09/21/1983 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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G. Announcements from Staff e 1. Six-Year Transportation Plan Mr. Gleason said the City must continue to work to construct public projects. He said the State of Oregon recently released its Six-Year Transportation Plan which specifies its capital improvement projects. He said that Eugene is to receive a total of 2/10 of 1 percent of the allocation of the state highway system over the 6-year period. He explained that this is an improvement over past allocations, adding that it has been 10 years since Eugene has received any funds. He said that in studying the primary projects which have occurred in Eugene, the City has not received any allocations from the state in the past 10 years, while the City has contributed $30,000,000 in gas tax monev He said the bulk of this money has been going to Portland and other parts of the state highway system. He announced that a meeting on the Six-Year Plan will be held in the Council Chamber at 7:30 p.m. on September 28, 1983, before its submission to the state. He said this lack of allocation is having a detrimental effect on the City's ability to maintain a traffic system. Mr. Gleason said he is going to have the City Attorney investigate the situation where the federal government has given entitlement grants to some cities for their primary highway systems after these cities rejected freeway systems while Eugene has received nothing. He said that the City of Eugene is the largest voting block in support of the state gas tax. Mr. Gleason said he wants the state to put the 6th/7th Couplet on the priority list of the Six-Year Plan, stating that the state has rated the 6th/7th maintenance program as the worst in the state. He said the only other system in the state, outside of a major highway, which approaches the 40,000 vehicles per day produced is the Highway 99 system out of Portland. He said the It accident rate of this area is 50 percent above the state highway system average. He stressed that Eugene must stop taking a back seat in the allocation system. Mr. Holmer said the Roads and Highways Committee and the Planning and Land Use Committee of the Chamber of Commerce will be meeting on September 22, 1983, to develop testimony supporting the issue of deficient state support of Eugene's roads. Mr. Hansen said the council and the public should show uniform support of the issue and attend the September 28, 1983, meeting. Ms. Smith asked that staff draft a statement on the issue for concurrence by the council in expressing its concerns. Ms. Schue directed that the statement be circulated to the councilors prior to the meeting. Mr. Gleason said the poor appearance of highway entrances to Eugene are a result of this lack of allocation. He said that a comprehensive landscaping program should be developed in conjunction with these other plans. He said that staff will be available for further information. 2. Clara Nasholm Mr. Gleason announced that Clara Nasholm, a former librarian for the City, had passed away. He said Ms. Nasholm had been a prominent citizen and had played an important role in the library. He said that it was a fitting memorial that the taxpayers supported the library levy. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council September 21, 1983 Page 3