City Council Meeting - 2020-06-22

Detailed briefing

City Council Meeting — June 22, 2020 ATTENDEES: Council members Mike Noturkis, John Cups, Matt Bughera, John Leo, and CeCe Johnston were present; the transcript recorded a quorum. • Council approved Administrative Ordinance No. 2020-2, a temporary package of downtown operational changes intended to support businesses during 2020. The measures include expanded outdoor seating with a required six-foot pedestrian path, limited displays of goods, sandwich-board signs, curbside pickup, walk-up service windows, and provisions related to temporary food-court use. The ordinance is set to run through November 1. • The ordinance was amended so that temporary construction street or sidewalk blockage may be considered when a building permit is held “if required.” This addressed an example of work that did not need a building permit. Staff and council discussed concerns about prolonged downtown construction blockage, especially at the Mossburg project. Counsel said the city manager has discretion to condition or limit temporary blockage permits. • Council approved closing State Street between Main Street and Bay Street for all eight street-music events. The closure is planned for 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., subject to Chief Knight’s review of traffic circulation. The motion specified no alcohol service in the closed street area. People may bring their own chairs. • Council approved a trial expansion of the three-hour parking limit to the north side of East Main Street between Gardner and Judd through November 1. The discussion clarified that there is no south-side parking in that segment. • Council approved a temporary summer shade-sail installation at Waterfront Park, at a location closer to the pier than the earlier presented options. Discussion referenced a mid-range installation estimate of about $7,000. The project was described as an experiment; the final details of the installation were not established in the recorded motion. • Council postponed the downtown tree-grate, sidewalk, tree-replacement, and related infrastructure project. Members cited concerns over the broader cost, phased approach, future funding, and need for additional value engineering. Staff had presented phased bid figures, but council voted to place the project on hold for further review. Worth watching: • Whether the city manager limits or conditions downtown construction blockage permits and whether sidewalks are reopened where feasible. • Chief Knight’s traffic review for State Street street-music closures. • Final shade-sail installation details, costs, and how the Waterfront Park trial performs. Upcoming: The city manager said the Gardner Street traffic-direction question would return July 6 with Kyle’s input. Why it matters: The council used temporary rules and pilot projects to help downtown activity while deferring a larger infrastructure expense.

No open public follow-ups are linked to this meeting yet.