City Council

City Council Meeting Minutes ___________________________________________________________________________________________ THURSDAY March 18, 2021 VIA CONFERENCE CALL CITY OF COLUMBIA CITY, COLUMBIA COUNTY, OREGON AGENDA ITEM 1 CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL: CONVENED: Mayor Casey Wheeler called the Regular Meeting to order at 6:15 pm. Public access and comment was available via published conference call number. COUNCIL MEMBERS PRESENT: Mayor Casey Wheeler Councilor Gordon Thistle Councilor Katrina Claridge Councilor Jeff Reinan COUNCIL MEMBERS ABSENT: Councilor Sue Ziglinski ALSO PRESENT: Mike McGlothlin, City Administrator/Recorder ATTORNEY PRESENT: None A quorum was present and due notice had been published. AGENDA ITEM 2 CITIZEN INPUT: None AGENDA ITEM 3 COUNCIL REPORTS: 3.1 Minutes of the February 16, 2021 Water & Sewer Committee Meeting (Chair Thistle). Written minutes from this committee meeting were submitted with the Council agenda. 3.2 Minutes of the February 23, 2021 Parks Committee Meeting (Chair Claridge). Written minutes from this committee meeting were submitted with the Council agenda. AGENDA ITEM 4 STAFF REPORTS: 4.1 Activity Report from the Public Works Superintendent: A written report from Public Works Superintendent, Micah Rogers, was submitted for the previous months activities. 4.2 Activity Report from the Police Operations Sergeant: A written report from the Police Operations Sergeant, Jerry Bartolomucci, was submitted for the previous months activities. AGENDA ITEM 5 CONSENT AGENDA: 2 - Regular City Council Meeting March 18, 2021 5.1 Bills paid with check numbers 33003 through 33048 during the month of February, 2021. 5.2 Financial Report for the month ending February 28, 2021. 5.3 Minutes of the February 18, 2021 Regular City Council Meeting. COUNCIL APPROVED THE CONSENT AGENDA BY UNANIMOUS ROLL CALL VOTE. AGENDA ITEM 6 UNFINISHED BUSINESS: 6.1 Second Reading of Council Bill 21-923: An Ordinance Amending Ordinance No. 517; an Ordinance Defining Nuisances; Providing for their Abatement; Providing Penalties. COUNCIL CONDUCTED THE SECOND READING OF COUNCIL BILL 21-923. MOVED (THISTLE), SECONDED (CLARIDGE), AND APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY TO APPROVE COUNCIL BILL 21-923. AGENDA ITEM 7 NEW BUSINESS: 7.1 Review, discussion and approval of the Budget Year 2021-22 Five-Year Capital Improvement Program as submitted by the City Administrator. MOVED (REINAN), SECONDED (THISTLE), AND APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY TO APPROVE THE BUDGET YEAR 2021-22 FIVE-YEAR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN AS SUBMITTED. 7.2 Review, discussion and approval of Termination and Elimination of Easement between Stanley D. Girard and Nancy J. Girard, of 3525 Sixth Street, and the City of Columbia City. MOVED (THISTLE), SECONDED (CLARIDGE), AND APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY TO APPROVE THE TERMINATION AND ELIMINATION OF THE EASEMENT, BETWEEN THE INVOLVED PARTIES, AS SUBMITTED. 7.3 Review and discussion of 2021 Pre-Application grant packet for the Transportation and Growth Management Program, as managed by the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) and Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD). THE CITY ADMINISTRATOR AND COUNCIL DISCUSSED THE GRANT OPPORTUNITY, WHICH, IF AWARDED, WOULD ENABLE THE CITY TO UPDATE ITS TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM PLAN (TSP). BY CONSENSUS OF COUNCIL THE CITY ADMINISTRATOR WILL SUBMIT A PRE-APPLICATION PACKET IN ORDER TO COMPETE FOR THE AWARD OF THIS GRANT FUNDING. 7.4 Review and discussion regarding the “American Rescue Plan Act of 2021” and its associated impact(s) on the City of Columbia City. THE CITY COUNCIL AND CITY ADMINISTRATOR DISCUSSED THE REFERENCED ACT, ITS ESTIMATED REVENUE ADDITION TO THE CITY IN THE AMOUNT OF $410,000.00 OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS, THE KNOWN TO DATE RESTRICTIONS ON SPENDING, AND THAT FURTHER GUIDANCE ON THE ACT AND ITS SPENDING PROVISIONS WOULD BE FORTHCOMING OVER THE NEXT 30 DAYS FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY. THE CITY ADMINISTRATOR SHARED THAT IN THE INTERIM HE HAS BEEN WORKING WITH CITY STAFF AND DEPARTMENT HEADS IN FORMULATING A LIST OF CITY PROJECTS FOR POTENTIAL FUNDING WITH THE REVENUE FROM THIS ACT. IF ABLE TO DO SO, BARRING ANY FUTURE EXPENDITURE RESTRICTIONS THAT MAY ARISE FROM TREASURY GUIDANCE, 3 - Regular City Council Meeting March 18, 2021 THESE FUNDS WILL ENABLE THE CITY TO ADDRESS MANY INFRASTRUCTURE AND SECURITY PROJECTS THAT HAVE LANGUISHED OVER THE YEARS DUE TO LACK OF FUNDING. MORE INFORMATION WILL BE SHARED AND DISCUSSED AS IT DEVELOPS. AGENDA ITEM 8 OTHER BUSINESS: 8.1 The City Administrator/Recorder and Council discussed the following issues and activities: City recognition banners along Highway 30: Staff had observed that some had become damaged to the point that they either needed to be removed or replaced. After discussion City Council decided to remove the banners as needed and not replace them with new ones. Budget process update: The City’s budget process is proceeding on schedule as committee meetings have completed the Five-Year CIP, the Council Policy Goals and Objectives have been drafted for the 2021-22 budget, budgeting information has been forwarded to the Department Heads for review and input, the Budget Committee and City Council have been brought up-to-date on the budget’s schedule for review/approval/adoption, and the City Administrator is currently working on budget formulation for the upcoming year. The City Administrator also shared with Council that based upon projected revenues, in conjunction with the Consumer Price Index (CPI), that he will be recommending to Council an approximate 2% COLA adjustment for City employees as none was received last budget year due to the expected impacts of the COVID- 19 pandemic on the City’s revenues. That estimate will be shored up and finalized during the remainder of the budgeting process. AGENDA ITEM 9 ADJOURNMENT 9.1 There being no further business to come before the Council, the meeting adjourned at 6:40 pm. APPROVED: _______________________________________ Casey Wheeler Mayor ATTEST: ___________________________________ Michael S. McGlothlin City Administrator/Recorder