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Speaking in regard to the Yard Debris Program, Mr. Meisner suggested the establishment of <br />possible exemptions to the program was an administrative matter, and he did not support a work <br />session. He hoped the manager would consider the council's comments and follow-up. <br /> <br />Mr. Kelly asked if the City planned on issuing a status report on how the organization compared to <br />other cities in terms of the International City Managers Association benchmarks. <br /> <br />Mr. Kelly reported that a constituent had complained to him about the private security staff at the <br />library being "heavy-handed," and asked if the security firm was under contract with the City and if <br />it had any sort of guidance from the City in the contract. <br /> <br />Mr. Kelly reported that the Sister City delegation to Kakegawa had been canceled for lack of <br />participation. <br /> <br />Mr. Kelly endorsed Ms. Taylor's request for council discussion of the STIP proposals. <br /> <br />Mr. Kelly said that any remarks he had made in the media regarding PeaceHealth management <br />were not meant to include the board of directors; he had been speaking specifically of employees <br />of PeaceHealth. <br />Regarding PeaceHealth's decision to relocate to Springfield, Ms. Bettman recalled that there were <br />six council votes to initiate the zoning change. She stood behind that vote because it was an <br />opportunity for the neighborhoods in north Eugene to have input into the development process, <br />and because PeaceHealth had changed its plans for the site from what was initially envisioned in <br />the neighborhood refinement plan. She thought that the council acted in the best interest of <br />Eugene as was appropriate, not in the best interest of PeaceHealth. She disagreed with the <br />rhetoric and finger-pointing some councilors had engaged in. <br /> <br />Mr. Rayor spoke to the PeaceHealth situation, and said he had regretted his vote but it was made <br />to keep the hospital downtown. He thought that when PeaceHealth indicated downtown was not <br />an option, the council had moved immediately to accommodate the hospital. He noted that <br />PeaceHealth siting options had been on the council's agenda but had been deleted; he read a <br />suggested motion in the meeting packet that would have allowed the hospital to proceed with <br />development on the north Eugene site. He thought that the motion would have passed, and <br />PeaceHealth's needs could have been met at that site. Mr. Rayor's thought that the hospital's <br />decision was in part based on intangibles not entirely within the control of Eugene, such as a more <br />scenic site and fewer zoning and transportation issues; however, he thought Eugene was "open <br />for business" and could accommodate another major developer with suitable sites. He thought <br />that businesses would come to Eugene as readily as businesses had gone to Springfield. <br /> <br />Mr. Pap8 said that the council lost the trust of the PeaceHealth board and negotiating team when <br />it had departed from the concept of expanding around the existing hospital and taken the action to <br />initiate rezoning on the north Eugene site. Nothing the council would have done tonight would <br />have helped. <br />In response to Ms. Taylor's comments, Mayor Torrey said he had been asked by a reporter to <br />respond specifically to Mr. Kelly's statement that the situation was totally the hospital's fault, that it <br />never intended to stay in Eugene, and that the process had been a ruse to get the council to force <br />the hospital out of town. He did not share Mr. Kelly's beliefs. Mayor Torrey said had worked with <br />the hospital to convince it to stay in Eugene, first in downtown and then in north Eugene. He said <br />that council negotiators had assured the hospital negotiating team that they could persuade the <br /> <br /> MINUTE--Eugene City Council September 10, 2001 Page 3 <br /> Work Session <br /> <br /> <br />