METRO POLICY ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING RECORD

May 8, 2002 – 5:00 p.m.

Metro Regional Center, Council Chambers

Committee Members Present: Chair Michael Jordan, Larry Cooper, Paul Curcio, Nathalie Darcy, Rob Drake, Andy Duyck, Eugene Grant, Ed Gronke, Judie Hammerstad, John Hartsock, Tom Hughes, Vera Katz, Richard Kidd, Annette Mattson, Doug Neeley, Jim Zehren

Alternates Present: Meg Fernekees, Jim Griffith, Chris Lassen, Dave Lohman

Also Present: G.B. Arrington, Parsons Brinckerhoff; Hal Bergsma, City of Beaverton; Beverly Bookin, Columbia Corridor Association; Al Burns, City of Portland; Cindy Catto, Associated General Contractors; Bob Clay, City of Portland; Tom Coffee, Consultant; Maggie Collins, City of Wilsonville; Valerie Counts, City of Hillsboro; Danielle Cowan, City of Wilsonville; Brent Curtis, Washington County; Michael Dennis, Tri-Met; Mary Gibson, Port of Portland; Stacy Hopkins, City of Tualatin; Jim Jacks, City of Tualatin; Stephan Lashbrook, City of Lake Oswego; Dave Leland, Leland Consulting Group; Doug McClain, Clackamas County; Irene Marvich, League of Women Voters; Lynn Peterson, Tri-Met; Pat Ribellia, City of Hillsboro; Grafton Sterling, John L. Scott Real Estate; Kimi Iboshi Sloop, Parsons Brinckerhoff; Matthew Udziela, Cogan Owens Cogan

Metro Staff Present: Dick Benner, Brenda Bernards, Dan Cooper, Andy Cotugno, Suzanne Myers Harold, Mike Hoglund, Marci LaBarge, Michael Morrissey, Lydia Neill, Tim O’Brien, Mark Turpel, Mary Weber, Gina Whitehill-Baziuk

1.  INTRODUCTIONS

Chair Michael Jordan, Clackamas County Commission, called the meeting to order at 5:02 p.m. Those present introduced themselves.

2.  ANNOUNCEMENTS

There were none.

3.  CITIZEN COMMUNICATIONS

There were none.

4.  CONSENT AGENDA

4.1  Meeting Summary: April 24, 2002

5.  COUNCIL UPDATE

No councilors were present.

Andy Cotugno, Planning Director, said Council is planning to form an Economic Technical Advisory Committee to provide input on the economic aspect of the Environmental, Energy, Social and Economic (ESEE) analysis. Council is also raising money to fund a peer review of the economic methodology. He said the Metro Technical Advisory Committee (MTAC) will be asked to review the Metropolitan Transportation Improvement Program (MTIP) allocation process and make a recommendation to MPAC.

Chair Jordan said he has asked that MTAC give MPAC a slate of recommendations so that MPAC can focus its discussion on the land use policy aspect of the MTIP process.

6.  SUBCOMMITTEE UPDATES

Dave Lohman, Port of Portland, reviewed the work of the Jobs Subcommittee. Meeting notes are included in the meeting packet. He noted that the committee had scheduled a staff presentation on the Urban Growth Report for tonight, however the report is not ready. Therefore, tonight’s meeting would be much shorter than planned.

Chair Jordan complimented Mr. Lohman and the committee on their comprehensive discussions and work.

7.  ALTERNATIVES ANALYSIS METHODOLOGY

Mr. Cotugno introduced the item. A memo from Tim O’Brien, Associate Regional Planner, to Councilor Rod Park, regarding methodology for the alternative analysis study is included in the meeting packet. Mr. O’Brien’s memo outlines the factors that Metro is required to consider under State Land Use Planning Goal 14. In addition to the Goal 14 factors, which are fairly general, Mr. Cotugno asked committee members to consider if other factors should be included.

Mr. O’Brien reviewed the methodology for the alternative analysis study, as outlined in his memo.

Judie Hammerstad, Mayor, City of Lake Oswego, asked how the potential service providers were identified and notified in the public services feasibility study.

Mr. O’Brien said the consultants used the service provider boundaries, and contacted each of the service providers to confirm that the boundaries were accurate and to ask about future expansions. He added that the consultants have notified all of the service providers and given them information about the study.

Doug Neeley, Oregon City Commissioner, expressed concern about the $200,000 building value threshold for removing partially vacant parcels from the vacant land inventory. He said there are agricultural enterprises with buildings worth over $200,000 which would redevelop if the surrounding land urbanized, because the agricultural use would not longer be viable.

Chair Jordan said the study uses tax lots to determine parcel size. Any parcel with a $200,000 structure is removed from the vacant land inventory. Then each tax lot is analyzed individually. If a 40-acre parcel contains one house, the other 39 acres will probably redevelop and they are added back into the inventory. On the other hand, if a parcel with a $200,000 house is only 100 feet square, it is unlikely to redevelop. Judgment calls have to be made regarding how much of the surrounding land is likely to redevelop.

Andy Duyck, Washington County Commission, expressed concern that in the agricultural analysis, aerial photographs are used to determine crop types. He said the photos are a snapshot of historical use, and do not predict future use and impact, as crop type and the intensity of the agricultural use can change instantly. He asked if it is important to know what has been done or what could be done, considering that anything could be done. The impact could potentially be the same for all agricultural parcels.

Mr. O’Brien said the photos are the only way for staff to see what land is in agricultural production. The assumption is that areas that support intensive, uninterrupted agriculture will be the most affected by potential urbanization.

Tom Hughes, Mayor, City of Hillsboro, asked if the likelihood of conversion from one type of agricultural use to another would be affected by the parcel’s location inside or outside of an irrigation district.

Commissioner Duyck said irrigation districts are a much better predictor of future agricultural use than historical use. Historical use is meaningless in predicting the future, because it can all change tomorrow.

Chair Jordan agreed that water availability is a major issue for agriculture and may impact the criteria. He noted that Metro does periodic review every five years, taking a new snapshot of the region and adjusting the past predictions as necessary.

Mr. Cotugno noted that staff received information about water and irrigation districts from the Oregon Water Resources Board.

Chair Jordan asked whether each parcel would be given a score based on the factors in the alternative analysis?

Mr. Cotugno said no, instead parcels will be identified as high, medium, or low in terms of each factor: how difficult it will be to provide public services, quality of agricultural land, etc.

8.  CENTERS STRATEGY STATUS REPORT

Mr. Cotugno introduced Dave Leland, Leland Consulting Group, and G.B. Arrington, Parsons Brinckerhoff. With a grant from the Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD), Metro hired Mr. Leland and Mr. Arrington as consultants to develop an implementation strategy for Metro 2040 Centers. The conclusions from the centers strategy will be included in the periodic review, because the potential development of centers affects how much the urban growth boundary will need to be expanded this year.

Mr. Leland and Mr. Arrington gave a brief status report on implementing 2040 regional centers. They will complete their work in mid-June. Presentation notes are included in the meeting record.

Commissioner Neeley noted that Mr. Leland said the cities of Oregon City, Milwaukie and Gladstone could work together to develop as a corridor, rather than compete to build three separate centers. He asked how the cities could do that.

Mr. Leland said the principles are the same as the private-sector work done in the Sunset Corridor, in which they worked together through the corridor association. There may be a way in which the cities of Milwaukie, Gladstone, and Oregon City can collectively draw more investment into its corridor.

9.  URBAN GROWTH REPORT

Mr. Cotugno distributed a draft memo from Lydia Neill regarding 2002 Urban Growth Report methodology. The parks component of the memo has been updated from the version included in the meeting packet. The MPAC Housing, Parks, and Demand Forecast Subcommittees are reviewing the information in detail, and will bring to MPAC any policy issues that need to be addressed.

Chair Jordan noted that every jurisdiction has a comprehensive plan with a standard for acreage for parks, by which its system development charge methodology is based. Is Metro looking at the standard, which is the aspirational goal of each local jurisdiction?

Mark Turpel, Long-Range Planning Manager, said it has been suggested that they do so, but he did not know if there would be enough time.

Mr. Cotugno said staff has determined each system development rate, how much money it produces, and therefore what it might support.

10.  TRANSPORTATION FINANCE TASK FORCE

Mr. Cotugno said Resolution No. 02-3189, included in the meeting packet, will be introduced to the Metro Council by Executive Officer Mike Burton. The resolution calls for the appointment of a Transportation Finance Task Force. Executive Officer Burton is in the process of appointing members and would like to appoint a member from both MPAC and the Joint Policy Advisory Committee on Transportation (JPACT).

Mayor Katz asked how the Transportation Finance Task Force would differ from the Regional Business Alliance.

Mr. Cotugno said they hoped to take advantage of some of the work and membership already done by the Regional Business Alliance, however, the Regional Business Alliance has not yet come up with any funding recommendations.

Chair Jordan said Executive Officer Burton hopes to have the task force under way by June, with a recommendation by December. He is interested in fairly heavy representation by the private sector. Chair Jordan encouraged MPAC members to contact Executive Officer Burton with names of good candidates for the task force. Chair Jordan announced room assignments for subcommittee meetings. There being no further business, he adjourned the meeting at 6:00 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Suzanne Myers Harold

MPAC Coordinator

ATTACHMENTS TO THE RECORD FOR MAY 8, 2002

The following have been included as part of the official public record: