Minutes
Oregon Parks and Recreation Department Meeting 
August 5, 2004
OPRD Commission Room—725 Summer St. NE   Salem, OR

Commissioners Present:   John Blackwell, David Kottkamp, Bill Gregory and Sue Musser

Commissioners Absent:   Bob Green, Roberta Conner, Nik Blosser

Staff Present:   Mike Carrier, Director; Jana Tindall, Assistant Director, Administration; Tim Wood, Assistant Director, Operations; James Hamrick, Assistant Director, Heritage Conservation; Kyleen Stone, Financial Services Manager; Dave Wright, Resource Management and Planning Manager; Wayne Rawlins, Contracts & Procurement and ATV Program Manager; Rocky Houston, ATV Grant and Education Coordinator; Frank Howard, Public Information Officer; Jo Bell, Commission Assistant

Other Visitors Present:   Steve Shipsey, Assistant Attorney General; Bill Sweet, citizen; Liz Frankel, League of Women Voters; Larry Runk, ATV Allocation Committee; Julie Barrell, ATV Allocation Committee; Tim Custer, ATV Allocation Committee

The meeting began at 9:10 AM

Introductions: Commissioner Blackwell introduced new Commission member, Sue Musser, and Bill Sweet, longtime advocate for Oregon State Parks and former member of the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department Advisory Committee. All other attendees introduced themselves.

1.	Approval of Agenda 
The agenda was adjusted to include an informational presentation
by Sharon Leighty, Director of Oregon State Parks Trust.    
David Kottkamp moved to approve the adjusted agenda; Bill Gregory seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.

2.	Public Comment
Liz Frankel, member of the League of Women Voters of Oregon, and member of the Oregon Scenic Waterways Review Stakeholder Group, offered comments relating to the Oregon Scenic Waterway Review and Agenda 
Item 8. She represented the League in asking the Commission to rescind approval of the legislative concept embodied in the Stakeholder Group’s report, on the basis that the legislative concept was rejected by the Governor. Ms. Frankel said the  League is not arguing the merits of the legislative concept; the request is only in keeping with the Governor’s  rejection of the legislative concept. 
John Blackwell agreed the issue would be addressed later in the meeting, as Agenda Item 8 (Agenda Item 9 in the adjusted agenda). 

Larry Runk, member of the ATV Allocation Committee, suggested to the Commission that ATV permit fees be raised above the current price of $10 to $25 over a five-year period. Mr. Runk acknowledged that the fee increase would have to come from the Legislature, but asked for the Commission’s consideration. 
In response to questions from John Blackwell and David Kottkamp, Mr. Runk said the increased revenue would enhance ATV recreation and that his request has the full support of OHV clubs in Oregon he had spoken with, as well as the general public. Mike Carrier said the timing of this discussion is perfect to prepare for the 2007 Legislative session and the 2007-09 budget cycle. Carrier said staff would be able to document the revenue that is brought in to local Oregon communities by ATV recreation. No Commission action was requested. 

3.	Director’s Update
As of September 1, 2004, Mike Carrier will assume a new position as the Governor’s Natural Resources Policy Director. Carrier expressed sadness regarding his intended resignation as Director of the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, and acknowledged his excitement about assuming his new role in the Governor’s Office. He looks forward to supporting the Department in ways not available to him before. Tim Wood, Assistant Director—Operations, will serve as Acting Director during the recruitment for a new Director. 
John Blackwell asked the Commission to ratify Tim Wood’s appointment as Acting Director. Bill Gregory moved to ratify the appointment; Sue Musser seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.

4.	Approval of Minutes from the June 17, 2004, Commssion Meeting
Bill Gregory moved to approve the June 17 Minutes as presented; Sue Musser seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.

5.	Oregon State Parks Trust Update—(Sharon Leighty, Director OSPT)
Ms. Leighty provided a summary of Oregon State Parks Trust Priority Projects. She announced the completion of two benchmark projects for OSPT: 1) the $2 Million campaign for the Vista House restoration, and 2) the $321,000 campaign for Collier Memorial State Park. New projects include the Oregon Lighthouse Campaign, Kam Wah Chung & Co. Museum Restoration Campaign, Sustainable Park Practices, and the Willamette River Water Trail Initiative-Phase 1. Leighty believes the success of the Vista House campaign has given OSPT great credibility. 
 No Commission action was requested.

6.	Approval of Delegated Authority Reports for 
a) Contracts (Kyleen Stone) 
Bill Gregory moved to approve the Delegated Authority Reports for Contracts; David Kottkamp seconded. The motion passed unanimously.

b) Natural Resources (Mike Carrier)
One Ocean Shores Permit Application was denied.
Bill Gregory moved to approve the Delegated Authority Reports for Natural Resources; David Kottkamp seconded. The motion passed unanimously. 

7.	Real Estate (Dave Wright)
a) Proposed Acquisition of Property in Banks
The City of Banks is partnering with the Department to connect the Banks-Vernonia State Trail to the City of Banks. As part of this project, the Department has negotiated, subject to the Commission’s approval, the purchase of a 29,185 square foot site in Banks from Jeff Bayless, for the purchase price of $275,000.00. The subject property, once acquired, will become part of a larger improvements project which will include the realigning of the Banks Road intersection to reduce conflicts between pedestrians, bicyclists and motor vehicles; the building of a ten-foot wide asphalt concrete surface for bicycle and pedestrian access and a parallel four-foot wide wood chip surface for equestrian use; and the shifting of portions of the trail 30 feet from the existing railroad centerline. Staff recommended that the Commission approve the Department’s purchase of the subject property. 
Bill Gregory moved to approve the purchase; Sue Musser seconded. The motion passed unanimously. 

b)	Proposed Acquisition of Willamette Greenway Property in 
Linn County
The Western River Conservancy, a non-profit group headquartered in Portland, has partnered with the Department on several land acquisitions and has requested OPRD assistance in another acquisition opportunity—26.88  acres of land along the Willamette River westerly of the small town of Halsey.  The parcel adjoins an OPRD managed Greenway site known as Sam Dawes Landing.  The property lies along the east bank of the river at the terminus of Pine Grove Drive. The property offers excellent natural resource values with the slough channels providing excellent wildlife habitat.  Acquisition would also allow an upland access to the Sam Dawes Landing site which currently can only be accessed from the river.  The current owner, Michael Greenslade, is purchasing the property on contract.  The former owners have retained a life estate but are required to pay $400 per month rent for the remainder of their tenancy.  Based upon the value of the life estate, the owner is willing to sell the property for $213,000.  The Western Rivers Conservancy has a grant from the North American Wetland Conservation Act which will finance the majority of the purchase with a contribution from OPRD of not more than $63,300. Upon purchase, title will be vested with the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department.  OPRD will also collect the $400 per month rent from the former owners. Staff recommends Commission approval to acquire this land at a cost to the department of not more than $63,300.
David Kottkamp moved to approve the purchase; Bill Gregory seconded. The motion passed unanimously.

c)	City of Independence Request for Greenway Property
The City of Independence has requested that the Department convey to them certain lands associated with the Willamette River Greenway that are located within the City’s Urban Growth Boundary. One parcel  contains an existing groundwater well located in relative close proximity to the Independence south well field and would provide a needed source of water with modest development costs. The parcels would also provide a trail connection between a new development in the west part of town and the City’s Riverview Park located along the Willamette River waterfront.  Staff recommends that the Commission convey the property to the City of Independence at no cost with a deed restriction requiring that the property be used in perpetuity for public park and recreation purposes. Staff would also apprise the community’s Representatives that the agency had worked with Independence to make the transfer.
Bill Gregory moved to approve the conveyance of property to the City of Independence; Sue  Musser seconded. The motion passed unanimously. 

8.	Request for Rule Approval: Land Acquisition and 
Exchange Policy (Dave Wright)
At the February 26, 2004, OPRD Commission Meeting, the Department presented a draft of its Land Acquisition and Exchange Policy for Commission review.  On March 12, 2004, the Department submitted its proposed policy to the Secretary of State and the Oregon Bulletin for publication and public comment.  One comment letter has been received; no requests for public hearing regarding this policy have been made.  As outlined in the Statement of Need and Fiscal Impact, on November 13, 1991, the Department enacted its internal policy on land acquisition.  The proposed Land and Acquisition Policy represents the Department’s mere advancing to a rule, what has been its long-standing internal policy. Staff recommended that the Commission approve the Department’s proposed Land and Acquisition Policy as a formal rule.
The Commission considered suggested language changes to the rule which were submitted by Fran Recht, Director of the Ocean Shores Conservation Coalition, and Steve Shipsey, Assistant Attorney General. The Commission asked that a draft of the new rule language be prepared and delivered to the Commission for review. The request for rule approval will be considered again at the September 2, 2004, Commission meeting.

9.	Oregon Scenic Waterway Review (Dave Wright)
In 2001, the Oregon Legislative Assembly passed Senate Bill 606 which required the Department to complete a review of the Oregon State Scenic Waterway Program.  The primary impetus of the review centered around recreational placer mining within State Scenic Waterways. Senate Bill 606 provided that no permits for recreational placer mining would be issued after December 31, 2003, if OPRD completed a review of the program, including a review of studies pertaining to the effects of recreational placer mining.  If the review was not completed, the sunset for issuing permits would be extended to December 31, 2005. The Department contracted with the Institute of Natural Resources at Oregon State University to complete the review and the Department initiated a discussion of the review with stakeholders in preparation for submitting it to the Legislature. A legislative concept resulted that the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department Commission approved last May. Subsequently, the Governor’s office withdrew the concept. Staff recommended that the Commission acknowledge the report from the stakeholder’s group and approve forwarding it to the Legislative Assembly in order to fulfill the mandate of Senate Bill 606.  Commission action with regard to specific recommendations within the report will be a subject of a future Commission meeting. 
Following Mike Carrier’s comment that it is important to acknowledge the Governor’s stand on the legislative concept, David Kottkamp moved to acknowledge the report and rescind the legislative concept; Bill Gregory seconded. The motion passed unanimously. 

10.	Funding Agreement with Oregon Water Resources 
Department (Dave Wright) 
The Water Resource budget bill, Senate Bill 5546, included a budget note that read: The Water Resources Department is directed to work with OPRD to identify costs incurred in fulfilling the goals of the Scenic Waterway Program (ORS 390.805–390.925) and develop an agreement with OPRD for reimbursement of cost incurred in support of these goals. The Water Resources Department has identified a total of $297,100 in costs associated with Scenic Waterway activities. Since this is an un-budgeted item for OPRD, the agencies have agreed that OPRD would pay $100,000 to Water Resources at the end of March 2005.  An additional $100,000 would be paid upon mutual consent of both agency directors.  Payment would be contingent upon OPRD having sufficient funds or approval of additional limitation by the Legislature. Staff recommended Commission approval of the agreement to reimburse the Water Resources Department for an amount not to exceed $200,000.
David Kottkamp moved to approve the agreement; Bill Gregory seconded. The motion was passed unanimously.

11.	Heritage Conservation Update (James Hamrick)
James Hamrick provided an overview of current Heritage Conservation issues, including:
Budget—For the first time in many federal fiscal years, the Senate exceeded House Interior budget mark-ups on draw downs from the Historic Preservation Fund to fund State Historic Preservation Offices. A conference committee will decide the final numbers.
Preserve America—Astoria has been named the first Preserve America community in the northwest. 
Oregon Sesquicentennial—On August 5, 2004, staff from the Oregon Heritage Commission, State Historic Preservation Office, Oregon Historical Society, Oregon Humanities Council, and the Oregon Arts Commission met in a facilitated session to review Governor Kulongoski’s directive and to prepare for a larger discussion in the fall between cultural interests in anticipation of the next legislative session.  
Oregon Cultural Trust—The Trust recently awarded a $15,000 Development grant to the Kam Wah Chung restoration effort. In addition, the Trust announced its 2005 disbursement to its programs. The amount of $63,525 will be divided equally between OHC, SHPO, and OHS. Those funds are being used collaboratively to create narratives and Learning Center sections that focus on “Historic Preservation” and “Teaching with Historic Places.” The project will also present workshops for teachers and community members on these topics.
Preservation Leadership Training—OPRD sponsored the 14th Preservation Leadership Training, a program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the week of June 5-12.
No Commission action was requested.
 
12.	All-Terrain Vehicle Grant Recommendation (Kyleen Stone)
The All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) Allocation Advisory Committee called a special teleconference meeting on June 16, 2004, to review a grant request from the Motorcycle Riders’ Association (MRA) for the acquisition of land in the Jacksonville area.  These properties compliment lands already owned by the MRA and land owned by the City of Jacksonville that has been used for motorcycle recreation over the past 40 years.  The MRA will provide $41,138 in match for the project.  The MRA will agree to keep the property in use for ATV recreation in perpetuity.  In the event the Association can no longer continue as a going concern, the property would transfer to Jackson County for recreation use in perpetuity. The Committee recommends Commission approval of a $164,554 grant to the MRA to purchase and develop the various properties and easements in the Jacksonville area.
Bill Gregory moved to approve the grant recommendation; Sue Musser seconded. The motion passed unanimously.

13.	Financial Services Division Update (Kyleen Stone) 
a.	Ten-Year Forecast—
Revenue projections indicate that current program levels will be sustainable at least through the 2005-2007 biennium. Lottery revenues are based on the Office of Economic Analysis forecast as of June 2004; the forecast now predicts sufficient lottery proceeds to fund the $6 million increase in limitation added to our budget in the final hours of the 2003 legislative session. We expect to see increased Recreational Vehicle registration revenue as a result of a substantial rate increase that took effect last January; our  estimate of $2.5 million is conservative. Expenditure trends include estimates for staff salary and benefit increases in the amount of 2.5% per biennium, and assume all OPRD Agency Request Budget packages will be approved.  This also assumes that we will fund Parks and Natural Resource Fund (Measure 66) programs as follows: 1) Acquisitions:  $7 million each biennium, 
2) Facility Investments:  $21 million each biennium starting in 2005-2007, and 3) Local Government Grants:  $8 million each biennium. Projections for dedicated fund sources such as the ATV Program, federal funds, and Deschutes Boater pass are not included with this analysis.  
In response to questions from Bill Gregory and David Kottkamp, Mike Carrier and Kyleen Stone noted that historically the lottery projections are low, and Tim Wood commented that 2014 is the target date for “building down” to a manageable backlog of facilities improvement needs. No Commission action was requested. 

	      b) Performance Measures
As part of the budget development process, each agency is required to develop and report on key performance measures that link to either the Oregon Benchmarks or the Agency Mission. Measures for Oregon Parks and Recreation Department include: 1) Total investment in outdoor recreation opportunities leveraged through OPRD grant awards; 2) Percent of Oregonians saying that Oregon is doing a "Very or Somewhat Good" job of providing parks and open spaces; 3) Number of visitors to Oregon State Parks;
4) Kilowatt hours consumed on per-camper basis; 5) Total investment in preserving Oregon's cultural resources through OPRD grant awards; 
6) Number of properties participating in federal and state tax incentive programs for historic properties; 7) Acres of land added to the State Parks system; 8) Percent of parks that have achieved designated level of service as prescribed in Interpretive Master Plan; 9) Total investment grants awarded for construction and improvements on state's system of trails and waterways; 
10) Number of new beach and river access sites added to the State Parks system; 11) Miles of new trail added to the State Parks system; 12) Percent of alternative camping opportunities per total campsites available; 13) Percent reduction in facilities backlog since 1999; and 14) Percent of Department budget funded by the General Fund. In addition, OPRD staff is developing Natural Resource Measures.
No Commission action was requested. 
	    
c)	Trust Account Balances
The Commissioners have requested an accounting of special accounts that fall outside of Oregon Parks and Recreation Department’s budget limitation process.  Legislative staff refer to these accounts as non-limited.  There are three major types of accounts that can be non-limited: Business Accounts, Sinking Funds, and Trusts and Donations. Each type of account has general guidelines regarding authorization of expenditure. For example, the Commission must approve expenditures exceeding $10,000 from trust and donation.  
No Commission action was requested. 

14.	Economic Impact Study (Kyleen Stone)
At the February 26, 2004, meeting of the Commission, Vice-Chairman Kottkamp suggested that we should conduct a study to describe the magnitude and importance of our construction and grant activities to Oregon’s economy, especially at the local level.  Staff opted to involve universities in the development and execution of the study and, after seeking out interest from several universities throughout the state, we chose to work with Oregon State University because of experience in economic modeling that includes natural resource-related studies and models.  We are now finalizing an Interagency Agreement with OSU to develop a statewide model as well as up to three additional models that will focus on specific geographic/population areas of the state. We expect the cost of this project to be about $50,000. We are planning for contract completion and a final report in late Fall, with anticipated to the Commission in January 2005. The information will be available for the 2005 Legislative Session.
No Commission action was requested.

15.	Request for Rule Approval: 2014 (Chris Havel)
The Commission created long-range goals—called Target 2014—for the Department in 2001. Target 2014, embodied in administrative rule, defines a series of goals that direct the Department’s priorities. In the past three years since Target 2014 goals were written, the department has made progress toward achieving them, and has discovered new ways to reach those desired ends, resulting in a revision of OAR 736-100-0010 through 0080. Staff recommended approval of the revised Target 2014 rule. The new rule would become effective immediately.
After some discussion among the Commissioners as to the need for clarity 
and conciseness in the goals themselves and their associated rule, the Commission decided to agree that the goals are good. David Kottkamp moved to approve the Target 2014 rule; Sue Musser seconded. The motion passed unanimously without further discussion.

16.	Financial Management System Project Update (Jana Tindall)
OPRD has cancelled its plan to purchase enhancements to existing park reservation software that would automate revenue reporting into the financial management system (FMS) when products and services were sold to customers. Staff have developed methods internally that will electronically transfer customer information from the current park reservation system to  
FMS. Reserve America is developing new reservations software that will eventually include Point of Sale functionality, and OPRD will issue a Request for Information this fall to determine if other vendors and products are available to meet OPRD’s unique needs. OPRD has requested a 2005-2007 budget package to provide funds to cover the cost of implementing the new reservations software. This decision will save about $200,000 in contract money.
No Commission action was requested.

17.	Contract Approval (Tim Wood)
a) Ontario SRS Launch Ramp 
	Work involved: Remove and dispose of a portion of the existing asphalt maneuver area, concrete sidewalk and abutment, asphalt launch ramp, and pre-cast concrete planks ramp, and construct a new two-lane launch ramp (cast-in-place and pre-cast concrete) and a new concrete abutment. Furnish and install two steel piles and four wood boarding floats. Staff recommended Commission approval of the award of the contract to Diamond N Construction in the amount of $116,627.04. 
Bill Gregory moved to approve the contract; David Kottkamp seconded. The motion passed unanimously.

b) Agreement to Provide Engineering Services
The purpose of this item is to obtain approval to enter into agreements with 19 regional architect/engineer firms to provide site and facility design services to the Department in one of three specific regions of the state. The agreements will be for a one-year period with an option to extend annually for a total of five years. Under the ATA, firms may be awarded work directly through a work order. Awards will be made based on experience with the given work scope or special expertise. Projects awarded under these agreements will be for smaller scale projects such as the design of a building remodel for ADA upgrades or stamped plans and specifications for a water and/or sewer system. Award of work will be reported to the Commission in the delegated authority report. Proposals were evaluated by a team from within the Department and scored to establish ranking. The 19 firms, in order of score, that provided proposals for site and facility design services under this solicitation are:
	    
                  Facility Design Firms		Location

	      Fletcher-Farr-Ayotte                                       	Portland
	      OTAK Inc                                                       	Lake Oswego
      Carleton Hart Architecture		  	Portland
      Pinnacle Architecture, Inc.		   	Bend
      Hennebery-Eddy Architects		   	Portland
      WaterLeaf Architecture		   	Portland
      WBGS Architecture and Planning		Eugene
      Hara Shick Architecture		   	Bend	
     HGE Inc		   	Coos Bay
     WEGROUP, Inc.		   	Eugene
     Crow/Clay & Associates		   	Coos Bay

                 Site Design Firms		Location
                          
     Century West Engineering Corp		Bend
     Century West Engineering Corp		Portland
                 KPFF Consulting Engineers		Portland
                 OTAK Inc.		Lake Oswego
     TetraTech/KCM Inc.		Portland
     Riverbend Engineering Inc		Drain
     Parametrix Inc		Portland
     SHN Consulting Engineers		Coos Bay
     HGE Inc		Baker City
     Anderson Engineering & Surveying Inc		Lakeview
     HGE Inc		Coos Bay
     Roberts Consulting & Engineering		Eugene

  Staff recommended Commission approval for entering into Agreement to 
  Agree with all 19 firms.  
David Kottkamp moved to the approve the agreement; Sue Musser seconded. The motion passed unanimously.

18.	Adoption of Sustainability Policy (Tim Wood)
In 1995, the Commission adopted policy COM 20-0, Natural Resources Management Policy. This was the Department’s first articulation of the importance of a sound management strategy for State Park resources and the environment. Since that time, the agency commitment to preserving and protecting the natural and environmental resources of Oregon has evolved. The revision of this policy builds on the original commitment to land management based on balanced recreation needs and environmental stewardship. This revision also seeks to advance the Department commitment to development of an Environmental Management System. The policy contains commitments to conduct agency business in a manner that exceeds environmental requirements, reduce the amount of pollution and waste generated by Department operations, and improve the processes by which OPRD conducts business. Staff recommended the Commission adopt the policy.
Bill Gregory moved to adopt the policy; Sue Musser seconded. The motion passed unanimously.

19.	Adoption of Cultural Resources Management Policy (Tim Wood)
The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department owns or controls numerous cultural resources, which are defined as both tangible resources and cultural practices, but most typically manifested in archaeological sites and historic buildings or structures. Staff recommended Commission approval of a new Cultural Resources Management Policy which addresses how the Department  intends to manage and care for these resources, and its responsibilities for meeting cultural resources compliance and management requirements. 
David Kottkamp moved to adopt the policy; Bill Gregory seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.

20.	Kam Wah Chung Heritage Site (Nancy Niedernhofer)
Ms. Niedernhofer, Cultural Resources Coordinator for the Department, delivered a presentation on the Kam Wah Chung & Co. Museum. Located in John Day, Grant County, Oregon, the Kam Wah Chung & Co. Museum is cooperatively preserved and operated by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, the Friends of Kam Wah Chung & Co. Museum and the City of John Day. The agency recently executed a cooperative agreement with the City of John Day and the Friends for OPRD to take over the management and operations of the museum.
No Commission action was requested.

21.	Commission Discussion
John Blackwell initiated discussion of the recruitment for a new  Director. He invited Commissioners to participate in a Sub-Committee which will do an initial screening of applicants. The full Commission will review applications of the finalists.  Mike Carrier told the Commission he will query the Governor about his interest in meeting the finalists.

The Commission and Director discussed the planned itinerary for the next Commission meeting, scheduled for September 2, 2004, in Baker City. 

John Blackwell adjourned the meeting.

The meeting adjourned at 11:50 AM

Respectfully Submitted,

Jo Bell
Commission Assistant