HomeMy WebLinkAboutApproved Minutes - 2010-07-27CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING
INTERVIEWS
JULY 27, 2010
Mayor Jack D Hoffman called City Council Special Meeting to order at 4:06 p.m. on July 27,
2010, in the City Council Chambers, 380 A Avenue.
Present: Mayor Hoffman, Councilors Moncrieff, Tierney, Olson, and Jordan. Council
President Johnson and Councilor Hennagin were excused.
Staff Present: Robyn Christie, City Recorder Alex McIntyre, City Manager; David Powell, City
Attorney
3. INTERVIEWS FOR COUNCIL VACANCY
Mayor Hoffman explained the interviewing and applicant selection process to replace the pending
City Council position being vacated by Kristin Johnson. An official decision to fill the vacancy would
be made in August.
3.1 James Radda
Q: Why would he like to fill this vacancy, was there a specific issue that motivated him to apply?
A: Prior to the vacancy, he had not considered running for City Council. He had served on several
boards, including the Downtown Portland Condo Association, Citizens Advisory for Lake Oswego
School Board and as President of his Neighborhood Association. His work experience placed him
in positions where he had to perform in stressful situations. He was the Regional Manager of an
engineering company for two of their regional offices. His last position was as a non -engineer
managing 175 employees in Beijing, China. He found he thrived in difficult situations. He believed
even though he had limited experience with the City of Lake Oswego, he has the ability to learn a
lot, learn on the fly, and exercise good judgment.
Q: Were there any particular or specific issues facing the City Council over the next four months
that lead him to apply?
A: He would like to pursue the sustainability issue. Although he did not call it that, he believed the
highest and best use for resources was to do nothing. If sustainability was going to be developed,
they needed to consider the amount of damage they would cause and with minimal development,
no matter where it was, to make something that was viable for people and yet did minimal
environmental damage. He believed any time there was development there would be damage and
nothing people had done to the environment had improved it.
Q: What did he think were the biggest issues facing the Council now and in the next four months?
A: He believed it was the money issue, and if something had to be cut, the last thing to be cut
should be the infrastructure because that was the longest to recover.
Q: Did he have any thoughts regarding the programs or issues facing the Council over the next
four months, which include West End Building Refinance, Foothills/Streetcar, and Sensitive Lands?
A: Regarding the West End Building refinance and property, he had been through the building
several times and there was a lot of excess space. He did not know about the financing part but
the building was an under-utilized facility, which could cause financing issues. Regarding the
Foothills/Streetcar Development, he frankly believed the millions being spent on this potential
development was a waste of money at this time and that it should not be done. It certainly did not
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need be done this year or even the next; most believed it would be 5 to 10 years before the City
could be viably developing that project. Regarding the Sensitive Lands process and decision,
although he was interested in resources, it was a complicated subject. He had read and seen
many arguments, but was not sure what position he would take, nor what the objective was.
Q: Would he still be interested in running for the City Council interim position, knowing that this
current appointment only lasted until December 31, 2010 and with the position being available
again for the November 2010 elections?
A: If he were selected as the replacement Councilor, he would want to see it for a couple of
months to decide if he wanted to continue in that role after the November 2010 elections. He
probably would be interested in running but he did not want to commit.
Q: Could he expand upon his comment that the money issue was the number one issue facing
the Council?
A: He believed it was not unusual for Lake Oswego that revenues had decreased and expenses
had increased or stayed the same, but the question was how to make it work. If there were cuts, he
would like the last cut to be the infrastructure. Infrastructure was a long-term thing, and though it
might be cruel to say, people were easier to find, and losing infrastructure means losing something
for years down the road.
Q: Was he the past Chair of the Glenmorrie Neighborhood Association?
A: Yes, he was the President of the Committee that formed the neighborhood plan, and once
formulated he became the Chair of the Association for two to three years. He returned to the board
last year and was now the Treasure for the Association.
Q: Did he personally have a Sensitive Land overlay?
A: He replied no.
Q: Did he have any issues that he would like the City Council to focus their attention on?
A: He stated other than what the Council was doing now, no.
Q: What was his impression on how the City was doing?
A: He believed the City was doing well, even with the constraints put on by Metro, the State of
Oregon, and the economic situation. Coming from a small town in Iowa, he liked a small town
atmosphere with city development done in a suburban area, a village concept; he liked what had
already occurred in that regard.
Q: Are there any final comments he would like to add? Why should he be selected over the other
applicants?
A: Although he did not have as much experience working with the City as the other applicants,
which might make him less qualified, he did have a lot of general management experience. He
admitted the Councilors did not know him personally and that selections were made based on
being familiar or having a certain rapport with someone but as he stated, his strength was being
placed in difficult positions where he had to make due and make corrections.
Mayor Hoffman called for a short minute break and reconvened at 4:25 p.m.
3.2 Ellie McPeak
Ms. McPeak withdrew her application.
3.3 Daniel Vizzini
Q: Why would he like to fill this vacancy and what specific issue motivated him to apply?
A: He believed it was an interesting opportunity to be on that side of the room, although four
months was not a long time, it was just enough time to get a sense of what being on the Council
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would be like in the capacity of decision maker rather than advisor. City Council was the one part
of government in which he did not have experience; therefore the four-month interim position would
be enough time to fulfill his curiosity of a City Councilor's role and the dynamics inside a decision-
making, government body. He had no specific issue that motivated him to apply; he had lived in the
community for a quarter of a century, was intensely involved in the community and the Planning
Commission, and wanted to be involved in a meaningful way. The vacancy on the board was so
short that he had no agenda or intent to change the course of the City in that time. However, there
are issues in the calendar that run the gamut, and this was a great opportunity for somebody
interested, so he didn't think there was just one issue. He was more interested in the dynamics and
process of government rather than the issues.
Q: What did he see were the biggest issues for the Council over the next five months?
A: The issues currently before the Council have long-term effects, Foothills, Streetcar, WEB, and
the managing of the budget in terms of how the Council tees it up was an issue all by itself. In
addition, the Comprehensive Plan and Stafford was a huge issue. The issues facing the City
Council will involve discussions and early decisions that are at the beginning of a much longer
process with longer-term ramifications. As a former Planning Commissioner, he believed it felt right
to be involved with the big issues that have long-term reach.
Q: Are there any issues he felt the Council should focus their attention on over the next five
months?
A: He believed the Council should focus on the management of public services. He shared his
prior boss's outlook on conserving public resources, staying focused on the core mission and
attending to the "knitting," the small items, so it doesn't come back to bite you. In tough economic
times, how the Council manages the City, both the budget and the performance of Staff, becomes
a critical and credibility issue that would pay the City back if they came out of this fiscal year both
with a stronger organization, with the blue print for a stronger community. He believed it would
benefit the City to deal with the small items and performance. Many things in the City get high
marks while the controversial issues, like land use, were harder to manage and required more
attention.
Q: What were his thoughts regarding the programs or issues facing Council, including West End
Building, Foothills/Streetcar, and Sensitive Lands?
A: Regarding Sensitive Lands, the test scores had done exactly what they were asked, which
was figure a way to balance the demands as stewards of the city's natural resources and the
concerns raised by property owners. The way the Council worked through it over the year was a
good investment because of what it meant in terms of engaging the community as much as the
end results. He believed there was still a lot of work to do on that issue. Regarding WEB, he did
not know enough to speak intelligently about it. He agreed that once property came into the public
trust it should never be gotten rid of, lease it for 150 years but never get rid of it, because it was
hard to get property into the public domain. The future of WEB depended upon effectively using the
space in a way as not to drain the treasury. Regarding Foothills/Streetcar, he would not link them,
although he understood they were. There was a faster timeline than he suspected; he would have
preferred to see Foothills develop in its own time and way with the guidance and investment of the
City without the faster paced development influenced by the Streetcar. Regarding the Streetcar, he
believed Lake Oswego needed to become a more efficient community with the hope for a greater
linkage to the rest of the region and a lower carbon footprint; part of the decision on moving
forward needed to be about how to make things more efficient.
Q: Where should the Council focus its attention and what are the biggest issues for the Council
over the next five months?
A: He believed the biggest issues were the "knitting," focusing on what they should be spending
their time and attention on and long-term issues needing near-term decisions; those should not be
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ignored. The Comprehensive Plan needed moving in the right direction and Foothills needed to be
addressed, but it was really about the "knitting."
Q: What made him stand out from the other applicants and why should the Council select him?
A: He did not know the other applicants so it would be unfair for him to speak about them.
However, the time he would spend in the position he would bring a certain independence of
thinking and a long resume of experience dealing in municipal affairs, from the financial side, to
infrastructure, to community process, and civic engagement. He was not viewing the appointment
as a path to get into public office.
Q: Did he intend to run in the November 2010 elections, when the position opened again.
A: He stated no, he did not intend to run.
Q: Could he expand on his comment regarding how the "knitting" was like managing the public
services and as a Council member how would he accomplish that?
A: He works in Portland where the lines are blurred between executive and legislative. However,
there are a series of status reports on the Council's calendar and check -ins with Staff on areas that
are critical or of interest to the Council. Those engagements give opportunities to work with the City
Manager and Senior Management to increase performance, proficiency, and to move towards their
goals. It's a little more indirect, and just a different way of doing things. During the recession of the
1980s, Portland's City Council and Office of Finance, initiated an allotment system. The budget
appropriations were done by the quarter, and when things got really bad, they were looking to
allocate by the month. That turned out to be administratively insane, but allocating by quarter
meant that savings within the budget could be culled and protected. He believed there were other
ways of doing oversight with the administration and over the next couple of years, there would be
more oversight type meetings, which was the way he would pursue it.
Q: Could he give his thoughts on his statement that the Council would need to address the
Stafford issue soon?
A: He regretted that when he was on the Planning Commission, they had begun work around
2001-2002 regarding the Master Planning around Stafford; Ron Bunch even prepared a
preliminary draft of a Concept Plan for what Stafford might look like that was enlightening and far-
sighted. Regardless of the current process, the Master Planning around Stafford was a lost
opportunity for the City to control Stafford's level of density and development. Resources are tight
but it would be money well spent to start thinking about the future of Stafford.
3.4 David Poulson
Q: Why would he like to fill this vacancy and did any specific issue motivate him to apply?
A: He said he wanted to apply as a way to give back to the community for their support of him
and his family. He worked as a civil engineer and office manager and shared specific information
regarding his children's health and his family's commitment to their education. He was now in the
position to serve in a role as City Councilor and wanted to increase his exposure.
Q: What motivated his decision?
A: He believed he could bring special qualifications that would represent a perspective he had
gained over the last 25 years, not only as a private consultant for property development in cities
like Lake Oswego, but also as a formal city engineer for a small community in Alaska. He has
experience on both sides of the table and understood the dynamics and perspective of the city. His
business education from managing a business in Lake Oswego would be refreshing and the
Council could learn from his perspective. He spent two years in China with an MBA in International
Business and his experience with the economy would bring a global perspective that would inform
his local decisions, which would be beneficial to the Council.
Q: Was there any specific issue that motivated him to apply for the position?
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A: It was his practical knowledge of how cities functioned and his perspective on both sides of the
equation. He did not have any agenda in terms of Sensitive Lands or the rail car; he would like to
discuss those issues in detail with the Council to elaborate on his larger vision of things that time
would not allow. He wanted to offer his practical knowledge, experience and perspective to
Council, which will help him get more exposure.
Q: What did he see were the biggest issues for the Council over the next five months?
A: He stated it was the economy. He did not believe this was a cyclical recession, but a sea
change was coming and decisions could not be made unless based on the larger economic
perspective. He discussed in detail the yield curve, long-term bond rate, Federal Reserve, the
Carter years, and concluded that his point was the interest rate must and would adjust. He stated
that he brings an economic perspective to inform Council decisions.
Q: Were there any local issues that he felt the Council should be focusing on?
A: Using Sensitive Lands as an example, he tried to negotiate resource protection areas, buffers,
for clients who had large developments. As an engineer, he had learned when designing
something complex, the design or policy needed to include some type of adjustment when applying
it to the real world. The Sensitive Land issue needed that type of adjustment.
Q: What were his thoughts regarding the West End Building and Streetcar issues?
A: Regarding the WEB, he did not know what the City's current finances were in terms of
affordability and maintaining debt services but he believed the City should hold on to the building
as an asset something that has intrinsic value. Regarding the Streetcar, he believed it was a larger
subject and that the model used to establish the economic viability was based upon past
demographic and economic models. He was not against it, but believed a closer look should be
taken at the Streetcar issue as his concern was with past loose credit issues and the momentum
was pushing the Streetcar in that direction.
Q: Did he intend to run in the November 2010 election?
A: He stated it was not his plan to run for election at this time. Once the Council became familiar
with him he would than consider running in another year or two.
Q: What type of exposure did he hope to gain by sitting on the Council for the next five months?
A: He believed it would give people the chance to get to know him as a serious person with an
extensive background, education, and perspective.
3.5 Mike Kehoe
Q: Why would he like to fill this vacancy, was there a specific issue that motivated him to apply?
A: He would be running for City Council in the November 2010 election and believed the position
required a lot of time and energy. By starting in the position as soon as possible, it would help him
to get up to speed, learn the facts of the City, help him make good decisions, and become a part of
the team. He did not apply for the vacancy based on one issue, but he has lived in Lake Oswego
for 25 years and had always been involved and worked hard in the community and organizations to
help make decisions.
Q: What did he see were the biggest issues for the Council over the next five months?
A: The financial situation was a key issue but he would like to see the Council get more involved
with helping the school districts. He was concerned with significant cutbacks. He believed the
schools are the driving force for getting great, active, and vibrant people into the community. The
second issue was how to keep businesses in Lake Oswego, there is vacant business space that
could be filled. A good approach could be fostering an incubator space for small businesses to help
them develop and then move them into some of the larger spaces.
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Q: Did he have any thoughts regarding the programs or issues facing Council over the next five
months, which include West End Building, Foothills/Streetcar, and Sensitive Lands?
A: Regarding the WEB, he believed more research was needed to make an informed decision; he
was familiar with commercial real estate, acquisition, disposition, and management. The decision
of what to do with the WEB is challenging now that it was worth less than when first purchased.
Regarding the Foothills area, he believed that it would be a fabulous addition to Lake Oswego one
day, a perfect way for the city to grow. However, it needed to be done in a financial, reasonable,
and practical way. Based on the current real estate market he believed it was too early to get
involved in development of the area. Regarding the Streetcar project, any program to get cars off
the road was a good step but more research was needed to determine if it was financially feasible.
Regarding the Sensitive Lands, he believed Lake Oswego has many features that make it the best
city to live in and one factor was Lake Oswego's attention to preserving the land.
Q: What made him stand out from the other applicants and why should the Council select him?
A: He explained his background as a self-starter, hard worker with a great work ethic, and being a
strategic and creative thinker would be an asset to the Council. He has had a successful career in
building ownership and management, invested and started companies with up to 80 employees,
and has sold and purchased businesses. The key to his success has been researching and
making good decisions.
Q: If appointed to the position and as a standing candidate for the Council, how would he answer
the question if asked by someone in the community that the Council was influencing the election by
choosing an applicant for the interim position that they wanted to see elected in November 2010?
A: He believed the Council did not have any preconceived criteria nor indicated that an applicant
who was running for the position during the November 2010 elections could not apply; therefore,
the Council was not being placed in an awkward position. He expected the selected applicant
would have a leg up during the elections and it still was up to the voters. He agreed the applicant
selected would have an advantage due to the exposure.
Q: Given that there were State Statues that provided separation between what the cities and
schools could do with regard to finances, did he research where those lines were and what
creative suggestions he believed the City could do to help the school districts?
A: He understood that Statues did exist and he was working on ideas that could help the school
districts.
Q: Did he have any closing comments?
A: He appreciated the opportunity to speak with the Council and hoped he was selected to help
make decisions that would make Lake Oswego an even better place to live.
Mayor Hoffman called for a 5 minute break at 5:10 p.m.
3.6 Paul Moredock (Interview conducted over the telephone)
Q: Why would he like to fill this vacancy, was there a specific issue that motivated him to apply?
A: He has been living in Lake Oswego for a long time, loves the community, and believed he
could make a valuable contribution for the short period needed by the position. He did not apply
based on a specific issue, he believed the multitude of issues including the LOIS and Sensitive
Lands Projects currently before the Council were important issues, and he was not looking to be a
policy maker causing the Council to head in a new direction. Based on his background as a store
manager, entrepreneur, business planner, and local resident, he would be a good contributor to the
Council.
Q: What did he see were the biggest issues for the Council over the next five months?
A: The Sensitive Land issue and its impact on the residents, and the implementation of the
recommendation of the Council are critical. The ongoing supervision and input on the LOIS Project
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and being involved in the Transit Project from Portland to Lake Oswego are other issues of
importance.
Q: Where did he think the Council should focus their attention over the next five months?
A: He believed the Council's goal should be the implementation of recommendations for the
Sensitive Land Project, to stay on time and on budget with the LOIS Project while dealing with
community concerns on both of those issues.
Q: What were his thoughts, understanding, and opinion of the Foothills/Streetcar Project?
A: He was a fan of the concept and liked the idea of using alternative modes of transportation
however, he believed staying proactive and aware of how those projects would impact the
environment and land was important. He was also a fan of development in the Foothills area
subject to the project's environmental impact, community reaction, overall grand vision, and having
a strategy with a purpose.
Q: What were his thoughts regarding the West End Building?
A: He shared his understanding of the issue, as a Council member his focus would be to identify
what would be the appropriate use of the building, funds, and resources.
Q: Were there any other issues he saw the Council facing over the next five months?
A: He believed that due to the difficult economic times the City needed to be supportive of the
Lake Oswego business owners. He saw his role as a Council member to be a good listener and
collaboration builder; these were strengths that he could bring to the Council position if selected.
Q: Did he intend to run for the Council Position during the November 2010 election?
A: He stated it was not his intention to run beyond the term of the current vacancy.
Q: What made him stand out from the other applicants and why should the Council select him?
A: His background as an entrepreneur, business manager, and marriage counselor provided him
experience with managing budgets, other people's money, being a good listener and collaborator,
as well as a good community builder would be a unique skill set for the Council. He would be the
right choice for Council as an interim member with no political ambitions but with a passion for the
city.
4. DISCUSSION
Mayor Hoffman reiterated the process and time frame for making a decision on which applicant
would be selected to fill the interim Council position. He appreciated the five candidates that
applied. He was looking for an applicant that had knowledge of what was going on in the City,
because of the amount of time it takes to get up to speed on the issues. He was comfortable with
Dan Vizzini due to his background and experience on the Planning Commission. He believed Mike
Kehoe was qualified but was concerned with his interest of running for election in November 2010
and would be uncomfortable appointing a candidate to the interim position. His top two candidates
would be Dan Vizzini and Paul Moredock; he believed Mr. Moredock had a grasp of the issues.
Councilor Moncrieff believed that all the applicants had something to offer the City. She
appreciated Mike Kehoe as a candidate for applying, which showed he was ready to get on with
the job. She agreed that he was qualified for the interim position and his dedication to the future of
the city. She appreciated David Poison's finance comments and hoped if he did not get appointed
to the position that he apply for the Budget Committee or work with the City in another capacity.
Likewise for James Radda with his interest for sustainability, he might be interested in the
Sustainability Advisory Board. She agreed Dan Vizzini was a strong applicant because of his
experience being on the Planning Commission, the Lake Oswego Neighborhood Action Coalition
(LONAC), and his long history with the City. She liked his comments regarding priorities that skip to
the "knitting," the City's financial strength, and how the Council deals with the City Staffing
departments. Her top two candidates were Dan Vizzini and Mike Kehoe, adding Mr. Vizzini would
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be an interesting selection since it would be a short-term appointment and she was confident the
City would have other opportunities for Mr. Kehoe.
Councilor Tierney stated each candidate brings their own set of skills and are each qualified in
their own right. The criteria he originally had for the interim position was for an applicant to also be
running as a candidate so they could participate and have a good foundation. He now believed the
Council should not be in a position of showing favor to a candidate over any applicant running for
the position. The applicant that met his experience criteria was Dan Vizzini, who had demonstrated
over the years his grasp of the issues that face the City and that he could make an impact during
the five-month period of the interim position.
Councilor Jordan stated she also was impressed with the applicants and believed they were all
qualified. However, as a Councilor, it was awkward for her to say that she could not appoint an
applicant who was also running for a Council position in the November 2010 elections. However,
choosing an applicant had to do with them knowing the City, having a grasp of the City's budget
and financial situation. Having knowledge of the budget was important to her and she believed that
Dan Vizzini had seen and understood the City's budget. She did not believe that some of the
financial concerns mentioned were as dire as indicated by some of the applicants. She would
select Dan Vizzini as he was a hard worker, interested and involved, a big communicator with
people, a good listener, and knows about the issues that the Council would be facing over the next
five months.
Councilor Olson was concerned by Dan Vizzini's reasons for wanting to be a Council member;
the fulfillment of his curiosity and his interest of the Council dynamics of their decision-making
process rather than the issues themselves. She believed they needed someone that would get into
the policy issues and decision-making process and not just be on the Council to satisfy their
curiosity. In addition, she believed there was a conflict with Mr. Vizzini being a good friend and the
prior campaign manager for the Mayor. She believed it was disingenuous for the Council to say
that they would not show favor to Mike Kehoe as an applicant that was running for Council
Candidacy in the November 2010 elections, as Council had opened the interim position up to
anyone that wanted to apply. She did not want to second-guess why other candidates chose not to
apply for the interim position but they too had the opportunity to apply and the candidacy should
not have bearing on applicant selection. She agreed it would benefit Mr. Kehoe if selected to have
the five-month experience prior to the November 2010 elections, this would bring him up to speed
by January 1, 2010. She was impressed that all the applicants understood the Council would be
facing some difficult economic decisions, that the applicants were willing to look at the big picture,
to think outside the box, and with their management and decision making experience. Her top
choice was Mike Kehoe, with David Poulson and Paul Moredock in a close second.
Mayor Hoffman thanked the Councilors for the comments and stated the final decision on
applicant selection would be August 3, 2010.
Mayor Hoffman adjourned the meeting at 5:40 p.m.
APPROVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL
ON December 7. 2010
Hoffman
Respectfully submitted,
Robyn Christie
City Recorder
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