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<br />. <br /> <br />- <br /> <br />~ <br /> <br />Financial Planning Committee, which spent the last year taking a close look at <br />the City's long-term financial needs, delayed proposing a local solution. <br />Unfortunately, we waited only to be disappointed by Salem. I am frustrated, as <br />is the entire council, by the legislature's inability to deal with this major <br />statewide issue. <br /> <br />Lacking a statewide solution, the council has made financial planning one of our <br />top goals in 1984. At our council goals session in October, we set a goal for <br />next year's budget: to continue existing service levels within our current <br />financial resources. But we are concerned with some of the service reductions <br />which we have had to make over the past few years. I'm confident. that, sometime <br />in the future, we will have an opportunity to restore those services. When that <br />time comes, we should be prepared with a plan. <br /> <br />Economic diversification is the other issue which heads our council's list in <br />1984. Economic development has been the council's number one goal for the last <br />two years. I'm pleased to report that a lot has happened in Eugene since those <br />words first appeared at the top of the list in 1981. <br /> <br />To many citizens, our economic development achievements may not be all that <br />obvious. We haven't enticed a big new firm to locate here--few communities <br />have in the midst of a nationwide recession. But we have made significant <br />progress. New businesses have located here and other-OUSinesses--such as Fred <br />Meyer--have expanded. We know that over 1,000 jobs have been created here <br />within the last year. <br /> <br />Through our economic development programs, we've assisted small businesses as <br />well as large. And, most importantly, we have built a strong foundation for <br />long-term economic diversification. <br /> <br />To recap some of our achievements: <br /> <br />-- We are working more closely than ever before with the business community. <br />The Chamber of Commerce and the City of Eugene have formed a strong <br />cooperative link through our joint Business Assistance Team. The BATeam <br />has made over 1000 contacts with local and outside businesses since its <br />inception in May of 1982. In addition, the Council's annual round table <br />discussion with business leaders has provided vital support and leadership <br />for our economic diversification program. <br /> <br />-- Helping local businesses has been an important part of our work. In <br />addition to BATeam assistance, we've leveraged some of our community <br />development block grant money with local banks in a new loan program that <br />assists local businesses with their financing needs. <br /> <br />Staff at City Hall have made a major effort over the last two years to <br />streamline City regulations and speed processes where possible. Last month <br />the Council approved a number of new land use procedures as part of this <br />effort. Processing time for a zone change request, for example, will be <br />cut by one-third. And we're continuing to make progress toward a one-stop <br />permit counter. <br /> <br />MINUTES--Eugene City Council <br /> <br />January 9, 1984 <br /> <br />Page 2 <br />