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Ms. Taylor said that she was distressed to hear that a local car washing business was going out <br />of business because of its inability to relocate in a zone intended for such uses. She asked if the <br />Metro Partnership had a role in assisting businesses that were thriving, local, environmentally <br />friendly, and provided employment for youth. <br /> <br />Ms. Taylor said that the Metropolitan Policy Committee (MPC) would discuss the 1-105 soundwall <br />at its meeting the following day; she understood that there was a proposal to defer the ramps <br />onto Washington-Jefferson Bridge to fund the soundwall. She believed the council should <br />discuss the MPC meetings prior to those meetings, but there was no time to do so. She asked <br />that councilors provide her with any input they had. Ms. Taylor noted that the Tree Foundation <br />had concerns over the possible removal of trees adjacent to the soundwall to accommodate a <br />future third lane. She said she did not support a third lane. <br /> <br />Mr. Kelly said that the area residents had been working on the soundwall for some time with the <br />assistance of the City and County. Given the length of time the soundwall project had been <br />under discussion and the fact the ramp project was not the full improvement envisioned in <br />TransPlan, he supported the proposal to defer the ramps to fund the soundwall. Regarding the <br />concerns of the Tree Foundation, Mr. Kelly reported that he had recently responded to the <br />foundation's letter by suggesting that all parties meet after the funding issue was resolved to <br />discuss the issue of the trees. <br /> <br />Mr. Meisner said that the Washington-Jefferson Bridge project was important and he did not want <br />it to be lost if the funding was deferred. City Manager Jim Johnson clarified that the Oregon <br />Department of Transportation (ODOT) had indicated the project would be deferred, not canceled. <br /> <br />Mr. Pap8 arrived at the meeting. <br /> <br />Mayor Torrey indicated that the MPC would request ODOT's written commitment to the soundwall <br />funding. <br /> <br />Mayor Torrey announced that the City Council would discuss Bus Rapid Transit at an upcoming <br />meeting, and asked staff to contact Lane Transit District (LTD) to confirm the date of that <br />meeting. He added that the council needed to let LTD know its position on the issue, and if the <br />council proposed changes to the proposed plan, it should let LTD know as soon as possible. <br /> <br />Mayor Torrey said that he had met with the officers of the Associated Students of the University of <br />Oregon and had discussed the special response fee ordinance with them. The officers <br />requested that the council delay action on the ordinance to the fall, when students would be in <br />town and available to comment. He did not think the request was unreasonable. <br /> <br />Mr. Rayor said that he had attended the Bus Rapid Transit open house recently sponsored by <br />LTD and discussed the project with the project manager. He said the project manager was <br />largely unaware of many of the issues that had been raised in the past by councilors, such as the <br />issues he had raised about ownership of acquired rights-of-way and maintenance. He <br />recommended that City staff approach LTD staff about those issues. <br /> <br />Mr. Farr concurred with Ms. Taylor's statements regarding the situation faced by the local car <br />wash, and asked if the City had a mechanism to assist the owner in retaining his business. Mr. <br /> <br />MINUTES--Eugene City Council June 7, 2000 Page 2 <br /> Work Session <br /> <br /> <br />