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<br />EUGENE CITY COUNCIL <br />AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY <br /> <br />~ <br /> <br />Public Hearing: An Ordinance Establishing Local Criteria in the West Eugene Enterprise <br />Zone and Adopting a Public Benefit Scoring System; Repealing Resolution 4851; and <br />Providing an Effective Date <br /> <br />Meeting Date: May 8, 2006 <br />Department: Planning and Development <br />www.eugene-or.gov <br /> <br />Agenda Item Number: 8 <br />Staff Contact: Denny Braud <br />Contact Telephone Number: 682-5536 <br /> <br />ISSUE STATEMENT <br />This is a public hearing for the proposed ordinance concerning the establishment of local criteria that <br />would apply to tax exemptions granted in the West Eugene Enterprise Zone (see Attachment A). <br /> <br />BACKGROUND <br />On August 8, 2005, the council approved Resolution No. 4851, which established interim local criteria <br />applicable in the proposed West Eugene Enterprise Zone (see Attachment B). The resolution provided <br />that the City of Eugene and Lane County, joint sponsors of the zone, undertake a process to develop and <br />adopt permanent standards and public benefit criteria. The resolution provided for the establishment of <br />the Enterprise Zone Committee, composed of two elected officials from each governing body and a total <br />of four community representatives, two of whom were appointed by each governing body. The <br />resolution also provided that opportunities for stakeholder participation and community involvement, <br />including public hearings, be included in the process. <br /> <br />The elected officials appointed to the committee included Councilors Andrea Ortiz and Chris Pryor, and <br />Commissioners Bobby Green and Faye Stewart. The City-appointed community members included <br />Claire Syrett and Rusty Rexius, and the County-appointed community members included Lou Christian <br />and Steven Korth. The committee met on six occasions between November 2005 and February 2006. <br />The committee also hosted a public workshop on December 7,2005, and a public hearing on January 31, <br />2006. Public input gathered at the workshop and public hearing was instrumental in shaping the <br />committee's recommendation. <br /> <br />ORS 285C.150 provides that a sponsor of an urban enterprise zone may require an eligible business firm <br />to satisfy other conditions. These conditions must be reasonably related to the public purpose of <br />providing opportunities for groups of persons to obtain employment, and can only be imposed based on <br />an adopted policy that establishes standards for imposition of the conditions. <br /> <br />The standards recommended by the committee include "Public Benefit Criteria" focused in nine areas: <br />Small Business, Health Insurance, Training and Advancement Opportunities, Wages, Employee <br />Benefits, Redevelopment, Referral Agency Hiring, Construction Practices, and Investment Size. <br /> <br />Consistent with the direction from the City Council and County Board, 25% of the tax exemption <br />benefit would be conditioned on these Public Benefit Criteria standards. The committee has <br /> <br />LICMOl2006 Council Agendas1M060S081S060S088.doc <br />