City Council

City Council Meeting Minutes ___________________________________________________________________________________________ THURSDAY March 16, 2023 – 6:30 PM COLUMBIA CITY CITY HALL – 1840 SECOND STREET CITY OF COLUMBIA CITY, COLUMBIA COUNTY, OREGON AGENDA ITEM 1 CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL: CONVENED: Mayor Susan Ziglinski called the Regular Meeting to order at 6:30 pm. COUNCIL MEMBERS PRESENT: Mayor Susan Ziglinski Council President Gordon Thistle Councilor Katrina Claridge Councilor Rob Forman Councilor Jeff Reinan COUNCIL MEMBERS ABSENT: ALSO PRESENT: Mike McGlothlin, City Administrator/Recorder Gerald Bartolomucci, Police Operations Sergeant Kim Karber, Office Supervisor/Finance Clerk ATTORNEY PRESENT: No. A quorum was present and due notice had been published. AGENDA ITEM 2 CITIZEN INPUT: 2.1 Paulette Lichatowich, of the Friends of the Columbia City Community Library (FOL), spoke to the City Council and requested that Council Presdent Gordon Thistle serve as a reference indicating community support for a grant that the FOL are submitting. The FOL are seeking a grant in the amount of $10,600.00, from the Oregon Community Foundation for library staff operating expenses. The City Council , by consensus, approved the request and Council President Thistle agreed to do so. A copy of the Letter of Inquiry for this grant process is attached to these minutes for the record. No other citizens provided input during this portion of the meeting. AGENDA ITEM 3 COUNCIL REPORTS: None AGENDA ITEM 4 STAFF REPORTS: 4.1 Activity Reports from the Police Operations Sergeant POLICE OPERATIONS SERGEANT GERALD BARTOLOMUCCI SUBMITTED A WRITTEN ACTIVITY REPORT FOR THE PREVIOUS MONTH’S ACTIVITIES. 4.2 Activity Reports from the Public Works Superintendent PUBLIC WORKS SUPERINTENDENT MICAH RIGERS SUBMITTED WRITTEN ACTIVITY REPORTS FOR THE PREVIOUS MONTH’S ACTIVITIES. AGENDA ITEM 5 CONSENT AGENDA: 2 Regular City Council Meeting March 16, 2023 5.1 Bills paid with check numbers 34203 through 34247 during the month of February 2023. 5.2 Expense v. Budget Report for the period ending February 28, 2023. 5.3 Minutes of the February 16, 2023 Regular City Council Meeting. KIT GARDES, OF 1830 SEVENTH STREET, MADE NOTE THAT THE MINUTES OF THE FEBRUARY 16, 2023 CITY COUNCIL MEETING DID NOT ACCURATELY REFLECT THAT THE DISCUSSED LOCATION FOR THE POTENTIAL FIRE STATION PROJECT AREA WAS BUNDY PARK. THE CITY ADMINISTRATOR SAID THAT HE WOULD REVIEW THE MINUTES CLOSELY TO SEE WHERE ANY OMISIONS WERE MADE, AND THAT HE WOULD ENSURE THAT THEY WERE CORRECTED. COUNCIL APPROVED THE CONSENT AGENDA, WITH THE ABOVE AMENDMENT NOTED, BY UNANIMOUS ROLL CALL VOTE. AGENDA ITEM 6 UNFINISHED BUSINESS: 6.1 Update from the City Administrator and further discussion regarding the Columbia River Fire & Rescue (CRF&R) proposal for the construction of a staffed fire station within the City of Columbia City. THE CITY ADMINISTRATOR PROVIDED A REFRESHER ON THE OVERALL CONCEPT OF THE PROJECT AND ALSO BRIEFED THE CITY COUNCIL ON THE DUE DILIGENCE ACTIVIITES THAT HE HAD CONDUCTED TO DATE. HE INFORMED COUNCIL THAT HE HAD SPOKEN WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY AND VERIFIED THAT THERE WAS A LEGAL MECHANISM, UNDER OREGON REVISED STATUTES, FOR THE CITY TO DONATE LAND FOR THE POTENTIAL CONSTRUCTION OF A FIRE STATION WITHIN THE CITY. THE CITY ADMINISTRATOR ALSO SAID THAT HE HAD SPOKEN WITH A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE BUNDY FAMILY ABOUT THE POTENTIAL PROJECT THAT MAY AFFECT THE FOOTPRINT OF THE EXISTING BUNDY PARK. WHILE SPEAKING WITH THE BUNDY FAMILY REPRESENTATIVE THE CITY ADMINISTRATOR LEARNED THAT JIM BUNDY, THE FORMER COLUMBIA CITY PUBLIC WORKS SUPERINTENDENT FOR WHICH THE PARK IS NAMED, HAD SERVED IN THE FIRE SERVICE FOR 11 YEARS, AND THAT IT WOULD BE AN HONOR IF ANY FUTURE FIRE STATION WAS ALSO NAMED AFTER HIM IN COLUMBIA CITY. AFTER SPEAKING WITH THE BUNDY FAMILY REPRESENTATIVE THE CITY ADMINISTRATOR WAS ABLE TO RELAY TO THE CITY COUNCIL THAT THE OVERALL CONCEPT OF WAS ACCEPTABLE TO AND SUPPORTED BY THE BUNDY FAMILY. DURING THE DISCUSSION PAULETTE LICHATOWICH, OF 36343 MILORIS WAY, ASKED IF THE CITY COULD INQUIRE OF CRF&R WHETHER OR NOT A NEEDS ASSESSMENT HAD BEEN CONDUCTED FOR THIS PROJECT. THE CITY ADMINISTRATOR REPLIED THAT HE WOULD CONFIRM THAT INFORMATION AND WOULD FOLLOW UP. HE SAID THAT HE BELIEVES THAT THEY HAD DONE SO BUT THAT HE WAS ALSO AWARE OF THE SERVICE GAPS IN THE COVERAGE AS COLUMBIA CITY’S PRIMARY RESPONSE COMES FROM EITHER THE ST. HELENS MAIN STATION OR THE RAINIER STATION, WITH THE VOLUNTEER STATION AT DEER ISLAND BEING A BACKUP OPTION. HOWEVER, WITH THE DEER ISLAND STATION NOT BEING STAFFED 24/7 IT COULD NOT BE COUNTED ON AS A RELIABLE OPTION. HE ALSO SAID THAT BASED ON HIS UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT HE HAS BEEN TOLD, CALL TIMES TO COLUMBIA CITY ARE ALREADY BEING MISSED AND WITH PROJECTED POPULATION GROWTH THE SITUATION IS EXPECTED TO WORSEN. COLLEEN CALKINS, OF 555 K STREET, ASKED IF CRF&R WOULD BE INCREASING STAFFING. THE CITY ADMINISTRATOR REPLIED THAT THE PROPOSED STATION IN COLUMBIA CITY WOULD BE STAFFED 24/7 FOR AMBULANCE AND FIRE 3 Regular City Council Meeting March 16, 2023 SERVICES. MRS. CALKINS THEN STATED THAT THEY WOULD NOT BE SOLELY COMMITTED TO COLUMBIA CITY AND THAT THEY COULD BE SENT ANYWHERE WITHIN THE CRF&R SERVICE AREA. THE CITY ADMINISTRATOR REPLIED THAT WHILE HE COULD NOT ANSWER FOR CRF&R, HE WOULD THINK THAT THEY COULD BE DISPATCHED OUTSIDE OF COLUMBIA CITY IF THEY WERE NEEDED. AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE DISCUSSION, COUNCILOR FORMAN SAID THAT THE ISSUE WAS VERY IMPORTANT FOR THE COMMUNITY AND THAT CITIZEN INPUT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED, WITH THE REMAINING OF CITY COUNCIL AGREEING. THE CITY ADMINISTRATOR SAID THAT HE WOULD COORDINATE COMMUNITY INFORMATIONAL MEETINGS ABOUT THE SUBJECT AND THAT HE WOULD ENSURE THAT IT WAS ANNOUNCED APPROPRIATELY WITHIN THE COMMUNITY. AGENDA ITEM 7 NEW BUSINESS: 7.1 A proclamation by Mayor Susan Ziglinski proclaiming March 21st as Save Soil Day in Columbia City, Oregon. KHOSRO PEIRAVI, OF CLATSKANIE, OREGON, CONDUCTED A PRESENTATION REGARDING “SOIL DAY” AND ITS BENEFITS TO THE COMMUNITY. AT THE COMPLETION OF THE PRESENTATION MAYOR SUSAN ZIGLINSKI DECLARED MARCH 21ST AS “SOIL DAY” WITHIN THE CITY OF COLUMBIA CITY, OREGON. 7.2 Review, discussion, and consideration for approval of an Application for Exception Permit for Recreational Vehicle, Boat or Trailer Storage in the Right- of-Way, as submitted by Damasso Bermudez and Teresa Tellado of 2550 Sixth Street. MOVED (THISTLE), SECONDED (FORMAN) AND VOTED UNANIMOUSLY TO APPROVE THE APPLICATION AS SUBMITTED. AGENDA ITEM 8 OTHER BUSINESS: 8.1 The City Administrator spoke with the City Council regarding the following “Other Business” topics: a. Starting with the April 20, 2023 Regular City Council meeting, all City Council meetings will revert back to the 6:00 pm start time. b. The Streetlight Improvements Project, that converted all of our old high pressure sodium streetlights to more efficient and less costly to operate LED lights has been completed, and everyone should notice an increased brightness to the city’s stretlights. Any citizen needing either adjustments made or shading installed to the new light systems should contact City Hall so that staff can report the issue to the CRPUD. c. Cassie Asla, a recent renter of the Community Hall, requested City Council to approve her request to complete cleanup for her event past the normal 10:00 pm closing time. The City Council, by consensus, approved the request contingent upon the appropriate fees being paid and that Ms. Asla and her party remain aware of keeping noise to a minimum as several residents live nearby. d. The release of the proposed budget to the City Council and Budget Committee, for fiscal year 2023-24, has been set for May 19, 2023. After initial review, the City Council and Budget Committee will meet on May 25, 2023 to conduct public hearing, review the proposed budget, and consider its approval. Additionally, the City Administrator said that he will be proposing an approximate 3% COLA increase for city employees in the upcoming budget cycle. e. The vacant home at 2620 Sixth Street, owned by Mr. Arlen Aldrich, has previously been provided lawn maintenance and waiver of minimum water/sewer payments due to a mistake in post project water service reconnection to the home. The conditions for this agreement were to stay in place until the home was placed upon the real estate market, but no forward movement has been gained in the homeowner doing so. Due to the lack of the home being placed 4 Regular City Council Meeting March 16, 2023 upon the market within a reasonable time frame, the Ciy Administrator inquired of the City Council how much longer they were willing for this initial agreement to stay in place. After discussion, the City Council agreed by consensus to extend this agreement until no later than September 1, 2023 and directed the City Administrator to provide this information to the homeowner. AGENDA ITEM 9 ADJOURNMENT: 9.1 There being no further business to come before the Council, the meeting adjourned at 7:16 pm with the Mayor and City Council adjourning into a workshop to discuss and formulate the Policy Goal and Objectives for the 2023-24 Budget Year. APPROVED: _______________________________________ Susan Ziglinski Mayor ATTEST: ___________________________________ Michael S. McGlothlin City Administrator/Recorder