Mayor Severson called the regular meeting to order at 7:00 pm and declared a quorum present.  Present were Councilors Hardin, Misner, Davis, Harn, Springer, Myers, Calame and Harkenrider.  Staff members in attendance were City Manager Brookshier, City Attorney Luisi, Bob Irby, Ray Jones, Clint Spencer, Chuck Woolsey, Judge Creasing, Bill Schmittle, Ron Sivey, Ivan Anderholm, Roy Bicknell and Donna Moeller.  News media present were Neill Woelk and Luke Hegdal of the Hermiston Herald.  The pledge of allegiance was given.

Minutes

Councilor Hardin moved and Councilor Myers seconded that minutes of the February 14 regular meeting be approved for filing.  Motion carried unanimously.

2010-11 Supplemental Budget Hearing

At 7:02 pm Mayor Severson opened a hearing to consider a supplemental budget for the 2010-11 fiscal year.

City Manager Brookshier reported the supplemental budget included the following items:  $222,125 to the General Fund to be distributed as follows:  Manager/Planning - $750; Parks - $1,375; Municipal Buildings - $30,000; Municipal Pool - $15,000; Audit and Other - $175,000; a Reserve Fund transfer in the amount of $50,000; $50,000 to the Transient Room Tax Fund; $28,000 to the Utility fund and $75,000 to the Energy Services Fund for a total supplemental budget of $425,125, which represents less than one percent of the City's total budget.

City Manager Brookshier asked for a couple of reports regarding projects that will be completed with funding from the supplemental budget as follows:

Report/Good Shepherd Land Donation - W. Elm Pedestrian Crossing

Parks and Recreation Director Anderholm stated that Good Shepherd Medical Center has donated 1.13 acres (3 lots) of property south of Butte Park to the City of Hermiston.  The property directly south of the Sprayground will be developed into passive park space, acting as a buffer between neighboring residences and the Sprayground and future skate park.  The donated property will be developed in the near future as part of the National Park Service conversion process for Victory Square/Orchard Park LWCF Grant.  As part of the donation, the City will be working with the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) to construct a Good Shepherd Employee initiated mid-block pedestrian crossing connecting the hospital campus with the medical offices on the north side of Elm Avenue. 

Good Shepherd Administrator Dennis Burke stated the hospital board felt giving these three lots to the City to expand the park space around Butte Park was the best use of this property. 

Report/E. Main Street Pedestrian Improvements

Street Superintendent Sivey reported the $50,000 Reserve Fund transfer in the supplemental budget will fund the E. Main Street multi-use path from 7th Street to 10th Street.  This stretch of E. Main Street is extremely narrow and is heavily used by both adults and children, especially now with the addition of the new Sandstone Middle School.  The improvements will widen the existing street footprint by eight feet on the south side of E. Main Street.  This additional eight feet will be specifically for bicycle and pedestrian traffic and will be marked according to Manual for Uniform Traffic Control Devices.  We anticipate a completion date by the end of July.

There were no questions from the council, and no one in the audience wished to comment.  The hearing was closed at 7:25 pm.

Presentation - Local Builders Dan Brammer and Larry Grames

City Planner Spencer presented plaques of appreciation to local builders Dan Brammer and Larry Grames.

Minutes & Report

Councilor Myers moved and Councilor Harn seconded that the January manager's monthly report; minutes of the February 2 airport advisory committee meeting and minutes of the February 2 library board meeting be approved for filing.  Motion carried unanimously.

Res. No. 1887 - Supplement and Adjust Budget for 2010-11 Fiscal Year

Resolution No. 1887 - Supplement and adjust the budget for 2010-11 fiscal year - was read and discussed.  Councilor Hardin moved and Councilor Davis seconded that the resolution be approved and laid upon the record.  Motion carried unanimously.

Ord. No. 2169 - Initiate Annexation - 290 E. McKinney Avenue/Watkinds

Ordinance No. 2169 - Initiate annexation of approximately 105,000 square feet of land located at 290 E. McKinney Avenue (Watkinds) to the City of Hermiston, withdrawing said territory from the Umatilla County library district and establish land zoning effective on the 30th day after enactment.  Mayor Severson requested that the first reading be by title only.  Hearing no opposition, City Attorney Luisi read the ordinance by title only.  Mayor Severson requested that the ordinance be put on for final adoption at this meeting and that the second reading be by title only.  After City Attorney Luisi read the ordinance by title only for the second reading, Councilor Davis moved and Councilor Misner seconded that Ordinance No. 2169 be adopted.  8 votes for; none against.  Motion carried unanimously.

Council Comments

Councilor Harkenrider thanked City Manager Brookshier for providing information that will answer questions which were generated from the February 26 Hermiston Herald article regarding the recycled water plant improvements... Councilor Hardin expressed frustration with the negative press the City of Hermiston has been receiving lately in the Hermiston Herald.  He questioned Editor Neill Woelk regarding his motivation for questioning the decision making process of the city council; also, stating he felt his integrity was being questioned.  Councilor Hardin stated he felt that every councilor presently sitting on the council has the City's best interest at heart and that it is not the councilors job to micro-manage city staff.  Hermiston is a "Can-Do-City" and given the consistent growth in population and lack of citizen complaints, the City Council, City Manager and City Staff must be doing something right... Councilor Springer stated he moved his family to Hermiston from California in March 1966 and is proud of Hermiston as a community.  He has seen Hermiston grow from 4,500 to 16,745 citizens, according to the latest census figures, Hermiston is now the largest city in Umatilla County.  

City Manager Comments

City Manager Brookshier reminded the councilors of the dinner work session at 5:45 pm on March 14 before the regular council meeting.  The topic of the work session will be reports from the Police, Parks and Recreation, Street and Library Departments on their performance measurement work through the ICMA Center for Performance Measurement... Ed stated that he and Mayor Severson will be leaving Tuesday morning for Washington DC where they will be talking with our congressional delegates about how to expedite grant funding for the recycled water plant project.

Mr. Brookshier asked City Planner Spencer for a report on the Joseph Booster Station.

Report/Joseph Booster Station

City Planner Spencer stated City staff has been working with the Hermiston School District on providing adequate water for the new junior high on S.E. 9th Street.  This has been a multi-year project starting three years ago in 2008.  Early in 2009 public works staff determined that the existing Sunland Pump Station on S.W. 11th Street would have difficulty supplying adequate fire flow to the junior high and requested that the school district perform a water study to determine if the existing station is adequate or if additional pumping capacity is needed. 

When the city approved the conditional use permit in April of 2009 for Armand Larive Middle School, approval condition #9 required the school district to work with the city to insure that adequate fire flow is available to the new school.  There were two options looked at to provide adequate water, the school district could construct an emergency fire flow pump as a stop gap measure until water capacity in the area is increased, or the city and school district could work together to provide additional long term capacity for the southwest quadrant of town.  It was determined that the second option was the better option because it would provide fire flow for the school today and allow for future residential growth in the future. 

Mr. Brookshier asked Parks and Recreation Director Anderholm to give a report on the planned "Special Events" for next year.

Report/Parks and Recreation - "Special Events" Schedule

Parks and Recreation Director Anderholm reported the number one comment from the recent Community Parks and Recreation survey was for the City to provide free or low cost special event entertainment.  The Parks and Recreation Committee has formulated a list of 10 special events, some are familiar and others will be new this year.  The list includes:  Kid's Fishing Derby, Flashlight Easter Egg Hunt, 4th of July Festival (expanded to include a family adventure race and live entertainment, Hermiston Music Festival, Hermiston Movie Festival, Kids Triathlon, Latino Festival, Winter Blues, Community Yard Sale and finally a Spring Spice Food Festival.  Some of these events have sponsors, a couple events will have a small fee charged but the majority will be free to the public.

There was no other business, and the meeting was adjourned at 8:10 pm.

SIGNED:
/s/ Bob Severson
MAYOR

ATTEST:
/s/ Robert D. Irby
CITY RECORDER