12/04/1989 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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e required for restoring wetlands on agricultural lands; and 3) pursue Federal action to amend the new methodology. Mr. Holmer expressed concern with Recommendation 3. He acknowledged that wetland preservation seems to have strong support, and suggested that before council authorizes staff to take any action at the federal level, it should first determine how best to proceed toward a solution. Ms. Ehrman also expressed concern with Recommendation 3, and suggested that the City attempt to garner state support in the wetlands issue. In light of these concerns, Ms. Decker said it would be possible to amend Recommendation 3 to read: liTo di rect staff to work with cities in the state of Oregon, the State Division of State Lands, and the Legislative Committee toward finding a solution." Through this action, the council would achieve a more collective, statewide approach. In deciding what further action to take, Mr. Boles recommended that the council decide whether it is willing to spend the sizable amount of staff resources that will be necessary to come up with a solution, knowing that it might not make any headway on this problem. He suggested that, with the advice of the technical staff and consultants, the council should make a decision itself on what constitutes a rational and fair mitigation strategy and immediately begin implementing this strategy, assuming that the Federal government will soon offer its approval. If Federal approval is not forthcoming, the City might consider a joint legal challenge, possibly with the State, contesting unequal policy enforcement. e Responding to a question from Mr. Boles, Mr. Gleason said that the City cannot simply ignore the problem posed by this new definition of wetlands, but must try to recommend a national policy that will balance the national need to preserve wetlands with the regional need for valuable agricultural and industrial lands. He emphasized that ignoring this problem will have enormous consequences for many businesses such as Spectra Physics that are caught within this wetland debate. Mr. Gleason said that the City is working with State and Federal governments in an effort to develop a practical mitigation strategy. He added that the City has received grants through and assistance from the Lane Council of Governments to help create a rational mitigation plan. Ms. Schue commented that although ignoring the problem might seem like the best solution, it is likely to have enormous financial consequences in the future. Mr. Gleason said that although many attempts have been made to find a solution to this problem, a fair solution has not been identified. For this reason, the City has agreed to use Federal grant money to attempt to find a solution. He acknowledged Mr. Boles' concern for the unequal enforcement of wetland policy, but emphasized that the City is not in a position to litigate. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council December 4, 1989 Page 3 Dinner/Work Session ~-