CC Minutes - 01/11/06 Work Session

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Speaking to Ms. Wile’s comments regarding population growth estimates and impacts on services, Mr. Reed said City staff would provide that information regarding population growth and full build-out and the transition team would do the work related to impacts on services. Speaking to Ms. Wile’s criticism related to trust, voice, collaboration, and equity, Mr. Reed expressed disappointment in the disappointment in this area voiced by Ms. Wile. He said the transition team had attempted from the very first to be as transparent as possible. For that reason, it established a Web site and held open meetings. He said the transition team had not done any work behind closed doors. Mr. Reed said the liaison position was a unique one, and a liaison was not the same thing as a consultant. The liaison was an independent third party who must work with and talk to different parties at different times and the members of the task force could not be at the table for all those meetings. He said that “was just the way it was” and acknowledged it was a source of the mistrust that hung around the process. Mr. Reed said the team had to live with it. He pointed out that the situation in River Road and Santa Clara had taken 20 years to develop and whether it was dubbed contentious or not, it was not a good situation. The transition team was not going to turn the situation around in two years. In regard to the work plan, Mr. Reed said that some people felt more comfortable with a complex project of which they had high expectations, such as the transition project, if it was both linear and predictable. One of the things the transition team learned was that was not possible. The transition team needed to be agile, adaptive, and responsive, and he believed that bothered some people. He understood that concern. Ms. Taylor believed that respecting the opinions of the minority meant that they must be listened to and their concerns understood rather than being dismissed. She hoped that would occur in the future. Ms. Taylor expressed the desire that in the future, those in the minority in such a situation would be able to directly address the council and answer questions. Mr. Kelly commended the white paper, which he thought provided both good factual background as well as a wide variety of options for the community to consider. Responding to a question from Mr. Kelly about the relationship between the transition team and the task force, Mr. Reed said the two bodies were still working on the relationship. He said that task force would consider the issue at its next meeting. The team had laid out the role and purpose of the task force initially and he thought there was pretty good understanding of the roles, but as the task force discussed contentious issues, that subject had been revisited. Mr. Reed recalled that the mayor had deferred the issue of whether the process needed a formal standing committee to the transition team. The transition team had tried to take a collaborative approach with the task force, and it had worked pretty well. Ms. Wile and other members of the task force were concerned that the transition team was not fulfilling its obligations. Mr. Kelly appreciated that the relationship was being discussed and hoped it was resolved soon as he thought it critical to the outcome of the process. Speaking to City Manager Taylor and Assistant City Manager Carlson, Mr. Kelly said he “was very disappointed” that no member of the task force was involved in the presentation. He thought it a prerequi- site for any future work session on the topic. Assistant City Manager Carlson said that could be arranged if it was the desire of the whole council. He pointed out to Mr. Kelly that the task force was not advisory to the council so no member was invited. Mr. Reed chose to establish the task force to advise the transition MINUTES—Eugene City Council January 11, 2006 Page 4 Work Session