August 2 Council Meeting:
A 3-year contract for Jeff Alvis as City Administrator was approved unanimously. Alvis filled the Administrator job on an interim basis in February when Paul Wyntergreen left to become the City Manager in Tillamook, Oregon. Alvis will serve a dual role as City Administrator and Director of Public Works.
Due to a resignation on the Budget Committee, Council unanimously appointed Linda Graham to fill the vacancy.
Citing the need to address actual and potential deterioration of certain landmark buildings in the historic core, Mayor Paul Becker called for the creation of a restoration and inspection program to be funded by grants. He and City Administrator Alvis came up with the concept while touring the Oakland, Oregon historic district. The to-be-established program will involve the Planning Department and HARC and the Oregon Historic Preservation Office. The scope will likely entail working with building owners to pinpoint the top five most important measures to preserve and enhance building structural and aesthetic integrity, fire sprinkler installation, seismic retrofitting and conducting workshops on the program.
On advice of staff, Council concurred not to entertain a public/private partnership with the Bigham Knoll campus for use of the athletic field. The matter had been referred back to Council by the Planning Commission as part of an unresolved performance review condition.
Administrator Alvis and Oregon Department of Transportation staffer Kelly Sparkman informed Council that an $800,000+ street improvement contract near the Britt Festival grounds will be finalized within weeks. The 2010 Federal Transportation Enhancement grant was awarded for a new bus parking area, a newly designed “plaza” front entry gate area and improved sidewalks. Britt is contributing $98,000 to the project along with $50,000 from Jacksonville’s Systems Development Charge fund. Per ODOT protocol, after the project is 30% complete, input will be solicited at a public hearing.
August 10 Planning Commission: A Public Hearing was held to resolve outstanding items related to a Conditional Use Permit for the athletic field on the Bigham Knoll Campus. After four hours of staff reports, public input, deliberation and debate, the PC ruled to permit construction of an overflow parking lot, to permit use as a potential farmers market site, to deny use of the field for non-profit events (all approvals will be determined by the City Council on a case-by-case basis) and to continue discussion of locating a railroad museum to a future date.
August 16 Council Meeting:
Council agreed to hold its regular meetings at 6:00 pm on a permanent basis.
A request by Southern Oregon Historical Society to waive parking district fees for the US Hotel was tabled until Council was provided more detailed financial information.
A Public Hearing was set for September 6 during regular session for public input on the proposed watershed land swap with the Motorcycle Riders Association. The Mayor said comments will be limited to 3 minutes by anyone living in the city or influenced by the proposed swap.