Item A: Workshop - West Eugene Collaborative

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ECC UGENE ITY OUNCIL AIS GENDA TEM UMMARY Workshop: West Eugene Collaborative Meeting Date: October 4, 2007 Agenda Item Number: A Department: Public Works Engineering Staff Contact: Mark Schoening www.eugene-or.gov Contact Telephone Number: 682-5243 ISSUE STATEMENT The purpose of this workshop is to provide the City Council with updated information on the West Eugene Collaborative (WEC) and request the council’s support of the collaborative’s efforts and associated ongoing funding needs . BACKGROUND Introduction - In June 2006, the Eugene City Council ended its support of the West Eugene Parkway (WEP) and directed that an effort be made to bring together a collaboration of all the entities involved (both pro and con) with the WEP to seek transportation solutions that would draw broader support. The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) made the decision not to support such a collaborative effort and removed the WEP from the list of transportation projects in November 2006. At the same time, City Council committed to continue to address West Eugene traffic and transportation concerns in a manner that would consider land use implications. In October 2006, the council directed th staff to pursue a West 11 Corridor Study as one of several West Eugene transportation planning projects. A volunteer group of community members and other interested parties subsequently formed to determine if common ground and mutually acceptable solutions could be found to address those traffic and transportation issues. They named themselves the West Eugene Collaborative (WEC). The West Eugene Collaborative (WEC) is a group of roughly three dozen civic leaders including government agency representatives, business leaders, environmental leaders and active, at-large community members who have gathered to discuss and envision the future of transportation and land use issues in west Eugene and nearby communities. Attachment A identifies the members of the WEC. The group has developed from a relatively grass roots base and has grown in size and importance over the last year. The formation of this group is unique in that it is not explicitly agency-led or funded (although agencies have contributed in part to funding to-date), and yet there has been a real commitment by the membership to attending the meetings and participating in important conversations about Eugene’s future. This is in contrast to past practices of discussions on these issues within the political realm that have led to divisiveness and disagreement on the direction our community should embrace regarding change in west Eugene and the surrounding area. F:\CMO\2007 Council Agendas\M071004\S071004A.doc