BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS'
REGULAR MEETING
Wednesday, October 18, 2000
1:30 p.m.
Commissioners' Conference
Room
Commissioner Peter Sorenson presided with Commissioners
Bill Dwyer, Bobby Green, Sr., Anna Morrison and Cindy Weeldreyer present. County Administrator Bill Van Vactor,
Assistant County Counsel Stephen Vorhes and Recording Secretary Melissa Zimmer
were also present.
13.
PUBLIC WORKS
a. DISCUSSION AND UPDATE Immediate Opportunity Fund (IOF)
Application Related to the Expansion of Country Coach Manufacturing Facility in
Junction City.
Ollie Snowden, Public Works, reported that they had a
preliminary cost estimate from ODOT of $150,000. He said they did survey work and revised the estimate to $420,000
that was submitted to ODOT. He added
that ODOT indicated a more realistic number would be $495,000. He said he has to come back to the Board to
get authorization to revise the grant application to match the higher
figure. He said he would do that under
the Consent Calendar in December. He
said if the project would not be completed under the current proposal, the
County in the end would construct the project.
He added it was listed in the Junction City Transportation System Plan
and in the CIP.
b. DISCUSSION Lowell Covered Bridge Interpretive Center – Project
Update and Discussion.
Snowden brought this back to the Board as there had been
two new developments. He reported they
have $1.7 million in federal highway grant money to rehab the covered bridge
and turn it into an interpretive center.
He said $1 million is forest highway money and $700,000 would come from
ODOT to rehab the bridge. He noted that
ODOT was proposing to take the local transportation enhancement projects that
were originally scheduled for 2002/2003 and stretch them over a four-year
period. He said that the federal forest
highway money from ODOT had been moved to 2004.
Snowden noted that the second issue dealt with the
interpretive plan being used as a guideline to move forward. He said they have to sign a local agency agreement
with ODOT for the $700,000 in bridge money and that would allow ODOT to hire
OBEC Consultant Engineers to start work on the bridge plans. He added they have to work with the
Willamette Forest for a request for qualifications to select a design build. He noted the key part was toilet
facilities. With regard to the toilets,
Snowden said there were problems because when they received the federal forest
highway money, there was an understanding that they were not going to build
another highway rest area and that was never included in the budget. He noted they were already over budget with
what they had planned. He said if they
were to do pit toilets, it would cost between $18,000 and $20,000 (or
substantially more) for a different type toilet. He asked the Board what message he should take back to the
Willamette National Forest and stakeholder group.
Dwyer suggested continuing with the site planning including
the toilets, but not committing to any funding.
Sorenson said the Board had met with the City of Lowell and
it was brought up as a community interest.
He said they wanted a new entrance and a facility that would be valuable
for tourism. He suggested including the
restroom facilities as part of the ongoing design.
Weeldreyer concurred with Dwyer. She wanted the Board to find other ways to fund restrooms and
leave the restrooms in as part of the design.
Green suggested using room tax or lottery dollars.
MOTION: that the Board concur with the one year
delay in programming for the Lowell Covered Bridge Interpretive Center and that
the Board support the concept of including toilets as a part of the project for
planning purposes, but without committing to funding.
Weeldreyer MOVED, Morrison SECONDED
VOTE: 5-0.
c. DISCUSSION ODOT Modernization Project Selection.
Ollie Snowden, Public Works, reported the Oregon
Transportation Commission was considering allocating its modernization money in
a different way and ODOT asked Region 2: “If ODOT were to change the way in
which it does allocate modernization monies, which large projects should be
advanced from Region 2 for consideration and if the OTC changed its allocation
method, what criteria should the commission look at when selecting projects?”
He noted that Region 2 at ODOT had scheduled a conference call for October 30
so Commissioner Green and other representatives could discuss which projects
should go forward from Region 2. He
added that the MPC met last Thursday and their recommendation was that the MPC
disagreed with the OTC on making this change for the current 2002/2005
STIP. He noted that MPC was
recommending that the OTC continue ahead with the projects that Lane County
recommended for the 2002/2005 STIP, but if there is a change that there be a
public process on the criteria. He
added that MPC recommended that they advance the I-5 Beltline project as the
large project from Lane County by Region 2.
Green responded that other regions at the meeting disagreed
with the timing, as there was no notice.
He noted to MPC that this was done under protest. He recommended having
a project available in case this does move forward.
Snowden stated that Governor Kitzhaber in 1998 asked ODOT
to delete development projects in the STIP.
He added projects like Highway 126 West were taken off.
Green said this was the best recommendation for Region 2 as
this needed to compete with other projects within the area.
Weeldreyer said that the I-5 Beltline project served the
most people and was the fairest.
Snowden suggested that he work with Bob Pirre and Nick
Arnis to make sure they have documentation necessary that Green could use to
argue Lane County’s case on the conference call.
MOTION: to accept the recommendation from MPC
regarding the modernization projects.
Green MOVED, Dwyer SECONDED.
VOTE: 5-0.
14.
COMMISSIONERS' ANNOUNCEMENTS
None.
15.
EMERGENCY BUSINESS
None.
There being no further
business, Sorenson recessed the meeting at 3:15 p.m.
Melissa Zimmer
Recording Secretary
