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Council Goal Setting

Agenda
Tuesday, July 05, 2016

MINUTES FOR COUNCIL GOAL SETTING

ASHLAND CITY COUNCIL
July 5, 2016
Siskiyou Room, 51 Winburn Way

 
Mayor Stromberg began the Goal Setting meeting at 5:40 p.m. in the Siskiyou Room.
 
Councilor Rosenthal, Morris, Voisin, Marsh, and Seffinger were present.  Councilor Lemhouse was absent.
 
1. Review and Revise Proposed Priority Goals
Infrastructure  
  1. AFN – consider recommendations of ad hoc committee
  2. City Hall – consider options for rebuilding or replacing [Pioneer parking lot, Comm Dev] because of seismic problems.  [Identify funding. Investigate options for seismic upgrade of City Hall]
  3. Water system/supply – updating Master Plan including climate change modeling and conservation   
  4. Streets maintenance – find funding for sustainable plan
  5. Storm drain maintenance – same as streets
The state will soon require cities to clean and visually inspect entire storm drain systems every 4-5 years.  The current storm drain system in Ashland needed catch basins.
  1. New city phone system
Possibly build on top of the new voice mail system and connect to the Ashland School District’s phone server reducing upgrade costs to $75,000.
  1. Seismic retrofit of existing residences
Council discussed a possible incentive program for residents on steps citizens could take to secure their homes seismically.  One suggestion would set up something similar to the Conservation Service Charge Financing Program.
 
Human Services
  1. Housing
Summit
Rental shortage
Affordable housing
Expand zoning provisions
Cottage housing
Co-housing
  1. Providing assistance to local people in need [list]
  2. Winter Shelter – evaluate needs, resources and basic “service design” including collateral effects
  3. Examine the needs of the increasing aging population
Council discussed the Senior Center having advisory authority to the Parks Commission or the Housing and Human Services Commission having a representative that specifically addressed the problems of seniors.
  1. Evaluate efficiency of city spending on housing [See 1 and 6]
  2. Provide an adequate, stable revenue source for the Housing Trust Fund
  3. Evaluate effectiveness of (municipal government funding of) human services efforts?
            Study Session with HHSC to determine priorities
            Facilitate county services in Ashland
 
Economy
  1. Embrace emerging industries; improve retention, growth, business development [update economic development strategy]
  2. Downtown vitality
Urban design, circulation, parking
[Restructure ad hoc committee?  Council to decide next steps?]
  1. Chamber/City collaboration: [see #1]
Economic Development
Focus on supporting locally owned businesses [e.g. BR&E]
Development of disaggregated data for the Ashland economy
Internet tools [e.g. the Business Portal, videos of business owners]
Management Development training opportunities
Diversifying the Visitor Economy
[Evaluate the effectiveness of economic development efforts)
  1. [Strengthen the connection with SOU]
 
Public Safety
 
  1. Wildfire preparation and prevention:
AFR/AFAR fuels reductions and maintenance
AFR institute/R&D
Wildfire Mitigation Ordinance
  1. Managing behavior problems/community expectations, especially downtown
  2. Increased staffing for police and fire [strategy for addressing these needs] [Study Session with the Police Chief ]
  3. 14-day City preparedness
City employees
Families
Employees (at work)
Fuel contracts
Communications
Transportation
Water plant pumps
Waste management
[City Council’s role]
  1. Explore establishment of ELEA in Exit 14 area
  2. Prompt paramedic response
  3. Evaluate the impact of new ordinances that affect downtown tied to #2
[Unintended consequences?]
[How has it impacted APD?]
[Impact on the Railroad Park]
 
Organization
  1. Increase capacity of Legal Dept and Human Resource Division [coordinate change with re-organization]
Rewrite AMC 2.28
  1. Re-organization of management structures
  2. Fire Department consolidation
  3. Improve effectiveness of communication and engagement [dedicated web master] [reaching the common person]
  4. Make commissions and committees more effective
Evaluate how we do master plans [set firm deadlines, disband planning effort if not completed on deadline, and manage the consultants] [Commission/committee handbook:  Training on the role of commissions]
  1. Overhaul City’s procurement and contracting policies/procedures
  2. Convert City Recorder position to appointed [reword]
 
Energy & Environment
  1. CEAP support, track and participate in on-going process
  2. Implementation requirement ordinance (proposed by AHS students)
City Attorney Dave Lohman clarified this was an illegal delegation of authority.  Council would further discuss the matter at the July 19, 2016 council meeting.
  1. Update Comprehensive Plan
Council thought the update should occur in house without hiring a consultant and suggested possibly delaying this item until new management settled in after the re-organization.
  1. Revise Urban Tree Policy
  2. Review Electric Utility business model in the light of climate change
  3. Investigate possible in-stream electric generation from the water system
 
Other
  1. Behavior-Local Homeless-Transients (public safety; human services; economy)
  2. Mid-biennium funding for unanticipated needs
  3. Make City Council more effective
  4. Meals Tax collections and expenditures
  5. Use $100K of Room Tax money for Lithia Park Maintenance
 
2. Identify those items on the priority goals list for which funds are not appropriated in the current budget, and estimate how much is required for each
City Administrator Dave Kanner addressed current budget issues and recommended delaying implementing goals not appropriated in the current budget to the next biennium.
 
3. Placing an advisory measure on the November 2016, ballot revising the Meals Tax Ordinance to pay for Streets Maintenance and certain Parks expenses
Council discussed placing the advisory on the November 2016 ballot or waiting for the May 2017 election. 
The majority supported waiting until 2017.  It would allow more time for public outreach.
 
Councilor Voisin left the meeting at 9:06 p.m.
 
Meeting adjourned at 9:26 p.m.
 
Respectfully submitted,                                                                                                          
Dana Smith
Assistant to the City Recorder
 
Click here for the Strategic Planning Goals with June 6 updates and Session 2 Proposed Goals-Final
 

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