At the first Creswell City Council meeting of 2019 on Jan. 7, Richard Zettervall called to order his first meeting as mayor, Councilor Amy Knudsen became the new council president and council committees and commissions received their 2019 charges.
The meeting kicked off with the Honorable R. Scott Palmer swearing in Alonzo Costilla, Kevin Prociw and Misty Inman into their city council positions, and the swearing in of new Mayor Zettervall.
All council seats are now filled. Terms for councilors Prociw, Costilla and Inman expire in 2022, while terms for councilors Knudsen, Judy Drago, Martha McReynolds Jr. and Mayor Zettervall expire in 2020.
Councillor Knudsen became the new council president, a position that was previously held by Mayor Zettervall, at last week’s meeting. Council President Knudsen was nominated for the position by Councilor McReynolds Jr. and was seconded by Councilor Prociw. The motion passed unanimously.
Mayor Zettervall presented Dave Stram, Gary Mounce, Lloyd Safley and Al Bennett with Service Award plaques for their collective 46 years of volunteerism in the city.
City council committee and commission charges were outlined at last week’s meeting, including the Finance and Administration, Transportation and Public Works, Public Safety, Parks and Tree Advisory, Water Rate Advisory and Budget committees; as well as the Airport Commission.
The Finance and Administration Committee (FAC) has received three charges for the new year. Appointees include Council President Knudsen as chair and councilors McReynolds Jr. and Costilla, with staff support from City Manager Michelle Amberg.
The first charge for the FAC will be to review and update the city fee schedule, to be presented along with the fiscal year 2019-20 budget in May 2019.
The second charge is to conduct annual reviews for the city manager, city attorney and municipal judge, including councilor municipal court observations, to be completed in a timely manner per policy guidelines.
The third charge is to draft a city councilor Facebook and social media policy. The draft is to be delivered to the July 2019 city council work session. A possible future charge includes to update and redesign the mayor and city council section of the city of creswell web page.
Transportation and Public Works has two charges this year. Appointees include Councilor Prociw as chair, and councilors McReynolds Jr. and Knudsen, with staff support from City Manager Amberg and Director of Public Works Cliff Bellew.
The first is the same charge as the Water Rate Advisory Committee’s – to review the sewer and water rates and recommend to council for Fiscal Year 2019-20. Chair Prociw is to bring the water and sewer rate recommendations to the Feb. 25 council work session.
The second charge is to create a Public Works Day for the community. This includes tours of the public works facilities for the ”community to better understand the daily workings which provide service for Creswell residents and businesses,” according to the charge. This is to be completed no later than August 2019.
Public Safety appointees include Chair Inman, councilors Drago and Prociw, with staff support from City Manager Amberg and Lane County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) Sergeant Scott Denham. They were charged to review the Public Safety fee for 2019-20, with a recommendation to be be brought to the April 22 city council work session.
Public safety was also charged to evaluate and make recommendations regarding ballot language and the possible cost of a Public Safety Levy to be placed on the ballot for the November 2020 General Election. The recommendation should ”take into account replacing the current Public Safety Fee and providing 24-hour LCSO contract police coverage to the City of Creswell.” The committee will propose ballot language and proposed costs to the Nov. 25 city council work session.
Parks and Tree Advisory Committee was charged to conduct an Arbor Day ceremony on April 26, 2019, to ”ensure Creswell continues to receive the Tree City USA designation.”
Appointees include residents Jeff Warner and Norma-Jean Osborn, whose terms expire in 2021, with staff support from Manager Amberg and a member of Public Works. Continuing members include Councilor McReynolds Jr. as the council representative; Reilly Newman, nonresident; Brent Murphy, resident at large; Laurel Henry, resident at large; and Carol Pryor, resident at large. Henry and Prior’s terms expire in 2019.
The Airport Commission was charged with the ongoing integration with Creswell School District in the creation of a Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) program at the Creswell Airport.
The commission was also charged with the ongoing maintenance of the non-precision GPS approach designation, and to report on progress on the taxiway and runway extension at the airport. The committee will give an update on all three charges to council quarterly.
Appointee includes Don Amberg, with staff support from Airport Manager Shelley Humble. Continuing members include Councilor Costilla, council representative; Mike Anderson, at large; and Jim Orgliosso and Sid Voorhees, airport users.
Water Rate Advisory Committee charges include review the sewer and water rates, and recommend and rate to council for Fiscal Year 2019-20. The committee will bring recommendations to the Feb. 25 work session, and will be included in the budget preparation and presented to the Budget Committee in May. A Public Hearing on water and sewer rates recommendations will be held prior to the adoption of the Fiscal Year 2019-20 budget.
The Committee is comprised of councilors Prociw, McReynolds and Council President Knudsen, with staff support from City Manager Amberg, Finance Director Piper and Director of Public Works Bellew. Appointees include Joanne O’Brien, Steve Carmichael and Carol Woodland.
The Budget Committee is comprised of the mayor and all councilors, as well as citizen representatives Ted Romoser, term expires 2020; Linda Warner, term expires 2019; and Joshua Knudsen, term expires 2019. Knudsen served last year and could be selected by one of the councilors as their budget partner for this fiscal year, Zettervall said. There are four vacancies on the committee that need to be filled.
The Planning Commission is charged to continue work as directed in enacting Ordinance. Continuing in office is Seth Clark, term expires 2020; Ed Gunderson, term expires 2020; Jessica Landstra, term expires 2020; Susan Bennett, term expires in 2019; and Patrick Gering, term expires in 2019. Appointees include David Christopher, term expires in 2021, with staff support from City Planner Maddie Phillips. There is one vacancy on the commission, with an expiring term of 2021.
