08/10/1988 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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e E. Springfield Budget Woes Mr. Miller asked staff for a briefing on how the recent budget problems facing the City of Springfield will impact organizations in which the cities of Eugene and Springfield have joint interests. F. Port of Siuslaw Ms. Schue reported that she met with Port of Siuslaw officials on behalf of the Mayor. G. Public Contract Ordinance Mr. Holmer addressed his concerns about the proposed public contract ordinance that were raised at the August 8, 1988, meeting. He reviewed an April memo from City Manager Mike Gleason in which Mr. Gleason said he is agreeable to the public advertisement of the City's need and intentions to lease real property. Mr. Holmer recounted that the City Manager wrote: II If a publicly advertised space need will help the business community, then we can make it happen.1I Mr. Holmer said this missed his point entirely. He said his concern was not about helping the business community. He said he wanted to be sure the City is acting legally and is conducting its purchasing practices with a minimum risk of scandal or taint of scandal. I Mr. Holmer said the Aster Building lease of office space to the City, causing the space to come off the tax rolls, is a questionable action. He said he is e not aware that the Eugene Development Department's lease of space in the Washburne Building was the subject of open bidding. Mr. Holmer said he learned for the first time last Thursday that the Aster Publishing Company is not subject to the gross receipts tax that is paid by most other downtown businesses. . He reminded the council that last October the Development Department contracted with Pacific Real Estate Services Inc. to provide management services for the Development, Public Works, and PARCS departments. He said there was no request for proposal for other possible providers of this service and no competitive bids. Because these instances did not reflect open competitive bidding, Mr. Holmer said he is concerned about the council adopting the proposed ordinance. If the council adopts the ordinance in its present form, he said he has no desire to continue as council president or serve on the Audit Committee created last meeting. Ms. Bascom asked staff to respond to Mr. Holmer's comments about the Aster and Washburne Building leases. Mr. Bennett said he agrees that the City should be conducting business in the open. With regard to these charges, he said he thought the City had been acting in the open and in accordance with its stated policy, particularly with regard to the Aster Building. Mayor Obie said he agreed. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council August 10, 1988 Page 3