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MINUTES Eugene City Council Work Session McNutt Room--City Hall May 19, 2004 Noon COUNCILORS PRESENT: Bonny Bettman, George Poling, Nancy Nathanson, Scott Meisner, David Kelly, Betty Taylor, Gary Papd, Jennifer Solomon. His Honor Mayor James D. Torrey called the meeting of the Eugene City Council to order. A. WORK SESSION: Metropolitan Wastewater Management Commission Facilities Plan and 20-Year Project List City Manager Dennis Taylor said Public Works Director Kurt Corey and Metropolitan Wastewater Management Commission (MWMC) General Manager Susie Smith would summarize the Facilities Plan and the 20-Year Project list. Mr. Corey provided a brief synopsis of the development of waste treatment in the city of Eugene. He stated that prior to 1952, wastewater had been discharged directly into the Willamette River. At that time, communities, based on minimal regulatory guidance, implemented individual wastewater treatment systems that would be considered primitive by today's standards. He related that the initial wastewater treatment facilities did not meet requirements set forth in federal legislation within the Clean Water Act in the 1970s. He said communities joined together at that time to treat wastewater at a regional level and, as a result, the MWMC had been formed in 1977. Its purpose was to provide regional policy oversight, with an initial focus on administration of approximately $85 million in federal grant money. He indicated, with a graph, the financing and general obligation (GO) bonds that were in the budget. He reiterated that the charge to citizens had not been increased in ten years. Mr. Corey said the facilities plan had been guided by the previous planning efforts with the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit, renewed in 2002. Mayor Torrey turned the gavel over to Council President Bettman, as he had another obligation which would require him to leave prior to the end of the meeting. Ms. Smith stated that what was before the council was the first rigorous comprehensive facility plan update which was intended to support the community through the year 2025, to support both growth and required environmental performance. She outlined the regulatory drivers that guided the resulting project list, as outlined in the attachment entitled Frequently Asked Questions About the 2004 MWMC Wastewater Facilities Plan and System Development Charge Methodology. She highlighted the treatment alternatives that were evaluated and their estimated costs. She said Option 5, the $144 million package, provided the same level of environmental compliance and performance as Option 1, the $233 million package. Subsequently, the MWMC had proceeded with its recommendation for Option 5. MINUTES--Eugene City Council May 19, 2004 Page 1 Work Session