Street transfer pulled off council docket
By William Lundquist
Argus Observer
Monday, November 19, 2007 10:16 AM PST
Ontario — A proposed transfer of parts of East Idaho Avenue and Washington Avenue from the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) to the City of Ontario was the most important topic discussed at Thursday’s City Council workshop, but the issue will not be on the agenda for tonight’s regular City Council meeting.
Ontario City Manager Scott Trainor said no immediate decision was needed on the proposal, but he wanted to bring it to the attention of the council before he leaves the city at the end of the month.
Trainor said ODOT is offering nearly $1.5 million to transfer East Idaho Avenue from the Snake River bridge to East Fourth Street, portions of North Washington Avenue near the new freeway interchange and the Kendall Pit to the city.
The city, Trainor said, would use up that money in about 10 years for maintenance and repair of those streets and then would be responsible for paying for them itself.
“It really puts us upside down financially,” Trainor said, “Though there is some short term good. I would have a really hard time recommending adoption of this. The maintenance costs will kill you.”
He said the city learned about the potential maintenance costs when it accepted the transfer of jurisdiction of a portion of North Oregon Street from ODOT last year.
“There was a feeling when we got North Oregon Avenue there was nowhere near the funds we needed to maintain it,” Trainor said.
He said the people he has been working with at ODOT, like South Area Manager Rena Cusma, understand completely. He said they want to turn over jurisdiction of the streets because they know how much maintenance money it will save ODOT in the long run. Unfortunately, Trainor said, there is no way for ODOT to tap into those projected future savings now to give Ontario more money.
“Rena has bent over backwards on this,” he said. “ODOT has been working hard to get us more money, but they’re tapped out.”
He said the city estimated in 2005, it would cost $140,000 a year to maintain the section of East Idaho Avenue. Those costs, he said, have probably climbed since then and will continue to grow as the costs of gas and operating machinery rise.
The city, however, would gain control of signage and other issues on East Idaho and North Washington, something area businesses feel would be in their best interests, Trainor said.
The city will also receive some remnant properties along North Washington around the new interchange, he said. They could be sold, he said, but their value would not do much to offset maintenance costs.
The best part of the deal from the city’s standpoint, Trainor said, would be the receipt of the Kendall Pit, a 32-acre reclaimed gravel pit site, to be used as a public park. It would also, he said, provide a stormwater detention facility and provide a location for a north-south street connection. The property is adjacent to a heavy industrial zone, Trainor said, and could have a value of more than $300,000 if ODOT sold it.
Despite the benefits to the city, Trainor said, the agreement would not benefit the city budget in the long term.
Ontario Mayor Joe Dominick chose to table the issue for further consideration later.
Monday night’s agenda does include a public hearing on an expansion of the Malheur County Enterprise Zone to include the Wada and Tomiyoshi properties near the airport so that tax breaks can be delivered to the large mystery company looking at the properties.
Ontario City Councilman Dan Cummings asked if the mystery company had requested the land be put in the enterprise zone.
Trainor said Malheur County Economic Development Director Jim Jensen made the request. He added that the company is probably not aware the property is not currently in the zone.
“I really don’t like putting properties in the enterprise zone unless companies ask for it. Cities and counties are struggling with tax bases now,” Cummings said.
Trainor said the number of jobs those companies could bring to the county would boost the economy and tax base.
The council is also slated to authorize sending out a request for qualifications to executive recruitment firms to fill the permanent city manager position. Trainor said such firms have standard responses ready to go, so the council should receive the replies quickly.
The only remaining question, Dominick said, was how to handle the applications for the job the city has already received from local people. Ontario City Councilman John Gaskill said local applicants wanted to make sure they would still be considered.
Trainor said they would have to go through the chosen recruitment firm like any other applicants.
Dominick encouraged the other council members to give him names of residents they wanted to see on the committee the city forms to help choose Trainor’s replacement.
The council will also discuss a proposal to remodel the entrance area at City Hall to allow a true lobby, a secure payment and reception area and better staff coverage for customer service.
Ontario Finance Director Rachel Hopper said the $9,500 needed for the project would be evenly split between the general fund and the public works fund, and would come from the savings gained in the gap between when Trainor and former Public Works Director Steve Gaschler leave and when their permanent replacements are hired.
The balance of items on Monday night’s agenda are largely housekeeping procedures.
