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process, but pointed out the process could be long and drawn-out. She hoped to schedule time to <br />discuss the issue before the council holiday recess. <br />Ms. Bettman reported she participated in the Whiteaker Community Dinner and found it inspiring <br />and representative of everything good about Eugene. While she wished to thank all the volunteers, <br />she particularly thanked the volunteers who worked both before and after the event to assure its <br />continuance. <br /> <br />Mr. Rayor asked if there was a status report on the City's position regarding cell tower siting. Mr. <br />Johnson indicated he would need a third person to join in the request for a work session on cell <br />phones. Mr. Rayor said he would support the request but needed to know the current state of <br />affairs. He was unsure if the City had any jurisdiction over the issue. Mr. Johnson said that the <br />County had jurisdiction over land use decisions in the unincorporated area. Mr. Rayor said he <br />would request the work session in writing. <br /> <br />Ms. Taylor indicated concurrence with Ms. Bettman's request for a work session on the hiring and <br />selection process for a new city manager. <br /> <br />Ms. Nathanson explained her reasons for not supporting the request for a work session on cell <br />tower siting, saying the current ordinance was working well and collocation had been occurring. <br />She noted two major concerns generally expressed about cell towers, the aesthetics of the issue <br />and the potential of health risks from RF emissions, and pointed out that federal guidelines <br />preclude the City from passing ordinances to address health concerns related to cell tower siting. <br />Amending the ordinance could invite a court challenge. She said that ordinances such as the City's <br />or ordinances that were more restrictive were being used to make the case effectively and <br />successfully with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that such local ordinances get <br />into the way of telecommunications deployment, and when a company could demonstrate a barrier <br />to market entrance, the FCC was then tempted to preempt any local authority. Ms. Nathanson was <br />unwilling to pass an ordinance that would worsen the regulatory situation. <br /> <br />Mr. Farr deferred to Ms. Nathanson's comments in regard to the cell tower issue, noting her work <br />as chair on the Council Committee on Telecommunications and her work on the topic at the <br />national level through the National League of Cities. He hoped the council would consider those <br />remarks before making any decisions on how to move forward and how to spend staff time on the <br />subject. <br /> <br />Mr. Farr agreed with Ms. Bettman that the next council needed to be involved in the hiring of the <br />next manager. <br /> <br />Regarding the hiring and selection process, Mr. Johnson suggested that the council could use the <br />opportunity of approving the Tentative Working Agenda to schedule a work session, or three <br />councilors could request a work session. He noted there was time available on the January 16 <br />agenda. <br /> <br /> MINUTES--Eugene City Council November 26, 2001 Page 2 <br /> Work Session <br /> <br /> <br />