CCMinutes - 11/10/04 WS - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

B. WORK SESSION: Economic Development Committee Recommendations Regarding Business Facilitator/Ombudsman City Manager Taylor introduced the last recommendation from the Mayor's Committee on Economic Development. He asked Planning and Development (PDD) Director Tom Coyle to discuss the recommenda- tion. Mr. Coyle reiterated that the recommendation was forwarded from the Mayor's committee. He said one element the group looked at was permitting from a broad context of how permits moved through the system. He explained that, in response to this analysis, the committee recommended the appointment of a facilita- tor/ombudsman to fulfill three functional purposes: 1) Interdepartmental coordination; 2) Facilitation of permits, especially infill and redevelopment permits; 3) Systems improvements recommendations to senior management and recommendations on individual permitting that could be assisted. Mr. Meisner conveyed his interest in this recommendation. He recalled that he had argued for the creation of a similar position several years earlier. He asked how it was proposed to be funded. City Manager Taylor said if the position was approved, he would ask Mr. Coyle to create a decision package for consideration by the Budget Committee. He added that since the City was in the early phases of budget building, he did not have a recommendation. Mr. Meisner expressed frustration at this response, adding that he hoped to hear some ideas for how it could be funded. Mr. Kelly echoed Mr. Meisner's sentiments. He recalled that he had asked for a few funding alternatives in August. He felt the council was being asked to make a decision without fundamental information. City Manager Taylor thought it premature as the outcome of the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) case was yet unknown as were the fiscal changes resulting from the telecommunications settlement, among others. He said these elements all would change the bottom line of the budget one way or the other. Mr. Kelly suggested a different motion in lieu of these fiscal uncertainties, such as one that would direct the City Manager to return with funding alternatives for a business facilitator in fiscal year 2006. City Manager Taylor reiterated that passing the motion in every case would result in the preparation of a decision package for consideration by the Budget Committee. He said, should the motion not pass, it was unlikely it would be brought up as a recommendation from the committee or from the City Manager. Ms. Taylor said her concern lay with past reductions in the budget. She felt a %ustainability facilitator" should be appointed. She reiterated her support for the hiring of a performance auditor. She listed several areas in which more funding was needed, such as building code enforcement, neighborhood organizations, and the seismic retrofit for City Hall. She did not think another job should be created just because the committee recommended it. She indicated she would oppose the recommendation. Ms. Bettman did not understand how PDD established the need for the position, aside from the fact that it had been recommended. She saw redundancies in the services to be provided. It seemed to her the three services provided in the recommendation had been changed to shift the focus from local business. She felt expanding and locating new businesses was a function of the Metro Partnership as well as the PDD director and personnel. She thought there was no evidence that ~throwing more money at the problem" would fix it. MINUTES--Eugene City Council November 10, 2004 Page 3 Work Session