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· Clear council direction; staff not responsive (example: Multiple-Unit Property Tax Exemption, <br /> stormwater discussions. No follow-up to specific discussions. Prioritizing money for preservation) <br /> · Disconnected from executive managers (clarification of process) <br /> · Process for street renaming (example: Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard) <br /> · Confusion over individuals voting their point-of-view on committees if different than council policy <br /> · Follow-up, or lack thereof <br /> · Disconnect between unanimity of hospital siting resolution (unanimous vote) and public perception <br /> · Mayor/council speaking with a single voice after action is taken <br /> · How is policy articulated? How does City Manager get it and how does staff implement? <br /> · How do we work as a council? <br /> · Consent Calendar - nothing of any magnitude on it <br /> · Public Forum - don't limit time for speakers <br /> · Brighter Request-to-Speak lights needed! (They are very dim, and it is a hindrance) <br /> <br />Speaking to a comment from Mr. Meisner regarding his access to executive managers and staff in general, <br />Mr. Carlson suggested that Mr. Taylor needed to be the council's focal point of contact since he was the <br />council's direct employee. Mr. Meisner maintained that his lack of access was a change after seven years of <br />having such access, and now he did not receive calls from either executive managers or division managers. <br />He said that as the council's library liaison, he had not heard anything about the library's anniversary plans. <br /> <br />Mr. Kelly questioned whether a conscious management change had created the situation Mr. Meisner <br />described. Ms. Hayes suggested the council follow-up on this issue. <br /> <br />Ms. Bettman concurred with Mr. Meisner, saying that she read about issues in the newspaper rather than <br />being informed about them by staff. She perceived a trend toward councilors receiving less information and <br />being increasingly %ut of the loop" and isolated from the organization while at the same time being asked to <br />act on issues more precipitously. <br /> <br />Ms. Bettman said that follow-up was an issue for her. She said that it was up to her to track issues and <br />request a response to her inquiries. <br /> <br />Speaking to the suggestion that the mayor and council speak with a single voice, Ms. Bettman objected to <br />the fact that the council had made a unanimous decision on the hospital siting resolution and the mayor had <br />made statements to the press that she perceived as undermining that unanimity and the City's ability to <br />negotiate with the hospital on a preferred site. Mr. Kelly agreed that was an issue, and the mayor should <br />have supported the council's decision. Ms. Bettman believed the mayor and council should speak with a <br />single voice after the unanimous action was taken. <br /> <br />Mr. Kelly said the issue was one of policy governance and was related to several of the bullets listed by the <br />council. He thought there was a broader issue that required more discussion. <br /> <br />Mayor Torrey clarified that he had supported the council resolution regarding hospital siting, but if <br />McKenzie-Willamette/Triad was not able to site the hospital as the council preferred, he would continue to <br />support its location elsewhere in Eugene. That was the gist of the statements he made to the press. He <br />could not concur with a statement that the hospital would not be welcome elsewhere. <br /> <br />MINUTES--Eugene City Council January 14, 2004 Page 2 <br /> Process Session <br /> <br /> <br />