HomeMy WebLinkAbout2010-03-31 Work Session Minutes Deschutes County Board of Commissioners 1300 NW Wall St., Suite 200, Bend, OR 97701-1960 (541) 388-6570 - Fax (541) 385-3202 - www.deschutes.org MINUTES OF WORK SESSION DESCHUTES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS WEDNESDAY, MARCH 31, 2010 ___________________________ Present were Commissioners Dennis R. Luke, Alan Unger and Tammy Baney. Also present were Dave Kanner, County Administrator; Erik Kropp, Deputy County Administrator Laurie Craghead, County Counsel; Peter Gutowsky, Will Groves, Tom Anderson and George Read, Community Development; David Givans, Internal Auditor; media representatives Hillary Borrud and Diane ? of The Bulletin; a representative of the Humane Society of Central Oregon and several representatives of the Humane Society of Redmond. Chair Luke opened the meeting at 1:35 p.m. 1. Humane Society of Central Oregon Annual Report. 2. Humane Society of Redmond Annual Report and Presentation of Five- Year Strategic Plan. Director Pat Roden discussed events at which the Humane Society participated, and their outreach for 2009. (A copy of the outreach document is attached for reference.) The average stay for dogs is about six days, and 29 days for cats. The intake of stray cats was down last year by about 16%, mostly having to do with cats. Owner surrenders were up about 2-5%. She said it is all about the dollars. They received some large donations last year, partly because they were in the media a great deal. The media exposure is very important. She added that they have not received any calls regarding large animal rescue. Chris Bauersfeld said they are in a much better place than in the past. They had to ramp up and get more involved in the community, as outreach was not done that effectively in past years. (A copy of their report is attached for reference.) Minutes of Board of Commissioners’ Work Session Wednesday, March 31, 2010 Page 1 of 8 Pages Minutes of Board of Commissioners’ Work Session Wednesday, March 31, 2010 Page 2 of 8 Pages They participate in smaller events but are getting more involved with schools and larger groups. Most of the events are more successful than anticipated. They are getting a lot of positive feedback from the public. She said they are about the adoptions and the community. They are concentrating on their spay and neuter program. About half of the animals treated were owned by the public. People are thankful for the assistance. Vaccinations and other services are offered at the same time. Spay and neuter is the only way to address the pet overpopulation problem. They are also adopting out barn cats that previously may have been destroyed. The public wants these programs to stay. It is important to help people keep the animals they have already so they don’t end up at a shelter. There is an increase in the number of strays and owner surrenders. If people are losing their homes, these cats are given priority. Commissioner Luke asked how many cats test positive for leukemia and AIDS. Ms. Roden said that it is lower in owned cats and higher in strays or feral cats, up to 20%. Commissioner Baney asked if others are doing spay and neuter programs. Ms. Roden said they do their own animals but have the somewhat limited SNAP program for low-cost residents. Ms. Bauersfeld said they pay for the cost of altering shelter animals with the proceeds of the program offered to the public. Ms. Roden was asked about the sale of the trailer park for the trust. There has been mention of this. Commissioner Unger asked how it is set up. Mike Daly stated the next disbursal is not set until 2013, but it could be done sooner if the trustee agreed. Ms. Bauersfeld stated that the adoption rate for 2010 is down, and they have been moving dogs to other shelters. The number of strays picked up by owners is down. The RV park is doing better now that snowbirds are coming home, and is becoming profitable, as is the event center. The welfare of the shelter is being carefully addressed by the current board. They are very involved in its operation and planning for its future. The community has let them know they are valuable and are willing to support them. Commissioner Luke said there are two humane societies in the same area, which is not a normal practice. They are asked about combining County services. Minutes of Board of Commissioners’ Work Session Wednesday, March 31, 2010 Page 3 of 8 Pages Ms. Bauersfeld said that they keep in contact and don’t feel the need to combine services. Ms. Roden added that they have not done that. Ms. Bauersfeld said logistically there is a cost issue because of distance. Ms. Roden said that an ID microchip or vaccination clinic done jointly might be helpful. They are working on a few events together. It was pointed out that there is some natural overlap in areas and services. Mr. Daly said that they have discussed about getting together on a regular basis to learn from each other. A volunteer said that she has worked at the front desk at Redmond for a while, and calls come from all over. Commissioner Unger stated that it is important to know what areas are being served. Ms. Bauersfeld that they are getting visits from Crook and Jefferson counties. Half of the spays and neuters are from Redmond, another quarter from other parts of the county, and the rest from other parts of the state. Commissioner Luke noted that Crook County is requiring mandatory licensing and rabies vaccinations. There has been discussion about licensing at no cost if the rabies vaccinations are done. Ms. Bauersfeld said that rabies is not an issue in the area, but it is possible as it can be transmitted by bats, raccoons or foxes. There have been cases of rabies in livestock in other areas. She said that cats should also get a rabies shot. Mr. Daly brought up the concept of a thrift store. They are doing a lot of bookings at the event center, mostly on weekends. The RV park is generating $500 a month revenue now, and could go as high as $2,500 when full. They are signing a sublease on a new thrift store, near Safeway. They have a business plan for the thrift store, and are requesting assistance on making some improvements, such as clothing racks and shelving. They’d like to use their credit line in the amount of $15,000 to get this established. The lease is $2,500 a month to start, which is less than 50 cents per square foot for a high-traffic location. Thrift stores are good revenue generators, and this may help the shelter reach a break-even point. Ms. Roden said that their thrift store is their biggest source of revenue, and they in fact added another location. Minutes of Board of Commissioners’ Work Session Wednesday, March 31, 2010 Page 4 of 8 Pages Commissioner Baney said that the Humane Society of Redmond was in a very precarious situation not that long ago, but their board and others have really pulled together to work at making it successful. She is very impressed with what has been accomplished. 3. Discussion of Hearing, Ordinance 2010-015, Goal Exception – Wireless Telecommunications Facilities – Oregon Water Wonderland II Sewer District. Will Groves gave a brief overview of the item. The conservation easement and zoning would not normally allow wireless telecommunications facilities on the subject property or in the zone. Staff concurred with the Hearings Officer’s decision, allowing the use. The Board is required under Code to approve a plan amendment in this regard, even if there is no objection from the public. The Sewer District would like this to take place, as it would result in revenue for the District. The actual approval of the application would be through an additional process, including it going before a Hearings Officer. Commissioner Unger asked about lighting, as he does not like seeing the flashing lights. Laurie Craghead said that this is controlled by the F.A.A. 4. Update regarding Destination Resort Remapping. Peter Gutowsky and Nick Lelack presented the update. The testimony was continued to April 5 from the previous hearing date. Mr. Gutowsky referred to an oversized map showing eligible properties that are not presently mapped. 112,000, plus 58,000. Commissioner Baney asked what information is going out to the public in this regard. Mr. Gutowsky said that the public has been altered if they have testified in the past, and it is also posted on the CDD website. The only lands excluded on the map are federal lands. About 24,000 belong to irrigation districts. State lands have also been added. Commissioner Luke said that there are reasons for reducing the map. He does not understand why more is being added. This cannot be reviewed for another 30 months. The wholesale addition of this much acreage is a problem. This is not the direction that the previous Board and this Board wanted. Minutes of Board of Commissioners’ Work Session Wednesday, March 31, 2010 Page 5 of 8 Pages Mr. Gutowsky said the Planning Commission would make these properties eligible to ask to be added; it would not automatically be done. Commissioner Luke stated that people want some assurances that property is or is not eligible. There are clearly a lot of properties that could not be approved for this use. Commissioner Tammy stated that it is important to vet the two sides, and more information can be obtained. Commissioner Unger said he thought the language was the question, as to what might be included. Mr. Gutowsky said the Board extended the hearing to allow for more testimony. There has been little testimony offered since then. Staff has been working on this for about a year, including off-site work sessions with the public. Most residents want to see the map reduced. The Board and Planning Commission both concurred. The feedback from the Planning Commission has been that they want to introduce for consideration some additional concepts. It may be worth going over those. This includes lands with 40 or more acres contiguous with irrigation, or 60 or more under the same ownership – large blocks of irrigated farm land. Another is platted subdivisions; removing those is recommended, as the minimum 160 acres would likely not be met. The Planning Commission said those should stay on the map. Add undeveloped or unimproved subdivisions that were platted. Also, add eligibility criteria to cluster developments that have over 50% of property dedicated as open space. There are four of those, including Aspen Lakes in Sisters. The last motion pertained to the grandfather clause, and the Planning Commission wanted those retained unless they specifically request in writing that they be taken off the map. This is the opposite of what was decided in 2009. Commissioner Luke asked whether other counties’ efforts to disallow destination resorts have worked. Ms. Lelack said that they would have to go through a Goal 8 exception process. If you are not on a map and there is no process to get on a map, it is a very complicated process. Once a map has been adopted, it cannot be changed for 30 months. Minutes of Board of Commissioners’ Work Session Wednesday, March 31, 2010 Page 6 of 8 Pages Commissioner Luke stated that land use planning was supposed to make it easier for people to know what to do with their land, or to have some assurances what others might be able to do with their land. Mr. Gutowsky said that it should be black and white – based on size, zoning, etc. – as the idea is to try to minimize the controversy. Discussion occurred regarding whether closing the hearing next week or to leave it open to allow for more information to be provided, since Commissioner Luke will not be in attendance on Monday. Mr. Lelack stated that the population of the Bend UGB has not been determined. Once it is acknowledged, as they approach the 100,000 population threshold, no destination resorts would be allowed. Mr. Gutowsky said that conservatively he does not think it will make this threshold. 5. Other Items. Tom Anderson said a family asked about financial assistance to replace a failing septic tank. They were referred to NeighborImpact and U.S.D.A. The failure was severe and a contractor was called in. Dan Haldeman gave a verbal okay to do the work because of potential health ramifications. The woman said that she was turned down by U.S.D.A. and NeighborImpact said they would not loan money for work that was already done. There was discussion about backing loans that are high risk. This needed to get done for public health and safety reasons. NeighborImpact acknowledged this is a problem, and will work on an emergency program. If it turns out that they are not eligible for this, the County’s program might be able to help. Unfortunately, it does not help this particular property owner at this time. It appears that the work was done within a couple of days after the initial call. NeighborImpact might have responded within a day or two of her call. Commissioner Baney said that she wants to support use of the rehab dollars, and perhaps she might not have qualified. Mr. Anderson said she is eligible for a $3,750 rebate, but the work cost about $10,000. The system and drain field were expanded and the nitrogen reducing component had to be used. Minutes of Board of Commissioners’ Work Session Wednesday, March 31, 2010 Page 7 of 8 Pages Commissioner Unger said it needs to be determined if she has income issues and if it is clearly a situation where she normally would have received help. Commissioner Luke observed that it appears the system might have been failing for some time. Ms. Craghead said the contract and program are not yet finalized, and asked if there are others who had to put in systems prior to this who might also want to be included. Commissioner Baney stated that the County may have some responsibility to address this, as discussions had already taken place with NeighborImpact. She asked if this has happened to others. Ms. Craghead said discussions with NeighborImpact began a year ago. Mr. Anderson said that this is a unique situation. It sounds as if she might qualify for the original program already in place with NeighborImpact. The difference is that it became an emergency, which is no fault of the County. Commissioner Luke said that there are alternatives even in an emergency, and the contractors know this as well. The tank should have been pumped to allow a little time. She made a decision to do this before knowing how it would be paid. Commissioner Unger stated that the environment is better because this was fixed. Commissioner Luke said that people should not do this and expect the County to pay. Commissioner Baney stated that she has not contacted the Commissioners. She may not have known what her options were at the time. She needs to be contacted to find out if she indeed would qualify under normal circumstances. Mr. Anderson said that the program is not yet in place, but NeighborImpact is working on it. He asked them if they can help at this point, and they said their rules do not allow for this. They will investigate further. At 3:25 p.m., the Board went into executive session under ORS 192.660(2)(h), Litigation, which concluded at 4:20 p.m. Being no further items addressed, the meeting adjourned at 4:25 p.m.