City Council recap of 10/13/2014 meeting

Award

The West Linn City Council heard lots of good news and some good music during its Oct. 13 meeting.

The meeting started with Rosemont Ridge Middle School eighth-grader Shelby True performing the Star Spangled Banner.

League of Oregon Cities

Mike McCauley, the executive director for the League of Oregon Cities was on hand to deliver two items of good news.

First, it was announced that West Linn City Council Thomas Frank was recently elected to the board of directors of the voluntary association that represents Oregon’s 242 incorporated cities.

Second, Rosemont Ridge Middle School teacher Lisia Farley was honored with the 2014 League of Oregon Cities Civic Education Award, which recognizes educators who promote local government education.

“One teacher in particular has been outstanding in bringing government issues to her classes … She is just terrific,” Mayor John Kovash said of Farley.

“We think she is pretty super too,” McCauley added. “You have civic education, but this goes beyond. … We are very pleased to be able to have the nomination from the city and to provide the award to Ms. Farley.”

Farley, who was in attendance at the meeting along with Superintendent Bill Rhoades as well as some of her students, said: “I think this award is not really for me, but for the kids, I’m thrilled. Thank you very much,” Farley said.

YourGOV

Got a pothole in your street? There's an app for that.

Need your water turned off? There's an app for that, too.

West Linn recently launched its own computer and smartphone app, YourGOV, which allows citizens to quickly and easily report non-emergency issues within the limits of West Linn. The council heard an overview of the app during its meeting.

“This is a new, higher tech way for us to be responsive to citizen requests,” Assistant City Manager Kirsten Wyatt said. “This is a highly responsive tool. It’s one more way we can use technology and good old customer service.”

When citizens create a YourGOV account, they can submit an issue and track its progress from submittal to completion via the Web. Issues are brought directly into the city's system, where they are forwarded to the responsible department.

By entering in an address or selecting a location on the map, citizens can view where issues are located. In addition, residents can view and track issues that are submitted by other citizens.

Some of the services to report or request using YourGOV are: tree complaints/trimming, code enforcement, parks maintenance, street debris or hazards, utility billing and zoning requirements.

Frank, who tried out the app, said, “It was very fun; it was very fluid. It didn’t take any training whatsoever.”

The smartphone app is free and is available at the App Store and at Google Market. Use the Web-based version of YourGOV or just click the YourGOV button on the bottom of the city's homepage.

Click here for more information about YourGOV and a short tutorial. To see the app in action, visit YouTube.

Metro update

Metro Councilor Carlotta Collette (District 2) gave the council a quick update about the work the tri-county government is working on. Her talking points included the urban growth boundary, Climate Smart Communities, River Island Restoration (which consists of 240 acres near Barton on the Clackamas River), Scouters Mountain Nature Park in Happy Valley, Natures in Neighborhoods District 2 and the Willamette Falls Legacy Project.

Willamette Falls update

The council also heard an update on the effort to reopen the Willamette Falls Locks. As part of the process, a financial study was recently conducted to determine the estimated costs of operating the locks if a new entity takes the locks over from the Oregon Army Corps of Engineers.

Transportation System Plan

The council also unanimously approved an intergovernmental agreement between the city and the Oregon Department of Transportation for an update to the 2008 Transportation System Plan.

The Transportation and Growth Management (TGM) program, through which the city has been awarded a grant to update the 2008 TSP, promotes transportation planning and investments that maximize the efficiency of available transportation revenue by encouraging more widespread use of walking, biking and public transit among various other means.

The acceptance of funds through the TGM program acknowledges that the city is committed to making efficient use of transportation resources and revenues. Revising the city’s TSP is an adopted City Council goal.

According to the regional transportation plan (RTP), the city is required to update its TSP this year. To help fund this effort, staff submitted an application to the TGM program late in 2013 and was awarded a grant in early 2014. TGM has been working with the city since then to develop a statement of work. The updated TSP will develop transportation and land use solutions that align future transportation revenues with forecasted changes to population and employment.

The city is obligated to match 12 percent of the total project cost, currently estimated at $27,500, through either financial or in-kind (staff time) contributions. The total project cost is currently estimated at $199,800.

“We now have a very detailed scope of work and a consultant on board and are very near to beginning,” Associate Planner Zach Pelz told the council, adding that work identifying transportation needs will be done through Jan. 1. The update TSP should be ready for adoption by September 2015.

Pelz said this version of the TSP will be more outcomes based, with a focus on more bike and pedestrian transit and outcomes such as eliminating traffic fatalities and reducing childhood obesity.

Council President Jody Carson moved to approve the agreement and Councilor Jenni Tan seconded it.