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City Council Minutes - 02/17/2009 Agenda Item No. Meeting of , City of Tigard Tigard Workshop Meeting — Minutes TIGARD CITY COUNCIL TIGARD BUDGET COMMITTEE TIGARD CITY CENTER DEVELOPMENT AGENCY MEETING DATE/TIME: February 17, 2009 — 6:30 p.m. - Workshop Meeting MEETING LOCATION: City of Tigard—Town Hall, 13125 SW Hall Blvd., Tigard, OR 97223 1. WORKSHOP MEETING 1.1 At 6:34:05 PM Mayor Dirksen called the meeting to order. 1.2 Deputy City Recorder Krager called the roll: Present Absent Councilor Buehner x Mayor Dirksen x Councilor Henderson x Councilor Sherwood x Council President Wilson x 1.3 Pledge of Allegiance 1.4 Council Communications&Liaison Reports - Councilor Buehner said she would like to give an update on the Urban and Rural Reserves Committee at the February 24,2009 Council Meeting. 1.5 Call to Council and Staff for Non-Agenda Items—None. Mayor Dirksen recessed the City Council Meeting. 2. BUDGET COMMITTEE MEETING 2.1 Mayor Dirksen called the Budget Committee to order. Deputy City Recorder Krager called the roll. Present Absent Chair Snider x Member Struck x Member Bailey x Member James x Member Buehner x Member Henderson x Member Dirksen x Member Sherwood x Member Wilson x TIGARD CITY COUNCIL/BUDGET COMMITTEE AND CITY CENTER DEVELOPMENT AGENCY MINUTES — FEBRUARY 17, 2009 Ci oTi 13125 SW Hall Blvd.,Tigard, OR 97223 503-639-4171 ryf and g � � 1 www.tigard-or.gov I Page 1 of13 2.2 Approve October 7,2008,Budget Committee Minutes Budget Committee Chair Snider noted that on Page 3, Second line of the Second paragraph, the words, "take a payment" should be changed to "make a payment." Councilor Buchner made a motion to approve the October 7, 2008 minutes with the noted change. Motion was seconded and approved. 2.3 IFAS (Integrated Financial and Administrative Software) Update Finance and Information Technology Director La France introduced Deputy Finance Director Debbie Smith-Wagar,who gave an update on the new financial accounting software. 6:38:01 PM Deputy Finance Director Smith-Wager said a milestone was reached today as staff began end-user training. She said the go-live date is April 8, 2009. The system is an ASP (Applications Services Provider) system,which means data is hosted offsite and will be accessed over the internet. She highlighted accomplishments- ➢ System installed ➢ Chart of Accounts updated ➢ Security mapped and implementation started ➢ Workflow under development ➢ Historical uploading started In Process— ➢ Payroll and Human Resources will go-live on January 1,2010 ➢ Staff Training ➢ Developing additional grant and capital project tracking codes ➢ Finalizing reports and forms ➢ Completing interfaces such as Utility Billing and Purchasing Card Budget Committee Chair Snider said he was encouraged by this report and the progress made to date. Budget Committee Member Buchner asked about the ability in the new system to compare revenues and expenditures from different fiscal years. Deputy Finance Director Smith-Wagar said the system will be able to easily produce such reports. Finance and IT Director LaFrance said the updated chart of accounts will also aid in obtaining more accurate financial reports. Budget Committee Member Struck asked, "Was the HR/Payroll go-live date always extended?" Ms. Smith-Wagar said it was extended to the end of the calendar year so staff can ensure the information is correct and set up properly. She said cutting off at the end of a calendar year is more efficient for preparing W-2's etc. City Manager Prosser said Payroll and Human Resources applications were always Planned to follow the financial system. City Manager Prosser acknowledged Finance and IT Director LaFrance and Deputy Finance Director Smith-Wager for their hard work to get this project back on track. He said they have both done a remarkable job. TIGARD CITY COUNCIL/BUDGET COMMITTEE AND CITY CENTER DEVELOPMENT AGENCY MINUTES - FEBRUARY 17, 2009 City of Tigard 13125 SW Hall Blvd.,Tigard,OR 97223 1 503-639-4171 1 www.tigard-or.gov I Page 2 of13 2.4 2008-2009 Budget Updates Finance and IT Director LaFrance summarized key points about the City's financial position. He said the General Ledger shows what each division has spent year to date, by fund and any that is at 58% or less is currently under budget. One fund over budget for the time of year is Finance Administration due to a time coding errors. 6:52:06 PM He explained that during the Finance Director vacancy there were employees from other divisions helping out and coding their time to Finance Administration. This will be corrected and applied to the appropriate division. Budget Committee Member Buchner said the City had also hired some outside help during the transition and asked if those costs were reflected. Mr. LaFrance said they were. Capital Improvements appear in several funds and some of these show expenditures that seem very low. He said one reason is the primary expenditure time is spring and summer for many construction- related projects. The rescheduling of projects is another factor. Budget Committee Member Buchner noted that it would be helpful to know which types of expenses are traditionally expended during certain times of year, and when revenues and taxes will appear. Mr. LaFrance said this CIP spending pattern is typical for Tigard Finance and IT Director LaFrance mentioned another area for discussion is Facilities Fund. He said the Fund is doing fine but the Transfers and Contingency line item shows activity. He said this reflects a one-time transfer of money in this fund from bequests that can only be used for Library facilities. These restricted funds had been put in the Facilities Fund but in order to protect and account for them appropriately they were put into a trust fund. This movement of assets shows up as a transfer. 6:59:40 PM He discussed Bond Revenues—General Obligation Dept, saying payments have been made on time. While the Bancroft Fund payments (69`h and Dartmouth) are made on time, the second of four payments due this year was only interest (not the principal) because the bill didn't include it. 7:02:24 PM Budget Committee Member Buchner said education on when bond payments are due and paid would be helpful. City Manager Prosser gave some background on the bond payment process and federal regulations. 7:02:53 PM Finance & IT Director LaFrance discussed the Revenue Report, noting that under Current Taxes the City has collected $10.25 million in property taxes, or 98% of budget. He said this is slightly lower than prior years and may be due to people opting to spread their tax payments throughout the year. Changes in the economy have led to more foreclosures, and since one of the first things to get paid in a foreclosure is delinquent taxes,the Prior Years Taxes line item is already over budget. He noted Business Tax (business licenses) collection is at 94% today, with delinquencies lower than at this time last year. 7:06:04 PM He said Traffic Fine collections are at 41%. The slower economy is one factor. Filling traffic unit vacancies and time it takes to train new officers is another challenge. Finance & IT Director LaFrance said that Franchise Fees are a major revenue source but 7:09:33 PM collection times vary,making it difficult to compare on a year to year basis. He said the City is verifying that franchise agreements encompass all business areas involved. For example, if a cable company using Tigard's right-of-way has also begun providing phone service and internet access,is our collection based on just the cable or all of their business areas? He said this is a major revenue source for the City TIGARD CITY COUNCIL/BUDGET COMMITTEE AND CITY CENTER DEVELOPMENT AGENCY MINUTES — FEBRUARY 17, 2009 City of Tigard 13125 SW Hall Blvd.,Tigard,OR 97223 1 503-639-4171 1 www.tigard-or.gov I Page 3 of13 and he wants to ensure that it is being maximized. In response to a question from Budget Committee Member Buchner on why nothing is shown yet from PGE,Mr. LaFrance said the City typically receives their franchise payment in March, per their agreement. City Manager Prosser said the payment collection dates vary with each franchise agreement. City Manager Prosser called attention to the Telecom Franchise Fee Line Item. He said that under existing state law we can charge franchise fees based on dial tone only (not cell phones or call waiting services, call forwarding services, etc.) The League of Oregon Cities is submitting legislation this session to change this from"dial tone only"to "gross receipts from all telecom services." Under the Gas Tax7:14:51 PM Section he said there were two items of note: 1) The State Gas Tax share is at 44% of budget. There is an accounting issue because it got applied to Prior year Actuals and staff will be putting this collection into the correct year. With this $160,000 added in, our collection rate is at would put us at 51% (7%below budget.) 7:16:21 PM He said the Other Revenue line item shows anticipated financing for Burnham Street project which is not likely to happen in the current fiscal year. Transfers are being made monthly. Staff is analyzing resource transfers for their intent and truing them up quarterly. An example is the Tree Replacement Fund which was created in the current budget but the accounting for the revenue was not, so it shows a zero balance. This revenue is still showing in the General fund. Budget Committee Member Buchner suggested that these transfer issues be taken care of before the 2010 Budget hearings. Finance and IT Director LaFrance said many core levels of revenue remain stable. Property tax is no longer associated with assessed value so the current economic downturn will not affect Tigard's property tax collection. He said revenues exceed our expenses currently, but only approximately two- thirds of revenues have been collected. He said the City has spent only about half of what is budgeted in the General Fund. 2.5 2009-2010 Budget Process 7:23:31 PM Finance and IT Director LaFrance said City departments prepared budget forecasts in December. Budget training began in January and departments got the 2009-10 budget message: ➢ Status quo budget (any new positions must be funded by an ongoing revenue source to support that position) ➢ Need to be cautious. Make sure the City can afford current service levels. ➢ While many revenue sources are relatively stable, be cognizant that potential revenue sources may experience downturns. Budget Committee Chair Snider asked if a status quo budget meant that, for example, the Police union contract which shows wage increases wouldn't be followed. "Are they being told they won't get increases?" Finance/ IT Director LaFrance said the status quo does not mean same dollar figure —it means the same level of service. When Departments have completed their budget requests they will meet with Finance/IT Director LaFrance and then City Manager Prosser. Budget Hearings will begin in June. TIGARD CITY COUNCIL/BUDGET COMMITTEE AND CITY CENTER DEVELOPMENT AGENCY MINUTES - FEBRUARY 17, 2009 City of Tigard 13125 SW Hall Blvd.,Tigard,OR 97223 1 503-639-4171 1 www.tigard-or.gov I Page 4 of13 7:29:03 PM City Manager Prosser said he and Finance and IT Director LaFrance will meet with departments, identify issues they think would be of interest, and prepare white papers. He asked that Council let Finance and IT Director LaFrance know of any issues they'd like to add. City Manager Prosser said one issue that will definitely be discussed is the Building Fund and building permit activity. Budget Committee Chair Snider said an issue that the Committee would like to keep up on is any change to service levels,whether it is an increase or a decrease. Finance and IT Director LaFrance asked the Budget Committee what worked in past budget discussions and what could be done differently. Budget Committee Chair Snider commented, "This has evolved. We've moved away from `defend your budget' to more meaningful discussions on issues; not just a line-item by line-item review." Budget Committee Member Dirksen agreed that the process has improved. Budget Committee Member Wilson said Council does examine each budget line item but that is done prior to the meetings. Budget Committee Member Buchner found another error on Page 3 of the October 7, 2008 Budget Committee Minutes. She said she should be listed as the Council Liaison for the Transportation Financing Strategies Task Force and Council President Wilson should be listed as Alternate. Budget Committee Member Dirksen asked if there was any concern with this additional change to the minutes. There was none. It was moved and seconded to make this change to the minutes. The motion passed. 2.6 7:37:09 PM Budget Committee Member Dirksen adjourned the Budget Committee meeting. City Manager Prosser thanked the Budget Committee for their excellent turnout at this meeting. 3. 7:37:13 PM CITY CENTER DEVELOPMENT AGENCY MEETING 3.1 Mayor Dirksen called the City Center Development Agency meeting to order. Deputy City Recorder Krager called the roll: Present Absent CCDA Director Buchner x CCDA Director Henderson x CCDA Chair Dirksen x CCDA Director Sherwood x CCDA Director Wilson x CCAC Members introduced themselves: Commissioner Wong, Commissioner Craghead, Commissioner Barkley, Commissioner Shearer, Chair Ellis Gaut, Commissioner Louw,and Commissioner Murphy Note: Commissioners Pao and Kutcher arrived later in the meeting. TIGARD CITY COUNCIL/BUDGET COMMITTEE AND CITY CENTER DEVELOPMENT AGENCY MINUTES - FEBRUARY 17, 2009 City of Tigard 13125 SW Hall Blvd.,Tigard,OR 97223 1 503-639-4171 1 www.tigard-or.gov I Page 5 of13 3.2 City Center Advisory Commission 2008 Annual Report CCAC Chair Ellis Gaut said this report is required in their bylaws and is intended to advise Council and the public of the activities and actions taken by the CCAC in the past year. 7:40:06 PM Highlights include: • Recommending adoption of the Fanno Creek Park and Plaza Master Plan • Annual work program for Downtown (in conjunction with recommendations made in the Leland strategy) • Budget recommendation for$100,000 for consulting as needed, and an operational opportunity fund,of which 2/3 has been spent. • Some CCAC Members joined the Planning Commission in developing Design Guidelines; Form-based Code is important to the CCAC and they are pleased that this was incorporated into the hybrid Code. • Seeing the development of Tigard Downtown Future Vision visual refinement document • Meeting with CCDA in June to address difficulties with right-of-way acquisition on Burnham (which led to property owner outreach by Mayor Dirksen and CCAC Chair Ellis Gaut and led to improved relationships and progress towards property acquisition.) • CCAC kick-started the Community Partners for Affordable Housing project. Commissioner Lilly attended a sustainability charrette and shared what she learned. • Some members attended the Port Moody trip She said the CCAC also spent a large amount of time responding to the Leland recommendation of developing downtown leadership. They felt it important to clarify issues early on and suggest the role of the City in fostering and interacting with the downtown business community. CCAC Chair Ellis Gaut said the CCAC held their first retreat yesterday and found it very productive. They had never taken the opportunity before to formally set goals and felt it important to take control of their own agenda and planning for the year. She said the CCAC is interested in increased dialog and interaction with Council and staff. 7:54:19 PM CCDA Chair Dirksen suggested that those present take a few minutes to review the retreat synopsis distributed by CCAC Chair Ellis Gaut and offer comments. Ms. Ellis Gaut said the summary is not in any particular order so emphasis may not be apparent. She asked the CCDA how the current economy impacts the CCAC's job and how they can accommodate the reality that everything planned may not get done. She said they feel it is important not to lose the vision and momentum. She asked how the CCAC can step in to facilitate discussions with public stakeholders and business owners to deflect challenges down the road. CCDA Director Henderson said, "You are a citizen group and it is your job to bring your wishes from the community to us. We will ask staff to look at what you want and it is our responsibility to come back to you to say what can or cannot happen and why. Your role is to bring citizen issues to the table." CCAC Chair Ellis Gaut said she appreciated that perspective. She said what informs this is that CCAC members are stewards of the public trust because they represent a broad swath of the citizens, as required by the by-laws. TIGARD CITY COUNCIL/BUDGET COMMITTEE AND CITY CENTER DEVELOPMENT AGENCY MINUTES - FEBRUARY 17, 2009 City of Tigard 13125 SW Hall Blvd.,Tigard,OR 97223 1 503-639-4171 1 www.tigard-or.gov I Page 6of13 8:01:43 PM CCAC Commissioner Craghead asked about possible discussions on how to get developers to see downtown Tigard as a destination rather than a place for chain stores. CCDA Chair Dirksen said business owners make those market decisions,not the government,which is limited by law as to what it can regulate. He said, "We can provide the right atmosphere and the right environment, but we need to allow development to happen,not regulate it." CCDA Director Wilson said he agrees with Commissioner Craghead's comments and said he wants the downtown to be an attractive place that will have a ripple effect through the rest of Tigard. He said the University of Oregon work captured the vision and he liked the arrangement of blocks and traffic Patterns. CCDA Director Buchner noted that several points were made regarding a desire for increased communication, and she advocated quarterly meetings between the CCAC and Council. She commented on the good turnout of CCAC Commissioners tonight. She said there is an issue about confidential property negotiations discussed in Executive Sessions because this is sensitive information. She asked Attorney Ramis to address this. 8:15:06 PM City Attorney Ramis said it is within Council's discretion as to who can attend Executive Sessions. Anyone attending must keep the information confidential. 8:18:27 PM CCAC Chair Ellis Gaut said she felt that staff updates them sufficiently regarding the progress of property negotiations and there is no need to attend Executive Sessions to hear details of property deals. She said the concern around information flow was more of a broad nature, such as not being aware of the range of budget constraints,or the complexity of Burnham Street construction. She said the CCAC wants to be more in the communication loop. CCAC Commissioner Pao thanked the Council for their volunteerism but mentioned she was unfamiliar with which Councilor was the CCAC liaison and felt there should be more of a constant presence. CCDA Director Wilson said, "As Councilor Henderson mentioned, staff outlined long-term and near- term goals for the CCAC. Together we have accomplished a lot and some of the near-term goals have been accomplished and we're moving on to a new set of goals. Staff should be asking for your advice as new decisions need to be made." He said he thought meetings with Burnham Street property owners, Mayor Dirksen and CCAC Chair Ellis Gaut were successful and helpful. He said "Going forward,we're not done once we start construction. If there are specific concerns, business owners can get those into the bid documents (access concerns, other things affecting businesses during construction.) We need you to bring them up because there is a short window of opportunity to get things into the bid documents." He said he appreciated the involvement of downtown businesses in the WES Commuter Rail opening event. CCDA Chair Dirksen agreed, saying, "Our level of community involvement was higher in Tigard than anywhere else on the line." Community Development Director Bunch noted a number of significant improvements requiring citizen involvement including the Clean Water Services re-meandering of Fanno Creek,Burnham Street construction, Downtown circulation plan, GreenStreets program, and the Tigard Transit Center. He said these projects will require in-depth citizen involvement through the CCAC. He said he was surprised at the comment that the CCAC did not realize the complexity of the Burnham Street project. TIGARD CITY COUNCIL/BUDGET COMMITTEE AND CITY CENTER DEVELOPMENT AGENCY MINUTES - FEBRUARY 17, 2009 City of Tigard 13125 SW Hall Blvd.,Tigard,OR 97223 1 503-639-4171 1 www.tigard-or.gov I Page 7of13 CODA Chair Dirksen apologized, saying he thought this group was kept informed about Burnham Street property negotiations. He said he thought it appropriate for CCAC to attend when updates are given in Executive Sessions because it affects the schedule. CCDA Chair Dirksen responded to comments on the retreat synopsis. Regarding a comment about making CCAC meetings more productive, he recommended cutting down on staff presentations. Written information can be provided for perusal prior to the meeting. He said it would also be helpful to left staff know beforehand if there are questions so they can be addressed at the meeting. He suggested meeting agendas be coordinated between the CCAC, Community Development Director Bunch and Principal Planner Nachbar. In response to the question about who is in control of the redevelopment agenda, he said it is the CODA. He said the CCAC needs to constantly reinvent themselves from year to year as improvements are made and Council gives them things to do. He said the CCAC should work on the downtown code and zoning. As redevelopment takes place, the CCAC will work with public and private developers to make sure what they propose is what everyone wants. There needs to be public input. He said the short-term goal is to finish up the design code and make sure the zoning map is done. He said they need to poll businesses in the south Main Street area and get them involved in the design. 8:41:45 PM CCDA Director Buchner said there needs to be a business group specifically made up of property owners from the south Main Street area. She said Council has approached them but this might more appropriately be a CCAC task. She said, "We need input from those business owners. This is the next project." CCDA Director Wilson said, "We also need to consider absentee property owners who may have completely different interests than the tenants and might not even be aware of what is going on. It is important to reach out to them." 8:45:13 PM CCDA Chair Dirksen responded to the question, "How will downtown redevelopment affect small business. Will it result in small businesses being forced out of the downtown?" Mayor Dirksen said "Definitely not. Small businesses may choose to leave or choose to change their business to meet marketplace needs." 8:45:02 PM CCAC Chair Ellis Gaut said that concern was raised mostly from tenant businesses. She said there needs to be affordable business space in Tigard just like affordable housing. CCDA Director Buchner said the average rental in downtown Tigard is far below market and rents raised to a reasonable level would attract more businesses. She also expressed concerns about absentee property owners who may not consider improving their property a priority. 8:48:37 PM City Manager Prosser said this is the essential tension of urban renewal no matter where it occurs —,"ill existing businesses be forced out of a downtown area? He said, "The City does not want to push out existing businesses, but the market may. The flip side of the question is whether existing businesses can veto a redevelopment project and that tension is there and we will need to deal with that. The Commission will need to get involved in this." CCAC Commissioner Murphy said the CCAC wants to be mindful about what they are doing rather than allow unintended consequences to control it. CCDA Chair Dirksen said that one reason for the CCAC's existence is to get the "citizen" point of view. He cautioned that too much contact between the CCAC and the CCDA might mean their decisions are influenced by the CCDA.He stressed the need for balanced communication. CCAC Chair Ellis Gaut said that the quality and nature of the communication was more important to the CCAC TIGARD CITY COUNCIL/BUDGET COMMITTEE AND CITY CENTER DEVELOPMENT AGENCY MINUTES - FEBRUARY 17, 2009 City of Tigard 13125 SW Hall Blvd.,Tigard,OR 97223 1 503-639-4171 1 www.tigard-or.gov I Page 8 of13 than the number of joint meetings or written communications. She said it was their desire that communication be candid and open. 8:53:26 PM CCDA Director Henderson said orientation is important to ensure new CCAC members are able get up to speed quickly. He requested that they put together orientation information in written form. CCAC Chair Ellis Gaut agreed that condensed written materials would be helpful not only for new member introduction but also for recruitment. She said wanted to have a mentoring process for new members.A Tigard walking tour is another way to introduce history and current issues. 3.3 Downtown Commercial Fagade Improvement Program 8:58:54 PM CCDA Chair Dirksen said, "Can we assume that most, of not all of us think a fagade grant or loan program for the downtown is a good idea and we should look into having it in this coming year?"The CCDA members agreed. CCAC Commissioner Louw said he did not think it would be of any benefit at this point in time. He said, "We have a number of businesses looking at leaving downtown because of the economic conditions. Having gone through the permit process and the City Codes, it is premature to a proper code development to allow these improvements to be significant and actually help the businesses." He noted issues with the current sign code that are not fostering a good business environment and he recommended those issues be addressed first. CCDA Chair Dirksen asked staff to address the status of creating design standards and codes. Senior Planner Nachbar said the standards are now being developed. He said they do not necessarily have to be adopted by the City Council. Mr. Nachbar confirmed CCDA Director Dirksen's statement that the City could require that property owners adhere to these standards now. He said the standards are being refined and advised there is a consultant working with staff on this. By June,if a program was started, we would have standards in place that would be almost final and staff would be comfortable using these as a benchmark for the program. CCAC Commissioner Barkley suggested that a first step would be talking with Main Street business owners to determine what kind of interest is there before a program is drawn up. She said some owners have already put money into their buildings and would not reap the benefits of a facade program. She asked if it would be retroactive. She said a property owner might not be interested in participating if they thought the building will be torn down for some other kind of development. CCDA Director Buchner asked if this was something the CCAC would be willing to take on and return to the CCDA in a month or so with a report. CCAC Commissioner Louw said most of the retail businesses do not own the property and participating owners may increase the rent. He suggested it would be better to help increase business to support the higher rents. CCDA Director Buchner commented that she was a small business owner, but not in the downtown. She said she hears constantly from other small businesses that will not move downtown because most of it looks "so ratty." It is a deterrent to business coming Downtown. CCDA Director Wilson said it's a "chicken/egg thing," where we hope that by improving the appearance, it will draw more people. CCAC Commissioner Louw said he agreed with that — but suggested it's because of the weeds in the sidewalk and the trash. CCDA Director Wilson disagreed. He said the facades are very important. CCAC Commissioner Louw referred to a building as being derelict. He noted there is a residential maintenance code, but there is no commercial maintenance TIGARD CITY COUNCIL/BUDGET COMMITTEE AND CITY CENTER DEVELOPMENT AGENCY MINUTES — FEBRUARY 17, 2009 City of Tigard 13125 SW Hall Blvd.,Tigard,OR 97223 1 503-639-4171 1 www.tigard-or.gov I Page 9 of13 code for keeping sidewalks clean or repairing cracks. There are some basic structural things that might not cost the City any money—making people clean up their property out to the street. He noted there would be the same state of disrepair unless people are required to maintain the facades. CCDA Chair Dirksen said that maintenance could be a requirement of a grant award. He said, "If you come to us and ask for a grant to improve your fagade, but your sidewalk is in disrepair and there are weeds and trash, what are the odds we are going to give you a grant? Offering fagade grants might actually create incentive to make people do better at maintaining." Councilor Buchner said she would hesitate to impose more regulations on the downtown as it could be seen as anti-business. She asked how we get the attention of the absentee landlords that never come down and look at what's going on. CCDA Chair Dirksen said, "Well again,you offer them money to improve their property. If you have a business owner that would like to see the fagade of his business improved, it might encourage better communication between them and the absentee landlord." CCDA Director Wilson said he would propose a different approach. He said that not every expenditure on a building would qualify as an improvement. He said he suspects that a lot of business owners have never dealt with an architect before. He agreed with CCAC Commissioner Barkley about starting a conversation about the idea with business owners. He said, "I think we ought to allocate some money to hire an architect and solicit participation by up to about five people. An architect could draw some sketches of what could be done to a building. Then, at that point they would become eligible to develop a proposal further,with a budget from a contractor. It would be important, just starting, to set the bar high and put more money into it (80%). This example project could show how a building can be totally transformed. In subsequent years the contribution would be less. The first one is always the hardest, because you do not know if it will pencil out. Once it gets going then owners can see the benefit. I think it would be good to do it fairly quickly, despite the economy. If there is higher City participation,then there would be less hesitancy." Community Development Director Bunch said he would be enthused about engaging businesses, property owners, and absentee landlords with a demonstration project where you can show people how good a building could look. He recommended holding a charrette to illustrate how good these buildings that are seen as commonplace could look with new paint, a window reorientation, some entry work,and some sidewalk help. Mayor Dirksen said what he is hearing is perhaps an alternative, where instead of this year creating a fully funded facade grant program,instead we devote some time and energy to coming up with a criteria for one and, perhaps putting together a pilot program to do a demonstration in this coming year. He asked if this was a good compromise. Principal Planner Nachbar asked for clarification. Council President Wilson said, "We will engage an architect. We will solicit participation from a limited number...maybe we have some criteria for selection if there are more than five...maybe it's based on their visibility of their location. Of those limited number of owners, they will work with the architect to get ideas drawn up at no cost to them. After this the process will be competitive. The City will select a number—i.e., they'll pay something and well pay something. Well pick one or more projects. It needs to be a big splash and it needs to be significant enough that everybody would want to participate, TIGARD CITY COUNCIL/BUDGET COMMITTEE AND CITY CENTER DEVELOPMENT AGENCY MINUTES - FEBRUARY 17, 2009 City of Tigard 13125 SW Hall Blvd.,Tigard,OR 97223 1 503-639-4171 1 www.tigard-or.gov I Page 10 of13 because it wouldn't economic sense to not participate. Then in subsequent years after the pilot is done, it would be more 50/50." Principal Planner Nachbar agreed that it would be a good idea in general to employ the use of an architect for this type of program. He mentioned Portland Development programs, saying some offer up to $5,000 while others offer up to $20,000 for matching funds. The more expensive programs solve multiple problems (windows, awnings, masonry work). If we were going to undertake a project, we wouldn't necessarily have to do an extensive project, but one that shows what you can do — what impact small improvements can make. CODA Chair Dirksen suggested having two different kinds of projects - One that is strictly an improvement project, which might include painting or flower boxes. Another could be a 50/50 grant program for people who want more substantial changes to the fronts of their buildings. He asked to have CCDA Directors Henderson and Wilson be part of a subcommittee together with two CCAC Commissioners to develop a pilot program for the coming year. CCAC Commissioners Elise Shearer and Martha Wong volunteered to be on the subcommittee City Manager Prosser said he wanted to remind everyone of the fiscal reality. He said, "Putting something together will be very dependent on how much money the District has. We are still very early on. If we get too big, we're going to have start at looking at loans from the General Fund. We have fiscal constraints." He suggested developing a program where an architectural rendering paid for by the City is a gatekeeper to a grant program. He said, "It needs to be within the available resources or we're talking about loans from the City. This will all get sorted out in the budget process. And none of this could get started before July 1." CCDA Chair suggested the subcommittee meet in time to discuss the scope so it could be included in the Budget process. 3.4 Downtown Organizational Leadership—Preliminary Recommendation 9:22:35 PM CCAC Chair Ellis Gaut said the CCAC looked at the development recommendations from the Leland consultants, and discussed them over the year. A copy of their preliminary recommendation is attached to the staff report. She said the CCAC suggested choosing Option 4 which does not call for funding a Downtown organization at this time and utilizes a variety of approaches. Commissioner Craghead said there were a number of unique challenges coming out of the research that made a conventional approach to a downtown organization very difficult at this time. He also noted the problem of absentee owners. He said instead of looking at it from a standard organizational approach, the CCAC looked at the desired outcomes and paths to get there. He said this approach is about tools that anyone in the community can use. He pointed to the project-based grant program, of which the storefront improvement plan is an example. He said the CCAC has an excellent record of public outreach and will continue this in an effort to engage them. The plan has significant public process and they plan to include that in the final recommendations which will be given to Council in November of 2009. He asked the CCDA for their comments. 9:35:25 PM CCDA Director Wilson said the end goal should be an organization but he did not think it should be funded by the City because then it would not be an independent group. He recommended they remain on this track for now. TIGARD CITY COUNCIL/BUDGET COMMITTEE AND CITY CENTER DEVELOPMENT AGENCY MINUTES - FEBRUARY 17, 2009 City of Tigard 13125 SW Hall Blvd.,Tigard,OR 97223 1 503-639-4171 1 www.tigard-or.gov I Page 11 of13 CODA Director Buchner said a critical component is getting the current Tigard Central Business District Association leadership to buy into the process. CODA Chair Dirksen said he agreed that Option 4 is the correct one but following this path now does not commit everyone to it forever. He said, "If we need to change course or make a different choice, be prepared to do so." 9:38:32 PM Commissioner Craghead said there was nothing in this recommendation that precluded working with other associations or community organizations. The way CCAC has addressed things on an outcome basis would enable such organizations to gain tractions and do something. He said money could then be spent on getting things done rather than on organization development. 9:39:36 PM CCAC Chair Ellis Gaut said the intention was to remain flexible to build relationships and bring about culture change in the downtown. She said,"Whether an organization has many members is not the point; it is how do they engage and bring forth projects. Option 4 allows us to be open, receptive,and supportive of anybody with a good idea." Principal Planner Nachbar said he has been looking for opportunities to engage property owners in projects. He said he hopes to work with the CCAC on defining what are the most important projects on which to work together. Roles in redevelopment are changing over time and as the City executes the development projects on Burnham and Main Street he is optimistic about the City's position. He said, "The best chance of success is to show physical change on the ground and we are in a position to do that." 3.5 Adjourn City Center Development Agency Meeting: CODA Director Buchner moved for adjournment;CCAC Member Wong seconded and all voted in favor. Mayor Dirksen reconvened the Tigard City Council. 4. DISCUSS RENAMING THE CITY-OWNED RESIDENCE AND PROPERTY AT 13335 SW HALL BOULEVARD AND THE CANTERBURY SURPLUS PROPERTY Public Works Director Koellermeier said the naming of the property and residence at 13335 SW Hall Boulevard is not time sensitive and he will reschedule this discussion. However, the City is planning to turn the surplus Canterbury property adjacent to the John Tigard House into a park and the Tigard Historical Society suggested that Curtis Tigard announce the name of the park at his 100'h birthday party in April. He said Mr.Tigard has not indicated a preference for a particular name. Mayor Dirksen suggested the Canterbury property be called East Butte Heritage Park, which acknowledges the historical name of the community that is now Tigard. Public Works Director Koellermeier will bring the Mayor's suggestion to the Tigard Historical Society. 5. UPDATE ON ADDRESSING COUNCIL AND CITIZEN CONCERNS ABOUT PROPOSED STREET MAINTENANCE FEE INCREASES 9:47:39 PM City Manager Prosser said this update is to let Council know the process, not to discuss the substance of the street maintenance fee increase. Community Development Director Bunch said Council had questions about the street maintenance fee and these are listed in the Agenda Item TIGARD CITY COUNCIL/BUDGET COMMITTEE AND CITY CENTER DEVELOPMENT AGENCY MINUTES - FEBRUARY 17, 2009 City of Tigard 13125 SW Hall Blvd.,Tigard,OR 97223 1 503-639-4171 1 www.tigard-or.gov I Page 12 of13 Summary. He said correspondence has been received from citizens who also raised important issues. Staff proposed these concerns and questions be addressed through a proactive citizen engagement effort, using the Transportation Financing Strategies Task Force. They will go out into the community and talk to people, putting together a structured information program to keep Council informed through progress reports. This will be modeled after the Police Department's effort for the Commercial Crimes Unit. The goal is to give Council the information needed to make an informed decision about the street maintenance fee in three to six months. 9:49:11 PM City Manager Prosser said Tigard will receive $1.1 million from the stimulus package for pavement management. Councilor Buehner noted that the Transportation Financing Strategies Task Force Chair will be attending the next Committee for Citizen Involvement (CCI) meeting to apprise them of this citizen information program. Mayor Dirksen said it is important to move forward but given that this can be a divisive issue, the City needs to come up with a compromise that everyone can live with. Council expressed agreement with this approach. 6. EXECUTIVE SESSION 9:50:40 PM City Manager Prosser announced that the Tigard City Council would enter an Executive Session under ORS 192.660 (2) (h) for consultation with counsel concerning legal rights and duties regarding current litigation or litigation likely to be filed. Prior to Council going into the Red Rock Creek Conference Room Mayor Dirksen announced that the meeting would be adjourned after the Executive Session. Executive Session began at 9:53 p.m. and ended at 10:34 p.m. 7. ADJOURNMENT At 10:34:02 p.m. Council President Wilson moved to adjourn and Councilor Buehner seconded the motion. All voted in favor. Yes No Absent Councilor Buehner x Mayor Dirksen x Councilor Henderson x Councilor Sherwood x Council President Wilson x Carol A. Krager, Deputy City Wcorder Attest: Mayor, of Tigard Date: I:\ADM\CATHY\CCM\2009\090217.doc TIGARD CITY COUNCIL/BUDGET COMMITTEE AND CITY CENTER DEVELOPMENT AGENCY MINUTES - FEBRUARY 17, 2009 City of Tigard 1 13125 SW Hall Blvd.,Tigard,OR 97223 1 503-639-4171 1 www.dgard-or.gov I Page 13 of13