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<br />Mr. Kelly underscored the fact that the motion called for action at the work session following the public <br />hearing, which he thought appropriate. <br /> <br />City Manager Taylor asked if he should postpone action on the supplemental budget that would enable the <br />City to go forward with the process. Mr. Kelly suggested that the supplemental budget hearing occur as <br />scheduled and the council could vote to adopt it on March 15. City Manager Taylor indicated that was the <br />course of action he would follow. <br /> <br />Mr. Poling said the council needed to consider the point of the public hearing, which was the competitive <br />bidding exemption, not the merits of the Whole Foods project. <br /> <br />Ms. Taylor wanted to hold a public hearing on the project. She asked if the maker of the amendment would <br />accept a friendly amendment to hold a hearing on the project. Ms. Bettman declined to accept the friendly <br />amendment. <br /> <br />Ms. Taylor did not think a day and a half was enough time to consider testimony on the issue. <br /> <br />Ms. Bettman said that for people to speak to the issue of the competitive bid process, they would need the <br />findings. She said that information needed to be available as soon as possible as widely as possible in a <br />format the average citizen could understand. <br /> <br />Mayor Piercy said the council was open to hearing from the public on the issue. <br /> <br />The motion passed unanimously, 7:0; <br /> <br />Ms. Taylor moved to hold a public hearing on the parking garage project and whether it <br />was the best use of City money. The motion died for lack of a second. <br /> <br />Mr. Kelly referred to the proposed agreement with Broadway High Associates and expressed appreciation to <br />staff for incorporating the suggestions made by the council. <br /> <br />Mr. Kelly referred to the proposed agreement with The Shedd and said the agreement appeared to lack any <br />requirement for delivery of the site to the developer. Ms. Laurence indicated such a section would be <br />included. <br /> <br />Mr. Kelly noted the City’s long-time goal of having a grocery store in downtown and said he received a call <br />that morning from Rick Wright of Market of Choice, who indicated in response to a question that he had <br />never been contacted by the City about the possibility of locating a store downtown. He asked why. He <br />believed it was an omission for staff not to have made the contact. Mr. Kelly acknowledged that frequently, <br />such developments were created by a particular opportunity, but the opportunity before the council <br />presented itself recently. City Manager Taylor said that the work City staff does downtown resulted either <br />from specific request for proposals, such as for the Sears site, or when the City had interest in a particular <br />parcel or particular partnership. He said that if the council considered the opportunities that had occupied <br />the City over the last year, they generally came about as the result of a specific development proposal. The <br />City did not generally solicit competition for specific retail uses, absent such a public/private partnership. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />MINUTES—Eugene City Council February 22, 2006 Page 4 <br /> Regular Meeting <br /> <br />