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HomeMy WebLinkAboutApproved Minutes - 2009-01-12 Special``� U1 LAK[ pJwFO 0 Community Groups Notes January 12, 2009 West End Building Santiam Room — 6 p.m. aE� Council: Mayor Hoffman, Councilors Tierney, Moncrieff, Hennagin, Johnson, Olson; Jordan Staff: Alex McIntyre; David Powell; Stephan Lashbrook; Jane McGarvin Mayor Hoffman explained the format of the meeting. Arts Council (Cheryl Brock, Executive Director and Don Caldwell. Chair) • Reviewed Mission of the Arts Council • Programs include Gallery without Walls Sculpture Exhibition (art on loan located on the street); Chronicle Invitational Exhibition; Public Art, Playwright Competition; Art in Education; First Friday Art Walk; Art literacy • Looking into creating a Public Art Master Plan • Art Collection includes 200 pieces, with 60 outdoors. • Relocation of the Fairy Tree Sculpture in George Rogers Park in George Rogers Park, as it has been used as a play structure and there are liability issues as they are played on. • Would like to create a regional art gallery Lake Oswego Neighborhood Action Coalition (Dan Vizzini, Chair) • Handout detailing the results from the Listening Session • Review five goals from LONAC: o Make substantial progress to adopt and implement neighborhood plans, develop neighborhood design overlay zones, and include neighbor -identified capital projects in the City's Capital Improvement Plan o Adopt infill standards that regulate the size, scale, setbacks and compatibility of new development, consistent with the character of residential neighborhoods, and ensure compliance with these standards by establishing a development review commission for residential development. o Conduct an efficient and focused community progress to address the most critical policies issues regarding land use, development and growth management; and then use the resulting policy decisions to guide a complete re- write of the Community Development Code. Organize and draft a CDC with sufficient clarity and specificity to ensure the faithful implementation of City goals and policies. Hold off on Visioning process proposed by City Staff as part of the Comprehensive Development Code. o Conduct an inclusive and transparent review of City facilities and future facility needs, guided by a committee comprised to citizens and representatives from City advisory boards and commissions. o Provide adequate funding for library operations and services, and acquire a site or sites for library facilities to meet the needs of the entire community. • Attachment A to Memo includes items identified specifically by the LONAC membership. • Building Trust by Council with citizens: "Work of the Community is only achi vable if there is a strong sense of trust, and without it, there is too much friction." Community Groups Notes January 12, 2009 • See some successes by the City this year. LONAC willing to develop a small list of things based on the City's and LONAC's priorities they feel could be achieved. • Explained his concerns regarding the periodic review process, and proposal to conduct a full blown visioning process similar to what the City of Hillsboro. Suggested a smaller process such as reviewing the inventory of studies and plans that the City has gone through during the past decade that could be used to define a vision of the community. Utilize talent existing in community relating to this issue. • Visioning not good investment in current recession. While he spent 8 years on Planning Commission, he had been the aggressive supporter of the visioning process. • Councilor Johnson supported getting inventory of what plans and studies have been done, as a good place to start. • Councilor Tierney asked if Mr. Vizzini would be providing additional information about recommendations 1 through 5 (stated above). Mr. Vizzini noted he could provide additional information, to connect the dots as they are somewhat integrated. • Councilor Olson asked for additional information concerning Recommendation #5 regarding "adequate funding of library" in light of the County Library Service District funding measure being approved last November. • Councilor Jordan asked which comes first, a development review process for residential development or the comprehensive plan and neighborhood plans updates completed first. • Mr. Vizzini noted only about 5% of residential applicants would end up in the review process once the codes and neighborhood plans were completed. Lake Oswego Corporation (Skip O'Neill, Chair) • Slow the flow of water in the lake. • Four major inflows to the lake create havoc; proposed addressing one source a year and then look at the results. • Dredging is very large a project. Lake Corp was saving $100,000 a year for dredging that costs $1 million. Last dredging was in 1996, but was not as extensive as it should have been in some areas. • Springbrook Creek Neighborhood trying to come up with plan dealing with silt from entering lake. • Need to modify dam by putting a notch in with a hydraulic gate that could be raised and release more water than came over the headgate on the Tualatin River. • 1996 Flood — Tualatin was 8 feet over the headgate, 5700 cu ft per second. Current ability is 1200-1300 cubic feet per second. Preliminary engineering on the modified gate would release 6500 cubic feet per second. • Design of Foothills area acts like a swimming pool, easily flooded. • Modification of dam would avoid several hundred homes on the lake and the Foothills area from flooding like occurred in 1996. • As the LOIS kicks off in next month or so, asked that City be sensitive to Lake Corporations shareholders, as they are taking brunt of the project, and happy City listened and took off the west end of the lake. Applaud long term thinking by the City. Lake Oswego Chamber of Commerce (Jerry Wheeler, Executive Director) • Distributed handout describing Chamber's programs and activities. • Serves members, and priority is to members. • Why join members: education, visibility, advocacy, networking with other businesses Community Groups Notes 2 January 12, 2009 • Core Values: membership, marketing, strategic alliances, business education and professional development • Issues presented at Community Forum on January 10: Downtown Redevelopment, Wizer Block, Foothills development; Streetcar between Lake Oswego to Portland; Downtown and Lake Grove Town Center; Interaction between public and Planning Departments; Economic Development, Stafford area (Lake Oswego is one of three communities and residents living in the area); and the tough economic times, and helping business stick around with some help. • Councilor Jordan — Noted LONAC was enthusiastic about being involved in pre - application process. When pre -applications are filed with Planning, suggested experienced chamber members assist prospective business owners get through the planning process, and explain process. Mr. O'Leary noted the Downtown Business District Association and Lake Grove Business District Association have several members who have been doing that for the past year in assisting with the pre -application process. • Mr. Vizzini noted during this downturn in the economy, residential neighbors form a marriage with neighboring commercial areas. Residents need to buy from local businesses. • Councilor Tierney asked what could be accomplished under the broad topic of economic development. Mr. Wheeler said the first step would be to create the organization, who would sit on the committee and how to interact with the City. The second step would be to define and market for that, and where does the money come from. Many areas put together a public/private partnership to tap available resources that are available. • Mayor Hoffman asked what the next 18 months looks like for retail businesses, and is anything being done. • Carol Winston replied that as a retailer, she cannot compete with 75% off sales held by some large chain department stores. Her business supplies salaries to 10 employees which goes right back into the community. The community needs to keep business here. If not, there will be a lot of small businesses closing. Try to get people to understand need to support local business. Advertise in Lake Oswego Review and small amount in The Oregonian. Thanked City and DBDA for Live PDX. Starbucks next to her is reducing their hours. Think where you spend money, and need the community to understand that the soccer team and school auctions rely on the local businesses for donations. • Mr. Wheeler — try to discover ways to market businesses, and looking at ways to market businesses to other businesses. Utilized on-line blasts to members through the holidays. • Lisa Shaw -Ryan — sales are down, and businesses are struggling. Downtown Business District Association (Lisa Shaw -Ryan, Chair) • Started work last year on a comprehensive brand for the downtown area and seek partnership because do not have dollars to make a big impact. Will continue this coming year. • Went to City Manager Alex McIntyre and Redevelopment Director Bob Galante and asked for larger web presence — resulted in Live PDX. • Live PDX has TV spots, video tours, and sales staff goes out and sell for us because individual business owners cannot leave their business to go out making these calls and contacts. DBDA approached Barry Cain of Gramor Development, who committed $16,000 for the next two years for DBDA into the Live PDX program and other marketing Community Groups Notes 3 January 12, 2009 programs. Kelly Peake and she worked hard putting together this program that Mr. Cain provided this funding. • Working on Main Street Oregon program for the downtown area (Lake Grove area is also working on similar program), a resource that brings assets to the business area. City is a partner in program. • Noted that 70% of City's retail dollars are spent outside the community, so try to bring back those customers as well as attract customers from outside the City to Lake Oswego retailers. • Main Street Oregon mimics other main streets across the nation to attract and retain retail sales in the city. • Send message to residents, LONAC members, churches, schools, everyone, with a consistent message about the opportunities in the local area, as it puts a face on local business. • Two key marketing strategies for the coming year are: 0 1) a sidewalk sale in June to work around the Rotary's Lobster Feed, which would draw people back at other times when they see what is available; and 0 2) full holiday market plan for November and December of this year titled "Home for the Holidays 2009." Coordinate the whole area including the Lake Grove area merchants. Combine the Tree Lighting, the Junior Women's Home Tour — and bring together for bigger bang for the buck. Coordinate with Live PDX for some marketing. Would look to Council to have staff support and help of program. This is a volunteer organization trying to help itself. Need some time, dollars and expertise to help locate the dollars. Commended Chamber's Fusion program to bring people together. • City's Redevelopment Plan includes priority projects, but worth taking look at current list given the current economic climate and reprioritize projects. Are these still the top priorities, look at facilities, and property acquisitions — and tweaking the Plan. • Pollack Building for sale, but not completed. There are a number of significant leases and building needs to get completed for occupancy. • Councilor Jordan noted Hillsboro holds Farmers' Markets on a mid -week evening, and Lake Oswego holds movies in the park on Thursday evenings. Proposed businesses staying open until 9 p.m. that would draw people to the downtown area, and possibly draw them back other times. Coordinate sales with Farmers' Market on Saturday's. • Holiday Market started to drive up the downtown area, and downtown businesses marketed that connection. However, the move to the West End Building doesn't do what it was intended to do by drawing business to the Lake Grove, downtown, or Palisades areas. It's a great holiday bazaar though. When economic discussion is held, City should include retailers and business owners in the discussion to shed light on potential impact. She did not think it was the intent to hurt business, but did not understand the intent in the first place. • Councilor Jordan talked about clustering businesses that support each other and identifying by use of surveys to identify leakage of local dollars, what products or goods are not available in Lake Oswego and it is necessary to go elsewhere. Ms. Winston noted there is a misconception that businesses and retailers are too expensive and Lake Oswego residents do not shop here because everything costs too much. Her business is a moderate to upper priced retailer. Need to dispel that ugly rumor. • Jude Graham noted she volunteered in two communities on their economic development committees which raised $5 million for businesses with $40,000 in seed money. Community Groups Notes 4 January 12, 2009 • Chuck O'Leary noted identifying the leakage by residents buying elsewhere is part of the Main Street Oregon program, and identifying the leakage is the next phase their group is in as part of the Main Street Oregon program. Lake Grove Business District (Chuck O'Leary, Chair) • Main Street Economic Development Program • Getting staff time from City • Shop Local program, including logo and branding as part of the Lake Grove Business District; celebrate long time business owners • Business District representatives meet regularly • How to capture 20% additional sales from city residents — will be talking about • Plan formal presentation of program • Lake Grove Village Town Center Plan — Next steps by continuing to work with City staff, consider establishment of urban development district for the area as it is a 2-3 year process to form before programs can be started. Every year that goes by without this, the area is loosing ground. • Councilor Johnson asked if there is enough contact with the City Council or should there be a Council liaison with the Business Districts — Mr. O'Leary responded the more communication the better. Will be inviting Councilors to attend their board meetings. • Ms. Shaw -Ryan noted the Fusion program is an excellent communication forum, and noted business owners need to run their businesses on a day to day basis. Many are on the same boards and commissions. A lot of communication among DBDA is through email rather than attending meetings. • Councilor Jordan noted one goal of the Sustainability Advisory Board has to do with working with businesses, by trying to educate on green business practices. One way is to shop local. Suggest the SAB members talk with their boards. • Councilor Olson supports Councilor interactions with the Business Districts. • Mr. Wheeler noted there is a city representative on the Chamber Board, but they would like to see attendance by Councilors at their events. • Mr. Vizzini asked if it would be possible to create a core of retired executives in Lake Oswego to help area businesses, similar to the SCORE program that operates in other areas. • Ms. Shaw -Ryan stated they utilized SCORE when they started their business. • Mr. Vizzini suggested the ACC might be a resource. • Councilor Jordan proposed another avenue might be high school students to work on marketing programs. • Councilor Johnson noted the Youth Council was looking for a project, and would be able to talk with their teachers to get something started. • Ms. Shaw -Ryan noted business owners have great marketing ideas, but do not have the funds to contract with marketing firms, as they are pricy. Some coordination of the Live PDX was a great resource. Lake Oswego Rotary (Carol Winston, president) • Overview: Lake Oswego Rotary has 154 members, is the 4th largest of 73 clubs in the district, and celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2008. • Lobster Feed and Auction — proceeds support many programs in the area • Partnerships with City, Heritage Council, Arts Council, Lakewood Center for the Arts, Farmers' Market, Lake Oswego Reads. • New Projects: working with Luscher Farms coordinator to collect used gardening tools Community Groups Notes 5 January 12, 2009 • Want to continue conversations with the City, and are looking for hands on projects, whether pulling weeds or painting houses. • Councilor Jordan asked if Rotary might consider being included in a "Friend of a Park' program, by adopting a small area in a park to take care of. Ms. Winston responded she would request the Community Service Chair to work with City staff on projects. Oswego Heritage Council (Jude Graham, Executive Director) • Excited that City took on the Historic Furnace Restoration Project • 1 st Wednesdays — Partners with the Library • February 1 st Wednesday — speaker relates to the LO Reads — Stubborn Twig • Receives donations of photographs, diaries, other memorabilia • Getting ready for Lake Oswego's centennial in 2010 • Several Oswego Heritage Council members took on project of photographing every grave in the Pioneer Cemetery as well as going to the State Archives to look up birth, death and census records of those individuals. Database will be developed of this information. • February 21 is their annual meeting • Facility Rental — Lost income due to the two weeks of lost income due to the weather conditions over the holidays. • Forty limbs came down during the snow storm, and someone from the City picked up limbs from alongside the road. • Annual Art Show held the Saturday and Sunday after Thanksgiving — over 100 people came in who didn't know about the Heritage Council • Membership Drive - $25 per year, and fund a number of programs including scholarships, save houses, the Cemetery project • Annual Car Show scheduled August 23, 2009, will have over 200 cars. • Home Tour in May • Exhibits at the Center — including one from the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office in the fall. • Transferring some older photos and items to the City Library as their storage area is not temperature and humidity controlled. • Board members participate in Oral History Project, by video taping elderly residents who have lived in Lake Oswego for many years. Mr. Vizzini noted LONAC members have indicated an interested in assisting with this project. Adjourned at 8:00 p.m. Respectfully submitted, 1-�� JVZJ - Robyn thristie City Recorder PPROVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL: Hoffman, Geffimunity Groups Notes 6 January 12, 2009