CC Minutes - 03/12/12 Work Session

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reported that Oregon Research Institute would break ground on its new building and the Inn at 5 th would have a ribbon cutting later in the week. Mayor Piercy had attended the most recent Oregon Metropolitan Planning Organization Consortium meeting in Corvallis. She reported that Corvallis stopped charging for the bus and added the costs of the system to the utility fee. That had increased transit ridership by 30 percent. Mayor Piercy circulated a copy of Portland's Climate Smart Scenario Project. She suggested Eugene might want to pay attention to the work Portland was doing regarding importing in its economic development plan. Mayor Piercy said the State had issued its new highway mobility standards. B. WORK SESSION: Adoption of Federal Priorities List The council was joined by Intergovernmental Relations Director Brenda Wilson, who presented the Federal Priorities List. Ms. Wilson recalled the council's passage of a resolution calling on Congress to refer an amendment repealing the Supreme Court decision in Citizens United versus the Federal Communication Commission to the states; the resolution also stated the item would be included on the City's 2012 federal legislative agenda. She recommended that the City not propose to add the item to the United Front list because, based on past actions, it was unlikely to be supported by Springfield or Lane County. Staff would continue to advocate for the issue as part of the City's federal legislative agenda. Ms. Wilson reviewed the items on the list. Councilors asked questions clarifying the status of the items on the list. Mr. Brown, seconded by Mr. Farr, moved to adopt the recommended Eugene United Front 2012 Federal Priorities List. The motion passed unanimously, 6:0. C. WORK SESSION: Capstone Collegiate Community Housing Development Proposal The council was joined by Nan Laurence of the Planning and Development Department, who introduced the members of the Capstone Collegiate Properties development team who were present. Ms. Laurence led the council through a PowerPoint presentation titled Proposed Downtown Student Housing Project. The presentation highlighted adopted City plans and policies governing downtown development and included maps showing the site location in the context of downtown and nearby neighborhood associations. The presentation described the project phases and included information about the proposed alley vacation and related bicycle and pedestrian improvements. The presentation concluded with a schedule of public engagement opportunities and the council timeline for action. Councilors asked questions clarifying the details of the presentation. Mayor Piercy asked that the council be provided with the notes of the public forums held on the proposal. MINUTES— Eugene City Council March 12, 2012 Page 2 Work Session