10.24.2018 City Council Work Session Minutes

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• Suggestion made that Planning Commission provide input to the council on reinstituting a Citizen Involvement Committee. • There is tension between some of the pillars of the Envision Eugene process: the goal of protecting neighborhoods vs the desire to increase density and limit sprawl. There is also a level of incivility displayed by some members of the community towards the work of the Planning Commission and council; important to remind and educate the public about the process. • The issues that emerged during the South Willamette project are a good example of a process that should have been referred back to the Planning Commission for further deliberation. • The City Council needs to provide leadership around neighborhood livability and density issues. • Important to remember that success comes with positive, incremental changes. • Encourage the public to attend Planning Commission and City Council work sessions and meetings that occur before issues are scheduled for a public hearing. • Doing minimum outreach and public involvement on land use issues is not effective; consider going beyond what is required. • Improving public involvement and outreach is always helpful, but public should also be accountable and make an effort to be engaged. • More regular updates on what the Planning Commission is working on would be helpful; particularly ward -specific information. • A greater culture of engagement is needed; important to appreciate, desire, and actively solicit input from the community. • Consider diversity of city when designing public engagement efforts; invest in public engagement up front for big community issues. • Consider use of reader boards to advertise issues and opportunities for involvement. • Clear direction from the City Council to the Planning Commission is very helpful; use benchmarks and motions to clarify goals and direction. • Those in the community who practice strategic ignorance or are unaccepting of a democratically made decision can hold the City Council hostage on an issue; recognize those situations where adequate outreach has occurred. • Project timelines may be dictated by state law or other factors; may limit the amount of involvement. • Additional funding should be directed to neighborhood newsletters as a means to keep residents informed. • If the council receives a significant amount of conflicting testimony on an issue, that is a good indication that the issue should be referred back to the Planning Commission. • Important for the Planning Commission to consider and present the potential consequences of a decision when advising the council. The meeting adjourned at 1:29 p.m. Respectfully submitted, &tA J/ -La Beth Forrest City Recorder Link to the webcast of this City Council meeting: here. MINUTES - Eugene City Council October 24, 2018 Page 2 Work Session