Item 1: Ordinance on Charges for Stormwater and Parks Service

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The transition of funding for parks costs from the General Fund to the stormwater fee is proposed by the City Manager as a part of the Plan of Action in order to reduce General Fund expense and thereby maintain services and avoid further cutbacks affecting quality of life for the community. The transition will also provide a more stable ongoing funding source for parks maintenance. The stormwater fee, which currently funds a portion of the parks budget, would be modified by the proposed ordinance so that it is a fee for all stormwater and parks service. Parks service includes the cost of operating and maintaining parks, open space and natural areas owned, operated and maintained by the City. The proposed ordinance provides the policy framework enabling transition of funding for parks costs from the General Fund to the stormwater fee by changing the stormwater fee to a fee for stormwater and parks service. The specific amount of the stormwater and parks service fee would be set, as it currently is for the stormwater fee, through the administrative ratemaking process specified in the Eugene Code and based on costs included in the budget. The stormwater component of the fee would continue to fund stormwater-related services and be calculated in the same manner that it currently is calculated. The new flat monthly charge would be added to the stormwater fee to fund the parks component. This new charge would be used only to fund maintenance and operation of parks, open space and natural areas and would initially be set at a rate that would move the general fund cost of parks to the stormwater fund, but will not exceed $10 per month. This new component of the stormwater fee would be included in the limited income assistance program currently available for stormwater fee payers. RELATED CITY POLICIES Council Goal of Fair, Stable and Adequate Funding. COUNCIL OPTIONS No formal action is sought at this public hearing. The council action is scheduled for January 28, 2013. If councilors have any comments, questions or suggested changes to the ordinance, it would be helpful if those could be identified prior to council action on January 28. CITY MANAGER’S RECOMMENDATION This item is scheduled for public hearing only. No recommendation is being made at this time. SUGGESTED MOTION No motion is proposed for the public hearing. ATTACHMENTS A. Draft Ordinance B. A Plan of Action to Address the Fiscal Challenge: Closing a $6 Million Deficit S:\CMO\2013 Council Agendas\M130122\S1301221.doc