City Council - Regular Meeting

Uh we have awarded the construction contract for Wurn High School Front Street safe routes to school project and then we have a staff report. Uh mayor counselors for note special projects director. Uh this is a uh construction award to initiate the safe routes to schools crossing on Front Street and the interchange with 219. you've received uh previous presentations on this. Um we as you can see in the staff report um we received seven bids pretty competitive well within the window of our um contract engineer HHPR. So uh public works did all of the required steps for public procurement and bidding including notice of intent to award. Um so we're asking you to award to the lowest responsible bidder. um construction can start very quickly and we have placed conditions on the contractor as part of the bid documents to limit clo potential closures uh limited to one week. The plan is for the crosswalk to be completed before school starts August 18th. So we've had the school district involve those conversations. The rep uh not repaving, repainting of front street may be a later phase. Uh the contractor will be responsible for maintaining pedestrian access at all times during construction and public works did a nice job reaching out to um impacted businesses on the detour, showing them the maps, the limited timeline, so businesses in the area are aware that um they will have to detour for up to a week while that crosswalk is constructed. Okay. How many what businesses are are all impacted there? have the industrial area to the north republic. Um everything up that far. Okay. It's mainly just for the larger trucks that can't make the

turning movement when that pedestrian island is being built. Okay. That's our main concern right now. Okay. Thank you for reaching out to them. Any questions? Talk about fencing. I know this has been a long project that you've been working on for has been two years. Thank you for sticking to it. Yeah. and the the budget right now, we've had some discussions. Um we didn't want to make any um proposals to ODOT until we knew that we had the construction amount. Um but we still have some ODOT funding, grant funding that we could use to expand the scope and we'll have conversations uh with the school district on what we can do. We want to make sure that we're not returning any of that grant dollars, those grant dollars. or I was going to let our our newest counselor know actually a couple counselors that might not be totally familiar with this project that this is the result of a fatality that we had with a with a high school kid that lost his life a couple years ago on this. So, we take this image pretty serious and doing everything we can to uh make sure this does not happen again. And uh that's part of part of it is is is rerouting kids along that that area. I guess keep it that simple. Heather's can pull up an image. I I know we have some new counselors and and Curtis has some updates as well. Yeah. And I'll give you an update. we u met um we finally met again with Union Pacific to talk about some of the work that we had talked about prior to um and um Union Pacific we're working on a contract with them to have an agreement to um put up a fence that um they'll partially pay for. It's only going to be a 500t section that would be um west of the police department where kids can cross at the trestle or at that crossing

area. So, we're looking at putting that fence up with um a collaboration with Union Union Pacific. And then the city is going to continue to put fencing in front of the police department adjacent to 214 to to keep kids from coming up the hill or coming through the park in order to try and cross the fence there as well. Um one of the other things that Union Pacific said that they would do is they're going to work with the property owners um to the north of the trestle. We don't have any property over there. So, they're going to work with them to build a fence that would in make it inconvenient for kids to try to walk around the fence and in order to get up there, which would mean they're probably going to have to run it quite a ways up to the north to where kids don't want to walk the extra distance, you know, to make that happen. So, we're working with them on that. The mayor got a letter um explaining some of um the the um the collaboration between the city and them moving forward. That's going to be considered phase one. Phase two, we're gonna, if everything goes as planned with this part up there by the high school, um then phase two would be more work toward Ogal Street and seeing if we can expand that fence further to the north or make some other safety improvements in that area. Um beingings that the cost of the um project for the high school in improvements on Front Street is is a little bit low or we have a little bit of money, RNA is working with them to see if we can't get some reimbursement on the fencing um to kind of offset that again so that we don't give any money back. Um she's also talked to them about getting some reimbursement for the engineering hours that my staff does working on the project really moving forward as well. So we're hoping that it's going to be tight. I mean, we'll try and use up every penny available. Chris, you talk a little bit about the what the fencing is, what it looks like that it's the fencing the fencing uh standard has changed um from what we see on Ogal where it's the the slats that kind of you can kind of see through. the fencing

that they're looking at putting up um to the north is more of an expanded metal um type of a fencing that's harder to get through, I guess, because you can cut the bars on this and make an opening or tear them apart. Um and that one up there is going to be more of an an expanded metal type of a of of a design. It's about 96 inches tall. It's going to be a little bit taller than what the other fence is. Um, but I think it's going to be in a spot where you're not going to really see it a lot because the front street is a little bit lower. The tracks are higher, so it's going to be a little bit harder to see that that fence up there. We aren't planning on putting the same style of fencing by the police department. We're looking at putting more of the fencing like we have it oval down through there because it just looks a little bit better as far as that that um in that section of area. So, that's our plan. This this letter that Union Pacific sent I think says a lot about about their concern and coming I know from our position Curtis you reaching out to them several times. Um it's it was a very good response and and it's just not fencing it's also an education piece that they're working with the school. Um, and and that's what we have to keep saying, too, trying to have uh let our kids know, stay off the damn tracks, you know, that we want parents to teach their kids, and certainly we'll do our part. Fencing will is certainly is part of it, but uh yeah, this this I I did notice on the letter though that they're not going to really be able to do much about the speeds of the train. So the fencing is really definitely important if they can't u if they can't slow them down which will disappoint a lot of our residents but I'm reading here that that's that's a nation kind of thing. So the the fencing but they're willing to do the other things and that's good the fencing and education all that piece at least that's there if I'm reading that correctly right we have asked them to uh

to to slow the speed down I know that that that came from from Curtis uh and by their rules and regulations they they cannot do that they have have commitments both freight and and passenger um so I did pass the letter out to the council I don't know if everyone's read But if there's any questions just about railroad safety and and education of kids or or this fencing project or crosswalk project, can can the letter be made part of the council um packet for like as part of giving the minutes? Yeah, the minutes just so it's in direct and and moving forward, we will update you continuously on activities between us and the railroad and when the fencing will start being built and whatnot. So, we have to get a contract in place between them and us. And as mayor, as you know, some of those um contract agreements with them take kind of a while. There's they have a lot of departments that have to kind of go through and look at it. So, um we're hoping that we can move forward with it, but um it could take a little bit on their part, but we're going to get started on our section of it prior to that to kind of help. So I could I just add I just want to thank staff for their hard work on this and and thank Union Pacific. I know initially there was some skepticism as to what we could get the railroad to do and uh to see that they want to be a partner and and make uh their tracks safer and and less prone to be crossed is important. And I think the city staff have done a great job in uh moving this project forward and just excited to see the construction take place. Thank you. I agree. I agree. Okay. So, um with that, we have a uh construction uh bid to approve. Okay. I um I move to award the construction

contract for the Woodburn High School Front Street safe routes to school project to the lowest responsible bidder, that's Turney Excavating, Inc. in the amount of $569,574.75 and approve an additional $113,915 in contingency for potential change orders that may arise during construction for a total award of up to $683,490. Thank you. Is there a second? Second, moved and seconded. All in favor signify with an I. I. Opposed? Same. Thank you. Motion passes unanimously. Thank you. Yeah. Thank you very much. Okay. Next up, we have a letter of interest that would like to come from the city to the Midw Valley Homeless Alliance. uh joining their allowance and uh appointing a representative from the board. Uh this homeless alliance is a group that has been around for several years. Their purpose is to uh try and prevent homelessness and eliminate it. Uh which is quite a task. Um as you can see with what was passed out there, it's a pretty large group. It's made up of Marian and P counties, some school districts, some cities. Um, a couple of us met with the city manager and I think our assistant city manager last year and councelor Wilk and myself met with the representative of the uh of the alliance uh county commissioner Jeremy Dodd I think is is his name and their executive uh manager executive

director last year there they had a request for us to join um and this was easily a year ago and gave us some information about it. The uh we didn't at that time. There's kind of been a had been a turnover of of people within their department and it's kind of come back recently for us to to join. We might not get a lot out of it, but it is stayed in a position that we agree with their concept and what they are doing and if we can help uh we certainly would like to do that. And then the other side of that is councelor W has volunteered to represent the city and joining their board as as we go forward. Uh, at some point there will be a cost basically I think an annual due. We don't know what that is yet. I think they're kind of redoing their their numbers. Um, but somewhere I I'm saying probably 12 to $20,000 on an annual basis is a guess. Um, quick question. The board includes voting and non- voting members. I assume that Mark will have a voting Yes. Voting Yes. position. Yes. He would be a Yeah. anything to add on that? Uh uh just that the letter is a letter of interest and my understanding and please correct me if I'm wrong, mayor. My understanding is that the board has to amend its bylaws to add the city of Woodburn. And so the letter is initiating that process. We won't be a member right away. There's still still more process for them to amend their bylaws and to accept our letter. And so I'm not sure what their timeline is, but this is initiating that process. And yeah, I'm I'm sure that I'm sure that we'll be part of that organization if we Yeah, I think but but it's not right away. There's some more

work to be done. Any other questions, discussions? Then I would entertain a motion to uh put a letter request in and uh appoint at the same time commissioner or counselor W to represent us. Thank you, mayor. I um I move to authorize the city administrator to sign and submit a letter of interest on behalf of the city of Woodburn to join the board of the Midwamut Valley Homeless Alliance and appoint councelor Wilk to serve as Woodburn's representative on the board. Is there a second? Second. Thank you. All in favor signify with an I. I opposed. And with that, can we get uh I don't know how often they meet, but uh ask you to periodically come back and let us know how how it's going. I will do so. Thank you. Thank you for Thank you for volunteering. Yeah. Volunteering to to represent us. You know, it homelessness continues to be an issue uh in including in our city. Just this morning, there was a young man sleeping in front of the post office when I walked by. And uh so we've made some steps forward I think with uh bringing in uh midwam uh committee action to to run the shelter and I think they've done a a good job by all accounts but we kind of want to be ahead of the game and this gives us an opportunity to to see more about best practices and how to address issues before they become a problem. I agree. Thank you. Moving on, we have another construction contract uh for re-ref our public works building. Do we have a report on what we're going to get out of this?

New roof. No, I just give you an update on that. This is a project that we've been um putting off for a couple of years. We're putting a membrane roof back on the building. Um, we've had a consultant take a look at it and give us an idea on the cost. Cost came in a little bit higher than what we had anticipated, but the markets is what it is right now. So, uh, we're planning on getting that project completed and moving forward. Um, there may be some cost overruns where we can't really take the membrane off to see what's underneath it during the wintertime. So, that's why we've asked for a little bit more of a contingency on that project to to get that work count completed. So, is something complete this summer? It'll be it should be completed fairly quickly. Yes, it'll be done before. And do you know how old the current roof is? And how old? Um I want to say 25 years old, I want to say roughly. So that's a flat roof. It's a very flat roof up there. Yeah. Which building? It's the um it's the it's the public works annex building. The one by the transit center right here in town, right just down the street. It used to be the old bank. First national bank. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. So, so what's the life expectancy of the roof we're going to put on it? We're hoping it's a 50-y year roof. We'll see. That's what I want to hear. Thank you. That's the plan anyway. Chris will be here to guarantee that. He said he would say 50 years. Okay. I like it. You're on record. There you go. Questions, discussion? Is there a motion? Yes, there is. Thank you. Um, I make a motion to award the construction contract for the 2025 single ply re- roof project. that's that uh city hall annex building to the lowest responsible and responsive bidder uh roof toppers in the amount of $189,838 and approve an additional 30,000 for

this project as a contingency for potential change orders that may arise during construction for a total award of up to $219,838. Thank you. Is there a second? Second. Moved and seconded. All in favor signify with an I. I. Opposed with the same. Motion passes unanimously. Thank you. Thank you, Curtis. So, moving on. I don't think we don't have anything from the planning commission at all tonight. So, move on to the city administrator's report. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Just a couple things I want to say. One, I want to thank the city council for uh all the work you had involvement on this agenda tonight. The adoption of the budget is a process that starts the fall every year and is a a pretty in-depth uh project every year that we do with all of our staff. I I say it's probably the most intensive document we produce that not too many people look at, but I know that you look at it and that you gave up here Saturday to uh on the budget committee and then you adopt that budget tonight. We would have no city services or programming or any of the great work we're doing if the city council had not uh upheld its end on on that budget. So, I do appreciate that and hope you recognize it. It's it's always an annual milestone when the city council adopts the budget. U so appreciate your support on that. Uh the other thing I want to thank you for too is that under our charter, I recommend the hiring of police chief to the city council. You have to affirm that hire and I ask you to help me participate in the processes here to review our candidates. I think a lot of people thought a current police chief would be very competitive and he was, but it wasn't simply a just handed to to Jason. The chief actually went through a very competitive process. Uh, city councilors interviewed him, uh, drilled him. We had other organizations involved in that. And, um, I appreciate the effort you made to put

into that hiring decision, too. I think it's good to have robust discussion around police issues and with leadership at the police department and that our public officials engage in the process helps lend credibility and sense sets up that police chief to off to a good start. So, thank you for your involvement in that. And then finally, I think many of you know there was a fire just south of town today. It was a fire that where there was tires burning um and it just happened to be the hottest day of record this today. I understand that it was over 100 degrees uh this afternoon and if you see those firefighters in their turnouts at a at a at a fire where tires are burning, you can only imagine how how difficult that was. And those things are always um a team effort, but I just I just think it's good to point out that, you know, we do ask our first responders, many of them are in here tonight, to go out in into 100 degree weather with turnouts on and uh to show up and put out fires that aren't so easy to put out. I'm not sure it's out now to be honest about it. I don't know. But but it it looked fairly miserable and you know they they uh did it without question. So appreciate uh all the the team work there. That's all I have. Mr. Mayor, thank you. Thank you for calling them out. That's good. We have We're blessed tonight with the presence of our assistant city attorney. Do you have anything that So far I haven't heard anything out of you. So go ahead. Give it to him. But give us some words of wisdom. Well, if I'm doing my job right, then I you don't hear from me. So, um, it's all good. So, that's a good sign. Um, no, always a pleasure to be in front of council. Um, wishing McKenzie well in her recovery and, um, uh, just always happy to be here. Thank you for standing in. So, moving on to our mayor and council reports. We'll start with our far left, Council Grahava. Do you have anything? No, I

just want to thank the folks that are working on that uh removing those trees. The neighbors have been knocking on my door saying, "When are they taking the trees?" And they come back the next day, never mind, they took the trees. I just had a quick question. They asked me, I couldn't remember. How do they dispose of them? Do they because I know there was a rule that you couldn't travel with those? Uh you couldn't travel far. The old trees we're talking about. Yeah. The ones that have the bugs, the emerald ash. Yeah. They're staying on site. Yeah. But are they going to be burned or not? Or just they stay once they're cut down, they're just on site because they're an approved process. Oh, okay. They're not creating safety for folks that are walking by. Okay. Because they saw that they were moved. They just didn't see where they were moved to. Yeah. Jesse the community services director here. This really will have to be a case by case basis determination with his crews on what to do with each project. Right. Well, I appreciate having all the information ahead of time. I was sending those links to the different people that were asking and it's uh really good to be prepared with that kind of information. So, was there active evidence of the horrors in there? Yeah, they yeah, they came in over there on that creek on the other side of Gash. They cut the trees and they did some work there and yeah, the residents were were pleased that it was taken care of with in a decent amount of time. They were concerned because they came one day they cut and they piled things up, but then then they came back and they took care of it. So, I was glad to go there and I there was actually a party back there and they invited me to come over so I was able to say, "See, it's all done." Anyway, thank you for all that work that all that education and preparing us for those questions. Thank you, Council Can. I just want to say congratulations, Chief. Happy to have you. Um, and your commitment to the city and I also attended Woodburn High School's

graduation last Thursday as my youngest graduated. Um, but just congratulations 388 Woodburn High School graduates. So, fantastic. It was a good turnout and good to see all those kiddos graduate and lots of scholarships. The whole page worked. So yeah, those kids will go a long way. So I'd like to give a shout out to an organization that serves another group of seniors, the North Marian uh senior center at Emanuel Lutheran Church on Lincoln and Brian. They do a lot of good stuff for our senior community and including uh presentations and lunches and uh they're going to have an annual rummage sale I think on the 27th. It's a fundraiser. So if you have any extra items that you want to donate, they'd be happy to donate and anything they don't sell goes to Ray of Hope. So it's a it's a win-win situation. Thank you, Counc. No, the the one thing I want to say is how um thrilled I was um at the presentation um for Scott. Um it was I know it was very emotional for him, but it was extremely emotional for me too. um after being on the council as long as I've been and um witnessing um his um his dedication and his and his heartfelt um feeling towards Woodburn and the people that he has hired. Um, our staff is absolutely fantastic and I get emotional just thinking about it when I go to any other meetings, whether

it's an LOC meeting or Washington DC or Bend or wherever. I am so proud um that I'm serving on a council that is supported by such a terrific staff and an absolutely marvelous um a city manager now. I don't I'm not sure. I guess it's still city administrator. But anyway, and the other thing I wanted to say is it as um Scott was talking about, you know, these firemen that were out um with, you know, all of their gear, um I also did uh the um police academy for public people. And let me tell you, when I put on all of the gear that our policemen wear every day, that is heavy. And I don't know how they talk on the phone or they they have a microphone here and they've it's unbelievable. So I just want to say thank you. Um congratulations to you and to Shadron and to Ward and um thank you. Well said. Thank you councelor Brow. I don't have anything but just to say congratulations Chief. Uh very welld deserved. Um, and Scott, um, congratulations to you. Um, it it's so, uh, this is my second meeting and I'm still getting to know a lot of folks here, but, um, it's it's so rewarding to be such a part of this team just already what I'm seeing. So, congratulations to both of you. Thank you. Happy to have a year. Um, I want to thank Mark for letting me know about a rumage sale. That was the 27th, correct? I think so. One will not pass her by to go buy

things. Yeah. And um as I got to concur with you, I just we've come a long way as a council and there's a lot of newer faces on the council and it's we're so blessed that we all get along so well and work sort of common goals and it wasn't always like that. But I I'm so to be a part of it now. Um I have a few things. I actually had to write them down. First, I couldn't say it as well as our council president said over tonight's meeting. This was a special meeting. Chief, so glad that you are part of it and look forward to working with you for a long time. And uh also, yeah, Scott, welld deserved and well represented. It's been actually a little over a month since our last meeting um since one was cancelled. And I have an apology to make. Um during our last meeting uh as I was uh recommending uh Mr. Bravo to become a counselor, I had mentioned that he had uh not gone to Oregon State and somehow the Woodburn Independent picked it up that he went to Oregon State. And as much as he probably wanted to go to Oregon State, I will apologize because he graduated from the great school in Eugene of the University of Oregon. You just can't trust the media anything said that. I am so sorry. So, quickly moving on, uh, a lot of things have been going on since our last meeting, and like I say, it's been a month. Um, and I was honored to be at at at several of those. Uh, Woodburn Little League hosted the first responders night with firemen throwing out the first pitch at least four different fields. So, they're well represented and and a good point for uh our one of our Woodburn programs. Um, a couple weeks

ago, I was invited to go to the Wamut Valley Realers Association meeting in Salem uh that was hosted by the by the Realers Association along with um Julie Hoy, the mayor of Salem and and Kathy Clark, mayor of Kaiser. Three of us basically were talking about building what's going on, residential building in in the cities. And it was easy to uh be proud of what's going on here in Woodburn and certainly uh um it was it was a good meeting and it was uh well appreciated by our our staff and how easy they are to work with. Um and uh like I say it uh it was good to share the good things going on here in Woodburn. Um, I was honored to go to another meeting, the Woodburn High School awards ceremony a couple weeks ago. And as councelor Cantou mentioned the uh all the awards that were given, it actually was $7.7 million worth of uh college scholarships and and awards were passed out to uh uh seniors, 380ome seniors that hopefully it was it was will be well used. I was uh representing the city and the public arts committee that and we recognized three of our scholarship winners uh Yasmin Lopez Chavez, Haley Helzer, and Bill Cordis who were the winners of uh of our scholarship program. And that was a was a fun night and and these these kids were well proud of what they had done and well appreciative of this this city and council making that recommendation. certainly the uh public art committee going forward with that. Um this last week I also uh was invited to to speak at the Woodburn Opportunity Center and councelor Bravo was was present at that. Um they explaining

their project and that's taking off. It was a bit of a fundraiser but they are still going going strong and I wish them the best of luck. And also in the last month we actually had two ribbon cutings. Uh, one was at the fire district and our again our council president who is on the board there. Uh, they were showing off the remodeled facility at the fire district and again the the public artwork that uh we helped uh design and and put together at uh at their facility. Uh they were very appreciative of the city for taking part in that. And the other one was just the other day at the Metropolis coffee shop that it has a new owner there and uh and is reopened and a very good turnout was there last Friday morning. And I am surprised nothing was said at all from anybody. So I will said it say it that uh hey Amazon opened last week. Okay. Hey big news. City of Woodburn Amazon opened up. We've only been waiting you know a few years for that. So congratulations to Amazon. I wish them the very best and a long future. And congratulations city of Woodburn for putting that together. You know, I think you know everybody here had had to have had a had a piece of that action. So uh I wish you the best. Mr. Mayor, could I have another? No, we're gone. Not not to compete with Amazon, but I need to make a correction to the record. The North Marian uh Senior Center rummage sale is June 28th, 29th to 27th. But but come on down. You can get stuff. She will still go. She will go the 27th and still you can get stuff there that you can't get on. I think we have a boot camp on the 28th. Oh yeah. June 27th. Oh,

it's a Friday. It's 28th. 28th. Boot camp 27th. See? So, it even works better. That is something that we probably should talk about real quick. Um, anyone here want to speak up on behalf of the boot camp what it's time to start? Make sure it's on everybody's agenda. Brenda, this is your party. Well, it's actually Jesse's, but he's not here today. So, it's a boot camp for all the committees within the city or boards um or commission. and it's um an email got sent to everyone to RSVP if you'd like to come. It will take place on Friday the 27th of June. Um it will be an all day event held here. Um so look at your emails and there should be a tenative agenda attached to that. Um invite from the library board, park board, planning commission, arts committee. Correct. Everyone's invited. Everyone who's invited very appreciative for everyone that does does what they do. So yeah, they can come. Hopefully they they can make it. Yep. And so it's just a review and those who have just recently joined any committee or board or commission, um it's informative for them to know how everything works. Thank you. Okay. Okay. I would entertain a motion to journ. So moved. Second. Move and second. All in favor? I opposed. We're out of here. That wasn't too bad. [Music] Can I get a picture? Where is that going to be?