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HomeMy WebLinkAboutApproved Minutes - 2001-05-08 Special CITY OF LAKE OSWEGO May 8, 2001 CITY COUNCIL MINUTES Mayor Judie Hammerstad called the City Council special meeting to order at 6:08 p.m. on May 8, 2001, in the City Council Chambers. Present: Mayor Hammerstad, Councilors Schoen, Turchi, Graham, McPeak, Hoffman, and Rohde Staff Present: Doug Schmitz, City Manager; David Powell, City Attorney; Robyn Christie, City Recorder Mayor Hammerstad reported that she and Mr. Schmitz met with Bill Korach and Marcia Donnelly of the School District, who informed them of a meeting this evening at which the architects would present the plan at 7:45 p.m. She said that she, Councilor Graham, Mr. Schmitz and Colleen Bennett from the Library Advisory Board would attend that meeting to represent the City's interests. She indicated that she wanted to be sure that the District understood that easy public access was important to the Council, and that the Council would continue to be supportive. 3. STUDY SESSION 3.1 Speed Bump Rating Chart Explanation Tom Tushner, City Traffic Engineer, directed the Council's attention to Mr. Schmitz's memo regarding the rating (page 5). He reviewed the six criteria that the Traffic Advisory Board used to rate the Knaus Road speed bump request: traffic volume, speed, accidents, schools,pedestrian oriented facilities and no sidewalks/pathways. He noted that the Knaus Road request received 15 points for traffic volume, 10 points for speed, 0 points for accidents, schools, and pedestrian areas, and 5 points for no sidewalks/pathways, for a total of 30 points. Mr. Tushner said that if a request reached the 30-point threshold, it qualified for some kind of neighborhood traffic management device; otherwise, nothing was done because it did not meet the criteria. Councilor Schoen observed that barely making 30 points was marginal. Mr. Tushner stated that 30 points met the criteria. He indicated to Councilor Schoen that the criteria dated from 1993 and had been revised twice. Doug Schmitz, City Manager, indicated to Councilor Schoen that the City has paid for all speed bumps except the ones on Iron Mountain, which the neighborhood paid for. Mr. Tushner clarified to Councilor McPeak that in 1997 the Council decided not to fund the program but to continue accepting applications. Councilor Rohde commented that the program went by the wayside altogether. Mayor Hammerstad pointed out that that was one reason why the Council was revisiting traffic calming devices, especially now that photo radar was not a possibility to slow down traffic in neighborhoods. She noted that the City has used speed bumps with some success. She observed that the Transportation Advisory Board has approved this request and the neighborhood was willing to finance half the cost. Celia Kilsby, Knaus Road resident, stated that the neighborhood needed these speed bumps to slow down the traffic, and intended to raise funds to help with the cost of keeping this a safe neighborhood street. She mentioned that the traffic counts on one of the days that the wires were put out was low because of road construction. Councilor Schoen explained that he was looking for consistency in policy; he was not attacking the neighborhood. He contended that the City has been inconsistent. City Council Minutes Page 1 of 10 May 8, 2001 Councilor Graham asked if the Police Department has done an analysis of the effect on traffic of speed bumps versus no speed bumps. Mr. Tushner said that he did not know of any, although they have talked to the police about their effectiveness in slowing down traffic. Councilor Rohde mentioned the volume and speed counts conducted six months after installation, which showed a reduction in speed but not in volume. Ms. Kilsby commented that the neighborhood was more interested in slowing down the cut through traffic then eliminating it. Councilor Hoffman asked to see the field data supporting the staff conclusion. He questioned setting the threshold for speeding at at least 3 mph over the speed limit,which he did not find a significant problem. Mr. Tushner commented that any neighborhood traffic management program was very subjective, with each jurisdiction developing a different way of measuring what was and was not a problem. He reiterated that the Transportation Advisory Board developed the City's criteria. Councilor Rohde clarified that a Task Force (on which he served) developed the criteria. He explained that the 3 mph provided the margin of drift recommended by the police for enforcement; it left out the random variances. He indicated to Councilor Hoffman that they relied heavily on the City of Portland ordinance in developing the criteria. Councilor Rohde explained to Councilor McPeak that the Council stopped funding speed bumps in 1997 in response to the community complaining that they were an annoyance. He pointed out that the complaints came from people who used the streets but did not live on them; the residents who lived on the street with speed bumps thanked the City for improving the situation. Councilor McPeak commented that she found the 3 mph cutoff odd; she preferred a 5 mph cutoff. She mentioned that she found driving on Laurel with a speed limit of 25 mph pleasant but with the speed bumps, she had to drive 18 mph. She argued that any auto should be able to cross a speed bump at the speed limit, as the intent was to keep people at the speed limit. Councilor McPeak said that she understood that the City did not have enough money to hire enough police to enforce speed limits; therefore, they were forced to use these devices. She spoke to finding a way to put a lid on the speed bumps, if they decided to fund them again. Councilor Turchi asked how speed bumps impeded emergency vehicles. Mr. Tushner said that the most common complaint he has heard was from people working in the back of the ambulance, who were blind to the speed bumps. He mentioned a reduced response time. He explained that the premise of installing speed bumps only on locals and neighborhood collectors meant that emergency vehicles should have limited exposure to speed bumps, as it should be a short trip out to an arterial or major collector. Mr. Tushner explained to Councilor Turchi that the State set the speeds on all roads, although local streets were 25 mph by statute. He said that they assumed that 85% of the autos were traveling at the speed limit or less with 15% exceeding the speed limit. Councilor Turchi asked if the 29% on Knaus Road traveling over the 3 mph threshold was a figure significantly over and above what they could normally expect or was it an average. Mr. Tushner said that 30 vehicles (out of 435) going over the speed limit was a significant number, and would alert the staff that this might be a problem area. Councilor Turchi mentioned that he traveled Knaus Road frequently for six to seven years, and knew that people did speed on it. He mentioned that he understood from his experience that speed bumps did get annoying but he thought that they also worked. Councilor Rohde pointed out that a speed limit was as fast as a car should travel; it was not as slow as a car should be going. He spoke to people allowing extra time to reach their destinations in order to travel at 15 mph, when necessary. City Council Minutes Page 2 of 10 May 8, 2001 Councilor McPeak contended that laws should not encourage law breaking. She argued that if she had to travel 10 miles under the speed limit on a neighborhood street with little traffic on it, then she would have to speed somewhere else to make up the time, which she did not think made any sense. She stated that if the 25 mph speed limit was the right speed, and she used her discretion to watch out for traffic and children, then why should she not be able to go 25 mph, instead of being forced to go 15 mph. Councilor Rohde observed that speed bumps were designed to be inconvenient to people traveling through neighborhoods, which he found philosophically acceptable, given the problems on the streets. Councilor McPeak noted that there were some speed bumps in town that allowed travel at 25 mph. Councilor Hoffman said that, like Councilor Turchi, he was curious about how this segment compared to other streets in Lake Oswego. He asked how much it cost to do a speed survey. Mr. Tushner said that it cost $400 per survey. Councilor Hoffman mentioned Childs Road, "B" Street in First Addition and Upper Drive as streets that would be interesting to gather this information on for comparison. He indicated that he was not certain that he wanted to spend the money. Councilor Graham asked if the installation of speed bumps resulted from a neighborhood survey or solely from the speed study. Mr. Tushner explained that staff conducted the study only after 10 registered voters or licensed business owners applied for it. Councilor Schoen concurred with Councilor Hoffman. He discussed his concern with 3 miles over the speed limit as a criterion for making these decisions. He noted that there were several streets in the city, such as Childs Road, where people traveled substantially over those limits. Councilor Rohde clarified that major collectors, like Childs Road or Bryant Road, did not qualify; only neighborhood collectors and local streets qualified. Councilor Schoen spoke to tightening up the criteria; 3 mph was too loose. He reiterated his opinion that they needed a consistent policy, instead of this catch-as-catch-can. He held that they needed to decide what they were going to fund and at what level in order to gain that consistency. Councilor Rohde explained that the Task Force designed the criteria to provide objective reasons for installing traffic calming devices, as frequently the arguments made before the Transportation Advisory Board were highly subjective and emotional. He said that the 3 mph over the speed limit was a compromise with not using the posted speed limit as the threshold. Councilor Rohde concurred with Councilor Schoen that the police did not ticket people going 3 mph over the speed limit. He indicated that 14 mph was generally the threshold at which the police would pull someone over. Councilor Rohde noted that the City ground out the speed bumps on Westview because the neighborhood survey(automatically taken six months after installation) voted them out. He emphasized that the staff took the survey of the affected area; the people who did not live in the affected area did not have the same voice. He explained that the Task Force decided to limit speed bumps to neighborhood streets and collectors because there was a greater expectation of traffic safety on local streets than on an arterial or major collector. Councilor Rohde held that this program has worked well. He observed that there were not many streets left in Lake Oswego that would qualify under the criteria, as most have already failed the test. Ms. Kilsby referenced a report from 1997 and 1998 on Knaus Road that found that the 85%of the traffic traveled at an average of 38 mph, which provided a more realistic picture of how fast people traveled down Knaus Road. She reported her conversation with the Fire Department; the staff person told her that they thought that, given the speeds of people traveling down the road versus the 911 call, installing speed bumps would be a good trade off. She pointed out that their City Council Minutes Page 3 of 10 May 8, 2001 neighborhood was the gateway to the Thriftway store, and had many pedestrians. She stated that the affected area would not vote the speed bumps out. Mayor Hammerstad said that she heard in the discussion that the objective criteria have made the process more reasonable and worked to the advantage of both the neighborhoods and the Councilors who had to deal with these decisions. She observed that typically the Council liked to honor its Advisory Boards' recommendations; although the 3 mph might seem low, the Transportation Advisory Board felt it was warranted. She commented that asking the neighborhoods to participate financially would tend to cut down on the number of requests. Mayor Hammerstad said that she agreed with Councilor Schoen that they needed a standard policy for traffic calming devices in neighborhoods. She suggested that they look at speed bumps as one of several traffic calming devices available to neighborhoods who were willing to pay half the cost. She mentioned that, as a person affected by the Westview speed bumps, she had thought that the installation of speed bumps had gotten out of control. She commented that Knaus Road, with its cut through traffic, was marginally more qualified. Councilor Rohde moved to include speed bumps as a traffic-calming device when requested by neighborhoods and when neighborhoods paid half the cost. Councilor McPeak seconded the motion. A voice vote was taken and the motion passed with Mayor Hammerstad, Councilors Schoen,Turchi, Graham,McPeak, Hoffman and Rohde voting in favor. [7-0] Mayor Hammerstad directed Ms. Kilsby to work with Mr. Tushner on the timing of the neighborhood's fund raising. 3.2 Speed Bump Policy—Knaus Road See item 3.1. 3.3 Informational Report on Boones Ferry Road Study Mr. Tushner noted that the limits of the Boones Ferry Corridor Study were from Kruse Way to Madrona. He discussed the study process, including a Project Advisory Committee (appointed by Council in January 2001). He mentioned the open houses. Mr. Tushner said that they were now doing an alternatives analysis as part of their review of the constraints and opportunities along the corridor. He observed that the Committee's make-up of four business owners, three neighborhood associations and three outside agencies led to working through the issues of the trade offs that went with each element in a typical section (sidewalks, landscaping, illumination, bike lanes, lane widths and turn lanes). Mr. Tushner reported that they applied for $2.5 million in funding for this project from the MTIP process, a decision that should come in July. He indicated that they expected to bring recommendations to the Council in August. He mentioned the second open house, at which they would present alternatives, at Rivergrove Elementary School this Thursday evening, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Mr. Tushner reviewed issues that came up during the Committee meetings: parking, ped/bike, aesthetics, and right-of-way. He said that staff has met with business owners along the corridor to identify the constraints and to discuss their future plans and the potential impacts of improvements. He confirmed to Councilor Schoen that parking and pedestrian access were two major issues, especially with respect to the impacts to the businesses. Mr. Tushner confirmed to Councilor Schoen that the City would have to acquire some right-of- way. He explained that they would update the Public Facilities Plan and City Code following the completion of the study. He mentioned two ways in which the City could acquire right-of-way: requiring right-of-way as part of a land development application, or obtaining funding under the MTIP program. City Council Minutes Page 4 of 10 May 8, 2001 Mr. Tushner indicated to Councilor Hoffman that the three outside agencies sitting on the Committee were Metro, Tri-Met and Clackamas County. Councilor Hoffman asked if this corridor study could serve as the first step of a West End Redevelopment Plan looking 20 years out or was staff focusing on getting the traffic through and providing pedestrian access to the businesses. Mr. Tushner mentioned that the Committee had wanted to expand the study boundaries but the City only had $100,000 available to fund the study. He stated that part of the study did include a vision for the corridor, in addition to the focus on traffic and pedestrian access, but he thought that a redevelopment plan was a different type of study. Councilor Hoffman suggested asking urban planners to look at the corridor study in terms of developing an urban village main street and in terms of a possible urban renewal district. He spoke to thinking creatively about how the area could be redeveloped. Councilor McPeak asked where the name 'Lake Grove Village Center' came from. Mr. Tushner explained that the Project Management Team, which provided technical information to the Committee, developed the vision statement, objectives and name. Councilor McPeak spoke to using a broader method to name the area, such as a contest, which involved the business owners and others in the area. She held that the name was an identity issue for that end of town and a touchy but important decision. Councilor Rohde mentioned that the people living in Lake Grove continued to call themselves `Grovers' and the area 'Lake Grove.' Councilor McPeak mentioned that she liked 'West End' because that made it part of Lake Oswego. She offered 'Lake Grove Business District' as an alternative. Mayor Hammerstad suggested discussing the name at the public workshop. She pointed out that the Lake Grove businesses were doing far better than the East End businesses; an urban renewal district might not be appropriate, as usually that involved an impetus to increase the business. She commented that she has not heard anyone talking about it; Councilor Hoffman might be a little ahead of his time. Councilor Schoen commented that he liked Councilor Hoffman's thought; an urban renewal district would enhance the existing businesses. He asked what funding through the MTIP involved. Mr. Tushner said that staff applied for$2.5 million, which required a 10% match. Councilor Schoen questioned whether the $2.5 million would pay for the long-term vision; it would probably only do the roads. Mr. Tushner pointed out that until they developed the long-term vision, they could not estimate a dollar amount for its implementation. He said that, for the MTIP funding, staff submitted the application to do a corridor study to develop the corridor's final design, the right-of-way acquisition and Phase 1 construction. Mayor Hammerstad mentioned a comment she heard from business people that it would be difficult to do the pedestrian and bicycle improvements without affecting their businesses, as the right-of-way was pretty close to many of those businesses. She noted that the business owners were not enthusiastic about a lot of change. Councilor Hoffman asked what were the problems that they were trying to solve by doing the Boones Ferry Corridor Study. Councilor Rohde said that historically every transportation issue arising along that corridor began with the discussion of that individual issue and ended with the conclusion that they needed to study the larger context between Kruse Way and Madrona because the issues were so interconnected. Mr. Tushner clarified to Councilor Graham that staff included Phase 1 construction in the MTIP application because they did not know what the final price tag would be. He noted that the Transportation System Plan carried the project at $2.67 million. He held that, as they started adding more and more improvements, the price tag would climb. City Council Minutes Page 5 of 10 May 8, 2001 Councilor Graham asked why she has not heard complaints about left turn lanes. Mr. Tushner said that this was the highest accident corridor in the city, primarily due to left turn access problems. He discussed a proposal to realign and signalize Lanewood at the school, which would provide good bus access to the school, another signalized pedestrian crossing and neighborhood access to the road. Councilor Rohde cautioned the Council that they were not that likely to get the $2.5 million grant, although he would do what he could at JPACT. He explained that there was $38 million available and $84 million in requests. He pointed out that this request was a relatively new request that was not on the 150% cut because they swapped out the A Avenue project and did that project themselves. He observed that the $250,000 match, which would be required in 2004/05, was a lot of money. He said that he thought they had a better chance of getting money to do these types of projects through a redevelopment district. Councilor McPeak held that it was time for the Council to pay attention to that side of town and accomplish something significant there, as it has done with the East End. Councilor Rohde argued that lack of attention to the West End was a perceived issue, not a real issue, as the City has done several projects on that side of town. Mr. Schmitz indicated to Councilor Hoffman that a local improvement district could be used for certain kinds of improvements, such as street lighting. Councilor Hoffman observed that the City did a study and came up with proposals that some would like and some would not but it had no money to implement them. He said that the question then became did the people want to help out the City through an urban renewal district or an LID. He reiterated that, although the City was focusing on cars and traffic, it would be interesting to ask an urban planner to look at the big picture and develop a different approach. Mayor Hammerstad concurred. She suggested establishing a Finance Committee of citizens to work in tandem with the Study Committee, as they were going to need ideas for possible sources of money if they wanted to implement it. She spoke to letting the idea for an urban renewal district or an LID percolate up from the neighbors, rather than the City suggesting it. Councilor Turchi spoke to avoiding the potential of creating a drive through boulevard, such as 82"d Avenue or Barbur Blvd. He commented that he understood that the businesses wanted traffic because those people shopped. He noted that if there was no consensus or movement to do something about the problems, then it might be very hard to do something. He said that he did not know that the Council should push it along either. Councilor Schoen held that there was a significant amount of concern about pedestrian traffic. He said that the owners knew that they had viable businesses but they did not have places where people could walk from one block to the next. He indicated that he did not see this as a traffic moving area. He noted that they had to move traffic through but the businesses were primarily interested in additional parking and pedestrian movements. Councilor Turchi observed that the businesses to the south had back roads that created a friendlier environment for walking and bike riding. He suggested that area as a place to focus energy to encourage that kind of movement. Councilor Schoen noted that they were likely to run into opposition from the neighborhoods,which were very sensitive to any expansion. Mayor Hammerstad pointed out that none of the project goals spoke to moving traffic through Boones Ferry more efficiently; the goals spoke of pedestrian connectivity, aesthetics, attractiveness, environment, appeal, streetscape and livability of the residential neighborhoods. She held that the goals illustrated concerns similar to what the Council has been discussing. Councilor Hoffman commented that it sounded like this was a good committee doing good work. He held that it was a golden opportunity to think outside the box and to get a creative urban planner to find a different way of making it a unique area, similar to what they have done in the East End. City Council Minutes Page 6 of 10 May 8, 2001 Mr. Schmitz suggested that staff finish the project, as it sounded as though it were years off in implementation. He indicated that staff could then work on a specific design district plan for the future. Mayor Hammerstad noted that the report tonight was to bring the Council up-to-date on the committee's work. She commented that part of her discomfort was that she did not want to end up with a report that the Council could not accept or implement. Councilor Hoffman suggested appointing three people from the Budget Committee to be the Finance Committee. Mayor Hammerstad said that they would put that on the 'to do' list. 3.4 General Discussion: Community Issues 3.4.1 Tours and Meetings Mayor Hammerstad announced that the Council could tour Mary's Woods on any Monday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. She said that she would try to schedule the tour for June 11. Mayor Hammerstad asked when the Council wanted to tour Eagle Creek. The Council decided to schedule a tour on two different dates, one on a Saturday morning and one during the week. Mayor Hammerstad reported that a tour of the Lake Corporation facilities with Ed Hoffman was still in the works. Mayor Hammerstad mentioned the Lake Forest Neighborhood Plan and trolley support as two topics for the Council's meeting with the County Commissioners. She asked Mr. Schmitz to set up a meeting during a Commission Tuesday morning study session. Councilor Turchi asked for a meeting after the week of June 18, so he could attend. Mayor Hammerstad noted that the School District would host the quarterly meeting with the Council on Monday, June 18 at 6 p.m. 3.4.2 Joint Research Library Funding Mayor Hammerstad reported that, at the meeting yesterday with Marcia Donnelly and Bill Korach,the City brought up the acceptability of allocating the 33 cents (originally allocated for the school district) to the library as a shared facility. She noted that, although this idea has not yet gone through the Budget Committee, the Council needed to start thinking about where it would get the money. She pointed out that the money was there for cooperation with the school district. Mr. Schmitz confirmed to Councilor Schoen that the 33 cents would max out the City's tax base. Councilor McPeak commented that using the money for a school related expense, which was what the voters had voted it for, made it feel okay to her. Mayor Hammerstad confirmed to Councilor Schoen that the City probably would not use all the 33 cents. She spoke to setting aside the amount levied over the next two years to pay for start up and personnel costs of the library. She pointed out that this did provide the nexus between the voters' intentions and the City expenditure that several Councilors wanted. She indicated that she did not want a decision now but it was something to think about. Mayor Hammerstad argued that if they were going to make the shared library a success, then the City had to put some money into it, which would also make it more palatable to the Library Board. Mr. Schmitz reported that staff was working on a budget for presentation to the Library Board. He reviewed two options: the District seeing the City as having the responsibility to operate the whole thing, and paying the City money or the City taking over the facility from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. Mr. Schmitz commented that he did not see a high probability of the District agreeing to the second option but it would solve other problems. He indicated to Councilor McPeak that the school staff would be absorbed. City Council Minutes Page 7 of 10 May 8, 2001 Mayor Hammerstad agreed that personnel would be a thorny problem. Councilor Turchi held that having a librarian from the City with a master's in library science working next to a District librarian who was also certified as a teacher but making vastly different salaries could be a real problem. Mr. Schmitz mentioned having one library staff but noted that there were compensation and union issues involved. 3.4.3 Planning Issues Mayor Hammerstad referenced the Community Development Department memo from Mr. Schmitz regarding Bud Kass's work with Planning, Building, and Engineering on customer service. She noted that one of the goals they set for Mr. Schmitz was developing more user friendly and efficient departments. She indicated that the survey results would be acted upon. Councilor Hoffman suggested that the Council meet on a Saturday for a visioning discussion. He asked that staff show them what the next 20 years looked like in terms of debt load, including for the school district, as that would tell them whether they had money to build a City Hall or develop Stafford. He said that Mr. Schmitz could bring whomever he wanted to from staff. Mayor Hammerstad spoke to taking stock of their first six months. She suggested planning on a Saturday session the third week of June or first weekend in July. Councilor Hoffman asked for a 'what if discussion: what if the Council changed all its priorities and did something dramatic? What if they did not spend $1 million on transportation and did something else? Mayor Hammerstad said that she felt that they were doing some big things, and she did not want to stop doing them until they were finished. She commented that she thought it was a good idea to continue to push those questions, however. Councilor Schoen mentioned his concern with respect to the impact on the budget of solving the City Hall problem. Councilor Hoffman announced that Kristi Munson, the League of Oregon Cities lobbyist, informed him that the anti-smoking bill was coming up before the Senate committee either this Friday or early next week. He asked who was available to testify for local control, self- determination and democracy at the level closest to the people. Mayor Hammerstad said that she could make Monday or Wednesday. Mayor Hammerstad referenced the memo on the follow up on the utility assistance program: 10 people used it at a cost of a little over$1,000. Councilor Schoen commented that it would probably become more of an issue when the City increased the fee. Mayor Hammerstad said that too many people wanted to serve on the subcommittee on neighborhood planning issues. She asked, of the three Councilors who volunteered, who wanted to defer to the other two. Councilor Turchi said that he would defer to Councilors Schoen and McPeak, because it would start before the end of the school year. Mayor Hammerstad suggested appointing the Planning Commission Chair also. 3.4.4. Evaluation of the Youth Council Robyn Christie, City Recorder, noted that she, Councilors Hoffman, and Rohde were supposed to do the evaluation. Mayor Hammerstad said that she asked Sinan last week what he thought about the program. She reported that Sinan said that they enjoyed doing the projects and having a more in-depth knowledge of the issues but sitting there on Tuesday nights was not of the most value to them. She asked Ms. Christie to develop a questionnaire for the Youth Councilors that allowed them the opportunity to tell the Council how valuable they found the experience and to make any suggestions. City Council Minutes Page 8 of 10 May 8, 2001 Mayor Hammerstad spoke to making the Youth Council experience as productive as they could for the students. Councilor Hoffman suggested holding an exit interview with the Youth Councilors, following the May 15 meeting. Councilor Graham suggested that she and Councilor Rohde talk with Mayor Rob Drake of Beaverton this summer to discuss how the program worked for Beaverton. Councilor Rohde noted that Mayor Lou Ogden of Tualatin was also involved in the Youth Council. He mentioned that the League of Oregon Cities has adopted a Youth Commission and directed the Youth Advisory Board to develop a process for cities to develop their own Youth Advisory Boards. 3.4.5 Sister Cities Program Mayor Hammerstad recalled that last night the Budget Committee defended the Sister Cities Program. She spoke to reinstating $1,000 in the next fiscal year for incidentals, such as reimbursing Bill Klammer for the cost of the prime rib dinner he was providing to the group visiting next weekend. The Council discussed the Sister Cities Program. Councilor McPeak mentioned her conversation with Chris Hoffman at the Chamber who had a similar assessment that this particular sister city was an awkward one for Lake Oswego to have. She argued that making the cut at this time was budget wise. Councilor Schoen referenced the long-standing relationship that Lake Oswego had with Yoshikawa in supporting Mayor Hammerstad's suggestion to increase the budget. Councilor McPeak commented that it was not simply the money; it was finding housing for the visitors. Councilor Turchi confirmed that he had not been able to find housing for the upcoming group— apparently five weeks was insufficient notice - and turned it over to Mr. Schmitz. Mr. Schmitz said that staff extended the group's stay at the Lake Shore, after running into the same problem as Councilor Turchi. Mayor Hammerstad agreed with Councilor McPeak that it was awkward. She indicated that she intended to tell Azumano no with respect to their request for reimbursement. She asked Mr. Schmitz if there was a graceful way to end the relationship. Mr. Schmitz said that they could decide to terminate the sister city relationship based on not having funding to entertain. Councilor Rohde held that there was value in sister city relationships, and creating a cultural interne with another city. He said that Lake Oswego has never committed the effort required to do things properly. He argued that the town has adopted the 'Ugly American' philosophy of not participating, which he thought was ridiculous. He indicated that he would not invest any more time in the relationship if the town did not care to participate. Councilor McPeak questioned whether the taxpayers benefited from the cultural exchanges. Councilor Graham indicated to Mayor Hammerstad that there was a formal Sister City organization and protocol but the City has not followed it. Councilor Turchi noted that Yoshikawa assigned a staff person to organize these exchanges. He held that if this were important to Lake Oswego, they would have a staff person working part- time with a committee. He commented that, while he saw value in the cultural exchange, it would be difficult to maintain the relationship without someone committed to investing the time needed to make it work. He spoke to spending the money to do it right, if they were going to do it. Councilor Rohde suggested hiring a quarter time internal affairs intern from Portland State University to handle the program. He commented that Chris Hoffman has expressed the Chamber's interest in participating, except that every time they stepped forward, they were asked for money, as though they were to pay for the whole thing. Mayor Hammerstad noted that her first introduction to the program was when she became Mayor. She said that it seemed to her that if this had value, then a committee within the City Council Minutes Page 9 of 10 May 8, 2001 community should handle it, so that those with a genuine interest worked the program. Councilor Rohde commented that the program needed to be organized out of City Hall; the Sister City organization was not the one to do it. Councilor Hoffman said that he favored cultural exchanges but he has wondered about the Sister Cities program because the community has done nothing. He observed that the question of whether Yoshikawa was the appropriate cultural sister city was another issue. Councilor Graham suggested dropping the sister city relationship with Yoshikawa and developing a program to tie in with the Chamber's popular Diversity Week, which involved cultural exchanges. Councilor McPeak commented that the sister city relationships had been intended to foster not only cultural exchanges but business opportunities also. She noted that Lake Oswego produced nothing for export and Yoshikawa's main product was catfish. Mayor Hammerstad said that this conversation was not over but they needed to get to the School District meeting, so they would have to continue it at another time. Councilor Rohde moved to adopt Resolution 01-35 to make appointments to the Transportation Advisory Board. Councilor Schoen seconded the motion. A voice vote was taken and the motion passed with Mayor Hammerstad, Councilors Schoen, Turchi, Graham, McPeak, Hoffman and Rohde voting in favor. [7-0] 4. ADJOURNMENT Mayor Hammerstad recessed the meeting to LORA at 7:45 p.m. Mayor Hammerstad adjourned the meeting at 8:00 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Robyn Chr tie City Recorder APPROVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL: ON 2 ry-olt/ J die erstar, yor City Council Minutes Page 10 of 10 May 8, 2001