CC Minutes - 12/08/99 WS - Laserfiche WebLink

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Ms. Nathanson also reported on the NLC Conference, in particular her work with the Information Technology Committee meeting and the resolution she developed with the assistance of Administrative Services Department staff Pam Berrian for the NLC's adoption. She reported that the resolution was adopted by the NLC at its business meeting. Ms. Nathanson indicated she would provide the resolution to the council. Ms. Nathanson said that she had also attended a meeting of the Municipalities in Transition Project. Fifteen to twenty mayors, councilors, and managers were invited to participate in the project, which was a multi-year study of city revenues and services. She said that many communities that had relied on the sales tax had been doing well, but now were "seeing the handwriting on the wall" from projected revenue shortfalls and beginning to be interested in how municipalities dealt with declining revenues. Ms. Nathanson had shared information with participants about Eugene Decisions, and alerted those cities to the changing demographic trends in employment and the potential that more independent consultants could under-report their income. Those communities depending on an income tax could also experience a decline in revenues. She had suggested comprehensive changes in the national tax policy. Ms. Nathanson said that she had also visited the city showcase discussed by Mr. Meisner, and indicated she would provide the council with brochures about an initiative entitled The Targeted Neighborhoods Initiative. She also had picked up a brochure from a large brewery involved in promoting its civic responsibility related to alcohol awareness, which she provided to the city manager to be directed to the appropriate staff. She had discussed some of Eugene's problems with a representative of that group and the possibility it could help cities secure grant funding, and that individual indicated to her he would be happy to talk with Eugene about providing it with assistance. Mr. Lee passed. Mr. Rayor said the discussion about a new city hall had led him to think about the concept of advisory votes. He suggested that the council might want to request nonbinding advisory votes from the community, particularly when the subject concerned the expenditure of taxpayers' money. He said that such votes could give the council the "pulse of the people." He also wanted to resolve the zoning and land use issues that had been identified during the discussion of siting the federal building on the 6th Avenue site. Mr. Rayor wished all those present a peaceful holiday season. Mr. Kelly said he also attended the NLC Conference and looked forward to the written reports of other councilors. He reported on a seminar he had attended on the topic of "Policy Governance." The seminar was conducted by the manager and a councilor of Bryan, Texas, and they had reported that the council of that community spent half of each meeting agenda on long-term planning issues. He indicated he would provide more information to the council in writing. Mr. Johnson announced that the City had received a $250,000 Meyer Memorial Trust grant for the library, and extended his congratulations to Tim Black of the Intergovernmental Relations Section for authoring the grant proposal. He also wished his wife, Robin Johnson, a happy birthday. MINUTES--Eugene City Council December 8, 1999 Page 3 5:30 p.m.