Loading...
05/24/1989 - Packet CITY OF TIGARD UTILITIES AND FRANCHISE COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA Tuesday, May 24 1988 — 7.00 p.m. Members: McReynolds ✓, Barrett Cochran Irwin Jacobs , Walsh , Wogen Misovetz 1 . Call to Order and Roll Call. 2. Minutes of April 19, 1988 3. Late Fees 4. Tualatin River 5. Other Business 6. Adjourn ke/4889D SCHMIDT SANITARY SERVICE, INC. / 0325 SW ROSS 630-2378 * TIGARD, OREGON 97224 BILLING POLI'Y Our bills for garbage service are sent to residential accounts every other month. Commercial accounts are billed every month; some rental properties are billed every month, also. Both residential and commercial accounts are carried on the books for four months. If after four months . no payment is received, service is discontinued. A notice of cancellation is sent to the customer with a copy to the City of Tigard. All accounts not paid are turned over to a collection company. A 1-L-% fin- ance charge is assessed on all delinquent charges. We respectfully request that the City of Tigard grant a reinstatement fee from all discontinued and/or delinquent accounts. A minimum of 100 of the monthly bill seems appropriate to cover office and bookkeeping costs. Thank you for your attention regarding this matter. l c April 21, 1988 CITYOF TIFARD M. C. Larimore 12665 SW Katherine OREGON Tigard, OR 97223 Dear Mr. Larimore: The Utility and Franchise Committee has reviewed your complaint regarding Pride Disposal dated March 9, 1988. The members of the Committee requested that I respond on their behalf as the staff support for the Committee. You have raised several issues, including extra charges, garbage can weight, and the lack of market alternatives. The rates charged by Pride Disposal are set by resolution by the Tigard City Council. The rate structure provides for extra charges for items outside of your can. The only items in addition to your can that must be picked up at no charge are recyclable material such as glass, tin, newspaper, and cardboard provided such items are clean, separated and prepared as recommended by the Metropolitan Service District. Tigard Municipal Code Section 11.04.100 sets forth container requirements and collection limitations. Residential solid waste cans, or containers are limited to 60 pounds in gross loaded weight. The reason for this limitation is to comply with the haulers worker's compensation requirements and to prevent injuries to garbage collectors. Although Pride Disposal has been granted through a franchise an exclusive right to provide garbage collection services in your area, nothing in the franchise prevents you from hauling your own garbage to the Oregon City transfer station and paying the dumping fee. The fact that garbage collection in Tigard has been franchised insures that all citizens are provided regular periodic garbage service. By franchising haulers to specific areas, the City Council has provided you with the lowest cost opportunity for garbage collection possible. I hope that you consider this an adequate response to the issues you have raised. If you require further explanation or if you feel that Pride Disposal is not providing you with garbage collection services set forth in the Tigard Municipal Code, please contact me at 639-4171, ext. 345. Sincerely, Wayne owry Finance Director ke/4373D 13125 SW Hall Blvd.,P.O.Box 23397,Tigard,Oregon 97223 (503)639-4171 MA_.Y_.1PAE3RX # f USS y fMOMMINX! l i FINN DEQ proposes Glean� pof Tualatin tier F � y a ei W s f siRe7 � .. ,,�+ ,aa .<. by" AN.LEACH` .o. `` Grove,'made a plea for tfie �>`Q`fdd1f �" tion`''problem. He called for si moue Mary-Haff' " a member `tt�e News Editor more.to limit and clean up pollution of the judicaus•ruse of wetlands rather than Tualatin Planning Advisgry t,ommittee, Tualatin River. He.suggested the`DEQ developing them and fpr'contorjr farm disagreed strongly;wdh,the calls for the )KE OSWEGOj Resjde is of 'in$ttute a water rttanagementY,poli y'k,' to preserve the topsoil "WewlNbslor" lower level of phosptiaKus:.'You cannot ngto ively r `ulaid fl8airjr., tet�if king`tune We should tjbnserve what we expect,a IwQj ctf O ;in a river ageed' et a P I >�aW �untiay done'A we goi to haved:�2ollu-t > 'have.the saki whew the bay ia; x at Sc oggins night, April-,,P-7,-,',t 27, chat potlutiorl to-.the: tion(in the nverj or ri7t growth?R``FBedort jack-'-Sroolne,` a Tualatin rsisident,':' jiarirSari Tualatin.Rivet needs Imme,We at entad. asked. �: "` spoke on behalf.of the Wetlands Consel� thD is&ue. of But most who attended the heann ;called, Several people af3he he`arip�. led es vancy,a-gr3up dedicated`#o the protec; divgtting tf (flue ot�'tt fir. " - .. �_. the -1 Q S ;proposal for. clean; up., day night recalled a_time when tlteywere twri"of viietlands in Oregon: N sion of effluent'take&fbw from the.rner. inadequate. . ' able to seethe bottom-of`tbe river•and "We support DEQ's ammonia Stan- ft's.a.bandaid solutiQA ' eaud.."The The hearing Wednesday. night,- at, swim and fish m,it without wdrry _Others..' Bard; but believe that 39 percent algal cost will be'' t tttei.the up- Waluga'Junior }irghCho01.^w` the.last told of their chilgret conttacttrig,er and ," reduction is`not`enough, Broome said: per basin grid the bQpsfidgp� �=r ! " intestinal infectioh§after swim in the He`said Wetlands Conserva su of three pu !!kc freerMgs on`t e g the. y P- by the.k ttasir " , y l' , C River-cleart uA issue . 4�� !n" nvei. `�� ` ports e''';Q5 hgrams; pret titer West � re ni � Finney DEQ's proposal corner ail i t�e►c ars. . , Oina man;from'Tual titi'1 as iiOI th0' ' Pho§pho�'ua''level and`th'aY the'group is summiid up the sem of study of iiia prob[eitjs�nnth pl�ospgrns, Tualatin"liXer study`py the DEG?"ff not "not vi. thug is ar);unacttieyeabJe and ammoniaveis In the riy i igham . creatively looked fpr salutibris to the,poltu goal. �_ � monia ieye., cin be,traced, Q-Rock` _ ;:ing, N with us if we ._-- Creek Sewage. Treatment )?Int:vifiich -4 , handles In u;yer�old aSs weft as ustnal , wastes.These'amrtiia IeKfs re�ic the d; ed oxygen in the river wafer, mak-' i, difficult for the river to support aquaticlife.Ph ,, Mo eZ ic� errt e hfi hea K ngs officer 13ob ,pAtIrLigartner said.. Seca— ' the''phosphorus".6 iAes from noiipo nt soorpos,".-it,;osnnotbe cbntroll- A as easily.,High phosphorus le'e`Is`p�o- mote'nuisance algal growth lh the sum -ner, hie said. _ Many-p0ople pokeout `against the DEQ's proposal fora;numerical lim. it,of 10 millig*! per'liter of ptiasphoriis'in :he river`,Cftriens repeatedly caned for he DEQ to 'lower ;fat limit to;";77 05" nilligramp per,fiter and`�o enforce the irriif - /ear around;'1Oth& than.the propps, °.; Dates of,`-tgio tFiid'6gh SeptQ.niber "' Tom. 'Kreedon. xhe ) of_ RJbt ;' v f 7 Page 8 INFRASTRUCTURE NEWS May 11, 1988 tion supporter. "But it's the lesser of test out this .theory, the city is setting two evils," he adds. up a -make-shift recycling 'theme park,be- Gov. Roemer has not yet made a 'commit- hind its main waste transfer center. ment either way, Windhorst says. Behind a facade of an old western town, workers.for 'environmental and 'civic-groups at "Dry Gulch Center" will sort recover- COUNTY PUSHES TRANSIT DESPITE FISCAL WOES San Franciso--Despite a budget. deficit able materials including scrap glass, aluminum and newspapers. which threatens to crimp local transit operations, county officials are pushing While proceeds are pledged to the down- town family shelter,, the city hopes to for a 1/21 sales tax hike to pay for new save $15 for every ton it doesn't have to rail projects. haul to the landfill. Officials hope the State law prohibits the use of such going rate of up to 601E per pound for soda money to make up for shortfalls in the cans and other items will encourage wide- current budget. spread participation' in the charitable "This could mean a quantum leap in the cause. If the idea succeeds, two more quality of life in San Francisco," says garbage theme parks may open. Steve Taber, leader of a neighborhood Otherwise, the city plans to distribute coalition planning to promote the tax recycling "igloos" in neighborhood parks proposal. and parking lots to make participation With the $36 million generated each more convenient. Neighborhood groups year by the -tax hike, city planners want would be authorized to collect the Ion- to finance a variety of projects including tents from the brightly-colored 5ft. by business district light-rail lines and 6ft. fiberglas domes and pocket the sales additional subway stations along the re- revenues. The city will act .as a broker. gional transit system lines. Normally, counties are prohibited from raising sales taxes without state permis- N,.00RGRAM- CI.W UP GARBAGE- OVERFLOW sion, but a 1986 loophole permits them to East St. Louis--The debt-ridden city do so for street and transit improvements. must expend $2.10,800 of its federal com- Neighboring Contra Costa and' San Mateo munity development block grant money on county voters will consider similar meas- garbage collection, to avoid fines of ures this year. $10,000 or more threatened by state envi- ronmental authorities. The poverty-stricken city of 55,000 GARBAGE THEME PARK TO BOOST RECYCLING hasn't had regular garbage pick-ups in the Dallas---Making recycling convenient and Past six .months, since its contractor appealing to residents is the key to a demanded backpayments of over $262,000 successful program, waste management offi- before continuing service.— Since then, cials here believe'. only sporadic collections have been con- In the first of two pilot projects to ducted by volunteers or local industry. I INFRASTRUCTURE NEWS Subscriber Service — .— I I i ❑ I'm MOVING. M% ne%% address is entered Belo\\. Organization ❑ I'm RENEWING. ❑ Extend my subscription it war $197. Name ritic ❑ Extend tm subscription at the Address 2-\ear rate of 5.417. Ciq State Zip . ❑ I'm a NEW SUBSCRIBER. Start a\ear's subscription _ for me at S167. Phone Number I I ❑ Include a binder. S10.❑ Check enclosed. ❑ Please hill me. I 011)%u1 w"ibers add 5''i .uli-a tax.) j ---- ------ Signature ' I 'l( 1 /Rrytrirrallnr aulu,ri:u�iunl I `� I I \m. ( Mall to: CD Pu61.1(:1f IONS 851.5416TH STREFT,#100 I mainnRtnbet here I SILVER SPRINC.,%1D 21910 02 I I or call: .4011'MI8.6380. I------_+ --------_— -----___--� News ,., Breaks Boom In Waste Paper Collection And Export Reflected In Data Collection and export of recy- API says it has noticed an mand for this category is not cled paper are booming in the uptrend in old corrugated growing as rapidly as it is for U.S., both for calendar 1987 cardboard(OCC)exports. The corrugated and newspaper, and for the most recent quar- amount of OCC exported rose "because of the increasing ter and month for which data from a monthly average of amounts of plastics, metals, are available. about 150,000 tons for the and other non-fibrous materi- i Domestic use: January, first six to eight months of als found in the bales of 1988, receipts at mills of 1987 to roughly 200,000 tons mixed papers." waste paper were 1,633,000 exported in December. • High grades and pulp tons, according to the Ameri- `87 In review: A little more substitutes: 5.5 million tons can Paper Institute—a gain of than 24 million tons of re- were collected, up 16%. 6.4%over the 1987 figure. cyclable paper was collected "This increase reflects the in- The January rise is part of a in the U.S. last year, an in- creasing yield of clippings steady recent uptrend that saw crease of I I%over 1986 fig- from factories making paper recycled paper receipts at do- ures, according to API. products" (brochures, busi- mestic mills for the last quar- Both domestic consumption ness forms, envelopes, etc.), ter of 1987 look like this: of waste paper(19.6 million API claims. October: 1,761,000 tons, tons)and export shipments API says the paper indus- "which may well have been a (4.4 million tons) were at re- try, which is experiencing monthly record," according to cord levels as a result. great growth, is increasing its API; API's breakdown of waste use of recycled fiber at a November: 1,638,000 tons; paper components: greater rate than virgin mate- and • Old corrugated con- rials. In 1987, use of waste December: 1,667,000 tons. tainers: 11.2 million tons, paper rose 6% while wood What do those figures add almost 10% higher than 1986. pulp use increased only 4%. up to?API says waste paper About 2 million tons were The 24 million ton recycla- receipts at U.S. mills in the box clippings. The collection bles collection figure is equiv- fourth quarter ran at a rate is 45%, API says. alent, API says, to 28.6% of 20.26-million-ton annual • Old newspapers: 4.4 mil- last year's total new supply of rate--the highest rate for the lion tons were collected last paper and paperboard. Note year." In all, 19.6 million year, a 13% year-to-year gain. that the institute says roughly tons were used domestically API says consumption of old 14 million tons of paper and in 1987 (see data below). newspaper "to make cellu- paperboard were "not col- Exports: Exports in the losic insulation, molded egg lectable" last year, because fourth quarter of 1987 were cartons, and cushioning mate- they were "either included in 34% higher than year-earlier rials for packaging" may ac- such permanent uses as figures, according to figures tually be higher than its esti- gypsum, wallboard facings, from the Department of mates. board games, books, ledgers, Commerce supplied to Waste • Mixed papers: 2.8 mil- sanitary paper products, or Age by API. lion tons, an increase of were otherwise kept out of the A total of 1,277,000 tons 4.3%. API says export de- solid waste stream." of waste paper were exported in October, November, and December. The push upward Portland ' fee headed for $60 held course in January, 1988, as 417,000 tons were The Metropolitan Service Dis- to close. Metro's plans call exported—a not-seasonally- trict, serving the Portland, for replacing it with a refuse- adjusted annual rate of 5.1 Ore., area, may have to raise to-energy plant, a compost fa- million tons. local tipping fees from$16.70 cility, and a new landfill. The As to the effect on the trade per ton to$45 per ton by $60 per ton figure represents deficit, January's waste paper 1989—and eventually on to the estimated price of disposal exports were valued at$51.5 $60 per ton, according tore- when all facilities come on- million. For all of 1987 (see ports. line. below), waste paper exports The St. Johns Landfill were valued at $553 million. which serves the area is about 8 WASTE AGE/MAY 1988 1 tM N_ INFRASTRUCTURE PUBLICATIONS Planning . . . . Financing NEWS For Community Growth Washington, May 11, 1988 88-9 BRIDGES: NYC bridge closing highlights 1 SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS: Arizona's infra- 5 the failings of national infrastruc- structure finance "revolution" is back ture policy. in full swing, for the third year. TOLL FINANCING: Internation bridge, tun- 2 INFRASTRUCTURE: Municipal borrowing for 6 nel, and turnpike workshop turns up capital projects surges beyond expec- plans to reform national highway policy. tations. MASS TRANSIT: Dallas business establish- 4 STATE & LOCAL BRIEFS: Traffic noose gets 7 ment rallies behind $1 billion rail tighter around Washington. Denver's transit proposal. private rail loses federal jumpstart. BRIDG,ES urLLIAMSBURG BRIDGE CLOSING DRAMATIZES NATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE POLICY FAILURES New York--The Williamsburg Bridge has become a symbol of everything that's gone wrong with national infrastructure policy. But how it all adds up depends on who you talk to. There's little disagreement on the material evidence. If the city hadn't spared the expense for a good scrubbing and a dab of paint periodically over the years, it probably wouldn't be saddled with repair or replacement costs ranging from $200 million to $800 million. Most likely, the historic 85-year-old steel suspension bridge would still be in pretty decent shape. The consequences are certainly undisputable. As expected, the 84,000 subway riders and 107,000 drivers who customarily use the bridge to reach work each day are contributing to crush loads on the remaining East River crossings. Traffic' is up' at least 50% on the main routes, such as the Brooklyn—Battery Tunnel, where the normal 6 minute delay at the toll gates has spiked up to 30 minutes. In contrast, streets at the Williamsburg's terminus are all but dead, threatening to ruin local commerce. What's unresolved is the question of responsibility. Is the debacle a product of institutional failures, as advocates of privatization suggest? Or is it simply the doing of a tight—fisted legislature, as city transportation officials suggest? And, for that matter, what's the solution? So far as federal authorities are concerned, the incident confirms that their responsibility for guarding public safety has been carried out. "The bridge is closed and no one was hurt; that tells me the inspectors have done their job," says Copyright 1987, CD Publications. INFRASTRUCTURE NEWS is issued semimonthly by CD Publications, 8555 16th St., Silver Spring, MD 20910. Subscription, $197/year, plus postage: U.S.-Mexico, add $6; Canada, $9; international, $25. Binder, $10. Private, independent service. Reproduction or photocopy- ing for internal or external use is barred. Bulk rates available. Editor: Andrew Fury. Managing Editor: Simpson Lawson. Publisher: Ash Gerecht. Marketing Director: Mike Gerecht. Circulation Mgr: Mary Stewart-Williams. 301-588-6380. Page 2 INFRASTRUCTURE NEWS May 11, 1988 Fed'1 Highway Adm'n bridge chief John Ahlskog. Whether the city fulfilled its job to manage the bridge properly is another question, he notes. Ahlskog's office has come under fire recently from the Nat'l Transportation Safety Board, which holds the administration partially responsibility for the April 1987 collapse of the Schoharie Creek Bridge, on the New York State Throughway. Ten travelers died in the disaster. The board emphasizes that 43,000 bridges around the country are overdue for an inspection. The problem isn't quite that bad, Ahlskog says. "The board is using statistics we gave them a year ago, and they weren't too fresh then, either," he notes. The most recent count shows the number of unchecked bridges is under 15,000. "I'm not saying there's no problem, but tremendous progress has been made in the past year," Ahlskog says. Besides, the physical circumstances of the Schoharie Bridge were atypical of other crossings, he adds. Privatization advocates cite the Williamsburg Bridge as a typical failure of municipal government to manage infrastructure effectively. Federal urban mass tran- sit chief Al DelliBovi urges the city to turn the structure over to more capable private interests. Experts agree privatization doesn't have a chance in New York, with its long history of public control over infrastructure. However, Mayor Kotch's proposal to create a special bridge authority, independent of the city Transportation Dept, is in itself an indictment against government bureaucracy and it's typical way of handling public works, says David Seader, former director of the Privatization Council here. "It plainly shows that the city's 'wait till it falls down' mainten- ance system doesn't suffice," he observes. Despite transportation commissioner Ross Sandler's insistence that a lack of funding is the chief culprit, New York Auto Club safety director Richard Newhouse finds flaws with the way that public agencies contract out inspections and other work. "Schoharie was a well funded toll facility," he points out. The success of Mayor Kotch's proposal to solve the problem through a new bridge authority depends on it's .measure of real independence and its ability to hire a staff of competent engineers and managers, Newhouse thinks. TOIL FINANCING TOLLS OFFER CORNERSTONE FOR RESTRUCTURED TRANSPORTATION FINANCING SYSTEM Although tolls are about the most shop-worn road financing technique, there seems no limit on the innovative ways in which they can be applied to revamp the nation's failing system of transportation funding. Public works finance experts gathered for the annual International Bridge Tunnel and Turnpike Workshop last month contend that such new techniques are at our dis- posal, if federal, state and local governments become open-minded enough to employ them. Officials will have to give in sooner or later, since traditional revenue sources, such as fuel taxes and automobile fees are nearing the top of the yield curve in most areas. Tolls aren't without their problems, admits leading advocate Curt Jensen of George K. Baum & Co. But judging from his experience in underwriting metropolitan Denver's $1 billion beltway project, relying exclusively on local funds, tolls can fit neatly into a comprehensive transportation financing scheme, Jensen tells the conference participants. Jensen's presentation substantially fleshes-out his earlier proposal advocating toll financing as a cornerstone for national highway policy reform. (INF 10/28p5) Nationwide tax and fee hikes fail to make a dent in highway needs because they're based on a revenue analysis that "begs a much larger question," Jensen suggests. N May 11, 1988 INFRASTRUCTURE NEWS Page 3 "If we will have to push every political lever that can be found just to maintain the highway system we now have in place," Jensen asks, "how will we begin to meet the growing demand for new highways?" Car travel has doubled in 15 years. While maintenance needs are already well out of reach, federal, state and local. govern- ments would have to boost their annual road budgets by more than 75% above current levels just to handle new construction. Answers to the problem include local beneficiary taxes such as impact fees on developers who take a ride on the land value inflation train when new highways run by their properties, Jensen contends. Through the local zoning and land use plan- ning process, officials can also slash the cost of future road building from 20% to 35% by bargaining for right-of-way parcels far ahead of time--often getting them for free. But these disparate tools need a solid foundation, such as tolls, to hold them together. Tolls have peculiarities, however, requiring adept management to work them into an overall system of funding for new highway construction programs. In most cases, toll facilities tend to run short on cash in the early years, while generating a hefty surplus in later years. "Our studies of the Denver Metro Beltway indicate that it takes about 8 years for a new suburban toll highway to break even, but that in 15 years the highway can be collecting twice as much money as it needs for operation and debt service," Jensen notes. One study of Denver interstate spur I-225 shows that it could have paid for itself in 10 years as a toll facility, and today would be netting $50 million a year for other highway needs. So the challenge is to find ways of solving the "front end" revenue problem while exploiting the cash churning potential of later years, Jensen maintains. Toll highways need extra revenues and a "big brother" for credit support in get- ting started, Jensen suggests. Federal or state backing, along with special local taxes and fees, can get projects the initial boost needed to dramatically reduce overall financing costs. Authorities can avoid the wasteful practice of issuing bonds in excess of construc- tion costs to pad debt service accounts. Credit backing can also lower interest payments over the life of the debt. The exposure of toll road backers isn't as great as one might imagine, Jensen emphasizes, if projects are managed properly. The traditional approach has been to structure a facility, such as a metropolitan beltway, as a single project coming on line at once. But managing a project in one piece drives up costs and associated risks perilously, Jensen says. A more efficient solution is to work in smaller segments, using the profits from the early stages as front-end capital to jump start later stages. Jensen is currently applying this approach to complete Denver's East 470 Belt- way loop with future segments running through the south and northwestern suburbs. "Lowering the capitalized interest term, using excess revenues for current construc- tion dollars and reducing [debt service] coverage would greatly reduce the [tax] revenues required to complete the Beltway and make the process of funding botk more simple and much more politically salable," he says. Toll financing can also help reverse the poor financial planning that got the country into its public works morass in the first place. Because it predictably yields profits shortly after a facility breaks even, it's possible to capitalize a permanent maintenance trust fund for the years ahead. "One **MW or two years of toll revenues after debt service payoff would establish a permanent fund that could fund maintenance for the long haul without invading the fund's prin- cipal balance," Jensen suggests. With such means available to move forward with needed highway construction now, the penalty for procrastination "transcends the problems of millions of motorists who are stalled in traffic jams everyday," Jensen emphasizes. Inflation in the con- Page 4 INFRASTRUCTURE NEWS May 11, 1988 struction and real estate industries easily outruns costs in other sectors of the economy, he points out. "It's time for highway conferences to stop the endless hand wringing about the current situation and begin to endorse specific programs for correcting the situation," he adds. "Toll highways are only one component, but they are an essential one." MASS TRANSIT METROPOLITAN BUSINESS ESTABLISHMENT RALLIES BEHIND RAIL BOND PROPOSAL Dallas--With a referendum on building a metropolitan rail transit system just a few weeks ahead, the local business establishment here is throwing its weight behind the city in a drive to sell the $1 billion bond issue to the voters. Administration. officials, past and present, are marshalling all the help they can get against anti-growth forces operating from neighborhood strongholds. Just last month, former Mayor Jack Evans made a rare appearance in City Hall to lobby successfully against a council proposal to prohibit the transit authority from promoting its cause. Promising to make the Dallas Area Rapid Transit bond campaign her top priority, Mayor Annette Strauss has scheduled public appearances on behalf of DART before the June 25 referendum. She'll also put pressure on the council to pass a resolution endorsing the bond issue. Local business leaders fear a defeat of the referendum would send a message to corporate chiefs around the country that the city is incapable of addressing its transportation needs. That stigma could stifle economic growth in the region, some tell. us. Opponents credit the referendum backers With applying a "full court press" to the voters with their public relations campaign. "The machine is always there," notes opposition leader Dave Fox, a former Dallas County Judge. He expected nothing less when helping to organize the anti-DART lobby. Another opponent, Councilman Jerry Bartos, felt the sting of DART backers when he recently sponsored a measure demanding that DART pare-back its request for federal construction support. Bartos claims he was sure he had enough votes to push the resolution through, until arm-twisting by Mayor Strauss and former mayor Evans per- suaded the council to drop the matter. The chief gripe of the opposition is that a rail plan focusing on downtown com- muting won't help the majority of workers throughout the sprawling Dallas metro- politan area. Instead, the transit agency ought to devote its 1i share of the local sales tax to highway construction, they maintain. A few business leaders have res- ervations about imposing such a huge financial burden on the regional economy after a recent downturn. But whatever the merit of such criticisms, a growing number of officials in busi- ness and on the council are beginning view the DART referendum as a survival test for the regional transportation plan. The plan is based on a fragile set of compro- mises among DART's 16 member communities. It could take years to piece together an alternative, advocates warn. Success of the referendum is sure to spark a development boom, turning the busi- ness district into a catalyst for growth throughout the entire region, contends Hugh Robinson, an executive for the Southland Corporation. The problem, he tells us, is getting the voters to look far enough ahead to appreciate the benefits. "The biggest payoffs are far off in the future," Robinson says. Critics of rail construction tend to dwell on the immediate results, he notes. "But I can't think of a major city that lived to regret an investment in rapid transit," he adds. May 11, 1988 1%✓ INFRASTRUCTURE NEWS Page 5 Southland's primary concern is that the city approve high density zoning around station areas, allowing businesses to capitalize on their contributions to the sys- tem, and helping generate sufficient ridership to fill the fareboxes. "Our message to the city is that if you're going to go through with such a project, then plan ac- cording to sound business principles," Robinson says. In particular, the commercial giant would like to develop its corporate office property into a massive mixed-use project housing a variety of businesses employing 50,000 workers. DART construction alone would create another 2,000 jobs over 20 years, while helping to boost Southland's Cityplace property tax assessment to $50 million. Southland has asked to the city to delay a decision on zoning densities until after the referendum. SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS ARIZONA'S INFRASTRUCTURE FINANCE REVOLUTION IS BACK IN FULL SWING Phoenix--Leaders of Arizona's long-simmering infrastructure finance "revolution" certainly deserve a medal for persistence. For the third year running, the legislature is thrashing out a proposal that would permit landowners in developing areas to establish "community facility dis- tricts" empowered to issue tax-exempt bonds for infrastructure before permanent residents move in. The law would vest developers with ad valorem taxing authority, subject to municipal controls, entitling them to use governmental bonds without triggering private use restrictions in the 1986 tax reform act. (INF 5/13/87p1) The bill is designed to help provide public works for preplanned communities at the expense of the future residents who will benefit from them. The tactic reduces financing costs, circumvents constitutional debt limits on local governments and compensates for sharp curbs on industrial development bonds, advocates point out. It can also be used to help cities revive deteriorating neighborhoods, much like the conventional special tax district approach. The proposal evolved from a request by Westinghouse Communities of Arizona for special taxing powers to finance infrastructure publicly on its 5,000-acre master- planned development site in an unincorporated area north of Tucson. The real estate giant would eventually annex the territory to city. Last year, the company cleared a major hurdle in relenting to demands by the League of Arizona Cities for tight municipal control over the districts. The com- promise would have given the developer a special exception to move forward with its project under the aegis of Pima County, while subsequent districts would have been restricted to territories within city limits. The counties, backed by the Central Ariz. Homebuilders Assn, cried foul. last year over the ban against additional districts in unincorporated areas, prompting former Gov. Mecham to veto the measure. In its new incarnation, the bill leaves open the possibility for counties to participate in the future, raising hopes that it may finally succeed this year. The League of Cities demanded the restriction on facility districts in unincor- porated areas, fearing that some smaller counties are unequipped to supervise the sophisticated financing scheme well enough to keep developers in line. State Sen. Bill Mawhinney, chief sponsor of the bill, believes he's addressed those concerns with technical revisions to keep districts under control. The provisions would ensure, for instance, that bonded indebtedness doesn't ex- ceed the secured value of land and improvements in the districts, in addition to limiting developers' taxing and eminent domain powers. The bill should face its final test in the legislature within the next few weeks. 1„ Page 6 INFRASTRUCTURE NEWS May 11, 1988 INFRASTRUCTURE MUNICIPAL BORROWING FOR INFRASTRUCTURE SURGES BEYOND EXPECTATIONS New York--State and local investment in infrastructure may not be dying out after all, despite federal curbs on tax-exempt financing. The tally for long-term municipal bond issuance in the 1Q 1988 has taken industry analysts by surprise, reaching the second highest level ever recorded for that per- iod at $24 billion (see chart below). Taken in context, the surprise showing is even more impressive. Over 70% of the record volume posted in 1987 is attributed to advance refunding of previously issued bonds. The early infusion of capital into public works may portend much stronger invest- ment this year than anticipated, says Public Securities Ass'n president Heather Ruth. "We're encouraged that spending for new capital projects is up, especially for infrastructure," considering the stack of recent studies forecasting a widening gap between funding needs and waning public commitment. While most categories of public works post substantial gains in the spending surge, roads, tunnels and bridges have been left behind, Ruth notes. Projects in those categories account for the smallest first quarter financing volume since 1982. Ironically, these areas are the most underfunded of all, Ruth points out, citing statistics from the National Council of Public Works Improvement projecting a need to spending an additional $20 billion a year on surface transpor- tation through the year 2000. Bridge rehabilitation alone requires $50 billion through that period. In that regard, the recent closing of the Williamsburg Bridge in New York sug- gests that nationwide bridge needs may be turn out to be even greater than the Council's projection (see story under BRIDGES heading). The incident brings to light city estimates that it needs as much as $3 billion to rebuild 371 structurally deficient bridges that it owns. It's current capital allocation falls short of need by $1.2 billion. "While the first quarter financing was better than expected, we can't let these figures lull us into a false sense of security," Ruth emphasizes. The burden of tax reform restrictions on municipal finance remain a barrier to adequate public works investment, she says. Issuance of Tax-Except Municipal Bonds for Infrastructure Lon! Term Now Capital Issuance, 1982 - 1968 01 Annualized 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 198801 198801 S Amount 6 Amount f Amount S Amount S Amount S Amount 6 Amount f Amount (Millions) (Millions) (Millions) (Millions) (Millions) (Millions) (Millions) (Millions) Airports 10541.3 1,093.1 2442.0 2x645.2 367.6 1#079.8 953.9 3x815.5 Flood Control 87.4 30.5 338.6 98.7 103.3 79.2 46.6 186.2 General Govt Purpose 81133.8 91794.2 6028.5 111310.2 14470.7 7x938.2 1610.7 61042.9 General Improvement 962.1 211.1 19233.0 1436.2 2412.8 1436.4 652.0 2,608.0 Government/Public 81 390.8 412.4 320.9 658.2 558.2 427.8 329.4 1017.5 Mass/Rapid Transit 588.7 709.8 11209.0 1,234.0 2459.2 669.9 106.1 424.5 Roads/Tunnel/Bridge 500.5 317.0 1x256.8 41051.6 30892.9 L219.4 $8.6 234.4 Sanitation 46.9 38.4 88.5 102.5 310.7 45.1 0.0 0.0 Seaports 695.1 361.0 620.6 658.6 250.6 91.9 138.8 555.3 Solid Waste/Res Rec 101.7 725.0 4►201.7 3490.5 1063.5 109.5 622.0 21488.0 Street Improvements 115.5 95.1 39.3 92.9 91.8 225.5 24.3 97.3 Transportation - 0t6 74.9 5.1 150.2 380.1 442.3 0.0 125.0 500.0 Yater 9 Sever 0.0 1x797.2 3414.7 4448.0 59136.0 49580.6 815.1 3x260.4 Totals 13054.6 16x308.2 22x337.4 33x544.7 33465.8 20x720.7 69251.3 259005.3 � f May 11, 1988 INFRASTRUCTURE NEWS Page -? STATE AND LOCAL BRIEFS TRAFFIC NOOSE TIGHTENS AROUND WASHINGTON support last year in response to the Compared with other major metropolitan authority's proposal finance the project areas, the nation's capital doesn't truly with minimal federal aid. understand the meaning of traffic grid- Because the authority now wants the lock--but the time is fast approaching federal government to pay half the cost of when it will, a new report warns. construction, Stanley's successor, Al Average speed on the Capital Beltway DelliBovi, has declared the agreement during rush hour has dipped from a near invalid. maximum of 53.6 miles per hour to 45.8 Nonetheless, officials plan to move miles per hour from 1981 to 1987, accord- forward with design work for the 17.6-mile ing to the Washington Council of Govern- line, connecting downtown Denver with ments. northern Douglas County. Portions of the Currently accommodating 14% of the preliminary study, however, may be delayed region's commuter traffic, the 66-mile by DelliBovi's decision. "main street" of the capital area is in danger of choking in the near future, the council warns. Officials are alarmed that BRIDGE OWNER FINDS TOLLS UNECONOMICAL it will no longer serve its function as a New Orleans--Tolls needed to finance downtown Washington bypass, and begin the construction of approaches to the new spilling through-traffic onto already Mississippi River Bridge would burden the congested city streets. "Speeds are getting down there, and local economy and thus provide little net benefit to the state a coalition of it's due to the fact that the Beltway is ' businesses warns. operating at near capacity," says council transportation planning chief Ron Kirby. A study projecting the economic con- Consequently, "when something goes wrong, sequences of imposing tolls on the bridge, it goes wrong in a bad way." scheduled to open in August, finds that as As a first step towards getting up to many as 9,419 jobs could be lost in sur- rounding Jefferson Parish. Prepared by $200 million in federal funds for improve- Morphy, Makofsky Inc. , the study concludes ments, the council has targeted certain that the net revenue gain to the state bottlenecks on the region's long-range would be about $300,000 a year, after transportation plan. Top priority will go accounting for a $16.6 million drop in tax to widening the Wilson Bridge, which receipts and toll-related expenses. carries traffic across the Potomac River. Jefferson Parish coffers might also Likely options include adding a fourth take a $5 million hit, the analysis pre- lane in each direction, building an upper dicts, although it doesn't entertain the deck, or erecting a new Potomac crossing effect on neighboring jurisdictions. to the south as part of a second eastern Local industry associations and busi- bypass around the capital area. nesses participating in the West Bank Economic Development Coalition commis- sioned the study to persuade Gov. Roemer PRIVATE RAIL LINE LOSES FEDERAL JUMPSTART to find some other way of raising the Denver--After hedging on its promise to $125 million needed to reroute area thor- build a private commuter rail line without oughfares for better access to the bridge. substantial federal aid, the area Transit Since the fically strapped state is Construction Authority loses a $1 million already at risk of losing federal highway federal construction planning grant. aid because of cuts in its maintenance The loss came as a surprise for the program, the only option may be to delay authority, which had promoted its project approach work until the West Bank economy as a national model for public-private improves enough to support tolls. "This partnerships. Former Urban Mass Transit is not something I would be happy about," Adm'n director Ralph Stanley pledged the says state Sen. Fritz Windhorst, a coali- 1 M e Page 8 INFRASTRUCTURE NEWS May 11, 1988 tion supporter. "But it's the lesser of test out this theory, the city is setting two evils," he adds. up a make-shift recycling theme park be- Gov. Roemer has not yet made a commit- hind its main waste transfer center. ment either way, Windhorst says. Behind a facade of an old western town, workers for environmental and civic groups COUNTY PUSHES TRANSIT DESPITE FISCAL WOES at "Dry Gulch Center" will sort recover- San Franciso--Despite a budget deficit able materials including scrap glass, which threatens to crimp local transit aluminum and newspapers. operations, county officials are pushing While proceeds are pledged to the down- town family shelter, the city hopes to for a 1/21 sales tax hike to pay for new save $15 for every ton it doesn't have to rail projects. haul to the landfill. Officials hope the State law prohibits the use of such going rate of up to 60J per pound for soda money to make up for shortfalls in the cans and other items will encourage wide- current budget. spread participation in the charitable "This could mean a quantum leap in the cause. If the idea succeeds, two more quality of life in San Francisco," says garbage theme parks may open. Steve Taber, leader of a neighborhood Otherwise, the city plans to distribute coalition planning to promote the tax recycling "igloos" in neighborhood parks proposal. and parking lots to make participation With the $36 million generated each more convenient. Neighborhood groups year by the tax hike, city planners want would be authorized to collect the Ion- to finance a variety of projects including tents from the brightly-colored 5ft. by business district light-rail lines and 6ft. fiberglas domes and pocket the sales additional subway stations along the re- revenues. The city will act as a broker. gional transit system lines. Normally, counties are prohibited from raising sales taxes without state permis- N6M GRANTS _CLEAN UP GARBAGE OVERFLOW sion, but a 1986 loophole permits them to East St. Louis--The de t� -ridaen city do so for street and transit improvements. must expend $210,800 of its federal com- Neighboring Contra Costa and San Mateo munity development block grant money on county voters will consider similar meas- garbage collection, to avoid fines of ures this year. $10,000 or more threatened by state envi- ronmental authorities. The poverty-stricken city of 55,000 GARBAGE THEME PARR TO ROOST RECYCLING hasn't had regular garbage pick-ups in the Dallas--Making recycling convenient and past six months, since its contractor appealing to residents is the key to a demanded backpayments of over $262,000 successful program, waste management offi- before continuing service. Since then, cials here believe: only sporadic collections have been con- In the first of two pilot projects to ducted by volunteers or local industry. _---------------------------------- -----I INFRASTRUCTURE NEWS Subscriber Service j ❑ I'm M0V1NG. M� nea address is entered below Organization _ I ❑ I'm RENF�4'(NCi. ❑ Extend my subscription a rear S197. Name title ❑ Extcnd tm subscription at the Address 2-}ear rate of$317. C itr State .Zip .- 0 I'm a NEW SUBSCRIBER.Start a\car' subscription tis or me at $167. Phone Number( l __— ❑ Include a binder. $10.❑ Check enclosed. ❑ Please bill me. 011)suh%r-•thers add S';;ulcy iax.) Signature _ %m• j Mail to: CD PUBIJ ATIONS �nur I 855516TH STREET moo mailing label label ( SILK ER SPRI`C.NIU 20910 02 � ' her or call: 301;58&6380. --------------------- -- ------------------------------ ----------- -----� p`. Y _ 2. F f i't$✓ h^„ Y`�.`"t'V .y .l� .F[� .£ `, { ✓F}.F yI s'Sf LTA '�y,.fJ¢ j1 y" a " +k. lam proposes to ans a 177 - 4 by I�AtNY At.LEACH Grove, made a plea for the DEQ to do tion' problem. He called' for a more flews Editor mote to limit and dean up pollution of the judicious use of wetlands rather than Tualatin PI Tuafat{n River. He suggested the DEQ developing them and for contour farrrer�g disagreed st KE ©S W E G O) Residents of "in�1{MO# a;water management policy" to preserve the WOW."Wi wilf be here a- lower level of. and Clackamas Counties and more actively nVulate Heavy metal long time. We sh6uld"bbnserve what we ekp a at a 'public.hearing Wednesday pollution. "Are we going to have no poilu- Have, he said. 4TIM .April 2?, that pollution in the tion:(in the river)or no,Srowth?' Kree don Jack B robjnC a Tualatin resident, Daiitj, <Harri ►n nems immediate attention. asked. spoke�+behalf of the Wetlands Conser tfamgon nom, i I M W,,who attended the hearing called Several people at the hearing Wedrres van r� soup dedi to the protec- divert s. C)E4's "proposal for clean up. day night recalled a time when were t �f wetlands�n sion'd►f efi i# _ to noto able to see the bottom oft liver and `We support L7 s' ammonia It's a bandaui solo r�ct hearing Wednesday 'night at swim and fish in It without Murry. Others dard, but believe that 39 alga{ cost will, lac fta> S� Junior high School was the last told of their'children,pcaO"cting ear era`! reduction is+�rfot•enough 'trt�e said. Pe, d . ae public Meetings on the intestinal infeptiaans after swimming 1p the He said Wettandsssrvancy e x eau1 up issue. river. Port . 05 rams West {rnn r, o� s proposal comes after two years One man`from Tualatin said:#flat the s levy: that.lite° roup is sumr} t3 i "the of the problems with y Y � F pr phosphorus Tualatin River stud b the, has not convinced this is an ynapLueveabse i {a levels in the river.High am- creatively looked for solu17 tes to the polio- goal." Levels can be traced to the Rock ng, " cur Sewage Treatment Plant, which .` r, � work keit h it t L�isehold as well as industrial. Tie ammonia levels reduce the �ved oxygen in the river water,mak- it;dt* for the river-to support loft0 "T . m the nvoris a much to deal with,hear= iOb, Baumgartner said. ` PMxr carnes from it cannot be controls 1 porus levels;pro- en growth in the sum- �- ouf a$alnst,the f� rcal liimit of in V; f` at �lr to ,1,5. �„ 1,�e�►�uce tf��L,rr�r` *4000, MEMORANDUM CITY OF TIGARD, OREGON TO: Utility and Franchise Committee Members Respond By FROM: Wayne Lowry, Finance Director XX For Your Information DATE: May 11' 1980 ___Sign and Return SUBJECT: Cancellation of May Meeting The meeting scheduled for May 10' 1989, has been cancelled . It will be rescheduled in June on a date to be announced later, dc/9820D MAY 16-31, 1988 RIVER CITY PRESS PAGE 3 w : ..:.:..... may. ..n::.:.;i:n:n ..... n.....::........ :....:::is•,:..y:...:::...:;. DEQ proposes clean up of Tualatin River Resmidents' say. are inadequate by KATHY M.LEACH Grove, made a plea for the DEQ to do tion problem. He called for a more Mary Harrison, a member of the News Editor more to limit and clean up pollution of the judicious use of wetlands rather than Tualatin Planning Advisory Committee, Tualatin River. He suggested the DEQ developing them and for contour farming disagreed strongly with the calls for the ( KE OSWEGO) Residents of "institute a water management policy" to preserve the topsoil."We will behere a lower level of phosphorus. "You cannot hington and Clackamas Counties and more actively regulate heavy metal long time. We should conserve what we expect a phosphorus level of.05 in a river at a public hearing Wednesday pollution. "Are we going to have no pollu- have,"he said. where the basin level is.074(at Scoggins April 27, that pollution in the tion(in the river)or no growth?" Kreedon Jack Broome, a Tualatin resident, Dam),"-Harrison said. T tin River needs immediate attention. asked. spoke on behalf of the Wetlands Conser- Harrison also addressed the issue of st who attended the hearing called Several people at the hearing Wednes- vancy, a group dedicated to the protec- diverting the effluent of the river. "Diver- thlt>' EQ's proposal for clean up day night recalled a time when they were tion of wetlands in Oregon. sion of effluent takes flow from the river. equate. able to see the bottom of the river and "We support DEQ's ammonia stan- It's a bandaid solution," she said. "The The hearing Wednesday night at swim and fish in it without worry. Others dard, but believe that 39 percent algal cost will be paid by the people on the up- Wa6ga Junior High School was the last told of their children contracting ear and reduction is not enough," Broome said. per basin and the benefits will be received Of three public hearings on the Tualatin intestinal infections after swimming in the He said the Wetlands Conservancy sup- by the lower basin." F&or clean up issue. river. ports the .05 milligrams per liter West Linn resident Eleanor Finney DEQ's proposal comes after two years One man from Tualatin said that the phosphorus level and that the group is summed up the sentiments of the evening Of dy of the problems with phosphorus Tualatin River study by the DEQ has not "not convinced this is an unachieveable and the support for immediate attention to 460mmonia levels in the river.High am- creatively looked for solutions to the pollu- goal." the clean up of the Tualatin river by 2% say- levels can be traced to the Rock ing, "Nature works very well with us if we k Sewage Treatment Plant, which work well with it." herdles household as well as industrial - waaEes.These ammonia levels reduce the dissolved oxygen in the river water, mak- ing it difficult for the river to support aquatic life. Phosphorus levels in the river is a much more difficult problem to deal with, hear- ings officer Bob Baumgartner said. Because the phosphorus comes from "nonpoint sources,"it cannot be controll- ed as easily. High phosphorus levels pro- mote nuisance algal growth in the sum- mer, he said. Many people spoke out against the DEQ's proposal for a numerical limit of .10 milligrams per liter of phosphorus in the river. Citizens repeatedly called for the DEQ to lower that limit to .05 milligrams per liter and to enforce the limit year around rather than the proposed dates of June through September.