CC Minutes - 05/25/05 WS - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES Eugene City Council Work Session McNutt Room--City Hall May 25, 2005 Noon COUNCILORS PRESENT: George Poling, Jennifer Solomon, Betty Taylor, David Kelly, Gary Papd, Bonny Bettman, Andrea Ortiz, Chris Pryor. Mayor Kitty Piercy convened the work session of the Eugene City Council. A. WORK SESSION: City Hall/Police Building Priority Issue Action Plan City Manager Dennis Taylor said this issue had been identified by the City Council as a strategic priority at its goal-setting retreat. He stated that it was the first of the eight priorities staff had brought before the council in an action plan format. Because of this, he continued, an entire work session would be devoted to the item, to be presented by Assistant City Manager Jim Carlson and Principal Facility Project Manager for the Facilities Division Mike Penwell. Mr. Carlson indicated that this was the fifth City Council discussion of this issue since the election in November 2004, at which time the bond measure failed. After the bond was defeated, he recalled that the previous council had decided not to move forward on the building and had deferred further consideration until more ideas could be brought to the table in January 2005, to further determine the scope of the work. The City Council moved $15 million into the Facilities Reserve Fund in anticipation of moving forward with the project in November. He related that the present City Council considered the issue on January 10, 2005, and but no action was taken because Ms. Bettman was not present. He felt it had been clear the council was not ready to embark on a full master planning process. Ms. Solomon arrived. Mr. Carlson continued with a recap of the discussion to date. He said while staff and the council had ruled out the possible co-location of the Lane County Sheriff's Office (LCSO) and the Eugene Police Department (EPD), there still existed the possibility that some space in a new building could be used for purposes other than the direct work of the City. Further discussion was needed on whether to replace or renovate City Hall. He observed there had been general consensus to consolidate existing City services in one place and to cease renting downtown space, though police could be in a separate facility. Mr. Carlson stated that staff continued to believe that a full master planning process with public input would cost $750,000. He agreed that it was a large amount but pointed out that the Eugene Water & Electric Board (EWEB) was embarking on a similar process and planned to spend $1.1 million on initial design work for a new site. He averred that the City's plans were more complicated than those of EWEB. MINUTES--Eugene City Council May 25, 2005 Page 1 Work Session