06/11/1984 Meeting (2) - Laserfiche WebLink

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e e e owners that the money would be rebated to them starting in the eleventh year. He said he had made promises supposedly for the City and that the City should now keep those promises. He asked if the rebates would be made to current property owners or to those individuals who had paid the assessments. He said he generally supported the ordinance although he disliked some aspects. Bob Loomis, 3540 Pearl Street, stated that he was a past chairperson of the Downtown Development Board, now the Downtown Commission. He said the board had supported the program and the annual elections. He said he congratulated the staff in reconstructing the history of the program. Of the six recommendations listed in Mr. Wong's June 7, 1984 memorandum, he said he favored the first five, stating that the funds to be rebated now totalled approximately $450,000. He said any Downtown Commission decision on June 12 with regard to the fifth recommendation would be moot if the council passed the ordinance at the present meeting. He stressed that that recommendation precluded any argument by the assessment payers. Louis Walker, 975 Oak Street, said he was half owner of the Citizen's Building. He sald that Dave Hunt of the Downtown Development Board had promised that the 10th and Oak Assessment District would be self-eliminating. While he stated that he had not had time to study the material, he said he was opposed to the ordinance as written. George Boehnke, 2040 Willamette Street, referring to the City Council minutes of February 14, 1984, said the Overpark was to have been self-liquidating. He said the City should rebate the funds to those people who paid for the Overpark so that it did not create the image of the City not keeping its promises. Mark Schlesinger, 610 Southwest Alder Street, Portland, representing the Mark Schleslnger Company of Portland, stated that he had been notified by letter of the rebate of the $900,000. He stated that he will recommend to the company to sell its Eugene properties because it could not afford to support the develop- ment of the Eugene downtown area. Lewis Hoffman, 888 West Park Street, echoed the comments made by the previous individuals. He commented that the City would be in court on a fraud charge if the assessment district action had been an agreement between two individuals. Tom Slocum, 2610 Highland Oak Drive, said he was a property owner in the assess- ment district at the time the Overpark was created. While he did not like the prospect of paying for the Overpark, he felt he had a stake in the community. He said he voted on the bond issues based on the promises made by the City Council and the City Manager at that time. He said he still had feelings for the downtown but that the City must keep its promises. He felt the City had the ability to payoff the bonds and return the funds to the property owners; the City would then have the Overpark structure from which to earn future revenue. He said the City would have additional problems if it did not keep its promises. There being no further testimony, the public hearing was closed. MINUTES--Eugene City Council June 11, 1984 Page 3