Council considers grant or loan for Stelling improvements
By Katie Pizza
Argus Observer
Sunday, October 19, 2008 1:49 AM PDT
Ontario — The Ontario City Council discussed applying for a grant and/or loan to extend utilities and add roadway improvements from Dorian Drive to the “Stelling property,” and scheduled the final reading for a parking regulations and fines adjustment at its work session Thursday.
City Manager Henry Lawrence said the potential grant/loan would pay for about 80 percent of the $1,106,000 estimated cost, which would include storm drainage improvements, 2,180 feet of water and sewer extensions, five fire hydrants and improvements for Northwest Fourth Avenue from Dorian Drive to the Yturri Beltline to make that part of the city more attractive to potential buyers.
In a report submitted to the council, Public Works Director Chuck Mickelson said Gary Viedorfer, of the Oregon Economic and Community Development Department, expressed support for the project and encouraged him to send a letter of interest.
Lawrence said if the city opts not to install curbs, gutters and sidewalks and not to widen Northwest Fourth Avenue, the construction costs would decrease to approximately $500,000. If the grant/loan scope work included the Northwest Fourth Avenue improvements and is awarded by the Oregon Economic and Community Development Department’s Special Public Works fund and approved by the city, OECDD will give the city an estimated $995,792. City staff recommended taking about 10 percent of the city’s cost from the utility reserve fund and paying the remainder through a loan. The city’s estimated total cost would be $110,644.
The grant/loan money, Lawrence said, would pay for most of the project’s costs, including engineering and construction. However, he said he is currently working to find grants to pay for the entire project. Lawrence said, if awarded, the grant/loan would be issued in February, with work on the project able to continue until May 2010.
Councilman Dan Cummings asked City Attorney Larry Sullivan if he believed Cummings should call a conflict of interest on the issue, since his firm, CK3 LLC, might be called to work on the project. Sullivan said he did not feel it would be an issue at this time, since the council would only be voting to pursue the grant. Another issue would be changing the price of the Stelling property, but Ontario City Councilman Bruce Tuttle said the council should leave the parcel’s price as is.
The City Council also scheduled the final reading for a parking regulations and fines adjustment ordinance for the council’s Monday meeting. The ordinance takes out the $15 minimum parking fine and $250 maximum fine for handicap parking. The issue first came to light when Ontario resident Charlie Chapin brought the matter of van-accessible handicap spaces to the council’s attention last month. Chapin said handicap drivers were parking in wheelchair-only parking areas without the special wheelchair placard that would allow them to do so. Upon reviewing the city’s current codes, Ontario Police Chief Mike Kee said last month, he learned Ontario’s handicap parking fines were less than the ones passed in Salem. In 2007, the Oregon State Legislature mandated violators should pay a minimum fine of $190 for the first offense and a minimum fine of $450 for each subsequent offense.
Currently, the present city fine for disabled parking violations cannot exceed $250. In order to raise any parking fine, the maximum amount that can be charged listed in the original ordinance must be removed, a new ordinance passed and a new fee schedule set.
Kee said he would like to remove all the fine amounts from the ordinance and establish them in a resolution because resolutions are easier to change than ordinances. He also said the fines set in the ordinance were out-dated.
“We don’t even write $15 dollar tickets anymore,” he said.
Kee will come before the council again to present a new fee resolution at a later time. The ordinance must be in effect for 30 days before the city council can make changes.
In other council news:
—The City Council is slated to receive an update on the Four Rivers Cultural Center by Executive Director Glynna Day at its meeting Monday. This update will include center expenses and revenues and an overview of future events planned to occur at the facility.
