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-- e M I NUT E S City Council Work Session Wilder Room, Hilton Hotel, 66 East 6th Avenue August 8, 1988 5:30 p.m. COUNCILORS PRESENT: Emily Schue, Freeman Holmer, Ruth Bascom, Jeff Miller, Debra Ehrman, Rob Bennett. COUNCILORS ABSENT: Cynthia Wooten, Roger Rutan. The work session of the City Council of the City of Eugene, Oregon was called to order by his Honor Mayor Brian B. Obie. I. BACKGROUND Approximately 500 acres in the Willow Creek area are located within the Eugene city limits and are currently served by Lane Electric Cooperative ( LEC) , The City Council will consider whether to transfer the area to Eugene Water & Electric Board (EWEB) service along with approximately 49 customers now within the EWEB service area who are served by LEC. If the council e chooses to support the transfer of service area, it will pass an ordinance and direct the EWEB Commissioners to proceed with an offer to compensate LEC for its existing facilities, Should LEC refuse the offer, the ordinance authorizes the City of Eugene to initiate a service transfer through condem- nation. II. STAFF OVERVIEW Susan Brody of the City of Eugene Planning Department provided an overview of staff's position and displayed a map of the area in question. Ms, Brody said the 510 acres is a small proportion of LEe's total territory and represents only 15 of its 10,000 customers. She said this issue has been a concern of the City and the City Council for some time; for instance, the council held a work session in 1986 and expressed concerns that LECls provid- ing service would stand in the way of new economic development in an area where the City has already invested money for sewers and roads, etc. M~, Brody said one primary reason for the City's concern over the provision of electrical service in the Willow Creek area is the duplication of service and investment. Another reason for the City's concern is that staff sees provision of electrical service by LEC as an impediment to economic develop- ment by discouraging industry to locate in the Willow Creek area. e MINUTES--City Council Work Session August 8, 1988 Page 1