Springfield City Council — June 6, 2026

0:15 >> All right, I'm going to call this uh What are you calling this? It's a work session item. Order. Can we call the role, please? Alison, >> Mayor Van Gordon >> here. >> Councelor Weber here. Councelor Mo >> here. Councelor Rodley here. Councelor Quadros here. Councelor Buck. And councelor Stout >> here. And we are expecting councelor Buck hopefully shortly. Um we've got a couple ones today, but thank you everybody for coming in on a Saturday to make sure we had an opportunity to sit and talk about our long range goals and plans. This has always been a helpful conversation. Turn it over to our facilitator. Are you taking it from here? >> I will take it from here. All right. >> Thank you, Mayor. Uh it is nice to see you all again. Some new faces. My name is Cheryl Collins. I have been facilitating this session for a few years now, working with you all. Uh my

1:02 role here is just facilitation. So I will help keep us on the agenda, ask some questions just to keep things moving around. Um so yeah, so our as the mayor pointed out, our goals for today are really a lot about alignment and getting clarity. Anytime there is a new person on the group, it's like the team kind of has a good level set to start over. And so we have a portion of time that we wanted to kick off and start around roles and responsibilities on the council. Uh before we dive in though, if anybody has any questions on the agenda or what we're doing today, clarify

1:47 all aligned. Excellent. Okay. So let's start off. How are we going to approach working together? We're going to dive right in. >> Make it as awkward as possible. >> Let's talk first. Who on the council has been here the longest on the council? >> I'm seeing lots of fingers pointing to different directions. >> Yes. and who is our newest. Okay, so we have kind of book ends. This is good. So, what we're going to try to do is for those of you who've been here and know how a lot of this stuff operates and works, let's talk through what are some rules and norms. What are some

2:33 standards? What are some things that we agree to as a group? >> Listen to each other. Be polite. Respect >> Don't surprise anybody. >> No surprise. One of my I don't know if it's everybody else's, but one of my cores is not to

3:19 beat up on staff. >> Years ago, we had Stubber on here and he used to create staff every in private. >> I'm just kidding. >> Well, let's talk about that. our relationship with staff. What do we want it to look like? What's the most optimal way that that relationship works? >> We really aren't allowed to talk to staff very much and uh that's pretty restrictive to me. But but again, if I disagree with somebody, I like to shoot privately and

4:04 just mention it. That's all never done. >> But we we um I go through Nancy and Neil for almost everything. So that's kind of how I think of it is like I still could get and then they've arranged like conversations and stuff but I just like to keep them in the loop of everything I'm doing. >> Can I elaborate on that maybe because I as a I think there there's some styles of different city managers kind of more old school is you always only talk to the city manager. I'm definitely not that way. I just ask that you contact us a so we know what your interest is and we don't lose track of that and b uh if there is a staff member that has a specialty area that that you need the information about that we can get that

4:49 person for you make sure they're available to you and coordinate it. So that's the only that's the only thing I that's the reason I asked for that. Yeah, I would describe it as more you have to go through the city manager to access access the staff so that a you get the right information and b we don't get everybody in the building off track. >> Yeah, >> I'm hearing a lot of alignment around that. D is that something we're committed to? Is that working for everybody? >> Okay. What else pops up when we're thinking about how rules, norms, or standards of how we want to operate?

5:36 >> This is getting a little outside of the decision- making, but um in terms of like media and community questions and stuff, like I don't speak for the council. I'll ship stuff back over to usually loop in the PIO and Nancy and the mayor and let them know if people have things so that we're not all out there speaking on behalf of >> so the protocol around not when you're speaking in a media opportunity it's not you on behalf of the council. >> Yeah. Each counselor has individual opinions or thinkings of something and we filter them through Nancy or Neil. We're afraid it might get that won't get the point across that we want.

6:37 How about how is a council you would go about prioritization? >> It tends to go just through the council president and mayor to set the agendas. I know we have this conversation maybe once every 18 months or so, but a lot of times as individual counselors, I think we we would want to bring that up to our either our council president or our mayor to get something on the agenda. >> Is that how you feel it's currently working? >> That I feel it's currently working. And um if there's one if there's one difficulty we've had is like if there's an item that's business from the council, we don't have necessarily the impromptu capacity to bring those up in in council meetings because often our

7:22 public testimony has been exhaustingly long and it would be a great sin I think for us to continue to bring up a separate item after we've heard two or three hours of testimony. Sometimes we have the opportunity, sometimes we don't. And so I think that's a it's just an important dynamic to make sure we have really clear is hey if I do want to bring something up from the council or any of us do what's our protocol on that because I don't think that's super clear. >> I think being new one of the things that I keep doing is listening to what our agenda items are and then trying to reflect on the back wall of the goals that are written um and tying to that. I lean into those goals because I'm new and I don't I don't know what the anchors would be. So, I personally keep

8:07 using those. >> There is an item on the agenda for comments from the council, but usually near the end of the meeting, it's pretty hard to get get anything out there. So, we we had in public we can talk to him, but we're too tired want to go home. Yeah, that's just a result of like how the 2020 I think the 2026 I don't know pacing. We've had so much on the agenda. Like it has been particularly busy, >> right? Like once we maybe once we get in the fall there'll be a little bit more time naturally. >> You brought up before the protocol piece, not being aware of what the protocol is. What is the protocol that we all are operating off of right now?

8:53 Well, I will say and I appreciate Alan bringing it up because I think it took me a good year to figure out how to get things on the agenda. Um, even then, you know, because you're like you're like, I think we should talk about this thing. I think we should talk about this thing. Um, we can and I've done it a couple of times, too. I mean, we could we you can bring it up in business from the council and the along with the like no surprises. I try to give Sean a heads up and go like, I'm gonna talk about a thing. I have a thing I'm gonna say just so you know. Um, but I think it is a place where um, it does feel like there's a little a bit of gatekeeping, right? And I understand that we're building things out for a long time, but I also have been someone's like, how can we talk about this thing that's emerging or that I and I tend to be a like want to get ahead of things person? So, I'm like, this thing is bubbling. How do we

9:38 get it on the agenda? And sometimes it's not. You know, I also have been I've gotten better at it and still find it to be like I have to really sort of strategize and think about it and see how do I because a lot of times we are reactive when it could be proactive. >> So, um your council operating policies and procedures outlines how you can put things on the agenda. Um the city attorney would normally be here today. um uh she had a couple like I think family members graduating or um so um but I will make sure I loop back with Mary Bridget so that she can make sure when she does her training on your operating policies and procedures that

10:23 she we really spend some time with that >> and I think that's actually a really good thing to bring up too because just thinking out maybe six eight months we may have a fair amount of terms turnover on the council, >> right? >> Not not just with a mayor, but also with a bunch of new counselors possibly. So, I'm just I I think that's so important for us to have a really clear training system for new counselors. It's a bit of swimming in the deep end, and if we can just make, you know, add some floaties to that, I think we'll be much better that metaphor. >> Thanks. >> I guess being the new one, she does do a really good job. I've already spent hours with her. I will say like maybe a little bit to what you two are speaking

11:08 of. I think it's been so busy that I don't I don't see where the policy and procedure of getting for example getting something in on the agenda. We're just not it feels like we're just not it doesn't fit right now just so much. So she was very clear with me. I I understand all of those things >> but we're also dealing with that sort of >> capacity. Time is elastic, right? And I think that's the having that's the challenge people people feel is like you sit here and you look out you get an agenda every week that goes out six months and you're like where am I ever going to find a spot >> right >> once you once you can get click over into the protocols written out like people we can move stuff make time right but it takes a couple of steps it

11:53 actually does it does actually work but there will never be a time when we're like what are we talking about next We'll run out of things to talk about. >> But it goes back to >> elected officials. We won't run out of things to talk about. >> Exactly. >> But it goes back to that question around prioritization is if you have something that you feel is urgent, pressing, and important, but the agenda is kind of giving this impression that there isn't time. How do you wrestle with that? Like at what point would it tell you, oh, I need to put that on the agenda because this is more important? What's the what's there? I think that is a really important question because we might find that some things that our priorities might need to change throughout the year and and here we've been 18 months before we've had a

12:39 second check-in to where I look at this say hey this is really our prioritization meeting but is that is that the right cadence for which we check in on our priorities I don't know and I don't know of a better mechanism to do that things come up >> well and I think sometimes we we do squeeze them in Yeah. >> To an agenda that's really really packed, which I think limits our desire to have a bigger conversation about the squeezed in item because we're already kind of tapped out on the other things. Um, so you know, just it's just one of those like we're not really having probably the the discussion we should have around it because it's just kind of squeezed in. There's definitely a tension which I think we're also talking and you know Sean mentioned that um particularly this

13:26 past year we're spending so much time reacting to things that the public is bringing that um and it makes it it's made it challenging to stay focused on these long-term things or the things that like I'm like yeah I care about this and also like the levy or these other things that we know are the long-term impact and maybe and so I was really looking forward to be able to come back see what achieve by just setting the goals like the memorial building, but also I mean I think this conversation is important. It's like how do we carve out that time to keep working on the things that we know that the city needs to work on >> and um it's hard because we meet once a week and like when I used to was I was coming to council meetings before I was

14:11 on council it felt like a very manageable cadence. It would be like regular session one week, work session the next week, you know, and now it's like we'll cram five meetings in, you know, because we're doing C to work and all of that. And so I get to the end of it, especially after like a last week and I'm just like I don't want to see anybody. I don't want to talk about any of these things and there's things that we should have been talking about six months ago. So I think it's maybe that's an important part of today is to figure out like how are we doing? Are we like do we still cram it all in on a Monday? Can we Yeah.

14:58 We definitely have a significant portion of time today on the priorities and projects. So, we'll circle back to this part for sure. How about when there is disagreement or conflict with each other? I don't know that we fad Fletch like we've been a pretty joy old group the last >> I kind of miss the old days just saying miss when you just didn't know what was going to come out of somebody's mouth >> you're alone in that >> the wild west I kind of miss it on my toes can I maybe ask a variation on that So um when it decision making and what

15:44 happens after a decision is made or maybe you don't maybe you didn't love the decision but you you know the majority made a decision. So then you know how do you what do you how do you manage through that and you know sticking together as a cohesive unit of voice? Uh the term I'll use is collective responsibility, >> right? Like we all have collective responsibility for you know for the community and even if we don't agree 100% with the with the decision we've made >> and we have had some contentious stuff but I feel like we've managed it really well um and eventually got to I think to me the sign of being like the conflict

16:30 is fine, the disagreements are fine. The sign to me of like that healthy conflict is if you're able to get to a decision and move on. And we have had a couple of those things where I was like, we just have to sit in this until we make a decision because it's it's when you you know when you see the dysfunction on boards, it's when it takes them forever or they have to like cancel a meeting and come back to a thing. And I think for us to just even though we might not all be happy um or we might not all get our way to be able to get to a decision and move forward to Sean's point, collectively to me it's like we don't we don't have to love it. We just have to function. >> And that's one thing I see local boards struggling with sometimes right now is if we like it's if we need more information, we should come back, right?

17:15 If we're trying to avoid like avoid the decision, we're just prolonging like at a point we have to decide. I just want to add respect for everybody in this room, which is that I've been very impressed with the adults in the room. Everybody's been wearing their so much the time their polite adult, reasonable, thoughtful hats. And I think that's one of the only ways that conflict has been made possible is because the quality of people. And I know that um whether I've been elbowed by either Sean or Shell or Nancy to get it together because I I I understand, you know, I have a certain youth and a certain impetuosity and kind of there's some rough edges that need to be worn off. So I've really

18:00 appreciated their direction on that. I think that's a really important relationship to continue within the council is that so it's sort of the we as counselors I think in many ways we need to be marshaled a little bit to behave in an appropriate way so that we can reach those decisions >> very well said counselor it's about especially anytime you're onboarding somebody new people new inherently are asking for tell me the rules tell me how to be successful tell me how this all works because brand new So I think the biggest conflict that I have seen um in my short time was the my appointment um that was a process and walking in you guys set an excellent

18:47 example of getting to a yes and that collective responsibility um because that was probably the most amazing thing I've ever seen. Not because it's me, but because was very different and came to an agreement so that it could move forward. >> Yeah. >> So kudos to you all as >> interesting as time surprises were surprises. >> Surprises. But I also agree with you uh supporting the us newbies in you know sort of supporting to norm us not that we don't have our own opinion but just to help us

19:32 guide us mentor us um >> well and I think the what what we do if we don't agree with the decision moving forward kind of just circling back a little bit on that one I think there is a an essence of disagree and commit, right, of how you navigate forward. But I also think there is a natural tension of being a counselor when you're on a team and you're working together and you have an overarching goal, but you're also elected and so you have constituents and so you have multiple people that you're in service to. I imagine that's a lot of natural tension that gets brought up and can create some conflict in itself of how where what's most important to do right now. So, it's good to talk through these things that

20:17 you're the conversations that you're having right now. >> Yeah. Well, and I think the I think the big thing especially as we continue to work through hard hard things is just the the the norm the norms of what outlet you use, right? Like because >> it would be really destructive to us as a group if you didn't like a if like I didn't like a decision and I walked out the door and immediately, you know, complained about my colleagues on social media, >> right? That is not a good dynamic. >> No. >> Well, and I think one of the things that I've gotten better at is um and we always we always talk about it, but I think we're getting better and better at it is having the conflict in the conversation in public >> because then you people know where you stand. They know if you were a no vote,

21:03 they know that. And so you don't have to go back and undermine the ultimate decision or anything. Um, and we we've always said it, but I think that by building that capacity to like put it out there in a public meeting and then you don't have to, you know, feeling like I need to make sure that people know my point of view somewhere else. >> Very well said. What other kind of rules or norms are popping up for you all that we want to adhere to? I think one we should not necessarily adhere to and and I'm open to push back on this is uh unanimous voting sometimes. Yes. But but like uh we had

21:48 the wastewater and storm water uh conflict which was I think a place of healthy conflict. I think it was there's a it's such a big decision. There's so many pieces on that but we had a split vote on that. it still pass, but we still had a split vote. And I think that was really good information for both, you know, whether it's me as MWMC representative or uh other uh you know, the mayor or other members on staff, frankly, the I think Matt Stouter was there to be able to receive that be like, wait, there's some hesitancy there and that there's more work to be done to build that out there. Um, some decisions though it's it's it's symbolically important to be on the same team about some, you know, sent calendars, things

22:33 like that. Let's just, you know, go with that. But otherwise, um, I think it's just it's important that it's okay if we're not voting unanimously. But I'm open to push back. >> I agree with that. And I think you like you pointed out, it kind of depends, right? Like I think it was it was important that we were unanimous on the payroll tax, right? So, we're all gonna take the joys and the lumps together. So, I think there are those big ones where it's important that we work it to get to a place where we know we can all defend that. And totally agree. And that there's other things where it's important to show that it's like no, you know, we might not all be here or um yeah, even if we're still and I'm still able to move forward, vote on the overall budget and all of that. this >> I I think that that is a great call out

23:18 like we should not like it should not be a group norm that we're going to unanimously vote on anything. I don't think it ever has been. We make so many decisions that you know that by the time we get to the end right it's just like everybody's on the same page. It can feel like that's a group norm. But that's a thing we should always walk out of here and go right your responsibility individually is to bring your experiences and if we're not there like it's your vote. you should choose accordingly. >> It also can be good to have a dissenting vote even if it passes because it shows that we are listening to all parties. And I apologize, I lost track of time. I was hanging out with my son this morning and I looked down at my phone. I was

24:04 like, "Oh, I was supposed to be there seven minutes. If you don't, I am so sorry. We were there." Yeah. I apologize. The dragon is dead though. That >> good. >> Okay. How about getting into some more specificity around some expectations and rules and norms around appointed commissions or task forces? >> Oh, counselor. >> Yes. I I've just finally gotten worn down. Um because this is a thing that early on when I was on council I was like h and we've worked it you know we've tried to work it to get it to be

24:49 more fair. We've changed it you know like around the budget committee and things like that. I think it's just I think my challenges with it and we've gotten again we've gotten better about being really clear because some of the the the committees like the budget committee and the planning commission they they are sort of inherently there's some politics to that and then there are other ones like the museum committee and things like that where there are not this one of the things that I've tried to advocate for is like I would love to not have to not be choo choosing who's on the museum committee or things like that. >> Um the fact that we interview everybody I think for some folks one I mean I've heard the arguments that people take it

25:34 seriously but like to come and have to like interview and for the BPAC the bicycle and pedestrian committee in front of the sitting there in front of the whole council just feels a little bit overloaded. Like I would love it if for some of the committees there's like a screening and then they bring them forward and we just sort of say sure and vote on them. Some councils or boards have where every person gets to make an appointment to something which I would be open to thinking about that too. But that also can really fuel the politics if you're like I'm appointing my friends to these things. So I think there is maybe room for improvement. We've made a lot of improvements and I still feel like like when we have those meetings where we like interview people for an hour, it

26:19 doesn't necessarily feel like I don't know what we should know the historical committee like. Anyway, those are my feelings about that. >> Could you clarify the point for this? Are you asking about our appointments or how we serve specifically about >> like this is a sore point for for maybe I just wish >> I think clarifying the the point around when we were prepping and building the agenda was around clarifying any expectations for appointed commissions or tasks task >> like what we're serving on. Oh, I don't have any issues with that. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. I mean I think >> thank you for clarifying that >> but clearly she's got other

27:08 ones. >> Maybe maybe we could divide this into you know into two questions because clearly we're going to have to talk about appointments. Um I think when it comes individually and I know I got to get chills some appointments so like that is still on my list to do. Um I would I would say two things about them. One of them is right I view where I sit is kind of my responsibility is to guide them based on where the council is not where my personal opinion is right like if this is a thing that the council's not going to support right then we got also the other point that I think is important is I don't think there is a requirement that if you're the member of especially for an internal city committee that you're going through all

27:53 of those 100% of the time. You can do that with, you know, maybe have coffee with the chair and the staff person once a quarter. You can't. Your responsibility is really to track that information and stay engaged with it so we get good advice from them. If that looks like going to that committee every single time, great. If that doesn't, that's different than the intergovernmental committees where you're on a governing board for something else we're doing. In those cases, you got to go out every single time. That's mine. And so is now I'm like seeing this from the other side of the elephant. Here's the question because I heard Michelle say she has things. It's around like how do you end up on those boards things? >> Is that what this is about? >> I think initially it was more around is

28:38 there an understanding around what you're expected to participate in, do not do, is there alignment around that? Is there clarifying questions that we need to go over? Do we all understand the expectations more around from your perspective on the individual side? >> I think what Sean just said was actually excellent and should be very clearly stated whenever we're whenever a council position comes open. Like there's there is an expectation that you will not only be at city council meetings but also at the appropriate intergovernmental meetings and inner city meetings when necessary. I I just think that's really important to make clear. Um obviously, you know, there's there's times when you can't attend anything. Life happens. Um

29:26 but there's also the but I think just having that really clear statement is actually excellent for um setting expectations, what's possible, what's needed, and it's a volunteer role currently. And I know that, you know, one of the topics that may be needed to be had again is the what what we can do to support people being able to make all of those different meetings and conversations because I might ch on an intergovernmental committee with the Eugene city councelor who's, you know, hey, they received a nice paycheck for what they're doing and it's it does create a sort of an awkward situation. And I think also really understanding like the difference, right? I almost never make a planning commission

30:12 meeting, but I can watch the recording and I know that and that's totally fine for that particular thing versus Elco I got to go and and so it's it's it's really being clear as to what category does this fall into. And I think as a new counselor, it can be tough to know the difference >> at first, like what does a have to be there? What's an inter you know, does is LTD intergovernmental or not kind of thing. And I and I think that that's a learning curve that I'm kind I'm still I'm mostly through, but I mean I I had to work through. And is it in the charter that the mayor

30:58 assigns the different intergovernmental committees or has that just been our standard operating practice? >> I think it's in the I think it's in the council procedures and >> and I'll tell you the way that you know everybody who does this does it differently. The way I've done it is, you know, let people describe their schedule is what they're interested in. So that if it's a all the area that you're interested in and and it fits into your schedule or he's done it a long time and I'm like I love that WMC, right? Like so that we kind of get a nice balance between those two. But I think the point about some of the meetings being recorded so you can go back and watch them and stay informed that way is is an important piece to

31:44 this. Um, I don't know if all committees are recording their meetings or not, but if if those were recorded and accessible to us to go back and review them if we can't make a meeting for whatever reason, um, I think that would be helpful because then we're we're staying connected and we understand like we know what the conversation really was because we can watch it real time as opposed to having somebody narrate what was talked about. Can I also throw out um sometimes AI tools can be really helpful for taking transcriptions of key meetings where what was if hourlong meeting can be shrunk down into a five minute read. Um and it's important read but I'm just throwing that out there as an important standard operating thing that we might

32:29 do. and the council boards of commissions is laid out in your operating policies and I know there's been some work so it's a pretty substantial section. >> Okay. So around kind of just norms operating agreements as a group, are there additional things that you have observed at your time recently on council that we should clarify that you sense might there might be a misunderstanding around what the norm is. >> I have a question related to this in terms of how we call the votes for things. In some boards, we have an

33:15 additional mo moment for additional council discussion. In some we don't. I don't know that the operating procedure is precise enough on that. I I'm I don't object to what we're doing. I'm just saying I want to make sure we're we're completely clear because it does take a fair amount of mayoral discretion with the current stats and I don't mind because John's doing a great job with that. But so that we all agree this is the time you speak. This is the time we vote. >> We talked about that last year too that we were going to get better at doing discussion to the motion and we >> it's technically my air, right? I should be calling for additional any additional discussion, right? Like that's not a procedural thing, >> right? >> Mainly what's happening is we've kind of

34:01 discussed this stuff out. We've kind of gotten to a to an answer and then people are ready to vote. Mhm. >> So, one way to solve that is to instead of having the questions and answers before the motion, like Roberts would say, make the motion, make the second. If you don't get the second, then it just falls flat. But, >> if you have the motion in the second and then the discussion, you know, then you're going in an order that is consistent. >> That's that's true. And also if there is somebody wants to propose an amendment to the motion and they actually have the opportunity to do that as opposed to when the motion is called for at the very end it creates a very narrow time frame and this is just Robert's procedural that you know I move to approve a payroll tax and then you know

34:47 councelor Stout steps up and I say I want to double the payroll tax and then know you know it's a very short oh completely popular just kidding what Councelor Stout would use that as an example. >> As an example, not >> um >> we could get better at that, I think. >> Yeah. And I think that's the that's an important discussion point like the the Springfield Council has always been a little more in right and that creates a little bit more flexibility when when those kind of things coming. Like if you flip over to the Eugene Council, it is much more formal which gives it and times can be much more rigid which it could just be that the first thing we want to do is hey Sean can you just

35:32 start pausing a little bit longer before we start calling a vote, >> right? Or we can get a lot more rigid if we want to. >> Again, I don't have a strong push. I like a more relaxed council because I feel like we get to better decisions. Um but perhaps if we just had that extra pause of there and made it very explicit, you know, mayor pauses for any further amendments, something like that. >> Looking at all of us, it's just a stout pause >> and and some like so what is that pause, right? because sometimes I'm still kind of processing my thoughts around the thing and I have a question but I haven't put it into like I haven't formulated it quite yet in a way that I'm ready to ask it.

36:19 >> So, you know, we've we've voted and and the thing is done and and and it no longer matters that I haven't formulated my question yet, right? That's on me for not doing it quickly enough, I suppose. But but sometimes you just need a little bit of time to think it, you know, just kind of think about it and how you want to respond or or formulate. So So a pause could mean a minute, a pause could be whatever. I mean like the pause matters. What how long a pause is matters. >> If Sean Sean if you said any further discussion like that might give Michelle the opportunity to say, "Yeah, I'm not quite ready to vote on this. just I need to need another second to work through this. Then then that kind of kind of

37:04 lets us all know like, hey, we're not quite ready for this vote yet. I mean, it could just be as simple as that without really changing that. Just kind of a last check. Is everybody ready to vote? >> I like that. >> Okay. But let's all be 100% clear here, right? Like it's that it's that sort of balance. Like from my perspective, I'm looking and you guys are all looking like you're done, right? And ready to So now >> Yeah. So I think it's got to like I'm more than happy to sort of try to build a little bit more time in and maybe you know slowly pacing right there to give people a chance to go hey I've got a thought but I don't know what the question is. But like the place I need your help is to say if that is true and you want me to slow down you got to tell

37:49 me. I think from the onset just the beginning not that we wouldn't be going forward post the second to the vote but sometimes I think our constituents might want to know where we're coming from with our vote and so I have felt like it's been very fast and I'm not quite like there yet so I just I just pause but maybe a little more time I I was thinking that it was because we just have so much on the agenda so I thought I should have had this ready before I got here versus maybe what I gleaned during the conversation. So, I would say it would be helpful to have a pause, but I'm also slower than most of everyone. >> This is this is super interesting

38:34 because for my perspective, I feel like we're we're going too slow, right? Because I'm looking around and thinking you guys are good. And you know, if you want a little bit more time, that's a that's a very fixible thing. accommodation for me like I'll get quicker and we just take >> Yeah. And and for me so like the payroll tax it's like okay we we voted on the payroll tax and I was like that was it like that's >> everything >> right and and and I think I probably stated my my question to you like did wasn't there more like it was it felt really anticlimactic and I was like >> that's it. >> Okay. I I think that's a different that's a different thing, right? So, especially with super big things that

39:21 everybody is like everybody's gone through like where it's cross multi-year, it always feels like that at the end because the la the very last piece is little tiny and you're like >> that that's exactly how I felt. It's not that I didn't know what we we we was like, "Yeah, >> I guess I feel like I I speak for all of us, but I I do think it's important for our constituents to see where we're hearing from with our vote, >> right?" >> And so just a little Yeah. >> potentially allowing for that statement before the >> Yeah. Yeah. So what I'm gonna do is I will pause longer between the motion. If you have something to say, you guys have

40:06 to raise your hand and >> I'm gonna feel pressure, >> right? But that's that's >> advice. Yeah. >> And that's where you guys can help, right? If it's not enough time, keep telling me it's not enough time and I won't build some more. Like I will build some more time in there. >> And and I will say that from from the person's perspective that's running the meeting, I used to think, wow, Sean never looks this direction. the fact he looks over here and then he just looks here fast and turns back and doesn't really give time for this side. But having now run the meetings, that's a really hard position to sit in and and see down both sides. So we have to I think from a council I I think we can help that situation by really making sure that Sean sees our hands like Curry's like I'm here.

40:53 >> It's not a great angle. some of us are like, I'm here, you know, but I think that so for to help Sean or the person running the meeting to be really intent on on making sure he's aware that you have something to say. I think also like kind of going to our, you know, kind of roles. There's times when there's been a couple of times where I've seen somebody have their hand up and I clearly see Shawn doesn't see it and I I try to kind of point or, you know, direct and because it's like if I know you're looking my way and Corey's or Steve's got his hand up when I was sitting on the other side, it's like so I think I think just helping out too is >> logistically. Do you prefer a hand or do we just go ahead and tap so that you see

41:39 the green? What what works? >> Like what? Whatever works for whatever works for whatever works for you. Like usually I tend to look to the left first because councelor Rodley goes >> like this. >> Look to the right first once. But, you know, like what Andrew's talking about where he's like, you know, like all of that is perfectly welcome. And if I've not seen somebody be like, >> or right, like or if I'm not if you know, all that's perfectly welcome. It doesn't bother me at all because it's a it's kind of an odd angle from where I sit. >> Um, and so sometimes when you know, it's a little bit long on that on both sides. And so, you know, just seeing especially between the like the middle person and

42:25 the last person, right? Like if both people want to get in, sometimes I miss the back person. Well, and I will add that sometimes we could all help navigate this because sometimes NY's over there with her hand like this. And so anytime any one of us sees something that's that's clearly the meeting the person running the meeting isn't seeing it's just would be I think we should just try to help out where we can. >> Okay. >> I'm going to throw one more um grenade into this conversation which is public comments and limiting public comments. So, it's extraordinarily unpopular >> politically speaking to suggest that we limit public comment,

43:11 >> but my goodness, it's almost 10:00 for some of these decisions and that were prolonged. They didn't need to be prolonged because we extended public comment so very long. Um, it is really hard for us to have I don't mind taking the public comment. Um, but I think when it comes to making these agendas, we may want to revisit. Hey, there's a bunch of business ahead of time and then we've gotten through our our business, our discussions as council. Are we ready for public comment then? Not that I want the public not to be there or is it a special hey from this hour to this hour we're taking public comments and after that we have to get some things done. I think this is just an important conversation to have >> and sometimes we're exhausted at the end of public comments and our discussions

43:56 aren't very good, right? Because we're just like we're just beat up all by that or brain dead. >> Yeah. Steve, do you want to get in here? >> Public comments are very important to me because this gives the public a chance to come and talk to us all at once, what's going on, how they feel, and that's very, very good for us. So, I think we have in our operating procedure a 20-minute limit. Now I think the other places where it h lands in the agenda right because the hearings are in front of it but other items right so that if people show up wanting to talk about other items we've heard that before we before we before we make some decisions um look it's our decision if we want to extend that 20 minutes if more people want to keep each other to the 20

44:41 minutes then we we're count cards and ask people what they what they want to do I think the challenge of the time we're in and this is the tension that we have is that there's a lot of public interest in you know governance and talking to your talking to your public body right now which is just where society is right so it's like well do you like the optics of saying you know that we're not going to we're not going to take take any more cards >> I think part of the part of the issue though in this is not necessarily the amount of public comment but for me the tone of It has gotten somewhat disrespectful and I I I don't know how we send a

45:28 different message that we would, you know, we're we're open to public comment. We want to hear from you, but it would be beneficial to both sides if that if that comment were done in a respectful and more concise way. I mean, if you can make a point in two minutes instead of three, you know, then please do that. Um, I I don't like setting some parameters around the expectations. I And again, I don't know, that's a maybe a bigger conversation, but just something to think about in how we how we receive public content. >> I also have an interest in hearing more from people who live in Springfield than from Eugene. So that's kind of where what I was going to kind of comment on is

46:17 you know there's so there the learning curve is on like multiple layers right I mean >> and multiple dimensions >> right exactly so I think one of the one of the hard lessons so to speak that I learned with the library piece is wrapping my head around who's talking to me right now and and where is that coming from? Um, and in retrospect, in the moment, it was like, "Oh, this sounds great, and I and I appreciate what this person's saying." And then later finding out, you know, who they are, where they're coming from, and and how this this came to be totally changed

47:03 how I heard how I kind of heard that when I played that back in my head. So, I I very much agree that if we're going to have 25 cards, I personally would love to see us prioritize Springfield residents. If we can, >> you don't have the city attorney here. I don't know that that's legal. Um, >> Eugene recently did something though where they, and I'd have to go back and look at it because I can't remember the details, but they wanted to create more opportunities for people who didn't come every week. So, I think they did something where they like moved new testimony people to the front or something. Does that sound familiar? So, that it wasn't like, you know, the

47:48 people who came every week and said all those things. Although that isn't great and fine, but they were also trying to like create some equity in terms of who are we hearing from and who are we doing that, but that would be interesting to know if and maybe it's just a checkbox on there. That doesn't mean that we prioritize them, but it is helpful to know where people are coming from, which is why we ask them to say, you know, where their part of the city they're at. >> Yeah. I mean, I think like we can put that on as a question for the city attorney's office to to to give us, you know, give us additional feedback, but like again, we have the ability to sort of the big thing I would learn would say about public comment is just look every governing board has a different like different personality, right? And this is my experience with the city of

48:33 Springfield is that the people that are in the room are only one portion of the community, >> right? And how we weigh that and how we think about that matters a whole lot. And usually what happens for for the city of Springfield is the people who are very, you know, upset about a thing or the people that are in the room, right? And the people that are fine with a thing are not necessarily there. And so I'm listening for like thinking about the community and all the different kind of community groups. And if I'm seeing a broad swath of people from, you know, different community circles in the room about it, that to me is different than a lot of people from a single part of the community. Like it's still important. It's just a matter of how you play it.

49:19 >> I guess I I'd also be curious for those of you been been on council for a while. >> I mean, we've had a couple of hot buttons, right? like the library and the payroll tax, >> the cameras >> uh and the cameras and and there's been like a few things all right in a row, but it seemed but I wonder if that's really really unusual like over the course of time like is it is it unusual? Are we just kind of looking looking at this over the past year and saying it's it's been kind of a weird year, so to speak, because we've had things that do peak the public's interest and bring them into into council chambers as opposed to maybe that's not always the case. >> Um I think

50:05 I think it is unusual, right? There's just like it's been a couple of topics. I think it's where the country and the community um community is. some of it's outside of our control. Um, but if I think about my time on council, we'll go through periods where, you know, like we have really high public comment. We have this portion that we've gone which is clearly on the high side and then we'll come back from a break and then we won't see anybody for a while. Um, but I think the context of there's a lot of political energy for a lot of different reasons right now, right? And that's sort of driving people's interest to come by and talk to their very, you know, we're the basic uh uh level of government, right? The one they engage with the most. This is the natural outlet for for some of that political

50:50 energy. Um so I think it's issues and concerns and just broader anxiety and that's kind of leading to this point where we're seeing a lot of public testimony. And then we have some really big ticket items out there and we're working through hard things like everybody's working through about budgets and things like that. >> Good point and excellent question. We've I noted this and I I we have it captured for the city attorney as a follow-up just to understand that a little bit more. >> Yeah. >> Um let's see. We are about at time for this section but it's a really good discussion so I don't want to miss anything. Were there any other norms, standards, operating topics that we wanted to discuss or at least bring up

51:37 >> anything else? >> I'm trying. He's pausing. >> He's looking specifically pause. I think the only the only thing for me is just and this isn't this is just I need to do this is spending more time learning and and and accessing staff right so it's it's just kind of going through and what I've learned is you can't have one conversation with Ally about CEDA you're gonna have to have 14 and like Nathan with budget and and it's so it's like trying to kind of get a scope of like what don't I know? And I think and the reason I bring that up is not only for

52:22 for for Jill, but we're potentially going to have two to three more like new counselors, you know, within the next year and just figuring out a process to to help help new folks know what they don't know. Who do they need to talk to? How do they need to do that? um staff are super accommodating um but they also want to respect counselor's times too. >> So maybe we come back to this one specifically, right? Because out of there's about three things on that list that I would triple underline, right? That it's like we all learn now or we learn five years from now and go, "Oh, you know that I should have learned it." The answer to that question is Nancy,

53:07 right? Like it's always like it is. Look, we all come from the private sector where it's management by walking around is normal. Going down and checking on people like that is a that is a normal thing. The answer to that question is Nancy, you got to go through the city manager um to help with those questions, asking those questions about what do I what do I not know? How do I ask questions about the budget? Can I have time with so and so? >> Yeah. And and I think for me it's how do I even ask the question, Nancy? like setting up the time. >> I don't even >> And and I and I've >> I just kind of got to the place where like >> I don't see like people can't help me out here and that's why we're meeting monthly now. That

53:54 that's something counselor Stout mentioned like get a monthly meeting with Nancy. And I was slower than I should have in retrospect to do that. Just putting it out there. It's hard to know. That's and that's why it's important to sort of to to to talk through this, right? But I think every time you use a sentence in your head and this is how I think about it, right? Even with constituency issues, when I know the planner it's going to go to, right? Even if it's with road issues or police issues or any of them, they go to Nancy first, right? That's the way we get like that's the way we get things done. So, anytime you're like, I want more time with staff, cross out staff in your head and insert Nancy, right? Like that's the I can't like I can't emphasize that enough. And I will tell you one question that I will ask her sometimes is like what am I not thinking about right?

54:40 >> How do I get something done? You know, what is a better plan to get from point A to point B? So then I guess a question is so do you want us to, you know, reach out to you with emails and questions or and then when should those go to Neil or should they always go to you and you'll get them to Neil or how? because there's been times where it's like, "Oh, send Neil an email and and I don't have a problem. I just want to know." >> Sure. Um I certainly don't ever have a problem with you reaching out to Neil and I we work as a team and I Neil is excellent. I totally trust him. He's wonderful. Um and I I I'm I'm a little bit different as a city manager because I I um pretty horizontal, you know, I'm

55:26 not very hierarchal. So, you know, like Neil has like the whole public works part of the house and and as it happens, I didn't even think about this, but a lot of questions that come in from the community happen to be on that side of the house. I don't know if that was a genius move on my part or not, but >> and Neil and I are we we talk a lot and we you know, he's great about keeping me updated, so I certainly don't have a problem with that. You can always call and text me. Um I'm always available to you that way. email. I I it's harder because I get so much email. Um so if it's something really urgent, text me. I will get to you right away. >> So So a text is better for you. >> Yeah, I think so. Yeah,

56:11 >> that that's that's excellent. Text >> counselor st figured that out. Yeah, I >> I'm hearing something even more basic than than I don't know what I don't know yet as far as the work that we're doing, but I'm hearing and I think I had the same experience was more like how do I get my badge? Who should I contact when like like a Q&A just written out that we can hand to potentially two or three new counselors. >> That's a good idea. >> Just so they know how to upfront like navigate and they're not out there kind of guessing. like even like the first 30 days like a checklist like things that like badge parking pass now um you know iPad get a get a monthly meeting with Nancy

56:56 on your calendar like all of those things like these are the things that you should accomplish in your first 30 days and I think that if that happened and I think it it happened kind of organically for me um people just told me because I I started asking questions like what should I do? I mean I remember asking Alan like and he's like Nancy then then you know and and but we had a checklist that you could just hand somebody. >> Um I feel like I've been worked pretty good and I just have a couple of housekeeping things that are still on my list but those are for me to go to Nancy on. The one thing that would be helpful for me now is to know what

57:43 counselor is sort of this is representing perhaps a committee like what they're representing so that they're the so I know which counselor is the subject matter expert. That's where I feel the most lost right now. >> You use the spreadsheet. >> I go >> I go to councelor Weber and tell me where to go. >> Yeah, you need that the spreadsheet will help. And maybe this is an actual takeaway for for like we got to get the spreadsheet thing done. I think that's a separate thing, but maybe this is an actual takeaway for us is that, you know, it would probably be helpful if you made a list of what policy interest areas are. Like if you're like I'm the 42nd Street levy person, right? Then you're like, okay, you know, I can call Jill for that. Um, so I we just might have to think about how to do that. Or

58:28 I'm really interested in sewers, right? If it's is it if it's a MWMC question, you know, it's Allen, right? Like sewage. solution bikes. You got it. >> Okay. So, maybe we can put that down as a list as some sort of like policy like who who should counselors who just know a lot about fire or who know a lot about >> right? That kind of thing. Okay. >> Good takeaways. >> Can we have a one or two minute body break before we go to the next section? >> We're planning to. >> Yes. >> Yes. I think we're good. >> Are we there? We're gonna use our stout pause. >> I was going to say one more pause. >> Okay, we are good. Get some thumbs up. Okay, we're

59:13 >> back at 10 to 10. >> Perfect. >> Break.

1:03:54 Thank you. >> So before we dive into the projects and priorities, there were a few other items that did come up. Councelor Ste, >> I just wanted to ask if every 90 minutes, if there's a if there's a meeting, I'm not talking about like a work session, council meeting, we're pretty good about having a quick break in between those, but if we have a council meeting that goes 90 minutes, we take a a a comfort break, if we will. Do we can do that? So, short answer is yes. question is how do you do you think we should just make that as an automatic rule or if people need a break they just raise their hand and say hey the next time we switch items can we take a break >> at a minimum after the comment has gone

1:04:40 for an extended period that's fine with consultation pass >> I think there's a little bit of variability but just keeping that in mind if you are controlling the agenda like hey it's been an hour an hour and a 15 minutes uh let's take a quick five minute um for a break between before the next item and nobody's going to object to walking around for a second and getting our blood flow back. So that's all >> right. >> Any further discussion on that? >> I think the only only caution there is I think it gets really easy to kind of get into exparte, right? and you know and so we'll just have to it's a comfort break and the tops of of side conversation

1:05:25 need to not be about agenda items >> meeting about the meeting and the Yeah, that's a good call out. >> Yeah. So I think the piece that we've got the ideal spot to take items, right? Like if that but if people need a break, they should just be either slipping a note, right? like we're all sitting up there or you know or just flat out flat out saying hey you know could we take five here and that's perfectly perfectly reasonable >> and then councelor you had a question >> I was I was just curious if it's baked

1:06:10 into the agenda somewhere um or could it be to kind of just talk about um what that process is going to look like and the timeline? Um obviously unfortunately for us we're replacing Shawn um at the end of the year. How does that work? How is that going to go? When do we want to do that? And I think and and and what's prompting this question is first of all I think it's at least for me I kind of have this in the back of my head. I'm like well Sean's going to figure out how this all goes and it'll be fine. But that's not going to necessarily work. Do we do that? Um is there like a transition plan or

1:06:55 how we do those things? And I don't I don't want what I don't want to do is have this discussion completely on on the public record like when we're trying to figure out interview questions like it felt really awkward on the public record trying to like work through that and and maybe we have to but you know just because I don't want to do it on the public record doesn't mean it should 100% you got to do it on the public. People are going to have feelings about it. The last time we placed the mayor would not be. >> Is this something we want to carve out some time for? >> Do you guys want to talk about this now or do you guys want to just ignore the

1:07:40 problems until >> two choices? That's not binary at all. >> I think this is an excellent elephant in the room to talk about because we have we have some big transitions. So, so I mean maybe that's the right place to start talking. Uh we have our other projects, but I'd like to start talking for sure about a transition plan because we cannot uh understate the years of experience you have in Springfield, especially at the city level. And that that is a big gap that has and also there's going to be a fair amount of turnover in council after that which I think we've been prepping for. So, um, Mary Bridget's writing a memo. The memo is not going to be here for the next couple of weeks that's going to

1:08:25 outline the procedure. I've already talked to her about that. So, that's kind of thing one that is give everybody all the information the break that what they're potentially going to need. What you and I will tell you that I have not solidified any plans yet about when, how, you know, right? Like, but that's going to be some sort of discussion. But the memo is going to cover what happens. What I understand the memo, what that triggers the process is when I decide to resign. And that would probably be like in theory sometime in the fall. I didn't note the year for anybody. Some fall and

1:09:15 >> Actually, you could be a terrible idea. horrible idea, but I'm just curious if it's possible to >> So, I think we're we're I want to see the memo for I decide. If you asked to pin me down right now, I think it would be I think it would be sometime in the fall, right? Because I would not be scheduled to take office as a county commissioner until January uh 2027. But once that happens, then whatever the memo says is what you guys have to do here. Yeah. Anything? Do you guys have anything else to add? Like what else you feel like you want to talk about? >> Well, I think I think that that clarifies it. Like there's there's a process in place. Next step is the memo and then we kind of could kind of see I

1:10:00 mean for for me um you know whatever whatever that jumping off point for you that makes sense is great. the the longer we can benefit from your experience the better in my opinion. But at some point you have to decide okay when is the when does it make sense with what we're dealing with. And part of it is I don't know I don't have a really good sense of what items are coming up in the fall because we kind of got through this. Now what are we looking at after break? And that might be more um because I mean there's there's the fire stuff but that might be another a long period of time before we see any

1:10:46 real movement on that. >> Yeah. So why don't we do this? Let me know a take a agenda uh a takeaway item to send out the fall schedule. I think it's the fall agenda. What's coming up schedule? I think the other consideration and this is why I'm kind of waiting on the date is that um is that all elections are going to tell people a lot, >> right? So, I would imagine that if I was wanting to work through this as quickly as possible from from your guys' perspective, knowing all the moving parts, right, having those two conversations as close together as possible would allow you to line this out in a way because you can't really do a lot until you get, you know,

1:11:34 >> back to full cast and crew. Mhm. >> I I think um parallel to this having the conversation again about how we want to um how we want to search for new city councilors because there'll be probably a fair number of appointments before there are elections. Um, and this last round was exhaustingly political, and I don't know that there's a way to get around that, but perhaps there's a way to uh tighten that up and allow us to do it in a way a more straightforward path. Um, I don't know if I have more to say than that. >> I don't know how to get away from I mean, it it is it is 100% political.

1:12:20 It's 100% politics. So yeah, >> I think one of the things that and giving credit words too, Michelle called this out. Probably should have listened to her. >> Usually I find myself listen to Michelle, but I I think that in retrospect like we could we could have shrunk we could have shrunk that pool down. And I mean, there was one individual that was that was interviewing and I truly found myself feeling bad like this is this is a this is terrible. You you're you're not ready for

1:13:05 right this moment. And in some ways, I kind of started feeling like it's just it's bad all the way around when you have an interview like that. And and I think going in there was There were three that really stood out from the interviews, but I think you could have seen that from the applications, which is Michelle said. >> Yeah. So, we got to zoom out. So, we're not going to solve like the detailed problems here. Think about the fall, right? The fall work. It's right replacing replacing me whenever that happens and replacing whatever version of council right there there needs to happen because you know word force going

1:13:50 to be up in the fall you know uh Corey's running for an election and then there's you know potentially a mayor appointment that could come on and off like it come from outside the council or inside the council you guys get to decide that whole procedure um but I think that is probably getting through that piece is probably the quickest most important priority, you know, to being successful. And I don't know if you want to D, you have anything to add? >> I just took a bite. Um I think you know we know we know generally we have some big projects that are happening in the fall. Um for instance, we you know we do have the fire and fire governance discussion. um some of some of that timing is

1:14:37 obviously the city of Eugene has has their schedule as well. So um but that isn't going that's going to be um an ongoing discussion irrespective of the decision right because there's there's a change and there's going to be you know that's an important change that the council's going to be involved with. Um I know in for this in October that's when we come to you with the five-year general fund forecast. So you know that's something we that is kind of the kickoff to the start of talking about budgets. So even though that begins really in earnest in January, we we set the stage for that in October. So there's going to be important policy and financial discussions in the fall. We may not even have them set yet on the agenda, but I

1:15:23 just know that that's the time of year where we normally do that. Um and you know it I think just understanding that um if we can tighten the process right and and talk to Mary Bridget about that a little bit about you know with questions if we can glean out a little bit more of a criteria or ways of um looking at applications that really um bring you the the the top applicants to to interview I think would be important. I think you know like for instance user experience or you know experiences directly related to the role but we need to apply it obviously to

1:16:08 everybody. Um so I will talk to her about is there a way we can tighten the process a little bit so that there's not as much of um so we can be more focused with your time. I want to put this as a parallel to what council Rodley was discussing earlier about appointments to boards and commissions and such. Um I I would just let me I will throw it out there for a proposal. I really love star voting especially when it comes to this simple tally automatic runoff where you just simply go down the line and you say I would be happy with this person, this person or that person and you just state the names that you would put on. We tallied up and then at the end we announce the result. Hey, we took all the tallies because it's a little bit

1:16:53 complicated to do it on the spot. Here's the tallies. Here's the result. We will interview these two people at the next session. That's just kind of my it's just a proposal for us to think about um in terms of operating because it could save us a lot of time still get vast majority of our collective will put together and also it might even highlight some candidates that might not be the very first choice but is a a more well-rounded choice for Springfield. So, it's kind of my just to put it out there as a thought >> just based on application alone >> perhaps I mean if it if it speeds the process along um if we get six applicants and we want to be both judicious with our time but also look at at these different things uh you know at

1:17:39 at all the c applicants that are certified to be eligible and have completed the application and that sort of thing. You know, personally, and this is again just my what I would like us to consider is say let's go down in council or in work session. I don't know which one is legally required. >> Are you talking about commissions and committees or are you talking about council? >> Council. >> Um I'm I'm talking about both as a potential. So we can we can separate it out. We could say, hey, you know, yes for count for committees and commissions, no for council. I'm okay with any of these choices, but I just thinking as a as a timesaving and also a getting to a good decision metric. Um, it could be worthwhile to consider star voting for uh what we're doing. So,

1:18:24 >> why don't we put that down into that I would be supportive of folks doing that for council just from a clarity of how you explain it to the public about who got who's ended up representing them. Like I think you could lose right the lose the plot, right? And you got to bring the like you're in those moments you're really acting on behalf of everybody and you got to bring people along with you. >> Yeah, I I do think there's a there's a big component to that. Like we had one applicant for Ward 4 that that didn't answer all the application questions and and for me it's like there there could there be some line in the sand like if you don't answer all the application questions like does that

1:19:10 >> you don't make it to the next round? >> Yeah. I mean there I think that I I wonder about that kind of stuff. Yeah. And I think and I think it's as a group right like especially with political appointments you we as a body have the discretion to do that right because it's not like a hiring question but it also means you we also have the responsibility to explain that to the public if there's sort of push back about why we're choosing you know who gets interviewed and who who doesn't and that's inherently intention in that. So yes, you can do that. It puts us in if know there's questions about it that puts us as a body having explain more about why certain people didn't get

1:19:56 interviewed or certain people did, >> right? Which is inherently a political choice, right? >> Versus, you know, like, hey, you're you're just actually not you're actually just not qualified. >> Go ahead. Yeah, I just I mean and I think you're touching on something because what I'm hearing that there definitely is this tension, right, between how do we have this like what feels like just like a clean um expedient process, right? And like it's so inherently political and people are going to have a lot of opinions about it. Now, having been through a few of these, the more we ensure this fair process where people have access to it and people can throw their names in the hat and go through the whole thing, the better because otherwise,

1:20:43 you know, and especially with like if it ends up being a bigger transition, um it looks like gatekeeping, it looks like, you know, handpicking this, it looks like a lot of things that really if you want a robust political process, you got give people a chance to throw their names in the hat and go through it and even though it feels messy and you end up having to make a choice on the other side just I think >> I also might be able to provide when we get to that point we don't have to get in the beads now but um a couple of aspects of the actual application process that might help avoid what you're describing because I can speak from perhaps why that happened even in my own experience

1:21:28 Um, it was a bit of a um a hideandsek process. I'll be honest with you. >> I'll be honest with you. like once you were into the application or just finding out what you need to do. just the bits and pieces were a little bit um cumbersome and it and that may have led to >> you know when I obviously my process was light years different than yours but I got my application handed back to me the first time because I didn't provide a provide a letter um although I thought I had so like the intro Yeah. So, it's just it's one of those things where um I I appreciate that comment like maybe the application process needs to get looked down. >> So, can can you go sit with Mary and

1:22:15 Bridget and share some of that feedback? >> Absolutely. >> Well, like before we even like because especially if it's it's not clear from one place to another, having walked through that, you know, that that's really >> and of course it's 100% antidotal from my perspective, but still it's good feedback. That's because what we want is it to like applying to be as simple and easy as possible so more people do it right and also it's a clean transparent process. Okay. So I'm looking around. Anybody have other questions they want to talk about sort of political appointments for placing council the transition that's coming up. The one ask I will have for all of you like because I've asked both Nancy and Mary Bridger for the same thing. It's just start a list of questions about me leaving that

1:23:02 that we're not thinking about asking like I don't know if there's anything on that you know on that list but that if you guys can do that too that would be helpful because then we can get them figure it out. Go ahead. Just one quick comment. The mayor's correct. I mean, it's we're not hiring because it's not an employee, but we can take the concepts that you use in a hiring process where, you know, we're very clear about, you know, what constitutes a complete application, you know, um even if it's a checklist. Do you have this? Do you have this? Do you have this? And really tailor the questions around what are your skills and abilities related to the position? and may you know maybe a position description even though it's not technically an employee there's still many things that this role does and it's a different role than the rest of the

1:23:49 council. So, you know, what experience do you have leading meetings? You know, knowing Robert's rules of order. I mean, sorting this out as an example. Um, and that could be a way for people to really understand not only how to complete the application, but what they're going to be asked to do. And I I agree with you, counselor Buck, um as far as if somebody doesn't complete all of the questions, you know, being clear about that could be gra, you know, kind of grounds for your application not being um considered and that, you know, when you look at different employment applications, that language is pretty standard. >> So, just something to think about. And I guess the one piece of feedback that I've been thinking about for a little bit is

1:24:35 um kind of borrowing from um something I saw Sean do. Um he he he used the term local government is a team sport, right? And I and I think taking that from and and I saw that on social media and and and but taking that concept and applying to the interview process because we are really it's a team sport here too and how do you how do you fit into that and trying to trying to work that concept into into the interview process? I don't have a great way of doing it, but I like the I I I think there might be something to that. And I'd love for the council to or staff to kind of like take that concept and and kind of see if we can

1:25:22 bake it in into the interview process. >> And I um I appreciate that and I'm going to say something messy about it. I think, you know, anyone can run for the seats, right? So, um, and they don't have to be a they don't have to be any of those things. They just have to be a great campaigner, right? So, I think that there's um and it makes me think of like the difference between being on like an appointed board or committee that you're on where it's like you try you you you might of us have been on board of directors where you're like what's missing and how do we make sure we have this perspective and all of this which is so tempting to want to do with this and knowing that people in the community might be looking at it very differently. They might be saying I want somebody who's going to shake things up.

1:26:08 I want somebody who is not that, you know. So, um I think there's just sort of just to have the awareness when I say it's inherently political, it's that, you know, we may be trying to preserve or or we we're like we're thinking about the work that we want to work on and who's going to help that. That is not how the voters and people in the community are necessarily looking at it. So it's like how do you you know how do you make room for that too to allow for those different perspectives and to think about you know from this ward they might be wanting somebody that's like this. So and knowing that people can run again but there's also as came up in this there's that that perceived um uh wait once you've made an appointment that person then becomes the incumbent

1:26:53 and there's this sort of perceived step up which is not >> you know it depending on how you work it could or couldn't be. So, I think just somehow we're just going to have to hold that together to be like this is yes, we have this responsibility as decision makers and the community is going to be very invested in who the next mayor is and who replaces counselors and things and they might have a different perspective. I have a wild very brief question for us. Is this an opportunity for us individually as counselors to say what we would be looking for in the next mayor appointment? our vote is going to be public are because public really doesn't have any particular say in it except for they're obviously able to provide public comment but if I would

1:27:39 say I'm looking for somebody who you know either has a diverse perspective or has experience on council or who has you know such and such this is what I'm filtering for in this appointment and at least so that people see here's what I'm looking for in my vote in advance I don't know if that's worthwhile or not worthwhile to consider Like I think the right thing is when you get to the point and where you've got the memo in front of you which is going to outline the process, right? And then somehow like it's going to go through it's going to go through a couple of like logistical steps, right? But if you fast forward to all of those places and you're sitting there talking about what do you do and this chair is empty or any one of these council chairs are empty.

1:28:25 That's the part where you really have to just dive in and right like narrate what what you're what you're thinking what your thinking is because that's where you're actually driving you're actually driving the process on how you're going to make the decision going forward. But that stuff is not not here yet. We could if people are interested like I would say start start with the memo when it comes out. Read the memo. Ask Nancy questions. Ask Mary Burg questions. Ask me questions. We show up in the fall. If I haven't, you know, haven't shared any plans. You're allowed to step on my foot. Kick me under the table and go. I get super clear about what's going on and let that sort of drive the process. But at the end, these are a group of political like

1:29:10 appointments and you guys are real as a group are really going to have to decide how you navigate your way through that. >> I think that is a great segue wrapping this. There's a lot of good takeaways in this and it sounds like more discussion to come >> uh likely in the fall. So this next section uh is really one big sections three, four and five. And I just want to high level walk us through how we have this structured. We wanted to start off when thinking about projects and priorities. We want to start with reviewing what is time bound with deadlines first. Then we'll get into reviewing the current priorities that were decided from the last session 2025. We will take a break because what we would like to do is separate out the CEDA discussion to be just about CEDA.

1:29:56 So we will have some time to discuss CEDA and then we will revisit and develop a list before we conclude around any kind of priorities or projects that are needed but on hold due to any kind of resource limitation whether it's you know staffing budget any kind of constraint >> how do you want to start this one >> we are going to start in the back of your agenda I believe everybody has the notes from the previous session everything that we have highlighted In blue are items that are CEDA related. So we will just pass over those for right now. And if >> ask clarifying question, we say 2024 priorities. Did we mistake the RSR 2024 list? >> This would have been a com. It was it was a developed list is my understanding

1:30:42 that probably started in 2024. Things that carried over carried over into 2025. So I believe it's a blend. >> Yes. So if you look at the back, the last section on the back page is we have a section in here under time bound projects with deadlines. So again, the goal here is we're not deep diving into all of these, but with a lot of new faces and whatnot, just being able to go through are there any changes, updates, or clarification needed on what these are. So, if when we get through them, if somebody would like to give a brief 10-word overview on what we're talking about, if that would be helpful. But the first one up is we had road projects bond measure deadlines in May of 2024 and 2029

1:31:33 clarification or discussion needed. We know what that is. Like this is not Mil Street, is it? Where is this other Mil Street? >> No, this is the new This would be the road bonds. >> Yeah. So that's the 36th Street Aspen. Yeah. Arlo. >> I think what might be helpful, and we haven't really talked about this with the council in a kind of a fashion to keep them up to speed, is we have a really detailed page on our website that goes through every bond project and just lists it simply and tells you on the side, this is in planning, it's going to start at this time, or this is in construction and it's at this level. So we can send that link out. I think it might be helpful as you get questions to be able to access that. But all the projects are listed

1:32:18 >> and that's the same location that you have the annual report on. >> Yes. >> Okay. So as part of the bond there was an annual report we had to do. Um oftent times I send people that report back if they have questions and it helps because just answer those questions. >> Yeah. So the website will tell you if the project's been awarded, how much money, the schedule, and then if it's a planning. And then once it's complete, there's a completed section. So if you get questions about like Mil Street, for example, and you want to go back real quick, it's all there. Perfect. Other questions about road bonds? Okay. So maybe we could just talk about the 2029 date here for a second.

1:33:03 I'm assuming that we're all working towards putting out a 2029 capital bond when this current road bond. So, I guess it would be Springfield Road Bond 3 that would uh to replace the one when this one expires in 29 and just giving a chance so that staff's clear that they should be working towards like because I don't think there's any way we're going to continue to make progress on roads unless we do that. Further discussion or questions on that one? >> I can probably feel that bond myself. My opinion picking projects right now is not

1:33:52 >> I guess the only thing I would flag with that is we've talked road bonds for several years. We've not talked to other ones that by 2030ish the council may have to look at we don't know what's coming exactly down the line. So, as we look at as staff starts to look at future road bonds, keep in mind there could be other requests that come not from staff but >> yeah, I think the way I would assume is that like the original road bond, we told you specifically to start working on it, right? And the 29 road bond, I would think that you're that you're working on it unless we tell you specifically not to. >> Okay, agreed. Right. The next one, state transportation bond

1:34:39 decisions by fall of 24 with results in June of 25. >> That was the package I think like state transportation >> which is currently DOA. >> Yeah. So we can cross that off. I guess is >> that's going to be a lot of work. But >> the legislative >> Yeah. I think it's I think it's back to the I think it's back to the legislature because they have working groups right now about it. >> So, we're tracking and monitoring and updating, >> but we don't get the money. >> It's not right now. >> Anything else on that one? >> I think if anything, we just need to have some sort of right like fall point

1:35:25 talking point at around where road like most of that's going to be in the legislative committee, but where road bonds are are sorry transportation of operations money is going to come from. Right now, when I think about the public, you know, we've got like five different buckets that we're talking to them about all at the same time and people aren't getting confused about where, you know, what our strategy is. and having more time in the fall to kind of digest all of that would help us and especially around um around residential roads because that is a huge problem right now. Yeah, this is

1:36:17 >> Environmental regulations to pass compliance by 2030. >> This has more to do with the MWMC than anything. If that's the case, then I know they got the funding for the uh OSU study on PAP and that was going to inform whether or not they'd be able to have more land applications for that. Of course, that'll be a very good study for any and every city department that may have any environmental impact. So, I think I would just say let's make sure we follow up with Matt Stouter on that one because the good news is it did pass in the legislature. >> Yeah. If I could add, I think in addition to that, what the council discussed last year was the PAS and then like the MS4 permit, the NDS, the wastewater stuff, the temperature, TMDLs, like all of the mandates and

1:37:05 changes that are causing the council to have to make decisions based on >> can we get these projects done with the staff that we have? Yeah. >> How are we focused on it? So I think yes that was PAS is a huge one and there's layers and layers of it. >> I would add also those sorry to interrupt me >> that those regulations have a direct correlation on rates >> right. >> Yeah. So that's a discussion we have to cut at the forefront of public's mind >> and we have that plugged into sort of the legislative days that we'll have this coming year. Yeah, I think that's >> you saw the rates like just a couple weeks ago that were impacted by these

1:37:50 issues. >> Any other topic or any other discussion on that one for environmental regulations? I >> think what might be helpful is we can put together a very brief here's where we are with some of these things. That would be helpful to the council. We've never >> We got to talk about compression and the lamelane levy that passed. >> Nathan about that preparing that information for council. And is 2029 the expiration date or the potential go out for date? I feel like

1:38:35 it that would be the expiration date. >> I think that's the expiration. Yeah. So we need to back that up. >> And then Eugene Springfield's fire spring 25 I'm guessing. Is that ESF, right? >> Nope. That was the one that passed. >> Okay. That was okay. >> So that that new date it's going to be what? Like 20 or 30. that could potentially I mean if it ends up being that we do a fee that would no longer be >> yeah we have to look at that differently but there's we'll see time >> I I I will just kind of put on there this this topic just just to put it out there not necessarily discuss about it but um at some point I would I would be interested in in us

1:39:21 looking at what does the process look like to move, you know, how we fund our library to a levy option as opposed to our general. And I and I I think as I think about our budget, having kind of learned this year through experience, it is really clear to me that we have to find a different way to do that. >> Agree with that. >> I agree with that. what it might look like. I think it needs to be part of when we come back and talk about the library and what we prioritize. >> Yeah. >> But I I I I I point it out here because if we're going to talk about something, we're going to bring something brand new in, we have to think about, okay, what's the ripple effect with everything else we have going on

1:40:07 >> and and and what's the and where and where does the community fall on on these things, right? >> Yeah. Yeah. I I and I think we have less headroom when it comes to operating all between us and compression of what we think and it's becoming a real it is becoming a real issue out there. >> Sure. >> Okay. Let's uh go to >> see this done. Wait a minute. >> I was going to say let's go to the general fund and balance >> EPS report by January of 2025. >> Done. >> But we haven't fixed the general fund

1:40:52 imbalance. But >> that's true. Thank you. The >> report is done. >> Report is done. Was it was the outcome of the CPS report led to the mayor's task force which led to the uh the payroll tax and other decisions that are trying to address this issue but we're not there fully >> we never really have had a a council a public council discussion about our you know thoughts, feelings and prayers about the Immer Clean Lane project with respect to the county.

1:41:37 >> We did in 2022. >> Um and we sent and we sent a letter saying, "Hey, save Creswell first before you work on the imm." >> Um there's a lot of change in this world right now. So maybe we can I don't know maybe our official ask is to ask the county for some sort of update in the fall because >> I think what's more important to me I mean not if anybody's watching not that this resolving itself isn't important but um what's more important to me is moving the transfer station like that's something that >> Oh it's all linked to the same >> No like if they just do that then they can do whatever they want with that just Yeah. So, is everybody okay if we kind

1:42:23 of punt this one and then ask the city manager to ask the county administrator for some sort of update in the fall about like what's happening with the transfer station, what's happening with this, what's happening with Glenwood. >> Okay. >> So, that is our list of timebound projects. Now, we go to the main list. Back to the top. >> The main event. the main event. >> Um, I think you can skip fire and governance. Most of this is an executive session anyway and so we probably don't need to get into it right now. >> General fund imbalance. >> We just talked about that one. >> Local option levies. We just discussed clean lane. State mandates.

1:43:12 >> They just keep coming. >> We don't like them. >> Have to adjust every time. I wonder if um I wonder if it could be helpful not only for our own um sanity but also just for clarify clarification to the public if maybe there was a time where we just kind of got a like let's review kind of thing. let's talk about what are the what are these what are the state mandates and and and what is expected of us and what does that mean and I think I think if we did that in a way that we put it on the public record where we had kind of in a format where it's a

1:43:57 presentation to council but really gives us a it gives us something to put out there so when people are asking hey listen to this like go to this video so so the community has a sense of what's really being asked. I mean, I think people on a basic level are frustrated with the state. Um, and they have some ideas to some things, but they don't know specifically. And what they don't know is how A gets to B gets to C and what that means for them. And so, I don't know if that's a if that's a good idea, a bad idea. I'm I think I'm trying to think about how to do that, especially going into the long legislative session,

1:44:43 >> you know, when I think about like restricting the amount of time people like that time that we have. So, what if we did what if we did something like instead of trying to focus at the public, if we try to get, you know, from a legislative advocacy perspective, just get a clean list of what we're still working on. So when our friends and partners return to state house in Salem, they have, you know, we can share that with our delegation about like just how much work we still have outgoing and maybe trying to help a little less during this long long session. >> Yeah. >> Like maybe not. >> Do that every time. We're like, could you just split off please? >> Stop. and trying to get the like does

1:45:28 even if it is so far as to assign what it like what the stat actual staff cost is because that kind of technical stuff for the public is going to be really tough for them to handle to understand and maybe we turn it into a legislative advocacy piece where we're like look >> I I I that makes a lot of sense. I I was thinking kind of on more of a macro level like the state's saying look your houses inventory needs to be this number by this state kind of thing like things that are really digestible like an infographic maybe. >> Yeah. So it's it's it it's like what are our as a city what are our marching orders from the state in terms of like a macro level like you know we um

1:46:13 we're drawing blank on on the the name but like the um >> climate friendly cities you know those kind of things and just a really really macro level like these are some things that the state is is pushing the city to do so people have an idea of what that is cuz I I think everybody like housing is is easy to pick on. We need more housing. How much more housing and what does the state say we need and by when? >> I think you know if we maybe an example could be we think about the budget process. We had department directors come up and just do a brief overview of future year considerations. So kind of in that same kind of light um hey we know we need to hit these uh housing

1:46:59 goals. We also know that this we don't have the same kind of parking parking requirements that were in the past. And people may not know that. They're like, why isn't there any parking with all these, you know, this building building being built, you know, and just understanding where that decision originated from and how it could be impacting people in our city, I think it would be important. >> Yeah, I think both levels could could be valuable. I mean, you know, like what you're talking about, like the legislative to-do list. I think I think that's important on a on a on on that level. The public may not really be able to get a lot of value out of that, but I think there is value. And then just having a basic list of like this is this is the this is what we're

1:47:45 dealing with. um that that impact people on a on a daily basis so they can kind of see oh that's why you know things like Mohawk Meadows you know um are important and why do why do why would we want apartment complex why don't we build single family homes those kind of things like things that people can digest on a macro level for the public >> I'll just throw one thing out for broad big picture I don't disagree with that at all yeah Um, but I'm nervous about housing on a legislative level with Oregon. I'm I am even more than I have been in the past. I just listened to an interview with the governor of Illinois and his plan for uh building up Illinois uh with lands basically and what looks

1:48:32 on primmaaccia like very minor gentle modifications actually could add a tremendous amount of overhead to the cities. And I'm just I'm very nervous for what's going to come down the pike. So, if this is an opportunity for us to be legislatively proactive, I would I would push our council and I push our our uh team to say if there's one thing we want to get on, yes, economic development, but I am nervous on a city level that this is going to be a very long investment of time and money that we're not going to have that'll be better spent legislative. When you when you say overhead to the city, do you mean like in terms of infrastructure regulation, staff? Okay. >> Yeah. Mostly staff time. Yes. Some amount of, you know, regulation

1:49:17 >> and also the deregulation and the impact that that has on our community and our constituents and and that sort of thing. I am not against building housing. I just I I strongly push for a more localized control over that. >> Right. Got it. I >> I think I agree with you. I think that there's there's order of operations here and I think that legislatively that takes the priority, but I I would still be interested to have like public outreach and on the list, right? And if that's middle of next year, so be it. It just as long as at some point maybe get to that. But I think that priorities make a lot of sense. And I agree with you legislatively if we're going to pick one then then legislatively that's what we have to

1:50:02 pick. >> Anybody else here? >> Yes. So wrapping this up the it sounds like there's quite a bit of what I say education and awareness level setting the infographic comment like being able way to visualize some of these things so you can have better awareness. >> Yeah >> I think that could be a takeaway. I would say this is a topic is like very convoluted and has a lot of layers to it and we've never had a really good way to understand all the different regulatory pressures that we're under and how that pushes costs on our on our community. So I think the conversation as I've heard it is just trying to at a simpler way be like okay if I get stopped in safe way how do I explain it right and then

1:50:49 having legislative work associated to when we're on the legislative committee we're going into the long session there's going to be a lot of new legislators we will have a new legislator right how do we position the city you know to suit its strengths of saying like we don't we don't you know this is what we want from the the the state from a regulatory perspective because the state is going to continue to roll out housing regulations thinking that if we adopt another refinement plan that's going to fix all our problems, right? And those don't actually build homes. >> Well, and I antic in 2027 too, I think one of the things to be thinking about legislatively is um I mean they're going to be looking for things to cut like the budget is going to be really a tough conversation I think in 2027. So just

1:51:35 like figuring out how to prioritize the Springfield interests and keep an eye on what's happening while that's happening. >> Okay. >> Economic development. >> The next section. >> Yes. >> Okay. >> And I think we you can cross off transfer site infrastructure. Well, most of the stuff we'll probably talk about here in the next hour or so. There anything under mixeduse development of downtown? >> Give us the right to come back to that one. >> Yeah. >> Okay. Yeah. So, under Glenwood, a couple things crossed off. Um, refinement plan.

1:52:27 >> How do we have a legal penalty if we do not follow something within our refinement plan? I mean, it's the law, but I mean, it came out kind of funny, >> but something in common sense doesn't seem to apply to the plan. What's our process in that case? >> Yeah, I actually think even though all of these things aren't blue, this is more of the CEDA. Let's push. >> Am I correct? >> Yeah, these into the CEDA discussion. So, let's put in that. >> Let's go down to uh North Gateway. Do I >> feel like this is gonna get bumped up? Like I feel like this is going to need to be a priority for the next few years. But that that's my opinion. >> Well, how we navigate this annexation

1:53:12 and the result of that decision is going to heavily impact this conversation. I think >> I think I know. But how so in your mind? Well, let's just be super careful not to get into a conversation around sanexation here, right? >> Yeah. >> It's just Yeah. >> Is it a traffic issue? Is it is is that the kind of the >> It's an economic development issue in my opinion. >> Okay. >> Yeah. I I just wanted kind of the headline, not the >> econ it's an economic development issue for me. It feels like it's both to me and just the continued growth and interest and

1:53:57 investment that folks are looking at in that area just feels like that's elevated the need for us to you know I think of it as yeah we got to get clear around um well I feel like around 90s but we might have to um but also just the traffic impacts and concerns and stuff of what's happening out there at that interchange I think it's just and the other issue too is is travel lane county's interest in the Royal Caribbean building. Like there's a couple of potentially big things that could happen there. We don't we won't know until we know. So just >> I also think and this is something I know you've brought up, you know, several million times is like there's there's still some there's still a an

1:54:42 opportunity at Gateway where Sears used to be and and all of those things. And so what is what are the barriers and what's that look like? >> Well, I first I think we need to talk about North Gateway in the fall, right? Like we're still I'm sure we'll start the third item that we we've mentioned about plenty more time in the fall to get our our head around. And the north gateway piece is that UGB that UGB area, >> right, which is, you know, and we may with how many new folks we're going to have, they may have to ground ground folks on what those actual employment lands are, but I think it's got like this is going to start with the basics, which is, hey, we've prioritized Glenwood up until this point because we

1:55:27 wanted to get one of them done. If we're going to start ask the staff to move further on North Gateway, which I think is the right answer here, we're gonna have to figure out, you know, where NY's going to get the staff to do that or ask Nancy to come up with a staff to do that because I don't think there's a person to do that at this point. But that North Gateway area solves a couple of points. That's the employment lands that we had, right? So, one of the questions that we've got to get grounded on from an economic development perspective is we're missing like buildable buildable land and it's got a ton of infrastructure problems associated with it >> and and that's and then you get to the traffic and then you get to the question around getting clear about what the council's strategy is about like is it a

1:56:12 is it you know it's in the process of turn on its own it's going to turn into a medical center right are we or is our goal tourism, medical center, campus, industrial, like what is what is that conversation? So, there's a couple big elements that we got to start talking about in the fall knowing that nothing really is going to happen here unless we find the resources and staffing to come up with more dev people or we start cloning alley which I heard is not ideal. >> I just wanted to add even you know not to sound like a giant wet blanket we do need to have a you know capacity for planning. Absolutely. But you know, let's say we solve that. Then there's the whole issue of putting the infrastructure there with pipes, roads,

1:57:00 electrical, you know, that's that's that's a decades type of lift. Um so just being aware of what you know we have a part and then we have partners that also play a role in in that and getting that to where you uh it's considered shovel ready or develop. >> Yeah. amount of work that council and seed is doing in Glennwood transition that to that area it would be about the same lift >> as opposed to something like the Sears building which is has the infrastructure so then you're just working on getting someone in there versus even getting someone to the site survey. So maybe that's one of the questions for right the fallen wolf have we'll know

1:57:46 what this annexation is is to ask like how many more like if we wanted to make north gateway go how many more people that would that be what would the actual resource requirement be and I understand the intersection's a problem like there's seven layers of problems here but in my in my head and keep me honest here I feel like if you told me there's hund00 million of infrastructure to open up those North Gateway buildable lands. That would not surprise me. >> Say it's harder than that. But yeah, and I really appreciate this because I do think that this is something we have to like think figure out the steps to get there because >> yeah, to a certain extent is happening, >> right? And the more we get ahead of it

1:58:31 and try this another one of those things where it's like if we can get ahead of it and we can have a plan then we won't it won't keep coming up as these big to-dos um about whether people could do this here or do this there. And we get to have that community conversation. So everybody's like okay clearly we've this is where we're going. So and I completely get the capacity and we're just a little city that is trying to grow. The council did give direction March March to start looking. So we have a transportation planner looking at some of these issues like what would it take? >> So Emma Newman is working on that and it will go back to the council. So you have provided some direction.

1:59:16 >> I guess I will just throw out there um so I don't forget about it. I think this is something like this issue. It's complex and and so many layers. I'm I'm gonna need to kind of work through it a little little more slowly. And that might be just getting up to where we're at now. I I feel like I'm behind. And so that may be something that I can work with you on, Nancy, about Okay, let me just understand the questions first, right? Because like you said, there's there's seven layers of of problems here and and and just trying to wrap my head around what's a what they all are and and how one affects others because there's this ripple effect that they're not independent layers and and how do I how

2:00:02 do I even start understanding the problem? I know I've had conversations about it, but I think just zooming out and being like, okay, and and I also feel like that's probably like Jill probably is is, you know, maybe in a in a similar boat. I don't know. Um, other new counselors may be as well. So, I'm just put it out there. I think that there's a lot of history that, you know, you have to play catchup on. And I I feel really behind on this one. Oh, any other high level questions around North Gateway or any clarification needed?

2:00:48 Just one quick comment and request of council and then we you know maybe a good segue to that um you know we have been very purposeful about talking about Glennwood and seeing that throughation and the reputation of our city is really important and as we continue through Glenwood we need to continue to talk about that so that when people are looking to potentially develop there or think about putting their business there. Um that we keep that as a top of- mind awareness so that people don't get the impression that oh now that's shifted over here and Glenwood's not going to do anything further because I think that's that's an easy thing to have people misinterpret.

2:01:33 >> So I'm going to say it and make sure that that I have it right. So we are working the transportation problem today. Right. Since we have Emma looking for a transportation solution, effectively that is the only thing in North Gateway that is moving. If we are if we are going to work do more work on North Gateway, go faster or whatever term we want to use. I think we're all saying that we would have to find new resources to do that whatever that conversation looked like before we would start work >> without pulling from Glennwood. without pulling for >> that mean creation of another district, another urban renewal district. >> Oh, >> I I know. I know. I just threw that to the punch bowl, but I

2:02:20 >> it could be like I don't know. I mean, but I think us knowing assuming with that same alignment of we're not we're telling we're being clear with the with the city manager that we're not walking away from Glennwood that we want to have a conversation around what more resources look like. So, we can start to find the path because if we're clear on that, >> that's going to be helpful, >> right? And I think in my mind I see the North Gateway area as more sort of phases and pieces and less of a like Glenwood is like this like we've created this slate you know this not I almost say blank slate but but the North Gateway stuff I think part of that sort of planning and problem solving could be like in these pieces of things that we do um to just make it less messy as

2:03:06 things are organically happening. So, I mean, maybe it is, but maybe it's not like Yeah. Um, so I think but I really appreciate the call out of like we are not abandoning Glenwood. We are getting we're moving forward with Glenwood and we're the the city is busting out in other areas. >> It it almost seems like what I'm hearing you say, Sean, is like before we really like you're not going to really kind of wait in to North Gateway, you're going to jump in, right? And so make sure you're ready to be in before you get in. And and and that today really looks like finishing Glenwood so that when Glenwood is is to a place where staff can say,

2:03:52 "Okay, you know, we've done our thing and we can kind of step back, that might be the time when we can jump into another area." But but if we jump too soon, >> that's one alternative. The other alternative is to is to ask ask the city sta uh city manager to tell us what that might look like or how much money we would have to come up with. Here's the here's the thing we have to avoid. Like this is the disaster scenario. Nancy pull all the gateway people or the Glenwood people will work in gateway five months later all the you know that's the thing we've got like no matter what we've got to avoid that >> right then we're getting nothing done. Don't start until you're ready to start. >> How we start could be a discussion. It

2:04:38 could be timing. Whatever it could be, but we we've got to get some of this stuff finished. >> So, are there are there proactive conversations we could be having like looking at the different zoning requirements that we have right now? Like are there areas that we want to talk about maybe rethinking that just >> the gateway or >> anywhere? But yeah, but just to to kind of ground ourselves in what that vision could be, >> I think that's a great question because when you look at North Gateway and I know part of our morning is wet blanketing. We don't want to do that, but it just happens. But if you think about, you know, North Gateway is a really vital important place with an owner who's very interested. And then

2:05:25 South Franklin is a really vital important place with an owner that's very interested. And then Jasper, you know, a couple years ago we were really kneede in Jasper stuff and then it kind of so almost having that kind of more global look of all of the things in addition to Glenwood and then making those decisions. >> Yeah. Come up here. Come, you know, come in and see like and just are there some proactive shifts that we might want to make? Are there any more questions around I I do have one question for I guess an educational topic later. When we started North Gateway, it was really a discussion about buildable lands and parcels over 25 acres, right?

2:06:12 I think it would be helpful to just get a little bit more education about like about that available buildable land question again and help us grant like are we still worried about parcels over 25 acres? Like what what role does sort of open, you know, assembled land play from an economic development perspective? because some of this goes back to pre205 and we like collectively we may have kind of lost the plot about like what are we trying to solve with some of this some of this work and why are we like why are we doing it like maybe it's an eDev 101 question and it could probably just be in a memo like a really short memo to say hey in 2015 we were chasing you know buildable land we're we're

2:06:57 still worried about these size parcels these size parcels are the ones that are up in North Gateway this why we're doing it >> and how has the world shifted since those things were decided and do we need to shift to match the world today? >> I'll just say this my my piece that I will probably always bring up in every council meeting is I'm a fan of incrementalism. So this the smallest changes that we can make that achieve the best results so that we can see because we we shouldn't have the hubris to expect that we can go and plan a district and expect it to come out as we expected. I think that's just so important for us as counselors and say, "Okay, what's the next smallest decision we need to make to help things move

2:07:42 along?" Because and that might make things look more messy on paper and in a planning perspective just because we don't we don't think we know enough outcomes um that we could know as opposed to saying, "Hey, what's one thing we could do to make this a little bit better?" >> Right. We'll keep keep it going unless there's any other comments on this one. But we now have Mohawk develop or Mohawk planet development. >> Was this the the eight towers from Yeah. >> Yeah. >> It's still my dream to develop that and it's going so slowly. I don't >> particular longer. >> Yeah. >> I think we kind of cross that one off the list. >> Main Street strategy.

2:08:27 I think some of that really depends on what ends up happening with Glenwood and just the overall vitality of downtown. And so unless we have really the tax base to support um you know I still have a dream that may see Main Street as two ways for car traffic and pedestrians and then a South A is two ways for truck traffic. That's just my dream. But that lift is a $15 million lift that unless the tax base supports I don't see it's gonna make >> you say 15 or 50 because it's probably more like 50. Unless the unless the state wanted to come in and say, "Hey, you got a pet project?" Yes. More like 50. So, I just don't I don't see that as maybe a reasonable that's a little bit maybe 5 10 years down for the road from now. So, I think yes.

2:09:14 >> Okay. >> I guess my question is when we say Main Street, are we just talking about downtown? Because it feels like It feels like when we bring up Main Street, >> it always shifts to like downtown and how that um connects to Glenwood and and I think that's really important. >> I think what doesn't get talked about is what's happening from like 28th to 69th. >> Yeah. And I feel like as as I drive that stretch, there's large stretches where it's like what's going on here? Um it's a very different picture whether I'm

2:09:59 looking north or south. Um, and so I'm just curious like I've always and I've brought this up in my my conversations with CEDA like is this is this a spot where do we bring this back up when we talk about CEDA and those kind of things because it's still Main Street and I and I and I think there's some questions and I also think that when you get out from 59th to from 58th to 69th there's a lot of growing community questions around that stretch, right? From what >> are you talking about economic development or traffic safety? I thought those might have been left over from our traffic. Well, I I think economic development and

2:10:45 and traffic um because when you look from >> So, if you take that that stretch from basically where 42nd is and you and you go down to where 58th is and and you look on the the north side or south side of the road, there's there's a lot of there's a lot of stuff developed there and there's not on the north side. Um there's buildings that we need to do something with because they've just not been maintained and in a couple of places like just need to be torn down and then there's a lot of open space there too. And so, >> so the question is, okay, if this is sort of a traffic project, right, are we

2:11:32 question one, are we leaving the traffic question around Main Street is a we're just asking the staff to continue to monitor the safety picture and report back, right? Because that is an ODOT um area, right? And we put lights and we put crop logs and we put new material out there. So I think question one for for the staff over the next year is hey can you just close the loop with us and say what is it what is the traffic situation as we understand it with all these changes without doing a lot of scientific safety studies but just saying hey what are what are we actually seeing and then I think question two that I'm hearing that you ask is hey if I happen to be hypothetically the word five counselor or the word four counselor what what do we call the

2:12:17 midpoint of Springfield that on every map says is sort of mid Springfield. It doesn't really have it like we leave downtown, we leave Mohawk, we touch the Paramount district and it's basically mid Springfield until we hit Thirstston, right? And like what's the name identity work that we're doing around that part of the city? >> Yeah. And and specifically with economic development, is is it just is our vision that it's just going to we're going to just put a lot of housing in there and that and maybe yes, but also is there opportunity for economic development in there, too? >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Yeah. And I um Okay. I think I think they're two I think they're two but I think your

2:13:02 questions actually connected with word for it too, right? Because I think those are both you run into both the similar >> Oh yeah >> because the feature for W four is essentially the landlane right is a big you know is the Bob Kefir in the flag you know the you know when you get out to your end of the world it's cascade home and garden and there are just empty >> well and and I and I just think that there's a lot of I call it opportunity on that on that north the north side of of Main Street right in there. I mean, I think there's a again, in some places it's just vacant land. In some places it's buildings that have been there for a hundred years. They're falling down.

2:13:48 >> Well, and War in particular is such a it's just I think of it as the Springfieldiest mix of all, right? Because you've got this big industrial land, you've got buses, I mean, you've got all of that and then you've got older housing and stuff tucked in there. I think there's so much opportunity and then you've also got all that land where the mill or whatever was um there's so much opportunity but we just again it comes back to this capacity of making a plan for it but I I like I love the idea of the call out and thinking about how do we I mean I remember that time Maril Lee was always like nobody's paid attention to war five like >> who are we? So maybe what we can do is we could if we continue to kind of refine this list is just split it out into kind of two separate topics for a

2:14:34 little bit and you know and answer the traffic question. I know we we need like five more five more academic people >> and then try to try to summar you know keep our keep our eye on the on on the mid part of the city as well. All right, let's keep it moving. Development code update. I don't know. I think we've done it or not done it. >> I think the next thing you'll see that has anything to do with the code into housing design work that's coming to you the fall. >> I feel like we did have many many meetings that just kept going. >> So, we've done a lot since we have

2:15:19 minutes. >> Yep. Okay. Right. Under our infrastructure and transportation, uh, these ones that we just reviewed, >> we just t we just talked about >> for the levy. >> What about 42nd Street levy? >> Any updates live from the levy now that you visited yesterday? >> We did find some some holes that I guess hadn't been there before, but I wouldn't say there's anything. >> Um, we're talking about this in executive session on Monday. So, um, the only thing I would add to the to the infrastructure and transportation list is that intersection that is like Mohawk, right? Right. From the overpass down >> the mess at Mohawk, what I call the mess

2:16:05 at Mohawk. >> Yes. >> Yeah. >> Right. like >> over the 19 like at the different road on each side >> or by the Wendy's and the >> Carl. Yeah. Yeah. I hate that place. I I mean it's it's truly one of the least safe and most terrifying and infrastructure rich parts of the town. It would be it would be ideal if uh that uh because you know we we think about the next road bond at some point that that would be ready to go for like but we didn't make the first one because uh it had other super issues or something. >> So that's the challenge with um just >> how people will look at how we do this project and think about what they want

2:16:50 to see different from government. But we did a very quick patch on that just to help it survive. And then in your state of the city a year or so ago, you said you're you want to see it kind of upgraded again. So there'll be a more stronger temporary patch that goes on it like the Kevlar patch. Um but the real work has to happen underneath it. And that's the sewer stuff. >> Yeah. >> So we can either do a couple of patches till we can afford to get to the sewer stuff or just totally wait and that's not an option. Do we need to maybe ask when when like this transportation conversation goes on uh in the fall? Like I I don't know if it's a sewer driving question or a transport like essentially ask the state for a planning grant associated to that like >> right and I don't know if it's through

2:17:36 like wastewater infrastructure or the transportation dollars but it's like we got to get a plan to get a plan on this one. >> Yeah. But the more substantial fix been planning right now would be >> okay. You want to keep going? >> Yeah, let's keep going. Public safety cahoots lane county. >> I think we can cross that up. We've continued to um have coohoots in in our budget uh to assist our officers in >> the I think the only thing that I would sort of bullet point that is like whatever like if we have issues if PD

2:18:22 have issues with county mobile crisis response right like we probably need to I don't know articulate those and send them over to our colleagues over there. We have pretty regular check-ins on this. I feel pretty confident like the chief is really she she's on this one. Emergency response and preparedness efforts >> when we have the new app. Right. >> Right. Um, and I think council's well I know council is going to get an update on the wildfire protection program from Chief Caven on Monday. >> So

2:19:07 >> pieces are always moving through. >> Okay. So I think we can leave this on still on there. >> Yep. >> Springfield Police Department. >> I think we're in a really good place with our police department. We continue to um provide the NLU of course report which it just gets better every year. They they're you know they're just really on it. So this is I think a celebration check off thing. >> We've done governance. Well, I'm assuming that was fire governance emergency services fund. >> Yeah. Okay. Fire government >> to add the ambulance for for future. Yeah,

2:19:52 >> come up. >> There needs to be just to clarify, we need to add a bullet under here for fire governance. >> Ambulance ambulance. >> Emergency service fund is probably not like a typo. Uh we just need we need to add the ambulance fund. >> Okay. or the county is driving that works, but we do have a further discussion or clarification needed on those right now. Sustainability and compliance. We're cruising now. Environmental regulations. We talked about the other ones. Is that is that all encompassing? Okay. Yeah. state mandates. So talked about the Jasper Natron.

2:20:40 >> Does anybody do we need to the sewers being planned? Right. Like do we need to have a maybe a longer conversation at some point about the utility board? So we put a sewer out there where there's no water, right? Well, the sewer is out there. There's just development that wants to happen. the waterboard and the power providers are separate. So that's a discussion. >> Sean, I'm not sure I I'm completely I don't know if this one is I'm not sure I know what we're talking about. Miss Jasper Natron, maybe it's just a name I'm not recognizing. >> So Bob Stra, keep going. >> Yeah. So if you go if you're driving out Bob Strav, you pass Quartz Park out on the left there's a lot of land till you

2:21:25 hit Brand S. Really what we're talking about is that empty land name. Is it in the I think it's in the I think the UTP and >> I just didn't know I just didn't know what made that name. I'm very familiar with that. But uh I just didn't know recognize the name. So thank you. >> Well, maybe add that to your list next time you talk to Nancy so you guys can dive into it because there's a lot of convoluted like issues about how the power gets served, how the water gets served, how >> Yeah. like there's a lot of challenges to getting it developable. >> All right. And we've talked about everything under community engagement and quality of life. >> So, ready for a break? >> I was going to say it. It's time for a break. And we have some. So I think what

2:22:10 we've done in the past, just to clarify with everybody, we'll take like a 15minute break, bathroom break, water, grab food, and then when we start up again with the SEDA conversation, it's perfectly okay to be eating while we're still doing this. So that sound good? >> Okay. So say 11:45, we will rejourn. Welcome back everybody. I will adjourn the city council work session around setting and over to I will call the CEDA work site to order with roll call please. >> Uh chair stout >> here. >> Vice chair Weber here. >> Board member Van Gordon

2:22:56 >> here. >> Board member Mo >> yes here. >> Board member Rodley >> here. Board member Guados >> here. board member board member >> was and board member level I'm assuming was notified and all that not very good that I think >> okay so section kind of pulling up high level really second for a second talking a little bit about the vision around that and really Our objective in this section is just to gain some alignment on the existing documents and how they guide the work and how the place to guide the work to ask if anything's missing or anything that we need to

2:23:42 clarify. So I think turning it over to you if you want to kick us off. >> Thanks. Thank you Cheryl. Um, I thought it would be helpful to talk through the relationship of your urban renewal plans relative to the existing policy via Springfield just so you know how much of a tool and a resource it can be and really how it drives the charge of the work. Um, we talked a lot about increasing the property tax base with regard to CDM. They talk a lot about geographic areas with regards to CED. Those are specific to your urban plans. Um I think I'll talk about it first like a funnel wide at the top near at the bottom. Um the city policies we have regarding land use, transportation studies, um anything refinement plan

2:24:29 related sets the top of the funnel. And what your urban renewal plans do a little bit more specifically is guide the special resource that we have to spend in these specific areas. Um the plans have a lot of flexibility in them, both Glenwood and downtown. Um and what they afford you the ability to do is to find ways to cure blight within these areas. Uh they're required to relate to these larger policy documents around land use transportation planning. Um and uh they give you the flexibility to kind of determine the strategy or vision you would like to implement through. Um, a lot of our goals within each plan focus

2:25:14 on public private partnerships, then the ability to increase the tax base, um, infrastructure improvements, and it's safe enlistments. Um, and then within those plans and access to that resource, you can kind of start to define your own approach to the work. where we found ourselves involved in downtown acquisition with the intent of controlling the property to get to a desired development outcome. Um, and what these plans do is give you the resource to be able to do that. Uh, I think I'll pause there, see if there are any questions.

2:25:59 We currently have seated discussion three >> I think so. Um, >> you want to get into any of the reviewing of any of the documents? >> That was my review of the documents. I can get into more specifics if folks have questions about individual plans, but I I really just wanted to cement

2:26:44 them within the policy that we have at the city. Um, and if there are any questions about things we could do, how they relate to other items. Um, yeah. Um, I I guess I want to throw out a large question and and just wherever it makes sense to take this. Um, chair, I'm curious what the process looks like for identifying other areas in the city that could be a seated district. Um, how we go about making that happen, what that looks like, time frame, and all of those kind of things. Um you I'm curious about that

2:27:30 >> takes public vote. >> Counc right our charter does require the community to vote on establishing an urban renewal district but there are things we have to study ahead of time. um urban renewal again special tool falls within existing policy that the council helps to establish land use and uh transportation wise and utility wise. Um but the areas that are eligible for urban renewal have to be of certain income limitations and of certain like building condition standards. Um in order to find what would be eligible for an urban renewal district, we'd have to do that initial screen to see what areas of the community would meet those

2:28:16 Have have we got the ball rolling on any of that in any front? >> No. >> And um I think that is a conversation with regards to um leadership and how much time that would take and where that falls with regards to priorities of the council and the board. >> So Ally, correct me if I'm wrong. One of the things we're looking for discussion is do we really understand what we have access to and do we really understand which levers we can pull next and we understand al not only kind of what we have access to but also our

2:29:02 responsibility on the ceda border to direct these two different districts that we havewood and downtown. I think if we what we want to avoid or for the purpose of this conversation, what we want to avoid is going down too many rabbit trails with specific specific properties, but to have a co a coherent and shared um we have permission which is spelled out in the refinement plans for the gun and downtown. But as we get towards a vision of what we want to see there next kind of what does that look like? Um, we need to understand what's possible for us to direct and what's not possible for us to direct. Is that a is a fair statement for

2:29:48 >> Yeah, I think so. Yeah. >> Um, we want to look at like do we want to talk about downtown versus Glenwood first and also I think this is also an opportunity within our CEDA world to say, hey, how making decisions? Um, you know, one I think one thing that's come up over and over again has been we want to say what is the goal we're shooting for? Let's cross that line. And we we pause certain things just as we pause certain properties because somebody wants to take a look at it, but what is the goal for each thing we're doing in here? Let's make sure we cross that finish line before we go on to something else. Unless, you know, we have a major a major emergency or

2:30:33 something that comes up, that's that's a different discussion. But political will is not necessarily an emergency above anything else. So, um, Alec, go ahead. >> So, I have a question. >> What's the goal of CEDA? >> Great question. >> Um, from a plan perspective, the goal of CEDA is to distribute the resource that we have within the districts accordingly. enables the plans to increase our excessive value, right? You know, like if if Allen's point the right way for us to look at, you know, leveraging a resource correctly, if it's not distributing resources to drive up our assessed value, right? Then at at its simplest, that's our focus here. Okay.

2:31:29 Should I be should we be be looking at the vision separately for each seed district or is it like one vision? How do I conceptualize that because it feels like they're in different places? I guess that's I'm trying to unpack. Okay. And I definitely appreciate you saying like what's possible and what's not. And I also wonder if the answers to those questions are different in the different districts. >> That's a that's a really good question. So I don't want to steal your thunder, but I think um I think it's helpful to look we have these two different >> but when we're wearing our CEDA hats to make sure we're looking at looking at

2:32:14 both districts together. they are they do relate to each other. They have related to each other. Um I think that's yeah that's very important when we're looking at um I want to go back up to our mission. It's just it's to promote economic growth particular areas and the overall you know value of our our town in particular areas and those areas are Glenwood and downtown. So I just promote economic growth in those two areas is our mission. The vision of that looks like how do we um that's where more specific refinement plans. A the vision for Glendel is we're building this road. We're managing these properties. We're adding this infrastructure so that we

2:32:59 can have really key developments. We spent all the staff time so we have key developments that are truly going to boost property values and also investments in Glenwood and create a different city. Our investments in downtown are similar to that. We can't solve everything. We can't solve, you know, the 10,000 things that we want to do at once. But we might be able to solve the US bank building. We might be able to solve uh some of the properties that we have and say what is the going to be the best to drive economic value for this area. Um Ally, could you enumerate, you know, some of the things we obviously can do and also can't do as far as you you're aware of? Sure. Um, one of the items that you can do which

2:33:45 has been conducted in both districts is property acquisition. Property acquisition with the intent of investment to increase the tax base. Um, your plan defines that as a very specific action that you're able to do. Um at a higher level there are goals around infrastructure um kind of welcome signs to areas um investment in livability elements, walkability elements and bikeability elements. Um very broad but if you think about the intent of the items in the plan it really is create an area that is investable. Um and we have focused CEDAS efforts so far on acquisition of property which is a

2:34:30 very specific strategy within there um to do so. >> Can I jump >> just so and I appreciate the discussion because I think it's really helpful for folks who um to be thinking about it. >> I think that we've done a lot of things great in the last few years, right? So, not only have we acquired some properties, but we're letting them go, which I think is fantastic because we now and we now have a process by which, you know, you've mapped out the properties, we know how long we've had them, the ones we toured, like we got to make some decisions about what to do with them. Um, one of the areas that I think is, and it's not an emergency yet, however, I think, and we've talked about this before, we don't really have a solid solid process by which developers

2:35:19 or people know how to access the the system and I think that's an area for council and or the seed board to kind of work through is to say because we tend to be like who comes to us right and will this will that not work and I think that to get really intentional about um and that could be making decisions like we did about the memorial building like we're going to we're going to give ourselves this time we're going to put this on the market we're going to see what happens happens. Um, so I think that getting really intentional about that and also having a solid process whether on the website or wherever that developers or people who are new to it know how they can you know access the process because I think we still

2:36:05 kind of treat them like oneoffs every time something comes and we discuss it then we remind oursel wait we're not doing churches here but we might be doing this here and it difficult to have just like a solid process by which people know whether or not their project would work. And then to the other like kudos like I think adding Campbell has been fantastic, right? And I realized yesterday when I was touring the building like and I'm no longer a part of CEDA leadership so I'm not getting in conversations either. like oh these things to know but I think some of like what are the industries that are looking at pain I think

2:36:50 could help us in thinking about how that develops the dentist office and I know we've had you know a birthing center is it an extension of medical stuff or is it so I think it'd be helpful for us to kind of understand so that we can also help shape like what what does does downtown want? You know, we've had people interested in putting schools and things down there and we then we have to have that conversation on the day. It's like does that work down there? So could be some more prep work about what do we think fits. >> And to your point about the process, um, board member Rodley, I think, uh, Alli's been working on a template for some of the things that we're doing to really help community partners know, oh, you

2:37:35 want to get involved with the property, here's what you can expect. Here's what, you know, to be aware of. Here's where either prevailing wage does or does not apply, etc. and and I think that's been that's kind of some things that Michelle and I have seen in in the uh agenda review sessions, but it's it's really exciting to see as we are processing through some of these things. It's the it messy. Absolutely. And so I'm happy to see that he will be presented with a template to discuss in in CEDA meetings. Um and I think that's a really exciting thing to see. So >> any other Ally, what other options do we have besides just property acquisition in

2:38:21 terms of our um what's possible within these refinement? >> Yeah. Um it's investment in certain areas. Um we have a little bit more specific um direction on the how of invest in act acquiring properties and dispositioning properties but your plan goals are very broad and I think it might be helpful if I just read them briefly here. um to promote public and private development um within urban or areas to help create jobs, tax revenues and sustaining vital and vibrant commercial and industrial industries. Uh to rehabilitate the building stock, which means to upgrade the stock of existing structures in the renewal area which contribute to its unique character but which are rundown

2:39:07 or do not meet current state building and specialy codes. To improve streets, streetscapes, parks, and open space. um to improve existing streets and both on and off streetet parking to improve and enhance parks and open space like multi-use paths as an integral part of the area to enhance livability. Um to improve utilities improve and update utilities to allow more efficient, intensive and productive development of the area. To develop convenient, attractive parking facilities close to shopping, entertainment and public destinations. To maintain, acquire and develop public parks and open spaces. public safety, health, and other facilities to maintain and enhance public use, safety, and enjoyment of the renewal area. To provide for new and rehabilitative

2:39:53 housing opportunities that collectively reflect a diversity of housing types, occupancy, and income levels, and to assist in funding for a program of entrance, beautifification, and signage indicating cultural, historical, natural, and tourism landmarks within the renewal area. Um, those are very broad goals. acquisition is one of the way we can achieve those goals. It will not apply to everything like we won't buy land to improve utilities. Um the ways to achieve those ones that don't require property acquisition is planning investment in um analysis and investment in completing these items. and the urban road plan and district

2:40:38 affords you the ability afford you the resource to do that >> comments questions >> I think one of the things that we're do this plan is a little bit older like 2007 right so we were so deep into the work of it that sometimes it's great to have like a step back as Alli's and just say, "Oh, this is what everyone agreed we would do." And the c the board's doing that. So, it's like promote private investment. And then you have this incredible STC. I mean, that's where we put a lot of our work. But sometimes I think it's good to take that step back so when these projects do come

2:41:23 to the CEDA board, you could look at this and go, "Yeah, this fits one of the goals. we might not want to do it, but it's a good start to say, "Okay, let's have this discussion." And sometimes as staff, we forget to like remind folks because new folks have come on and we're so deep in the work that, hey, we got this whole vision and plans kind of laid out. And if you decide to do something differently, you can, but this is what is on paper and it's a pretty easy read. So maybe we could get it back out to folks for at least a executive summary of it. I think that might be helpful. Um, it's so hard when we put on our kind of our operational annual budget hat versus our kind of long-term real estate hat

2:42:09 because we have to go from extremely, you know, quick, fast, very intensive discussions to saying very long-term discussions. And so, it feels a lot slower. But I think it's I think it's important to recognize that that shift, it's a bit of a jerk action. It's you're going fast and you're going slow all of a sudden. But I've been very happy with the work that we've seen come through. Um what changes would anybody want to make at this point? Um just talking about these plans. Are we comfortable with the direction we're going or is there anything that's sticking out to folks that like hey on this kind of this vision level? Are we comfortable with the plans as is? Is there anything like how this sticks out to me? Oh, I wish we were doing this a

2:42:54 little bit differently. Um, >> yeah, Councilman. >> Well, I think I'm comfortable with it and I think we're making progress and but and what I appreciate about being reminded of this is I think we've been very focused on the sort of the property and then the the master plan work in Glenwood, which I think is all great, but helped to remind me that there were things we were talking about in the past that would support development. I remember councelor Woodro was talking about having, you know, public restrooms in downtown, right? And I've had a few constituents lately talk to me about parking and they're like, "Is there a lot that you could like put a parking structure or something on downtown?" And so I think there are things we could be talking about, being reminded that would support that development that aren't just that without taking our eye off the

2:43:40 prize, but I think there are some some things that we had have lost track of along the way that we had talked about. How do we how do we support future growth in downtown? And now I'm thinking about well we're having this farmers market and you know if there is some restrooms or you know that kind of a thing and where are people going to park because they're not going to be able to park there. >> So um I think that's a really great great comment especially bring up parking. Now one of the things we've talked about in the past was that owning parking facilities was not part of CEDA's plan but it's but supporting parking is one of our goals. Is that can you speak to that a little bit Ally? Yeah, this is a um this this area has a lot of nuance and if you think about the intent of urban renewal, it is to

2:44:27 increase the property tax base. Inadvertently, a parking lot by itself does not do that. Um parking in your plan is specific around building new facilities to support the parking need in a vibrant downtown area. So, um I think a parking lot in of itself to supplement a parking need right now from my read and from city attorney's read does not meet plan intent. Um parking related to a new private investment or parking in a different form like a structure form to support the growing needs of downtown language. Um, another bit of nuance in this is that urban renewal cannot be used for parking operations

2:45:12 support. So like we can't use this tax increment financing to fund our parking management focus downtown. That's not related to um a growing or vibrant downtown per se. Um, so yeah, this is more focused on kind of structured parking, new facilities related to new development >> in in this case. And then I saw a hand over here. Just let me ask one question. Then in this case, um, so one of the buildings we looked at was 136 Main Street, right? And one of the chief objections to that site was there's no parking here. Yeah, there's some lots nearby. How could we potentially support or h or support parking at that >> could we potentially support parking at

2:45:57 that site if we you know chose to renovate or or improve that site so that the parking objection was at least minimized >> I think that's a fair question for any property that we're doing work with um yeah um I guess again I want to just expand on on what Corey brought in terms of like in my mind I call it like the micro infrastructure right so it was recently brought up to me that there's not really an ATM in downtown Springfield um with US Bank no longer there and we we're have farmers market so so cash might there's there's reasons to for people to want to access cash

2:46:43 um it's not readily available things like if we want to encourage um bikes like you know facilities for you know locking and storing and securing bikes and those kind of things. So like stuff like that that are just they're they're small but they're important right you know it's it's all the little things. I mean when we talk about parking that feels like it's like a little bit bigger level but there's all the other little things and bathrooms are part of that. So, how do we make it how do we how do we envision a downtown? And then same question in Glenwood, like how do we create this in a way that it does feel really functional and usable to individuals? Um because if right now if city hall's

2:47:31 closed and you have to use the restroom, >> you know, where are you going to do that? and and if you need 20 bucks for tomatoes, where are you going to get that? >> So, I think there's probably a couple a couple ways to sort of think about this. One of this is some of the discussion I'm hearing, Ally, doesn't sound like we're talking to you about necessarily CEDA functions. Some of these are city fun, city functions. >> So, one of the questions I think that could probably help Maybe just a crosswalk between when our colleagues on the city council and us talk, right? Like what we're

2:48:19 we're sort of jointly governing this like governing in this area. What is the work the council's doing, right? Versus what is the work that the economic development agencies doing? And then I think that leads to this other question which is um when we have sort of joint incentives right um because you know how do those actually you know collectively overlap with each other right because because you have a type of incentive depending on which body you're actually you're actually you're actually talking and talking about so CEDA doesn't necessarily have to carry all the heavy lifting here right because the city carries part of that as well. That would probably help crosswalk some of this.

2:49:06 Um, I think the parking question is real, but I don't but I think we're not we're kind of we're not all on the same same story, right? Like if you look at it from a technical perspective, you'll probably tell us that our parking situation is fine. If you look at it from a long-term perspective from the community, we we're not really armed to really explain to people well that why the changes in parking that they're seeing mean that we're fine, right? Because it's just an it's kind of a it's kind of an an abrasion point. But overall, I think when I think about the CEDA portion of today, it's like we've got to figure out how to push conversations together to know that like if we're working on transportation issues, that's really about in downtown and in Lynwood, that's really about

2:49:51 developing, you know, allowing Cena to function better, right? Like when we talk about a roundabout on south, you know, on McVey and that would be the point when where plan more information around the plantation would help me is to sort of to try to push these two conversations together to go, okay, no matter what, we're actually working towards the same goal. I just have to have a different hat on when I'm doing it around transportation versus, you know, when I'm talking about, I don't know, pedestrian lights downtown. So, if I'm hearing that correctly, I I'm seeing that we have different interests that we have to really kind of tease out. Hey, this is where we need to wear our CADA hat and this is where we need to wear our city council hat because

2:50:36 we're representing these two different entities. In many ways is a it's it's a blessing to be able in both seats, but also we have to just be really conscientious. Hey, this is where we're doing CEDA hat. This is where we need to put our city hat on. Some of it's going to be more directly involving budget perhaps. Yeah. >> Yeah. And we and it's gonna help us on both fronts, right? One of them is when we do CEDA work is to just constantly remind ourselves that this is like we don't have to do all the heavy lifting with CEDA. And then with the city work, right, when we talk about transportation, infrastructure, public safety, right, and probably five other things, those are all we're all working towards the same collective goal. or just tool to say different tools.

2:51:27 >> Yes, >> we definitely need a bulletproof downtown bathroom. In the old days, service stations, you know, you go to them, they don't have those anymore. And we also need some electric charging stations. Ally, correct me if I can ask, correct me if this is not the direction we can go. Does the We've seen a lot of growth in downtown sort of Pioneer Parkway and east. This is not as much Pioneer Parkway and West towards Glennwood. Yeah, these that's kind of where we're crossing the uh downtown and Glenwood.

2:52:12 Are we as a board envisioning that we'd like to see continued development where these two zones are sort of growing together or are we more interested in them being kind of separate zones that'll eventually catch up with each other? >> Um I don't think I can answer that. I think maybe that's more a discussion for you all. But what I'll say is the reason they need to maintain the reason they need to be separate is because we cannot blend those urban renewal funds together. >> Um while we do have the same tool in two areas right next to each other, they need to be separate in that way. >> Other than that, um I think the rest of that conversation is up to the up to the board to talk about.

2:52:58 >> So then I'll put it to the board. Do we feel comfortable with that sort of vision where we're saying we're trying to create economic vitality that is ultimately blending Glenwood with downtown so that we have a continuous vibrant economic area. Is that a fair question to ask to the board? >> I think that's I I felt like that's >> right. Like if if it was one like they're always going to be two separate districts because geographically they're going to be separate. But if you have people walking across a pedestrian bridge into Glenwood, like we would all be high-fiving each other. >> Cool. I think that's a very nice visual to add to it. Um, anybody else have anything else to say? No, I mean I I agree with that and I think that um uh especially I I think

2:53:44 that's more of a future conversation particularly as Glennwood develops and we start to see what that looks like and think of how people are then access because we defin we want them to come into Springfield and not necessarily go the other direction. So I think that'll put some pressure on that conversation for how do we connect Glenwood even stronger to downtown. I I love that. And um then I think the next question I will have also is we've talked we so many so many of our conversations if it's not on engineering the Glenwood area have been about property acquisition and disposition. Are we comfortable if we're exceeding our tenure plan really focus on disposing of the properties that we are holding on to currently? Um, I I think it's just a matter of looking at our

2:54:31 development timeline, making sure that we are are being respectful to the plan, but also, hey, we we've own these for too long, we need to get out of them, and making sure we have the best uh development that we need that way. Um, so are we comfortable with with that with the uh continued development of templates for the disposal of properties? Does anybody have any desperate reason where we want to become long-term landlords? Because I don't think we do. Yeah. So I the way I would sort of uh think about it is like with the memorial building, we had a couple conversations fall through a couple of times, but it's turning out to be a thing that is what what we wanted from the start, right? So I think what we want is that is an like that as an outcome where I'm not like you know if

2:55:17 we just put a for sale sign and just took the first offer right and it turned into kind of a Frankenstein building nobody's really investing in it then we'd have failed right our goal in disposing of properties is to dispose of them in a way that triggered the reaction that we got out of the memorial building which is a lot like that building has not looked that good in years >> right so when I think about 138 8 236 240 which several of us just went through and got some pretty good visualformational knowledge. Um those two buildings are the connector between downtown and right so having them sit vacant and looking the way they do is not an appealing

2:56:02 uh long-term solution for me. Um but maybe deciding are is having one for sale and one for lease the right answer still? Um do we want to you know have a bigger conversation about would be changing our approach there? But also setting parameters around if we sell it we like the these uses will not be allowed or you know what I mean? So, kind of building in that that memorial building situation into the the plan of disposal. >> And that real quick, we we'll get there. Um Alli Sienna was telling me um during

2:56:47 the property tour that there we had an agre a clause within our sale of the memorial building on development outcome. Um, we have to sell property to meet intents within this plan. So, it does need to develop into something that increases the property tax base. I think maybe what you're referencing is when we sold the property in Glennwood, it was the former Tom's Tapper site. We put a time frame for investment within the sale uh that they need to take action within a certain time frame of see work at Glenwood. So, I think that's really important when we are disposing properties. That's really important. We're not here to long-term hold. We are here to do this public private partnership that spurs true development

2:57:33 for that. I think that's just a a piece of clarity that I want to bring to our discussions going forward. Um, is that's our job is to basically sell it to the developers that are actually going to have the right outcome with us. And I'm happy to for push back, but I'm just trying to restate some of the things we're working on. Uh, board member Buck or I want to hear or I'm not sure what I think yet. >> Okay. >> Well, and I appreciate the um thinking about it and I just wanted to just like clarify because I think sometimes what gets us kind of caught up is when we talk about properties, do we think we're talking about buildings? And I know that I'm often like tear the building down if it creates if it gets a me. Um, and so I definitely came away from whatever 130

2:58:19 whatever it is going like I'd be better off just tearing this building down and offering it up that way. So I think that's the other thing is to think about the property in terms of what's in use of that and how are we going to move it forward because it's much harder to try to find just the right tenant who's going to come in and have the we're going to have to negotiate the investments which means that comes out of our pocket. like how are we going to get this building functionable and all that all of those pieces. So I think for us thinking about that to think what is going to get us to the best use of that and some of that might be like offering up a you know taking the hit on the front end and tearing it down and then offering it up. So that's my only piece is like just property and not buildings.

2:59:06 >> Well, and just real quick, the that building in particular, just to bring up to current code standards, my understanding is astronomically expensive. >> At least a million dollars at least of our invest. >> Yeah, at least. That's that's and that's a very conservative minimum. I'm pretty sure there's seven ghosts living in that ghost are up in that building. Um I I think you know and I'm not really sure how to kind of formulate for this the purpose of this discussion really but I guess you know what this has brought up for me is how do we think about when we acquire

2:59:53 property like how do we think about while it's in our possession while we're the owners of that how do we think about our stewardship of it? >> Because one of the questions that that comes up for me and the memorial building was getting resolved as I was coming on. So it was kind of like this. I was here to cross the finish line, but I had no real experience with the race, so to speak. But as I look at all three of those properties that that we toured, it brings up the question like how did we get here, right? And when we acquired this property, what like we wanted to create economic development, but like

3:00:39 thinking about like what does that mean? What was our was there a plan going in here? like ha, you know, because as as I was sitting there talking with councelor Stout yesterday about things like roofing and and all things, it's like did we, you know, and maybe it's SEAD's role to get the get ourselves into into messy situations to see if we can't maneuver towards a situation, but it's like it brings up those questions and I don't really know what to do with those questions, but I just wanted to put them out there to the board that like those are the things that are coming up for me. It's like and then and then I wonder are we going to be having a similar

3:01:25 conversation in three years about the US bank building and how do we not let that become the next 138? >> We kind of started down the path with that with our negotiation. So, >> yeah, I think this question about the US Bank building is worth flagging, right? Because I know we're in negotiations. We're doing the thing, but like like where we've had smaller pieces of property off the beaten path than if they've, you know, not, let's say, been unsightly, >> they've been less challenging. That US Bank P is at a premier place. and we are the land loaner of the uh owner of the worst looking building in downtown Springfield right now. And I don't know if maybe

3:02:11 maybe that's a discussion that you if I whether or not we we take that step just to tear it down, right? Like and in the in the in the middle part, but like that building is going to continue to deteriorate awful quickly. And then I think the I mean all have a story about how we got >> right right yeah and it's not the same story right no it is not it is not the same story but it also I think reminds us as a board it's like we tend to jump from thing to thing to thing horizontally right and the staff has to work vertically right like you know so we could be very wide and they don't all go forward at the at the at a at a fast

3:02:56 pace >> that's a fair statement they don't that. But if for me, what I think about with with some of these buildings that we own right now is how much are they costing the city just to sit vacant. >> Um, and like it could potentially be 30 years before if if anything ever happens to them. It could potentially be 30 years before something does happen to them. >> Agreed. So holding on to buildings for that long does not feel like a good plan to me. So I just just kind of thinking out loud about how we what our new current vision is. You know, things have changed since those

3:03:41 buildings were purchased. Priorities have changed. >> Board member Buck. And I have one comment, but go ahead. I also just think just to throw it in there, I could never really take this hat off completely, but you know, when we we start thinking about the liability that goes with bank buildings, right? You know, if you take this out, worst, you know, kind of a nightmare scenario. Somebody gets in one of our properties, there's a fire, they die. like the liability and the and the fallout from that um is not insignificant. And so just thinking about those things,

3:04:27 >> I I I think what what I'm hearing among us and kind of the direction we're starting to feel is that what we don't want to do is default into being default landlords. You know, you you move into a new house, you still own the old house. We'll rent it out. move to a new city, hey, we'll rent it out, it's not a very healthy position to be in. But when we start to think of, no, we're purchasing this property so that we have the opportunity to sell it to somebody who has a development vision, we stop really caring about what does the real estate market say it's worth. It's a it's an important thing to know, but we start saying, how can we make sure we're selling this to a community partner, who we like and trust, who we know can

3:05:12 perform, who has a when we've detailed out what it is. So, the cost ultimately becomes irrelevant to CEDA. It's relevant in in a macro level, but it becomes irrelevant to CEDA because our job is to sell it with a development outcome tied to that sale. It's the uh we always hear about these Italian villas that go for a dollar. Well, because there's a development outcome required to go along with those things. And I think that's, you know, like because we do get sometimes like are we making a profit? What's happening here? And you know, if it's if we're not developing and encouraging development, then we're not doing our job. >> But I think this is the this is the important conversation that we have to have. This is the filter through which we can start looking at our property

3:05:58 portfolios. And so I'm agnostic about how many properties we own as long as we we realize what is our purpose with these properties is not to be developers ourselves. Um kind of questions. >> Yeah. when we toured, um, one of the conversations that the I guess it would be the commercial real estate gentleman communicated was that at our price point, we aren't actually bringing in a developer that would actually develop that building. And so I'm wondering, and this isn't necessarily what this conversation is for, but who are we talking to and who's talking to them? If it's simply the commercial real estate agent, perhaps it should be us saying,

3:06:44 "We are the ones that want this and we are the ones that are motivated in you coming in and doing that." And would that bring the right customer to the room because they were very clear with us >> unless we were to give them away for a dollar, go ahead and pull that open because I know what that feels like. >> I know. I'm sorry guys. other than giving it like it's not even we're not even talking to the correct >> developer. I I think the I think the memorial building is a really good example of what we want out of this right because it's you know when you look at the deal the deal came together in a certain way. It is a it is somebody who we all knew could perform right and we got the outcome like that that we

3:07:29 looked and I think Kel Rodley has a really good point. how we had to say no a couple of times about that. Yeah. >> Yeah. You know, we can take some risk from a financial perspective, but we're what we're trying to produce is that outcome that we're seeing down on a street right now. >> And so would we behoove ourselves to be more speaking from it be city or um CEDA, but you know, we sort of do the advertising if you will because felt like and maybe maybe there's a piece of this that I don't see. It felt like the commercial real estate gentlemen are just answering when someone knocks. >> I uh I want to go with that. So um my first job out of college or second most

3:08:14 job out of college was in commercial real estate and that that is the critique of any uh commercial real estate broker and that's not to say anything negative about our current partner in Campbell. No. >> But what I am saying is that you point out something very true. I was having a just a casual conversation even yesterday with somebody I know who's like, "Oh yeah, I know a few guys that might be interested in that building. Oh yeah, I know a few guys that might be interested in that building." And so I think um just as in a way as city councilors, we're we're wearing a salesperson hat for the city. As CEDA board members, this is our most important this is probably the most important work we can do is say, "Do I know a developer? Do I know somebody who has development interest? who has a business with a development interest. Am

3:08:59 I inviting them to come to the table? Because we're open to working with community partners. This is our opportunity to continue to invest in Springfield using Springfield dollars, Springfield money, Springfield investors. And I think that's the uh the key thing is we we have to continuously be talking whether it's through our our roads or community organizations or chamber of commerce whoever that is is to continuously bring up hey we have these properties they're for sale to the right person who wants to develop the property who is wearing the developer hat and making sure we have all the people at the table. Um, not because I mean and Ally does a great job with this and whenever we're doing the actual transaction side of this, Campbell does a great job with this, but it's the making sure the right people are

3:09:44 personally invited by us. It's like how do you get people to show up at your house for a party? You have to personally invite them. >> I have to personally invite them. So that's my exhertation. >> And I think that speaks to what I brought up earlier is that there's got to be a really clear process because if I'm talking to somebody, I want to be like just go to this and you'll have access to it. because I think there is this feeling that you know that that sort of personal thing can get start to feel like oh you have to know somebody in the city if you're going to do a thing. So it's like for both like I think we are definitely ambassadors of this and if we have a good clear process by which it's fair and that that people we can send people to then we'll get some additional folks. So maybe we note that as operating uh protocol for us as a CEDA board which is like if like we have people come knock on our doors all

3:10:30 the time and ask about buildings is that like I said directly to Ally and be like look this not my thing. Um but are we saying as a process that if we have people go we want to buy that building send them direct send them directly to alley get out of it. I think that's it's a good statement. >> And if I could just add a little bit of context around the avenue that we're on with 138 Main Street being sale and that's that's the process. Um that I think maybe back in June of 24 because CEDA has held on to the building beyond the 10-year time frame in your plan since we're trying to cure blight. Um the direction of the board was to just sell. We have attempted the strategy for

3:11:17 two years and what it sounds like the board may be interested in is a different strategy than just call the real estate agent, list the sale price, the building can be sold. So >> I think that's fair. I've heard a lot of different things in this conversation. Is there any anything related that we should be bringing up? Can I just ask throwing it out into the universe? >> Um, right now Campbell has a a price that they've >> right and we're talking about flexibility in that price. Is it fair to to tell our Campbell partners that

3:12:05 in certain parameters which we still would need to identify as part of our process um within these parameters if it helps the development happen things are all things are negotiable like you know we have flexibility and we're open to discussions on what what that potential could Is that I mean is that a fair and reasonable thing to tell Campbell? I'm >> okay with that. But um councelor Buck and the council, you know, I think I guess a question that comes up for me is is is to just think about that e the outcome of economic development. Um because a comment that Neil made during

3:12:51 our tour was really intriguing to me. He he mentioned, you know, when we're looking at that 138 building, we're going to need a fire station here in Glenwood in downtown or in Glenwood. And I don't know if we if we just kind of entertained walking down that road for a second, does tearing that building down and looking at putting a fire station on that lot serve economic development? And I don't know the answer to that, but I'm, you know, it's Neil's fault for ideas. Jump in here with I mean, I know we were just talking about that yesterday, but

3:13:37 that from the fire department, just looking at their layout of where that fire station would go. It would be close to that, but that would not be the best spot for it just because of egress and getting in and out of that building. So, just a really quick time check. We probably only have a few minutes before we'll move on. >> Good. Um, so, so I'm I'm right now I think we're at the phase we're just kind of recapitulating what we've talked about in this meeting and seeing if we've set enough clarity for what we want to achieve as a Cedar board, especially as we're going into the fall. So, um, Ally, Ally, I'm sure you've been taking diligent notes of this conversation. Could you help us a little bit? I have what I have here. Yeah. Sorry, you had more to say. >> Oh, I was just going to answer uh

3:14:23 councelor Weber's yes, I think we should um short a parking lot because we've identified that that wouldn't uh solve our needs. Uh and the reason why I would say that is because I think there is a certain draw to that building's storefront that still matches the facade of downtown as a benefit. Um, but we certainly would have to encourage folks to see that. I I mean, I'm not saying either way if they raised it and built something beautiful that would also be great, but there is a storefront there that that matches for us. >> Love it. Um, Ally, what do you have right now for us on your list based on our conversation? Because I have a

3:15:08 handful of things, but I'm a little bit sloppier. um like in terms of summary. >> Yeah, in terms of summary, what are what what so I'll start off. So we've talked about kind of we have these urban renewal districts. Within them we have the refinement plans that we're obliged to follow by law. Within those we have tools that we can use. Um some of these tools we haven't been thinking about too much. Some of these tools we need to detail out whether it's a city tool or a CEDA tool. Within the CEDA tools, property acquisition and property sales are important. We've been down this property acquisition hold for quite some time and we've ended up kind of defaulting to being default landlords with different, you know, questions about investment and that sort of thing.

3:15:55 But now we're starting to say ah we see where that our purpose and mission is to put on our develop our take off our own real estate landlord hat and really become a development agency a public p private partnership to support private development. And so we're interested in selling these properties at whatever price it takes to get a high quality development outcome for the properties that we do currently. Um is there anything big I'm missing on that? Um and then I think the overall push of saying we're going to gently and incrementally grow these two zones towards one another um for the overall longevity of everything. Um any other comments or questions? Did we summarized? Okay. >> I think the only thing I'd add is the

3:16:42 board's interest on consistent process. Yes. and um the board's interest in uh not the outcome or influencing the outcome of of the process for development outcome. Yes. >> Yes. And so I think we're interested in getting properties sold with the right development outcome. We're we sort of don't we're not really worried about what the dollar amount we're getting is if we get the best result. and we're using the memorial building as a a bit what we've we saw as truly successful and I'm happy with it. Um, so far it seems to be good. So, um, >> especially if we can build that into like the sale contract like we talked about with Tom's tapper and I think we

3:17:27 did some of that just like >> if we're going to let this go for this then we need to see development by this time or this or this or this or these check-ins I think is also really helpful. >> Thank you. Benwood hotels are also something not to forget. Those were purchased by CEDA SDC's provided to the hotel years lowcost loans. I mean CEDA board did a lot to get those >> three hotels and now we're seeing it kind of come back but then taxes and and t >> anything else on this one. I'm I'm happy with this discussion. Thank you. Um, I think I'd just like to note a couple things to close the loop on last

3:18:12 year's retreat. Uh, it'll only take a second. Um, last year's retreat we focused heavily on the memorial building and identifying a next step and uh, kind of how to go about doing that. Um, and I think it's great to see it being used as a template only a year later to inform this discussion. Um, we also talked about continuing to focus on Glenwood. And just a reminder, LA at last year's retreat, Glenwood was just starting the annexation process and we have annexed the property. We have navigated through the development code amendments. We are within the preliminary master plan submission submission time frame. Um, you all have talked about initial investments in infrastructure and then

3:18:57 uh given direction to find the people to help us do that. Um, and then I'd like to indicate that last year the board identified the US Bank site as a priority development site. Um, and as councelor Rodley noted that in April we entered that exclusive negotiating agreement liability companies to start invest resource and figuring out what that site could be in the future. So very productive last year. I think uh this year's conversation will be productive too for for what's ahead. >> I think that's excellent. And just one last thing, um, disposition is not necessarily got have to be immediate. For example, the US Bank and we can hang on to it while we're doing the exclusive negotiating agreement. So, we're allowed to buy ourselves time with what we are

3:19:42 doing. >> This need to be adjourned. >> Oh, yeah. Um, that I adjourned the CEDA work session going back to council. So I'm going to reconvene the council portion of the meeting that we can talk about resource constraining the projects. >> That's everything. >> I'm going to not the whole council is still present. >> Okay, good. >> Excellent. In the interest of time, this last section we had for resource constraint projects, which is really just listing anything that we want to capture in this conversation. It's not to deep dive into anything. We're not solving any problems. It's just what needs to get captured knowing that there are definitely resource constraints. So

3:20:29 are there things that is on on your mind? Things that we need to capture to the list that aren't currently captured >> that aren't currently captured is resource constraint >> that aren't uh well what would it be? It would be items that we would need to want to consider that would need to fit in the scope of work somewhere. And if so, that's probably a discussion for another day on how. But knowing that there are strained resources, is there anything else that needs to >> Oh, I think I would the constant carryover of like deferred maintenance that like totally, you know, because I'm thinking about the Hback and I'm thinking about things that come up all the time that we don't have the money for, but are so important and we just

3:21:14 can't >> pretend like they're not there. >> That's the last one that came to my mind. L Kelly buildings for the city. Uh I would also have residential roads. We've touched on that but you know we previously talked about that. North Gateway is a resource constrained you know uh project. So, can I just I bring up the library steps just because we have uh one person in particular that's got some pretty heavy interest in getting that fixed. And Neil, can you speak that's part of a bigger plan, but can you just talk about that? Almost too. >> You bet. The challenge that we have with

3:21:59 our concrete steps that are up front that keep crumbling right at the front is that when they were installed in the 70s, there was rebar put at the very front step >> and every time they try to fix it, the rebar is not going to move. So the steps need to be replaced. And what makes it of course more challenging is the steps are part part of the footers to support the building. So it's not a simple we pull steps out, we put new ones in. Part of a larger overhaul. >> The ones out here crumble too. Yeah, >> both sides. >> So, it's a challenge. >> You put an epoxy cover on it all. >> Yeah, we may see a like decking over them or something like that. >> But that's part of a something that staff is already kind of working through a like >> larger

3:22:45 deferred maintenance kind of >> staff has presented the full deferred maintenance to the executive team and on that long list are those >> things like that those times. So that is part of that the bird maintenance portion that Cory is talking about. >> What about other resource constraint projects or frankly even things that you have not brought up as I think that would require new resources right we've touched on a couple of those today like you know working around main street in the big part of the city would be around active and development around there that would be your resource constraint project. Go ahead. I you know um when we bring up the concept of what our new resources I I'm curious about a conversation at some point around like

3:23:30 what what would those new resources be like where find new resources because it it seems like we're working with a finite set of resources and I don't know how to create new resources I guess. >> Yeah. I mean, I think I think that is a really good conversation, right? That's where this long-term economic development helps us, right? Because that helps create new resources. Um, but, you know, considering that we've gone out and found a lot of resources the last couple of years. Um, or the the state or the federal government from grants, those are places to get resources. I mean there's there's ways to figure it out but you're you know short of us coming across a Scrooge McDuck type you know piggy bank where

3:24:16 you know that's the challenge the city faces. >> So a lot of creativity and and due diligence required but not challenging but not impossible. >> Correct. >> Okay. I think you need more out of us and it's just given kind of agreeing that we have resource constraint projects out there and our goal is to try to keep moving if anything through the finish line is off of it. >> Very valid. >> Okay, we're ready to wrap this thing up. >> Oh, went through quite a bit today. This was really good discussion. Opened up talking about groups group norms and agreements and clarifying some good questions. There were some good takeaways from that item going over and

3:25:02 there was nice to see some of the projects getting completed things making progress and moving on getting alignment and clarity. um really good conversation around CEDA and then uh next steps I believe we will capture all of these notes takeaways and you will receive them in some format and then yes councelor >> when I first got on the council we didn't have a retreat for two or three years didn't know what was going on so these are really handy >> great yeah it's nice to take time away to just talk about what's going on getting alignment any final comments Mayor, if you'd like to say anything before we follow. >> Well, thank you for spending Saturdays in here or there all your job. This stuff really does

3:25:47 help get us on the same page and make sure that uh March the right way going into the fall. So, I really do appreciate the time and the staff to to put this together. >> All right, I think we are done. So, we are in charge. Please enjoy the rest of your Saturday. Don't about city business until this is time three.