Policy Goals and Objectives 2011-2012

Protect our community's quality of life and promote economic development

To seek voter approval of a five-year local option levy for police protection services to provide stable funding for current service levels.

Rationale: Police protection service costs have exceeded the permanent tax rate revenues for the last six years, and the funding gap continues to grow. The City's permanent tax rate is among the lowest of all of the cities in the state. Passage of this levy will secure police protection services at current levels for the next five years.
Target completion date: May 15, 2012

To provide the maximum amount of service within available resources at the absolute minimum cost.

Rationale: The great recession has taken a toll on the financial condition of the City. Limited and dwindling resources, coupled with continued rising costs, have forced the City to prioritize services, implement cost-cutting measures, reduce staffing levels, cut service levels, and in some cases, eliminate selected services.
Target completion date: Ongoing

To promote and maintain a safe and desirable living and working environment while at the same time maintaining and improving the qualify of our community.

Rationale: The City Council has adopted City codes (laws) specifically designed to address blight, nuisances, and to maintain a clean environment for all citizens in our community. An emphasis will be placed on code enforcement by administering a fair and unbiased enforcement program to correct violations through:
The facilitation of voluntary compliance with City laws and codes
The development of public outreach programs
The establishment of community priorities for enforcement program
Target completion date: June 30, 2012

To complete a community visioning process with a focus on economic development.

Rationale: The last City-wide visioning process occurred in 2001. Significant changes have occurred in the economic condition of the region and demographics of the City that should be reflected in an updated visioning process.
Target completion date: September 1, 2011

To promote the addition of new and unobtrusive development in the industrial zone and other economic efforts within Columbia County in the interest of countywide job growth.

Rationale: Promoting job growth is an essential part of creating a sustainable community.
Target completion date: Ongoing

To continue to work to mitigate the impacts of industrial uses on the neighboring residential area.

Rationale: The current heavy industrial use of property has conflicted with the health and welfare of the residential area east of Highway 30. Every effort should be made to minimize the conflicts.
Target completion date: Ongoing

To continue to pursue the acquisition of easements and/or land donations along the length of McBride Creek, including the Trestle Beach area, for the development of a linear park and beachfront park.

Rationale: Acquisition of the riparian buffer area will further protect the integrity of the natural stream system, and provide current and future generations with an opportunity to enjoy the beautiful natural setting it provides.
Target completion date: Ongoing

To update the Columbia City Charter.

Rationale: The current City Charter was adopted in 1972 and amended in 1986, and portions of the charter are obsolete and need to be updated.
Target completion date: November 1, 2012

Place emphasis on street and storm drain maintenance and improvements

To place a concentrated emphasis on pavement preservation efforts.

Rationale: Preserving our existing infrastructure is essential. Proper maintenance, including consistent vegetation removal, crack sealing, patching, and fabric and pavement overlays can extend the life expectancy of existing improvements.
Target Date: On going.

To complete underground injection control (UIC) system and drainage swale maintenance services.

Rationale: Due to limited resources, some of the routine maintenance services outlined in the City's Storm Water Management Plan for the City's UIC system and drainage swale systems have been postponed for several years. Periodic routine maintenance is essential to insure optimum performance of the system.
Target Date: October 1, 2012.

To obtain rule authorization for the City's UIC system through the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ).

Rationale: Rule authorization appears to be the most favorable option for the City to pursue for achieving UIC compliance. However, if natural filtration beneath the City's 34 dry wells is determined to be inadequate by the DEQ, the City may need to secure a Water Pollution Control Facility Permit, an option expected to be much more costly than rule authorization.
Target Date: June 30, 2012

To develop a detailed Right-of-Way and Street System Inventory.

Rationale: A detailed inventory will help us to better evaluate and manage the existing conditions and prioritize maintenance and improvement needs.
Target Date: June 30, 2012

To develop an Alignment Plan for the Sixth Street Improvement Project.

Rationale: Sixth Street serves as a main collector street for the City, running north and south the full length of the City. Overlaying Sixth Street and constructing half-street improvements to collector standards is estimated to cost nearly $1 million. Existing improvements coupled with varying terrain make the alignment of the fully developed street a challenge. Funding for street improvement projects is extremely limited, and preserving the investment we have in our street system is critical. An alignment plan is needed in order to define and prioritize portions of this project.
Target Date: June 30, 2013

To investigate and pursue alternative funding opportunities for street and storm drain maintenance and improvements.

Rationale: Current resources available for street maintenance and improvements received from State gasoline tax and street system development charges fall short of meeting the City's basic street maintenance needs and providing for necessary street improvements. The City has no current funding source for storm maintenance. The City will continue to pursue grant funding and investigate the establishment of a street and/or storm water utility fee.
Target completion date: Ongoing

Water and sewer system maintenance, improvements, and standards are a high priority

To eliminate all steel septic tanks within the sewer system.

Rationale: The steel septic tanks that were incorporated into the City's Septic Tank Effluent Gravity (STEG) system have reached the end of their expected life. These tanks have been targeted for removal and/or replacement.
Target completion date: December 31, 2014

To eliminate all manual read meters within the water system.

Rationale: Approximately 65 percent of the City's water meters are manual read meters that have reached the end of their life expectancy. Replacing old, manual meters with automated radio read meters will:
Enable cost-effective meter reading
Increase meter accuracy
Optimize reading efficiency
Reduce labor costs associated with reading and data entry
Reduce employee exposure to accidents and injury
Reduce fuel costs and vehicle wear and tear
Target completion date: December 31, 2014

To negotiate a new and updated wholesale water agreement that includes compensation to Columbia City for right-of-way use and an equitable and reasonable method of establishing wholesale water rates.

Rationale: The current Wholesale Water Agreement with the City of St. Helens was entered into in 1982. Conditions have changed in that the City of Columbia City uses the wholesale water as a supplementary supply rather than a primary supply. The existing agreement provides Columbia City with no compensation for St. Helens' use of Columbia City right-of-ways and Columbia City has had concerns about the methodology used by the St. Helens water rate consultant in establishing the wholesale water rate.
Target completion date: As soon as possible.

To develop a Drinking Water Protection Plan.

Rationale: Safe drinking water is vital to the health of citizens in every community. The 1996 Amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act require the state conduct Source Water Assessments for all public water systems. These assessments are designed to provide water systems with the information they need to develop protection strategies for their groundwater source. There is a need to go beyond the traditional emphasis on treatment and protect public drinking water at its source
Target completion date: March 31, 2012.

To acquire property for a future water storage reservoir and well site.

Rationale: Ideally, the new reservoir would be located at the north end of the City and the property would provide a potential well site for future use. Siting at the preferred reservoir elevation is very limited, and it is important that we acquire property well in advance to insure the availability of a reservoir site when the need arises in the future.
Target completion date: December 31, 2014

To acquire funding for the Wastewater Telemetry, Monitoring and Alarm System project.

Rationale: Expanding the existing telemetry, monitoring and alarm system to include the wastewater lift stations and sewer force main meter will increase existing spill prevention efforts through earlier detection of problems, consistent monitoring, improved communications, and faster emergency response.
Target completion date: December 31, 2014