ESTACADA CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES

ESTACADA CITY HALL, COUNCIL CHAMBERS

475 SE MAIN STREET, ESTACADA, OREGON

MONDAY, JUNE 14, 2004 - 7:00 PM

                                                                                                                                               

CALL TO ORDER BY PRESIDING OFFICER                                                                

 

The meeting was called to order at 7:00 pm.  Mayor Austin led in the pledge of allegiance.

 

Present:  Cr. Cliff Atkinson, Cr. Marli Stauffacher, Cr. Michele Cheshier, Cr. Becky Arnold, Cr. Ben Erickson, Mayor Bob Austin, CM Randy Ealy, CR Denise Carey.

 

Absent:  Cr. Cliff Gavic.                                          

 

CITIZEN AND COMMUNITY GROUP COMMENTS                                                       

 

Pam Butcher, 408 NE Pierce Street – Ms. Butcher read a statement outlining her reasons for opposing the ordinance for the arts.

 

Nina Hamilton, 27726 S Hwy 211 – Ms. Hamilton supports ordinance for the arts and believes that the taxpayers will not pay any extra but that most of the art will be donated.  

 

CONSENT AGENDA                                                                                                

Approve May 24, 2004 Joint City Council and Arts Commission Workshop minutes

Approve May 24, 2004 and June 7, 2004 Council minutes

 

Cr. Arnold moved to approve the consent agenda.  Cr. Stauffacher seconded the motion.  The motion passed unanimously.

 

DEPARTMENT & COMMITTEE REPORTS                                                                            

 

City Manager reviewed the correspondence and information in the packet.  Mayor Austin stated that the school board discussed the skate park issue at their last meeting and they decided that the corner of the front parking lot would be the best site to use on school property.  The lost parking would have to be replaced and the city would have to pay for this expense.  There needs to be some rough engineering costs developed to see what it would take to make this site readily available.  The Skate Park Group will meet on Wednesday and discuss this.  PWD Randall stated that there is a water line through this area of the parking lot that would need to be moved to site the skate park there. 

 

CM reviewed a thank you letter to PGE that he asked the council to consider placing in the local paper for $150 for a ¼ page ad.  There was consensus of the council to place this ad in the paper as suggested by the City Manager.

 

CM updated the council on the Timber Festival and 4th of July events and how the city is assisting these groups. 

 

Clackamas County Sheriff’s Report – Lt. Slaney informed the council that the motorcycle unit will be in the 4th of July parade.  He also reminded everyone that you must be 16 years or older to ride motorized scooters and you must wear a helmet.   

 

COUNCIL BUSINESS                                                                                                        

 

Percent for Arts Ordinance (amended) – CM reviewed the information regarding the amended ordinance.  Cr. Cheshier agrees with having a waiver permitted but does not like the fact that there are conditions to the waiver.  She feels the council should decide why someone should receive a waiver.  Cr. Atkinson does not like the waiver.  He feels you should go with it or not and personally he does not like the whole idea.  Cr. Stauffacher also does not support the ordinance because she feels this will be a hardship on some projects.  Cr. Arnold doesn’t like the conditions for the waiver but she will support the ordinance.  Mayor Austin doesn’t feel the council would be limited to these conditions but maybe the wording needs to be changed to broaden the language.  Cr. Erickson is fine with the ordinance but would also like to get on with it or not.  He does not feel this would be a burden on the taxpayers but sees this as the city supporting the arts.  Mayor Austin thinks it is important to show support by reading the ordinance for the first reading. 

 

CR Carey read Ordinance Series of 2004, No. 1 – An ordinance creating a Percent for Art Program in the City of Estacada. 

 

Street Sweeping Contract – PWD Randall recommended approval of the increase.  He would suggest the city develop a contract with Great Western Sweeping.  Council agreed with this suggestion and directed staff to develop a contract and to look at the surcharge rate. 

 

Estacada Diversion Panel Contract/Grant – CM reviewed the diversion panel grant.  It was council consensus to continue the diversion panel and to accept the grant. The council would like to know how many kids have gone through the program.  CM will get this data for the council.

 

Stage Fee Waiver Request – Estacada Chamber of Commerce – Cr. Cheshier does not feel we should grant the waiver because our general fund has been depleted this year and the fee is so minimal that we should recover the cost.  Cr. Atkinson stated he would also be against the waiver because the fees were created be fair to non-profit organizations by just recovering the cost of placing the stage.  Cr. Stauffacher agrees with Cr. Atkinson.  Cr. Arnold supports the waiver because the Chamber will not be charging any fees for the event.  Cr. Erickson supports staff recommendation to deny the waiver.  Mayor Austin is also not in favor of waiving the fee. 

 

Cr. Atkinson moved to not waive the stage fee for the Chamber of Commerce 4th of July event.  Cr. Erickson seconded the motion.  The motion passed with 5 yes and 1 no (Arnold). 

 

Main Street CDBG Paving Project Update – PWD Randall stated that Parker NW Paving Company was awarded the bid for the 2004 Main Street Reconstruction.  The project will begin June 21, 2004 and the project is scheduled to finish at the end of August.   

 

November Ballot Discussion – CM stated there will be many issues on the ballot in November.  These include the cemetery district, council and mayor elections, annexations, countywide library operational levy, and possibly the formation of a library district and charter review. 

 

Citizen of the Year Selection – The council voted for co-Citizens of the Year – CB Stauffacher and Dean Baker.  Staff will invite all citizens of the month to ride on the city float in the 4th of July parade.

 

Judge interview committee – Mayor Austin appointed Cr. Erickson and Cr. Stauffacher to the judge interview committee along with CM Ealy, CA Cole and a representative of the Sheriff’s office.  This committee will bring a recommendation to the council in July.

 

PUBLIC HEARING – STATE SHARED REVENUES                                                       

 

Mayor Austin opened the public hearing on the proposed uses of state shared revenues.  There were no public comments and Mayor Austin closed the public hearing.

 

Resolution 2004 – 3 – A resolution relating to municipal services state shared revenues.

 

Cr. Atkinson moved to adopt Resolution 2004 – 3 – A resolution relating to municipal services state shared revenues.  Cr. Arnold seconded the motion.  The motion passed unanimously.

 

PUBLIC HEARING – 2004-05 City of Estacada Budget                                                

 

Mayor Austin opened the public hearing for the 2004-05 City of Estacada Budget. 

 

CM Ealy stated that the budget committee decided to meet throughout the year to keep updated on how the budget is progressing. 

 

CR Carey reviewed some minor changes in the approved budget.  The total budget changes to $4,244,387 with the following changes:

*      General Fund revenues – add $28,000 in grants and $15,000 to cash on hand.

*      General Fund expenses – 10-01 reduces $250, 10-02 adds $13,000 diversion panel grant, $15,000 comp plan grant and contingency at $48,406 for a total general fund balance of $648,629.

*      Water Fund revenues – reduce the Transfer In: Water SIR to $40,970 and the cash on hand to $90,000. 

*      Water Fund expenses – reduce line rehab (30-07-900) to $40,970 and contingency (30-07-985) to $23,798 for a total water fund balance of $568,520. 

*      Water System Improvement Fund expenditures – increase SDC reserve to $7,951 and reduce Transfer Out: Water Fund to $40,970.

*      The total budget is $4,244,387 with these changes.

 

There were no public comments so Mayor Austin closed the public hearing.

 

Resolution 2004 – 6 – A resolution adopting, appropriating, levying and categorizing taxes for the 2004-2005 city budget.

 

Cr. Cheshier moved to adopt Resolution 2004 – 6 – A Resolution adopting, appropriating, levying and categorizing taxes for the 2004-2005 city budget (with the above changes).  Cr. Stauffacher seconded the motion.  The motion passed unanimously. 

 

CITIZEN AND COMMUNITY GROUP COMMENTS                                                       

 

Bennett Johnson, Fearless Brewing Company – Ms. Johnson read a statement outlining her and her husband’s dealings with city staff.  She asked that they be treated fairly.  She stated that she has documented many instances where she feels they have not been treated fairly and with respect.  She will give the city a copy of her statement.

 

Nina Hamilton, 27726 S Hwy 211 – Ms. Hamilton stated that the $150 spent for the ad to thank PGE could have been half of the money for the chamber stage.  

 

COUNCIL REPORTS & COMMENTS                                                                 

 

Cr. Erickson thanked the Arts Commission for their work on the percent for arts ordinance.  He also thanked CM and CR for all the work they did on the budget and to CM for all his hard work.

 

Cr. Arnold stated that the skate park group will meet on Wednesday and that there is a thank-you in the newspaper this week thanking everyone that helped with the fundraiser during the Oregon River Games.

 

Cr. Cheshier encouraged everyone to support the cemetery district measure this fall for operating expenses.  This district is very important to Estacada.  She also thanked staff for their work on the budget.  She stated that as a city councilor the city staff has her utmost respect and am 100% behind them and feels they do an outstanding job and commended them in their dealings with the public.  Cr. Cheshier will be gone next meeting to get married.

 

Cr. Atkinson thanked everyone for being here.  He sees exciting things happening in Estacada with the comp plan review progressing and developers being interested in Estacada.  

 

Cr. Stauffacher thanked everyone for coming.

 

Mayor Austin commented that there is only one brew pub in town and when the brew pub came we sat around, we listened to staff and staff recommended that we probably should set up some type of monitoring protocol for measuring excessive wastewater.  We have struggled with that and he knows staff is still working out and talking to other cities that have brewpubs and appropriate monitoring protocol.  Mayor Austin wanted to point out that our local brew pub owners, the Johnsons, have not been charged for any additional wastewater because we have not been able to work out the sampling protocol.  He feels we are treating people fairly. 

 

ADJOURNMENT OF MEETING

         

          The meeting was adjourned at 9:10 pm.