By James Day
The Silverton City Council has finalized its work on goal-setting for the new fiscal year beginning July 1.
The goals were discussed at length at a nearly four-hour special session at The Oregon Garden on Feb. 6, tweaked at the Feb. 26 work session and received unanimous support at the March 4 regular meeting.
The goals are broken down into seven categories, each of which has multiple bullet points. The categories are critical infrastructure, community livability, community resiliency and environmental sustainability, destination development and economic development, Silverton 2050, good governance and Urban Renewal Agency goals.
The goals list includes big ticket items such as the financing of a new water treatment plant, which is expected to cost more than $10 million, to smaller items such as an urban forest management plan and high-visibility park amenities such as the downtown plaza park, the Pettit Lake trail system and new pickleball courts.
The city also plans to initiate a comprehensive plan update, a lengthy process which helps establish city guidelines and protocols for growth, housing development and the infrastructure that new housing requires.
To view the full list of goals at the city website go to https://silverton.or.us/citycouncil/page/were-excited-share-city-council-has-officially-approved-fiscal-year-2024-25-goals-0/ and click on the link under supporting documents.
The council plans to check in quarterly to adjust and update the goals as needed.
In other City Council action from the Feb. 26 and March 4 meetings:
• Community Center: The city’s lease for the state-owned community center building expires March 31. The city plans to continue the lease for up to 90 days, although the only strictly city use of the building is for council meetings.
Silverton Area Community Aid (SACA) plans to move its basement operations to new quarters at the former Ratchet Brewery building sometime this summer. The Silver Falls YMCA plans to no longer use the building for its programs by the end of the lease date.
• Urban Renewal: Meeting as the Urban Renewal Agency the councilors approved approximately $37,000 in funding for facade work at a 1925 building at 204 Oak St., a mixed-use structure that includes a barber shop, a real estate office, a hair salon and a rock shop plus apartments on the second floor. The money will help pay for a new exterior paint job, new exterior lighting in the awning, an all new gutter system and downspouts for the building, installation of two security gates at the stairs and a new exterior glass door, new siding under the awning and the addition of trim around the lower level windows.
• Main Street Improvement Project: Councilors discussed but did not act on a proposed downtown project that would revitalize the block of Main Street between Water and First. A total of $300,000 in urban renewal funds are available for the project, but Jason Gottgetreu, the community development director, told the council that the project likely will cost significantly more than that. The next step would be to request proposals from firms seeking to bid on the project. Gottgetreu also briefed the council on an online survey that received 587 responses.
• Speed Limit Change: Councilors also discussed the possibility of lowering the speed limit on local residential streets from 25 mph to 20 mph. No vote was taken, but councilors seemed inclined to move forward and continue to work on the concept.
• City Hall: Councilors unanimously approved $56,000 in additional spending on change orders for the new City Hall. The project is more than 4% over its projected construction budget of $14.75 million. The last official word from the city is that the building will be open in late April, but that date continues to
be a moving target and may be pushed out.
