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Sunset Empire Transportation District
Board of Commissioners Meeting Minutes
Astoria Transit Center Meeting Room
900 Marine Drive, Astoria
July 17, 2007 9:30 a.m.
CALL TO ORDER:
Called order 9:30 a.m.
 
 
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG:
 
 
ROLL CALL:
Chairman Bob Gannaway
Commissioner Ron Bline
Commissioner Marcia Fenske
Commissioner Rae Goforth
Commissioner Charlotte Mendenhall: absent
Commissioner David Shannon
Commissioner Lylla Gaebel
 
Staff Present:
  Executive Director Howe,
 
 
ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS:
Resolution No. 2007-07: Honoring the Service of Victor Kee was held over until the August meeting.
   
   
SWEARING IN CEREMONY :
  Chair Gannaway swore in Commissioners Goforth, Gaebel, Bline, Fenske and Shannon.
   
   
ELECTION OF OFFICERS:
Commissioner Fenske was elected Chair, Commissioner Gannaway was elected Vice-chair and Commissioner Goforth was re-elected as Secretary/Treasurer.
   
   
CHANGES TO THE AGENDA:
Commissioner Gaebel requested that e-mail access be added to the agenda under Other Business
   
   
  APPROVAL OF JUNE 19, 2007 MINUTES:
   
 
Motion by Commissioner Goforth to accept the minutes as presented. Chair Fenske, Commissioners Gannaway, Bline, Shannon, Goforth and Gaebel voted yes. Motion passed.
   
   
REPORTS FROM CHAIR AND COMMISSIONERS:
   
Commissioner Bline reported that he attended the NWACT meeting in North Plains. Matt Mumford, General Manager of Tillamook County Transportation reported on the connecting service that will start between Clatsop and Tillamook counties on September 4th. The NWACT was told that they will need to start working on recommendations for the 2011-13 STIP. There is momentum to move forward by the Legislature, who will briefly meet next year.
   
Commissioner Bline also said that Larry McKinley, local ODOT manager, reported that the city of Seaside has approached them about a TSP. This is because ODOT has a policy now in place that says no area will get funding without a new or updated TSP. Seaside does not have a TSP at this time.
   
  Commissioner Gaebel reported that the final meeting of the Astoria Warrenton area Refinement Planning Committee will be soon and the final document will be used to update both Astoria and Warrenton's TSP. Commissioner Gaebel requested that the board appoint her as the SETD representative on this committee as she has been attending them since the beginning. Commissioner Gaebel was appointed as the SETD representative of the Refinement Planning Committee.
   
  Commissioner Gannaway attended the Warrenton City Planning Commission meeting regarding the proposed urban renewal district along with Commissioner Gaebel.
   
  Chair Fenske talked with a gentleman named Bob Howard who had run against Joyce Compere for Astoria City Council. He wanted to comment on how wonderful The Bus is and had nothing but nice things to say.
   
   
  APPROVAL OF FINANCIAL REPORT FOR JUNE:
Motion by Commissioner Goforth to approve the Financials. Chair Fenske, Commissioners Gannaway, Bline, Shannon, Goforth and Gaebel voted yes. Motion passed.
 
CORRESPONDENCE:
   
  NWACT minutes of May 3, 2007: For board information only.
   
  ODOT Public Transit 2007-09 Grant Award Notification: For board information only.
   
   
OLD BUSINESS:
  NWRC Audit: Ms. Howe reported that they are getting very close to a resolution on the audit. She explained that she had met three times with the DMAP auditors and it was down to an issue about rent and/or debt service and whether it could be an allowable expense and the telephone installation. She said that she hoped to have a final report at the next meeting. Commissioner Shannon asked if she needed help. Ms. Howe replied that if there was no agreement by the next meeting, she would look into asking for some outside help.
   
   
NEW BUSINESS
   
  Appointment of board member to the dial-a-ride committee
  Ms. Howe reported that Commissioner Mendenhall regretfully had to resign her position because of ill health and asked that another board member take on the responsibility. Commissioner Goforth said she was interested. Commissioner Goforth was appointed as board representative on the dial-a-ride committee.
   
  City of Warrenton Proposed Urban Renewal District Report
  Commissioner Gaebel reported that her problem with the city going ahead with the district is that for instance, the southern end of Warrenton was supposed to form an LID to install sewers. Now all the taxing districts are being asked to foot the bill instead of exploring other ways, such as a local improvement district or system development charges. Commissioner Shannon asked what the SETD board could realistically do. Commissioner Gaebel said that the board could raise the issue that Warrenton hasn't explored other options and that since they expect to grow so dramatically, make sure they understand that SETD will have increase our services with less money. She said that SETD should also request to be in the urban renewal district because if we want to expand our property it might make it easier and we also want to get the benefit of the street improvements that the urban renewal district would give us.
   
   
Motion by Commissioner Gaebel to direct the Executive Director compose a letter and subject to review by the SETD board, send the letter to the Warrenton City Commission, with a cc to the Urban Renewal District Committee that the SETD board is not opposed to the urban renewal district, but that the SETD board requests that the City of Warrenton pursue a local improvement district for the southern portion of Warrenton and also pursue the option of system development charges throughout the city as a way of reducing the amount of money that will be needed for urban renewal. The SETD board also requests that the City of Warrenton include SETD property at 465 NE Skipanon Drive in the urban renewal district boundaries. Motion passed. Chair Fenske, Commissioners Gannaway, Goforth, Shannon, Bline and Gaebel voted yes.
   
  Commissioner Gaebel offered to join Executive Director at the Warrenton City Commission meeting to present the letter and respond to questions.
   
   
OTHER ITEMS:
   
  Operations, Human Resources and NWRC Reports
  Staff was directed to have the ridership report for NWRC reflect a thirteen month spread to allow for comparison to last year.
   
  E-Mail Access
  Commissioner Gaebel asked if each board member could have an SETD e-mail address for SETD business use and asked that it be forwarded to their personal e-mail addresses. She explained that by doing it that way, the board members personal e-mails would not be subject to the public meeting laws.
   
  Ms. Howe stated that she would get it set up by the next meeting.
   
   
   
  There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 11:15 pm.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
Respectfully submitted,
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Rae Goforth
Secretary/Treasurer
   
   
   
   
   
   
THIS MEETING IS ACCESSIBLE TO THE DISABLED, AN INTERPRETER FOR THE HEARING IMPAIRED MAY BE REQUESTED UNDER THE TERMS OF OS 192.630 BY CONTACTING SUNSET EMPIRE TRANSPORTATION DISTRICT AT 861-7433