November 17, 2009

TD residents share concerns
Money concerns top the list

By Roger Nichols
The Chronicle

    The Dalles City Council found both roses and thorns tossed its way at its first town hall meeting Monday at the Mid-Columbia Senior Center.
     The give and take was part of what the council has promised will be a twice-yearly event. City officials reported on projects under way and in the planning stages, then opened the floor to questions and comments.
     Marie Clark echoed the concern of many people on fixed incomes: “They want money, money, money,” she said, in regard to utilities and governments. “I don’t have any money.” She also advised councilors to “play with your heart instead of your pocketbook.”
     Linda Quackenbush noted that a proposed Local Improvement District (LID) that includes their home on Richmond Street would cost them $51,689.
     “We don’t have $51,689 in our bank account for this street improvement,” she said, “but the city is willing to lend it to us at 10 percent interest on a 10-year payback, which would be $683 a month for ten years, and that would equal $89,960 for the street improvement in front of our house.”
     City Manager Nolan Young told her that if outside money is used for the project, property owners would be charged only one percent interest over what the city had to pay. Improvements made on First Street were financed with 4 percent bonds, he said, so property owners were charged only 5 percent interest on their assessments.
     Senior planner Dick Gassman also described the city’s move away from a one-size-fits-all model requiring all streets to eventually be fully developed with paving, curbs and sidewalks on both sides.
     The city has now recognized that there are some areas that need to remain gravel because there are no storm sewers there, and paving the street would provide problems with storm water runoff.
     Similarly, he said, there are streets where sidewalks aren’t needed, or are needed on only one side of a street. Adding a sidewalk on the upper side of a street in a steep area could require construction of a retaining wall, he noted.
Other citizens had specific questions about whether there is a map showing the city’s proposed expansion of its urban growth boundary — there is, available at the planning office — and the progress of the proposed move of the armory to the CGCC campus — scheduled for 2010 budget, construction likely in 2011.
Some, like John Nelson, commended the council for scheduling such a meeting.
     “Too often the average citizen who lives in this town is not listened to,” he said.      “You pay a lot of attention to developers, construction companies and business owners and shut us out.”
     He noted that sometimes council limits or cuts off debate on the advice of legal counsel and “sometimes the public has no clue why you go along with his advice.”
     Councilors Brian Ahier and Dan Spatz both said they were interested in greater transparency in government and that when that happens, the audience should get an explanation.
     Part of the council’s move in that direction comes from changes to the city’s website. Meeting agendas and minutes for the city council, planning commission and traffic and safety commission are now posted on the site.
     “These aren’t just the bare agendas,” Councilor Ahier pointed out. “All the staff reports, all the background information we get in our packet are there online before the meeting, so you can look at them as well.”
     Though some present were critical of previous council actions and decisions, all welcomed the opportunity to make comments and ask questions out of the time constraints of a regular council meeting.
     Mayor Nikki Lesich summed up the evening by welcoming the critics and encouraging them to even greater involvement.
     “I may be the first woman mayor of The Dalles,” she told Linda Quackenbush, “but I don’t want to be the last.”