City planners discuss.City planners discuss measure on urban renewal City planners last week held a meeting to explain to the public the ins and outs ins and outs pl.n. 1. The intricate details of a situation, decision, or process. 2. The windings of a road or path. of urban renewal. Also on the agenda: a discussion of the details of a November ballot measure asking Springfield voters to approve a renewal district for the downtown area. Another goal of the meeting was to collect ideas from local residents on projects to upgrade the city core. Developing an improvement plan - and helping the public understand how those projects could be funded - is a priority for Springfield officials. "Some people have a strong sense of what (an urban renewal district) is, while others really don't understand how it works," city planner Mark Metzger said. In a nutshell, cities that establish renewal districts funnel into a special fund any increases in property taxes paid by owners in the district. The collected money can be used only for improvements inside district boundaries. A serious effort to inject new life into downtown Springfield was launched last month when the City Council decided to ask voters to support creation of a renewal district in which tax revenue could be used to fund downtown improvements. Springfield planners are responsible for producing a list of improvements. A draft list compiled by planners includes street, curb and other infrastructure improvements, and construction of a new city library and fire station. Developer wants details about city's bill Developer Todd Alberts isn't saying he won't pay the city nearly $120,000 the city says it spent earlier this year dealing with an allegedly unstable road winding through Alberts' upscale new hillside subdivision in Thurston. But before Alberts gives the city a dime, he wants a better explanation of the $119,518 reimbursement Reimbursement Payment made to someone for out-of-pocket expenses has incurred. bill the city sent him last month. "These issues will get resolved, but I need more information from the city before I agree to pay," said Alberts, who is developing part of the MountainGate subdivision on Potato Hill. City officials say Alberts owes them for time and money the city spent investigating part of a road that a city-hired geotechnical engineering Geotechnical engineering is the branch of civil engineering concerned with the engineering behavior of earth materials. Geotechnical engineering includes investigating existing subsurface conditions and materials; assessing risks posed by site conditions; designing earthworks and firm - GeoEngineering of Portland - determined in February could collapse and endanger en·dan·ger tr.v. en·dan·gered, en·dan·ger·ing, en·dan·gers 1. To expose to harm or danger; imperil. 2. To threaten with extinction. nearby homes. As part of the bill, the city also wants Alberts to reimburse re·im·burse tr.v. re·im·bursed, re·im·burs·ing, re·im·burs·es 1. To repay (money spent); refund. 2. To pay back or compensate (another party) for money spent or losses incurred. the city about $14,000 that the city spent hiring a security firm to watch over the homes of three families. The families followed city officials' advice and evacuated e·vac·u·ate v. e·vac·u·at·ed, e·vac·u·at·ing, e·vac·u·ates v.tr. 1. a. To empty or remove the contents of. b. To create a vacuum in. 2. the area downhill from the road for about a month while dirt in part of the road fill was replaced with rocks. Also, the city wants Alberts to reimburse nearly $17,000 for money the city gave the displaced displaced see displacement. families for food and lodging. Alberts says he took issue with the city's handling of the situation from the start. He claims the road fill was done according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. a plan approved by city Public Works public works pl.n. Construction projects, such as highways or dams, financed by public funds and constructed by a government for the benefit or use of the general public. Noun 1. officials. Alberts also disputes the charge that the area was unstable. He said that he eventually agreed to fortify for·ti·fy v. for·ti·fied, for·ti·fy·ing, for·ti·fies v.tr. To make strong, as: a. To strengthen and secure (a position) with fortifications. b. To reinforce by adding material. the road fill "because if I didn't, (city officials) were going to force me to." Rebuilding the fill area cost him more than $1 million, Alberts said. Long-time school board member resigns SPRINGFIELD - Bill Medford, whose combined years of service in two stints on the Springfield School Board add up to a quarter-century, resigned Monday, saying it's time It's Time was a successful political campaign run by the Australian Labor Party (ALP) under Gough Whitlam at the 1972 election in Australia. Campaigning on the perceived need for change after 23 years of conservative (Liberal Party of Australia) government, Labor put forward a for new blood. Medford, 74, said he made the difficult decision only recently, and believes he's leaving the district in the best shape it's been in in years. "I think it's an excellent time for a new board person to come on board," said Medford, a real estate broker who served on the board from 1970 until 1989 and then was appointed to fill a vacancy in 2002. He won election to a four-year term in 2005. ON THE WEB To read the full Springfield stories, go online to www.registerguard.com and click on Springfield Extra |
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