Item 5: Metro Plan Boundary Adjustment Proposal (Springfield Side)

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Planning Commission voted 3-2 to recommend approval of the proposal to the Eugene City Council. A public hearing before the joint elected officials was held March 13, 2012. A total of 13 people testified at the joint public hearing. Of those testifying, one person testified in support of the proposal, two people expressed concerns or had questions about the impact, and the remaining 10 people testified in opposition to the proposed amendment. Those in opposition to the amendment expressed concern about the loss of regional planning and collaborative decision making, risk to water quality, and loss of decision making authority for the City. Subsequently, the City of Springfield, Lane County and the Springfield Utility Board worked together to reach an acceptable solution to ensure that Springfield’s drinking water sources that fall within this area would remain adequately protected once removed from the Metro Plan boundary. On March 18, 2013, the Springfield City Council voted 6 to 0 to approve the amendment to reduce the Metro Plan boundary to become coterminous with Springfield’s urban growth boundary (UGB). This action, if approved by all three jurisdictions, would affect approximately 8,130 acres, all of which would come under the jurisdiction of Lane County and the Lane County Rural Comprehensive Plan, except that specific issues related to drinking water protection would remain a joint-governance matter between the Lane County Board of Commissioners and the Springfield City Council. The Springfield City Council also voted 6 to 0 to approve the provisions of an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) between the City of Springfield and Lane County regarding a number of land use matters, but principally actions to protect Springfield Utility Board drinking water source areas. A copy of the draft IGA is provided as Attachment C. The Lane County Board of Commissioners has tentatively approved the proposal, and is scheduled to take final action on June 4, 2013, after both cities have taken action. As noted above, this proposal only pertains to the Springfield side of the Metro Plan Boundary. The scope and timing of a future Lane County-initiated proposal to amend the boundary on the Eugene side of the Metro Plan has not been established, and will be subject to a separate public process. RELATED CITY POLICIES Eugene-Springfield Metropolitan Area General Plan COUNCIL OPTIONS No formal action is required at this time. Council action will be scheduled for a subsequent meeting; options will be provided at that time. CITY MANAGER’S RECOMMENDATION No action is required on this item. Therefore, no recommendations are offered by the City Manager. Council action will be scheduled for a subsequent meeting; the City Manager will provide a recommendation at that time. S:\CMO\2013 Council Agendas\M130513\S1305135.doc