Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutApproved Minutes - 2009-01-13 Special° Alf[ CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING MINUTES January 13, 2009 OR[(pN Mayor Jack Hoffman called the special City Council meeting to order at 6:10 p.m. on January 13, 2009, in the City Council Chambers, 380 A Avenue. Present: Mayor Hoffman, Councilors Jordan, Hennagin, Johnson (6:17), Olson, Moncrieff, and Tierney Staff Present:Alex McIntyre, City Manager; David Powell, City Attorney; Robyn Christie, City Recorder; Stephan Lashbrook, Community Development Director; Bill Baars, Library Director Board Chairs: Jeannie McGuire, HRAB; Tamra Brosseau, HRAB; Nancy Shatsky, Library Advisory Board; Morgan Holen, NRAB; John McComish, PRAB; Sandy Intraversato, PRAB; Terry Keyes, TAB; Gail Zimmerman, 50+ Advisory Board; Janine Dunphy, 50+ Advisory Board; Julia Glisson, Planning Commission; Jean Baumann, Sustainability Advisory Board; Krystyna Stadnik, DRC; Ron Smith, Citizen's Budget Committee 3. STUDY SESSION 3.1 Welcome and Introductions Mayor Hoffman welcomed the advisory board members. 3.2 Presentation of 2009 Goals • Historic Resources Advisory Board (HRAB) Ms. McGuire referenced the January 13, 2009, memo from the Historic Resources Advisory Board to the Council (pp.3-6). She mentioned that, within the last two years, Lake Oswego became a Certified Local Government with the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), which gave the Board access to grant money. She reviewed Goal 1, regarding surveying 10 historic properties and the Cultural Resources Inventory (p.4). She spoke of having an intern do the research on cultural inventories, which was a time-consuming and enormous task. She explained that the Cultural Resources Inventory and the Landmark Designation List were two separate documents. She explained to Councilor Hennagin that 'historic places' referred to sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places, while 'historic landmarks' referred to sites listed on Lake Oswego's Landmark Designation List. 'Cultural resources' referred to historic properties listed in the `umbrella book' of the Cultural Resources Inventory. She indicated to Councilor Jordan that, in terms of the architectural criterion for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places, only what a property owner did to the outside of the house mattered. A homeowner had to maintain the historical architectural integrity of the exterior, but he/she could make whatever changes he/she wanted to make on the interior. She discussed Goal 2, regarding nominating one property to the National Register of Historic Places (p.4). She recommended nominating the Ironworker's Cottage. She encouraged the Council to find funding to take care of the cottage, the same as it did for the furnace. She clarified to Councilor Moncrieff that, following completion of the research, HRAB sent the Ironworker's Cottage on to SHPO for the next step of SHPO making the recommendation for nomination. She observed that it was a lengthy process to get a building on the National Register. City Council Special Meeting Minutes Page 1 of 12 January 13, 2009 She indicated that, with grant money, HRAB could continue this process of researching properties and sending them on to SHPO for nomination. Ms. Brosseau discussed Goal 3, asking the Council to consider appointing a task force for the development of an Iron Heritage Trail (p.5). She noted that heritage trails were educational and cultural tools that could bring tourism dollars into a community (they were common on the East Coast but rare on the West Coast). She explained that heritage trails were not necessarily physical trails but rather different places connected by a theme. She indicated that the Oswego Heritage House was one of 25 sites on the "Tell -a -Tales" Heritage Trail in Clackamas County. She reviewed Goal 4, funding the Ironworker's Cottage (p.5), which was a significant historical resource in the community. She indicated to Councilor Jordan that the architect's estimate of around $100,000 included more work than the stabilization of the building envelope that HRAB was looking for, but it was probably in the ballpark. She discussed Goal 5, continuing HRAB's support of the iron furnace restoration (p.5). Ms. McGuire discussed Goal 6, investigating new properties for the landmark designation list (pp.5-6). She mentioned in particular researching the Headrick -Carothers House, the Trueblood House, and the Lake Grove Fire District building. She described the activities involved in Goal 7, celebrating National Historic Preservation Month in May (p.6). She mentioned working with the Heritage Council in providing interpretative displays of sites and artifacts, Goal 8 (p.6). She spoke of providing educational opportunities for HRAB members (Goal 9, p.6), such as her representing HRAB at the Oregon Heritage Conference last year. She discussed the status of the Trueblood House relocation, which HRAB would continue to monitor (Goal 10, p.6). She confirmed to Mayor Hoffman that HRAB would like the Council to find funding for the Ironworker's Cottage and to consider setting up an Iron Heritage Trail Task Force. e Library Advisory Board (LAB) Ms. Shatsky reviewed the Board's successes in 2008 and its plans for 2009 (see handout). She mentioned the "LO Reads" program, in which the Board would continue to take a leadership role in the planning and presentation of events. She noted the Board's fundraising efforts, including Council direction for 2009 regarding fundraising options for the endowment and annual fund, as well as raising funds for the '10 Reads" program. She indicated to Councilor Tierney that, while she did not know the final number for the results of fundraising in 2008, that last number she heard was $1,200. She discussed the Board's community outreach and partnerships, including a booth at the Farmers Market, fully implementing the neighborhood outreach plan in 2009, and increasing the library's mailing list. She spoke of increasing community awareness of library services, programs, and issues, as well as coordinating library activities with other community and civic groups. She indicated to Councilor Tierney that, with respect to the library levy, the Board looked at the information provided by the Library Director and considered how it might affect the library. She indicated to Councilor Johnson that, in 2009, the Board looked for continued support from the City Council. She confirmed to Councilor Jordan that, in the past, the Board has found synergetic opportunities to work with other City boards, such as the Historic Resources Advisory Board, in coordinating library activities to other Boards' events. Mr. Baars mentioned that last year the Council changed the library mission to include providing to the public information from historic documents about Lake Oswego. Ms. Shatsky clarified to Mayor Hoffmann that the Board had a part in the Steering Committee's selection of the "LO Reads" book for 2010, but it would not make the decision itself. City Council Special Meeting Minutes Page 2 of 12 January 13, 2009 • Natural Resources Advisory Board (NRAB) Ms. Holen thanked the Council for its support last year, noting that the Board accomplished nearly all of its 2008 goals. She expressed their appreciation for the tremendous support and encouragement the Board received from former Councilor Groznik, the then -Council's liaison. She reviewed the Board's 2008 accomplishments, as listed on the chart (p.19, Council packet), within their 2008 goals of developing a natural area parks management program, promoting water quality and conservation, developing a community education program, implementing the Urban and Community Forestry Plan, and establishing the Sustainability Advisory Board. She mentioned the Council's approval of the Cooks Butte Natural Area Management Plan, the Urban and Community Forestry Plan, and the Sustainability Advisory Board. She noted that Board members were still in the process of contacting Council members individually to discuss topics, such as securing $30,000 to $50,000 in support of Cooks Butte Plan, Phase 2. She pointed out that, while they took some steps in outreach activities, they did not actually develop a community wide education plan last year. This year they have rewritten the education goal. She reviewed the six 2009 goals, as listed on p. 20, and the specific objectives. She spoke of continuing to develop the natural area park management program, including obtaining adequate staffing to replace the AmeriCorps position that the City would no longer be eligible for next year. She noted their goals of participating in the Comprehensive Plan update, continuing the Board's support of the implementation of the Urban and Community Forestry Plan, and promoting water quality and conservation. She also mentioned their desire to have a Board member participate in the Periodic Review Task Force. She spoke of increasing environmental awareness through educational outreach, including more booths at the Farmers Market and at least two Neighborwoods workshops. She said that they also planned to participate in developing the City's Centennial celebration events. She explained to Councilor Hennagin that Neighborwoods was an educational outreach element in the Urban and Community Forestry Plan, which they modeled after similar programs in other communities. This year, with the help of the AmeriCorps volunteers, they presented four Saturday workshops on different topics. She clarified that, along with City staff, NRAB played a big role in developing the Urban and Community Forestry Plan. She explained to the Councilor that they were losing the Parks & Recreation AmeriCorps volunteer after several years because AmeriCorps saw a recurring request for the same job as evidence of the need for a fulltime employee to fill the position, and stopped sending a volunteer. She mentioned that they had a Community Forestry volunteer for at least one more year. Mr. McIntyre indicated to Councilor Tierney that staff would run the Clean Stream Plan back through the process, including getting feedback from NRAB. Councilor Olson commented that she thought the Cooks Butte management plan was an excellent piece of work. She mentioned her strong support of management plans for all the City's open spaces. Councilor Jordan suggested that NRAB's community outreach this year include the need to maintain big trees in a healthy state. She pointed out that some of the big trees lost branches or cracked in half during the recent winter storm. Ms. Holen concurred that that was an important message. She recalled that, at the Farmers Market, people would come with pictures and ask tree maintenance questions of the arborists staffing the booth. • Parks & Recreation Advisory Board (PRAB) Mr. McComish reviewed the six 2009 goals of their Board (see handout). He spoke of using the West End Building to provide programming space for Parks & Rec programs (Goal 1), for which the City had difficulty finding space. He mentioned that the Board strongly supported a multi- generational facility at the West End Building. City Council Special Me ting Minutes Page 3 of 12 January 13, 2009 He spoke of initiating a Parks & Recreation Comprehensive Plan (Goal 2), which would set community priorities. He noted that they had not done an assessment of the community's priorities since 2002, and normally these assessments were done every three to five years. He pointed out that they needed a master plan for Luscher Farm and the surrounding park properties (Goal 3), as they have added 86 acres in the Stafford area since the 1997 Luscher Farm plan was done. He mentioned that several community groups interested in the area held opposing positions on what to do with the land. He emphasized the need to use an outside consultant in developing the plan in order to ensure that it was done properly. He indicated that, before obtaining DRC approval for the construction of Phase 5 of the George Rogers Park Master Plan (Goal 4), they wanted to secure funding in 2009 for construction in 2010. He said that the Board fully supported moving forward with Phase 2 of the Cooks Butte management plan, as part of managing the City's natural areas (Goal 5). He discussed the last goal of promoting the fitness, health, and wellness of the community, particularly the children, by developing afterschool active activities. He spoke of re -packaging Parks & Rec programs for better marketing and community participation. He mentioned that a high priority, but not a goal, was to finish the design work on the trails. Ms. Intraversato cited the request for the Board to look at the golf course as an example of the need for a Parks & Recreation Comprehensive Plan (Goal 2). The Board did not know what the citizens wanted at that site, and it did not want to make a decision based on outdated information. She commented that the Parks & Rec Department was doing a great job in providing programs, yet there was a concern about the fitness of both youth and adults. She speculated that with a college intern and some volunteer work, they could develop a good plan. She asked the Council to give the Board a low budget item that it could work on for the City. She indicated to Ms. Baumann that the Board has thought about connecting its Parks & Recreation Comprehensive planning with the City Comprehensive Plan update. She noted that their plan would go into more detail regarding the specific goals of the community, but the broader plan would help them with their more focused plan. Mr. McComish indicated to Councilor Tierney that the Board did not include a goal of acquiring more parkland because it wanted its goals to reflect the reality of its funding level. He mentioned that Ms. Gilmer was always on the look out for open space. Mayor Hoffman pointed out that doing a Parks & Recreation Comprehensive Plan would help inform a decision on whether the community needed any more parkland. Ms. McGuire indicated to Mayor Hoffman that she knew that the consultant has spoken with a few Old Town residents on Ladd Street regarding Phase 5 of the George Rogers Master Plan. She explained that Old Town as a whole deferred to the Ladd Street residents on that issue because the parking problems have affected them for so many years. Mr. McComish indicated to Mayor Hoffman that the City has finished the design work for a green street on Ladd Street, and that the residents hoped for funding in 2010, but he did not know when construction would start. Councilor Jordan asked if there was some way that the Council could facilitate the Parks & Rec Department getting together with the School District to discuss the provision of health and wellness programs for youth. Mr. McComish commented that he would like to see such cooperation, but he knew that it has been a challenge in the past. • Transportation Advisory Board (TAB) Mr. K yes pointed out that, with Lake Oswego being a mature suburb, the Board dealt with fixing road problems and neighborhood traffic problems, rather than with building roads. He mentioned the excellence of the traffic engineering staff at the City. City Council Special Meeting Minutes Page 4 of 12 January 13, 2009 He reviewed the Board's accomplishments in 2008 (see handout). He observed that people brought their issues to the Board only if staff could not solve it, which staff often could do. He mentioned receiving several requests for speed bumps, while noting that speed bumps were expensive and not very effective. He said that the Board might do something temporary on Cardinal Drive because it would be a detour route during sewer interceptor construction. He reported that the McVey/State Street merge lane made that intersection significantly safer. He mentioned that the neighborhood did not like any of the changes suggested for the Six Corners intersection, and wanted it to stay the way it was. The Board and staff decided that the reason why that intersection worked (it should be a nightmare) was because its chaotic nature made people drive more carefully. He mentioned that a project to fix a dangerous hillside section of Laurel Street, which was heavily used by school children, would probably end up in the capital improvement plan at some time, but the feasibility study done by staff determined that it would be an expensive fix. He indicated that they would continue to work on slowing down the traffic on Quarry Street, including asking the Police Department to put on extra patrols in areas with speeding problems. He reviewed the Board's objectives for 2009 (see handout). He said that they would continue to do their main job of working on neighborhood traffic issues, which they solved 95% of the time, and to provide feedback to staff on problem areas. He mentioned that staff would be submitting a grant application to the State for funding to do a Transportation System Plan update in conjunction with the City Comprehensive Plan update. He spoke to making sure that the plan included non -vehicle elements, such as sidewalks gaps. He noted that they were trying to keep up on the status of the streetcar extension, which the Board felt was a critical element. He indicated to Councilor Moncrieff that they did not have an updated comprehensive pathway/sidewalk plan. He explained that that was one chapter in the Transportation System Plan, and included a citywide inventory of all sidewalks and gaps. He confirmed that they obtained neighborhood input in deciding on priorities to fill in gaps, and that they were working with Safe Routes to Schools. He was doubtful about being able to coordinate project timing between utilities digging up the road for a project and the City installing a pathway. Mr. Lashbrook indicated to Mr. Smith that this Board did not get involved with future development projects. If the Wizer block had a traffic issue, then the developer would go to the DRC. Mr. Keyes indicated to Ms. McGuire that the Board dealt with pedestrian safety, such as crossing State Street. Councilor Jordan pointed out that the State controlled what happened on State Street, including traffic signals and pedestrian crossings. Mayor Hoffman mentioned reading that speed bumps were not effective, citing a new theory from the Netherlands that chaos worked. Mr. Keyes concurred, pointing out that speed bumps worked only in very selective situations, and only in multiples. Mayor Hoffman observed that street trees worked better at slowing down traffic. Councilor Jordan pointed out that big tree roots represented a tripping hazard when they pushed up sidewalks or pathways. She suggested using pavers instead of asphalt, which would help with storm water drainage as well as with the tree root situation. Mr. Keyes indicated that, as an engineer, he has put pavers around a big tree on a pervious cement sidewalk. One could then replace pavers as the tree roots grew without harming the tree. Councilor Jordan observed that the City had great resources with its Boards and Commission volunteers, and it needed to get them together more often to talk about these issues. Mayor Hoffman recessed the meeting at 7:30 p.m. for a break. He reconvened the meeting at 7:42 p.m. • 50+ Advisory Board City Council Special Meeting Minutes Page 5 of 12 January 13, 2009 Ms. Dunphy recalled the process used by the Council to create the 50+ Advisory Board, following the 50+ community dialogs (see handout). She explained that the Board has kept in mind the four focuses identified through that process: maintaining independence, a connected and intergenerational community, wellness, and life planning/meaningful service. She noted that 60% of Lake Oswego residents did not have children, and represented the fastest growing segment of the population. She reviewed the Board's 2008 projects (see handout). She reported that, given the postponement of the RFP for a pilot shuttle program, they decided, given the current economic situation, to look at other transportation methods for dealing with the transportation issues identified through the dialogs. She mentioned the Board's support of the staff work in progress on revising the code with respect to the permitting process for secondary dwelling units. She reported that, at the joint meeting of various health systems representatives arranged by the Board to discuss establishing a central contact point for people turning 65 and looking for a doctor, the health system representatives decided that it was not feasible to have one point of contact for all health systems. However, the Board's work might have pushed Legacy towards implementing a one point contact for its own system. She mentioned the Board's initiation of a Neighbors Helping Neighbors pilot project in the McVey/South Shore neighborhood, and its efforts to partner with Elders in Action. Ms. Zimmerman reviewed the 2009 work plan, which focused on transportation, housing, advocacy, and volunteerism (see handout). She indicated that, in their review of the shuttle study, they found other methods identified in the study that they could possibly leverage off of the existing resources in the community, such as the Adult Community Center (ACC), or improving Tri -Met bus stops. She mentioned researching what other communities were doing to address the transportation needs of 50+ people. She mentioned looking into the need for crosswalks, such as on McVey, and monitoring the code revision process for secondary dwelling unit permits. She spoke of supporting accessible housing projects, such as barrier -free and wheel -chair accessible homes, and co -housing. She mentioned working with Elders in Action to get all city and commercial buildings certified as `Elder -friendly businesses.' She indicated that, while they supported using the West End Building for intergenerational activities, they intended to support the ACC's efforts to promote awareness of its programs and services. She commented that she knew many 50 to 70 year old people would not go to the ACC because of their perception that it was unattractive and unsuitable. She indicated that they would like to be a part of the Comprehensive Plan update process. She said that they would continue their efforts to support the Spring 2009 Neighbors helping Neighbors program, such as bringing together neighborhood association chairs to discuss the program. She spoke of finding alternative volunteer opportunities for 50+ people. She commented that they had a great group on the Board, including five new members. She mentioned their intentions to meet with other boards, such as the Transportation Advisory Board and the Sustainability Advisory Board to find out where they overlapped. She indicated to Councilor Johnson that the Board has not worked with the ACC to locate 50+ programs offsite of the ACC. Ms. Dunphy commented that the ACC Director's goal was to keep the facility full, which she was trying to do with a variety of events, such as a Wine and Jazz event in February. She mentioned that she thought having classes at the West End Building might be a way to attract those people who would not go to the ACC. Councilor Johnson spoke to holding programs offsite as a means of increasing awareness of what the ACC had to offer, and possibly changing minds that way. Ms. Zimmermann mentioned that ultimately drawing people to the ACC was one reason behind holding the Senior Study program at the West End Building. She recalled noticing during her review of the shuttle study that the ACC already offered some transportation services, but people were not aware of that. City Council Special Meeting Minutes Page 6 of 12 January 13, 2009 Mr. Smith stated that he was a member of the ACC and found its programs and services very useful. He described it as `one of the best things going,' and spoke of pushing the barrier to increase awareness. Councilor Hennagin supported the Board's interest in secondary dwelling units and co -housing. Ms. Dunphy clarified to the Councilor that the Senior Studies program involved community education courses for seniors, as opposed to PCC gerontology students studying seniors. Councilor Tierney asked for more elaboration on what the Board would contribute to the visioning process and the Comprehensive Plan update. He commented that the policy implications of an aging population needed to be factored into future thinking. Ms. Zimmermann said that, other than the issues that they have already identified and were working on, they did not have anything more. She mentioned an upcoming meeting with the Redevelopment Director to discuss the revisions to the Tri -Met bus stop at Safeway. She commented that she heard differing reports on the usefulness of Tri -Met to the community. Councilor Jordan pointed out that the 50+ population typically needed bus transportation during off-peak hours, but Tri-Met's schedule focused on accommodating peak hour riders. Councilor Olson spoke to widening the partnerships for the Neighbors helping Neighbors program to include schools. She commented that she had seen positive interaction when her son and his football buddies helped a senior citizen through that program. Ms. Zimmermann mentioned that she did have the names of the vice principals. Ms. Stadnik noted that the junior highs had volunteer opportunity programs throughout the year, and would probably appreciate a call. Ms. Zimmerman indicated to Mayor Hoffman that Dawn D'Haeze ran the Neighbors helping Neighbors program. • Planning Commission Ms. Glisson reviewed the Board highlights for 2008. She mentioned reviewing and recommending the Palisades Neighborhood Plan, and the night sky/outdoor lighting ordinance. She noted the completion of the Lake Grove Village Center plan, and the consequent research into transportation and economic studies and the RFP. She indicated that the transportation phase of the study should be complete in June. She reviewed the Commission's 2009 projects (see handout), noting that most of them were ongoing projects that the Commission has been working on for some time. She discussed the natural resources planning project. She explained that they split the build up of needed code amendments into housekeeping and policy amendments. While they have worked through the housekeeping amendments and many of the policy amendments, they decided to hold off on a few standout policy issues until after the open house scheduled for Saturday, January 24. She gave an example of a major issue, asking the question, "What was a reasonable size for a house on a lot that was either totally or largely encumbered by a sensitive lands designation?" She commented that they were trying to balance the value of the natural resources and the rights of the individual property owners. She mentioned that, in the visioning process, the Commission might revisit any amendments made to the code. She discussed the infill project, in which the Commission was reviewing and taking testimony on the work of the Infill Committee before making a recommendation to Council. She explained that the infill amendments fell into two categories: Comprehensive Plan amendments and Code amendments. The Comprehensive Plan amendments were the use of overlays to implement neighborhood plans, and design review. She indicated that the Commission has asked staff for additional information on design review, given its probable significant impact on staff and City resources. She discussed the neighborhood planning project. She indicated that they expected to see code amendments coming out of the staff work on the four partially implemented neighborhood plans. City Council Special Meeting Minutes Page 7 of 12 January 13, 2009 She said that they would like a Councilor and three neighborhood representatives to join two Planning Commissioners and staff on a work group reviewing the neighborhood planning process from plan selection to the final document. She discussed the Comprehensive Plan update/Periodic review project. She indicated that, at the Commission meeting last night, the public expressed concern about the timeline, the cost of doing a vision, and the possible distraction to the staff addressing current issues. She mentioned the community's questioning of even doing a visioning process when so much has already been done. She said that the Commission liked Option 3 of the process options provided by staff. This option provided concurrent tracks for the technical aspects and laying a foundation for the visioning process based on already completed plans and studies, while still maintaining the City's ability to address current community issues. She commented that that option best responded to the concerns that the Commission heard from the public last night. She noted that staff and the Commission have already made a start on the technical aspects of the periodic review. She spoke of looking at periodic review and visioning through the lens of sustainability. She mentioned the Commission's intent to discuss more thoroughly how to define the visioning process. She noted the question of how big should this process be, whether it should focus on the pertinent planning issues or expand to include all the other aspects of multi -faceted city life. She discussed the annual update of the Community Development Code project. She indicated that they were moving forward in addressing the general housekeeping amendments, but holding off on some of the policy -related issues for the visioning process. She said that the Commission generally thought that code typically followed policy. She discussed the Lake Grove Village Center project. She spoke of developing the plan's stylebook, which would provide guidance on design elements to unify the Center, such as streetscape elements and gateway themes. She explained that an important part of the stylebook was to take the code and provide visual examples illustrating what good development could look like. She mentioned the new projects, including the Community Development Code revision. She discussed the Planning Commission's role as the Citizen Involvement Committee. She indicated that the Commission was prepared to take up the Metro UGB in Stafford issue and the hamlet work, if those came to the Commission. Councilor Hennagin asked for clarification on the distinction between the Community Development Code annual update and the rewrite. Ms. Glisson explained that this was a case of dealing with what needed to be dealt with now (the update), and not waiting to deal with current issues until after the revision. She reiterated that there were some policy items that the Commission would hold off on to see if there were policy changes coming out of the visioning process. She indicated that the code rewrite would deal more with format and ease of use than with actual content issues. She said that they would look to the Council for direction on whether to hold off on the housekeeping updates and wait for a rewrite. She indicated to the Councilor that some of the proposed content amendments were already three years old, and waiting another three years for the Comprehensive Plan update process to finish was inconceivable to some people. She spoke to addressing the pressing issues, even though they knew that the Comprehensive Plan would change as a result of periodic review. Councilor Olson pointed out that staff recommended updating the Code before anyone thought of a Code rewrite or a visioning process because there has not been an annual update of the Code; it has been three years since the last one. She commented that a Code rewrite would make it easier to integrate the changes coming out of the Comprehensive Plan update. Ms. Glisson clarified to Councilor Hennagin that the Commission was not recommending putting limits on neighborhood overlays. She explained that the amendment stating that neighborhood City Council Special Meeting Minutes Page 8 of 12 January 13, 2009 district overlays would be usable as ways of implementing neighborhood plans was simply putting into policy something that was already in practice. This made the Comprehensive Plan consistent with stated community desires. Councilor Tierney recalled hearing, during the campaign, a community concern regarding the Code's complexity. He noted the Matrix study's finding that a complex code led to equally complex decisions made by different people in different ways. He asked what the Planning Commission needed from the City Council and the staff to achieve its long list of important projects. Ms. Glisson spoke of receiving guidance from the Council on periodic review and the visioning process. She explained that, once they had that, they could better organize their efforts and identify their priorities. She commented that they have been entrenched in the Code update for most of the year, but last night she saw new energy on the Commission while discussing periodic review and the visioning process. She emphasized that the Commission would appreciate any guidance from the City Council on other issues also, such as neighborhood planning. Councilor Jordan commented that the Lake Grove Village Center stylebook was a key component in the plan that would be helpful in avoiding cookie cutter development. She held that the issue of most concern to people was that, once they resolved the transportation and right-of-way issues and redevelopment started, the plan could get lost in look-alike development, instead of creating the eclectic mix desired in Lake Grove. Ms. Glisson observed that the plan clearly indicated that the stylebook development would involve significant citizen involvement in terms of developing the thematic and urban design characteristics that everyone wanted. Councilor Jordan recalled that three people worked to bring the stylebook to the point where it needed more input now. She suggested that as the starting point for the Commission's work. Mayor Hoffman summarized the elements of Option 3, and commented that he did not hear the Commission saying that the City should not do visioning. He noted that the quality of life indicators were benchmarks, rather than a report. He described the review of existing plans and other documents as a recommendation to take those plans off the shelf and see if they were still relevant. He spoke of following the Bend/Tualatin/Hillsboro model of figuring out where the community was now, where it was going, what it wanted to go, and how to get there. Ms. Glisson concurred with the Mayor's comments. She reiterated that the biggest community concern that the Planning Commission heard from the citizens was the City setting aside current issues in favor of a labor-intensive and time-consuming process. Mayor Hoffman suggested that staff contact Bend, as it faced the same issues during its process. Ms. Glisson said that she has talked to staff about pulling together information on these processes to help inform the Commission's recommendation. Mayor Hoffman said that what he took away from the Bend webpage was that the issues Bend faced in its simultaneous code rewrite and visioning process were staffing and coordination and communication. Councilor Tierney commented that it should not take long to assess whether the community was still headed for the same destination described in earlier plans. If so, then the next step was determining if the community was still on track by evaluating the current conditions and upcoming items. If they were still on track, that was fine, but if not, then they needed to identify what adjustments they needed to make in order to get back on track. Mayor Hoffman commented that that was the core of a visioning process. City Council Special Meeting Minutes Page 9 of 12 January 13, 2009 • Sustainability Advisory Board (SAB) Ms. Baumann gave a PowerPoint presentation. She reviewed the Board's mission and 2008 accomplishments (pp.9, 11, Council packet). She explained that the Natural Step philosophy provided the guiding framework for the City's Sustainability Plan. This was the idea that one could not take things out of the earth's crust faster than the earth could resupply. The Natural Step provided basic conditions under which the community could think about the long-term viability of the community. She said that sustainability was important because the two tracks of deteriorating living systems and increasing population would eventually intersect at a point called extinction. She commented they were living in a world of decreasing options for maintaining long-term viability in health, economic prosperity, and livability. Therefore, a main emphasis for the Board was educating the community about what was going on in the world and how to re -think how people lived and did business. She reviewed the Board's 2009 goals and work plan (pp. 11-13). She spoke of educating the Council, staff, and the advisory boards regarding this dilemma, as well as supporting existing City initiatives (p.12). She discussed the Board's recommendations to the Council (p.15). With respect to the sustainable water program recommendation, Councilor Jordan recalled that the previous Council asked staff to send the Clean Streams Plan to the Sustainability Advisory Board for review. Ms. Baumann reviewed a variety of possibilities for the last goal of implementing three important community initiatives in 2009 (pp. 12-13). She indicated to Councilor Hennagin that the Farmers Market would be one of the outlets for building community awareness. She explained that they decided move "Climate Action Change Month" from May to another month in order to avoid conflict with other major activities in May. She described the Board's work as the 'glue' that connected together a variety of individual activities, such as linking climate change action to the Sustainability Plan, and the Sustainability Plan to the Comprehensive Plan update. She noted that all their projects were Goal 5 projects. She mentioned that the Board hoped that their work would be so successful that, in ten years, sustainability would be so embedded into people's thinking that there would be no more need for a Sustainability Advisory Board. Councilor Olson described sustainability as a three-legged stool of environmental, social, and economic sustainability. She acknowledged that the Board's focus was on environmental sustainability, and asked if the Board has discussed the economic piece. Ms. Baumann said that, while they did not have a specific economic development goal, economic development was part of the Comprehensive Plan update, and they wanted to use the sustainability lens to look at all parts of the update and the visioning process. She explained that, right now, they were laying foundational awareness building with the intent of building more specific relationships in later years. Councilor Olson spoke to including in the education piece the idea that sustainability was more than environmental programs, and that a truly sustainable community also included economic and social sustainability. Councilor Jordan asked what kind of system would best serve the City's business districts with respect to electric car plug-in stations. Ms. Baumann observed that that was the sort of question that needed to be raised during the visioning process. Mr. Lashbrook commented that other communities have built parking structures or lots designed with plug-in features, often with solar - powered arrays. Ms. Baumann pointed out that there were new technological solutions coming forward every day, which they could use in updating the Transportation System Plan. Councilor Hennagin asked whether the Community Development Code revisers should consider the possibility of having convenient small grocery stores within walking distance of residential areas, in contrast to the trend towards big box, one stop shopping grocery stores to which one had to drive further and further. Ms. Glis on commented that the Planning Commission would not City Council Special Meeting Minutes Page 10 of 12 January 13, 2009 actually deal with that question, although it would like to help develop code to encourage local shopping. Ms. Baumann observed that, within the triple bottom line concept of plan, people, and process, there were the basic core ideas of livability, walkability, local access, local foodshed, and community involvement. She commented that, for her, the idea of sustainability boiled down to local viability: Could she get everything she needed with 10 miles of her home? She encouraged emphasizing local in creating community livability and viability. She concurred with Ms. McGuire that reusing and maintaining the current building stock, as opposed to using resources to build larger homes, was another issue. She mentioned the waste disposal issue also: In a remodel, how much should be recycled vs. how much could be dumped? • Development Review Commission (DRC) Ms. Stadnik pointed out that the DRC was not a goal setting committee. Its job was to review development proposals, to adhere to the City code and standards, to allow for public review and comment, and to protect historical buildings and city aesthetics. She commented that it was important for her to have been here to hear all the background information from the other Boards and Commissions, as it would help inform the DRC's decisions. • Citizens Budget Committee Mr. Smith noted that this year, the Committee would have new people on board and a new process to deal with. He reviewed the Board 2009 goals. He spoke of staying in the black. He observed that the budget reflected the priorities of the Lake Oswego citizens. He said that the Committee wanted to be able to take Mr. McIntyre's proposed budget and match it back to the needs and requests of the citizens for livability. He said that they wanted to produce a budget that reflected the current and future fiscal environments. He explained that they would take the 'wish list' they received, look at the current times and the City resources, and set priorities on how to get the best value for the dollars available. He indicated that the third goal was to build the capability of the Committee to ensure that it accomplished Goals 1 and 2. He pointed out that they had 5 out of 14 members with no experience and 8 out of 14 with one cycle's experience. • Closing Comments Ms. Glisson concurred with Ms. Stadnik about the value of hearing from all the different groups. She commented that it added depth to her understanding of the city priorities. Councilor Jordan commented that she appreciated everyone who served on the advisory boards, and valued highly the expertise found in this tremendous resource. She pointed out that the Council could greatly benefit from the advisory boards reviewing certain items before the items came to the Council. Mayor Hoffman concurred. He indicated that they would discuss using some sort of a checklist to make sure that various items received input from the appropriate advisory board. Ms. Baumann spoke in support of the routing slip idea. She pointed out that this was a two-way street. While the Council would send items to the boards for review, it was also up to the boards to stay informed on what was going on and to offer to help with something that fell within their expertise. Councilor Jordan pointed out that, in terms of public outreach, the more advisory board members who knew about a difficult decision before the Council, the more people they could talk to about it. Councilor Tierney spoke of the Council not merely running things by the boards, but challenging the boards to participate in the policies. 3.2 Miscellaneous City Council Special Meeting Minutes Page 11 of 12 January 13, 2009 Mayor Hoffman asked the Councilors to look at the list of Boards, Commissions, and governmental committees before Friday. The Council would make the assignments at the goal setting session. Councilor Hennagin indicated to Mayor Hoffman that the resolution addressed his concerns. Councilor Jordan moved Resolution 09-01. Councilor Tierney seconded the motion. A voice vote was taken, and the motionap ssed with Mayor Hoffman, Councilors Jordan, Hennagin, Johnson, Olson, Moncrieff, and Tierney voting 'aye.' (7-0) Ms. Christie indicated to Mayor Hoffman that the meeting was supposed to be televised tonight, but the cable company could not get the crew members here. Councilor Jordan commented that if anyone had questions regarding serving on a Council or governmental committee, he/she could contact the previous Councilor who served on that committee and ask about it. Ms. Christie indicated to Councilor Tierney that she was updating the Boards and Commission roster, and that she would get one to him. 4. ADJOURNMENT Mayor Hoffman adjourned the meeting at 9:29 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Robyn Christie City Recorder PROVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL: ack City Council Special Meeting Minutes Page 12 of 12 January 13, 2009