CC Minutes - 06/22/09 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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M I N U T E S Eugene City Council Regular Meeting Council Chamber—Eugene City Hall 777 Pearl Street—Eugene, Oregon June 22, 2009 7:30 p.m. COUNCILORS PRESENT: Chris Pryor, George Brown, Andrea Ortiz, George Poling, Mike Clark, Alan Zelenka, Betty Taylor, Jennifer Solomon. Her Honor Mayor Kitty Piercy called the meeting of the Eugene City Council to order. She announced that there would be two public forums for the purpose of garnering input on the possible move of the police facility. She said the first would be at 7:00 p.m. on June 23, in the Atrium Building, and the second would be at 7:00 p.m., on June 25, at the Sheldon Community Center. 1. PUBLIC FORUM Mayor Piercy reviewed the rules of the public forum. City Attorney Glenn Klein reminded those present that the Local Improvement District (LID) for Crest Drive/Storey Boulevard/Friendly Street could not be a subject of public forum testimony according to the council ground rules because it had been heard by the Hearings Official. Pauline Hutson , 1025 Taylor Street, read a statement written by Mr. Siekiel-Zdzienicki and her. She averred that the future of the Lane Transit District (LTD) depended on increasing ridership and, given that, ththth the choices of 6 and 7 Avenues and 7 Place would meet the need for more riders and needs created by planned future development along EmX Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) lines on Highway 99 North and River Road. She recalled that the council had passed a resolution that extended the Multiple Unit Property Tax thth Exemption (MUPTE) into the areas of West 6 and 7 Avenues, including the Trainsong neighborhood. She said this created the possibility for the construction of housing projects with commercial space on the bottom floor and residential housing above, which she believed to be “a perfect opportunity for this kind of activity.” She felt the commercial properties on the avenues needed upgrading. She noted that a survey of the Whiteaker neighborhood had indicated that 21.5 percent of families in that neighborhood were living below poverty level and that 2,326 people with disabilities resided there. She stated that this created a large pool of “transportation disadvantaged persons.” She related that the group Residents for Responsible Rapid thth Transit (3RT) was promoting the idea that the next BRT line be located on the 6 and 7 Avenue corridor. Jozef Siekiel-Zdzienicki , 1025 Taylor Street, thanked the council for holding the public forum at its meetings. He asserted that LTD staff had admitted at its previous board meeting that staff had not “communicated enough” with the City and the public, based on a University of Oregon Community Planning Workshop survey. He urged the councilors to initiate and accommodate any sorts of discussion. He asserted that he was trying to bring out facts and LTD was accusing him of inflammatory rhetoric. Mr. Siekiel-Zdzienicki supported keeping the police facility on the south side of the river. He said one council goal was to revitalize the downtown area. He believed that moving the police force out of the downtown area was counter to that goal. MINUTES—Eugene City Council June 22, 2009 Page 1 Regular Meeting