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Mosier council holds revenue strategy session; staff reports on UPRR hearing, ODOT bridge work and utility funding gap
Summary
Councilors brainstormed revenue ideas including market models and waterfront moorings, and received staff updates on a May 3 UPRR hearing, a possible 3% retail marijuana tax ballot question, and an ODOT bridge repair that could coincide with replacing 42‑year‑old utility pipes if funding is available.
At its April 6 meeting the Mosier City Council devoted a portion of the agenda to a Strategy Session on increasing city revenues and considered several staff reports on regional projects and local infrastructure needs.
Council President Emily Reed facilitated a brainstorming exercise in which participants drew cards to generate ideas tied to audiences, city assets and types of projects. Councilors gave short presentations on model communities: Mayor Arlene Burns pointed to Stinson Beach near Mill Valley as an example for a mixed market/general store that supports local tourism; Councilor Peny Wallace cited Bandon’s marinas and reuse of downtown buildings as inspiration. Fitzpatrick presented a slide show titled “Streets As Places” with examples from Los Angeles, New York City and Detroit and said the City could consider nontraditional uses of the public right-of-way or private partnerships to boost activity.
Council discussed waterfront ideas including small mooring or docking spaces to draw visitors. The conversation emphasized private opportunity (a willing business operator to run a market or rental service) rather than a city-owned commercial enterprise.
In staff reports, Fitzpatrick encouraged council attendance at a May 3 public hearing on the UPRR double-track project and asked whether the Council wished to consider adding a 3% retail marijuana tax to the November ballot for local voter consideration; the Council asked staff to place the marijuana tax option on a future agenda. Fitzpatrick also summarized a recent legal development she described as a new precedent on recreational immunity and said she has adopted monthly park-maintenance checklists in response to liability considerations.
Fitzpatrick told the Council that ODOT approved a permit to stage construction materials in the quarry and plans to repair the Mosier Creek Bridge; the repairs will require the City to pay for work needed to accommodate city utilities. She noted that the city’s pipes under the bridge are about 42 years old and that replacing them concurrently with ODOT’s repair would save on management and labor costs, but the City currently lacks funds and she has reached out to the IFA representative to explore financing options.
Commissioner Scott Hege briefly described the County’s time, place and manner process for retail marijuana and the Council reconfirmed that state law appears sufficient for Mosier, while still expressing interest in how a local 3% tax could be considered. The meeting adjourned at 8:40 p.m.
