

Enders asked the committee to email additional questions to Seltzer within one week.

III. REVIEW DRAFT PUBLIC INPUT / PUBLIC EDUCATION

Committee reviewed a draft Public Involvement / Public Education plan provided by Seltzer. Enders wondered how many hours per month and per season each member could contribute to the process. This information would assist setting future subcommittee assignments. He asked members to email Seltzer or himself by next week.

MacGraw noted that an outreach plan should be focused, efficient and effective. She thought implementation of the plan at this point in time is premature as the committee's current work is preliminary. Enders and Marsh agreed. Marsh suggested public outreach after specific phases in the Charter review process. She asked the committee to create a subcommittee to identify public outreach phases. Enders would put the issue on a future agenda.

Seltzer approached the Ashland Daily Tidings with the idea of a "Civics 101" column.

V. POSSIBLE FUTURE GUEST SPEAKERS

Former City Attorney Paul Nolte, former Mayor Cathy Shaw, former Parks Director Ken Mickelson and current Parks Director Don Robertson were suggested as possible guest speakers.

VI.ITEMS FROM COMMITTEE MEMBERS NOT ON THE AGENDA

The next regular meeting of the Charter Review Committee is set for Thursday, September 16th beginning at 7:00 p.m.

The meeting was adjourned at 6:00 p.m.

John Enders

Chair

Respectfully Submitted,

Nancy Slocum

Clerk