03-27-2002 Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES CITY COUNCIL MARCH 27, 2002 bus benches displaying the City's logo would be a place to start in achieving the City's goal of promoting community identify. Fahey suggested that there maybe room to do both, by expanding the City bus benches to all redevelopment areas and allowing private benches in the remaining areas. He suggested that there maybe some areas of the City where private bus benches with advertising would be more appropriate than City- sponsored benches. Fahey pointed out that the Planning Commission has not had an opportunity to discuss this subject in context of the goal to promote City identity, and suggested that the matter be referred back Co them. The City Administrator noted that it is stafFs recommendation that the staff pul together a bus bench location plan. This plan could identify redevelopment corridors where only City-sponsored benches would be allowed. The Administrator suggested, however, that in redevelopment areas where redevelopment has not yet commenced, it maybe an option to allow the private benches on a temporary basis until redevelopment gets underway. The City Administrator suggested that this plan could be submitted to the Planning Commission for their consideration. Fahey noted that one of the bus bench companies, U.S. Bench, has had benches in the City for a long time, and Ameribench only recently placed benches in the City and flooded the market. The City Administrator agreed and pointed out that last fall a large number of benches began to appear in the City's rights-of--way that drew the City's attention to the issue and resulted in code enforcement actions. As a result of those code enforcement actions, U.S. Bench removed their benches while Ameribench lefC the benches, but removed the signage from them. LaValle asked if Metro Transit should be asked for a recommendation on bench locations. The City Administrator reported that Metro Transit has indicated that they do not get involved in the planning for bench placement and leave that issue to the local communities. Fahey stated that if one company has operated in the City for many years that should be taken into consideration in allocating bus bench locations between the two companies. Montour pointed out that many benches were removed as a result of the City's code enforcement action. He noted that there have been no calls to the City by the general public asking that these benches be replaced. Montour felt that the City can easily identify where ridership is occurring and place benches either based on ridership or based on public request.