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annexation. He related that he worked constantly with Union Pacific Railroad, mostly on passenger rail <br />issues. He stated that all of the delays in passenger rail were attributable to freight use. He commented that <br />Union Pacific Railroad reported monthly in Salem that one of its continuing problems, in hindsight, lay with <br />its decision to abandon the freight yards of Eugene. He felt there was no absolute assurance that Union- <br />Pacific Railroad would not restore some of its activities there, nor would it likely ever entirely vacate the rail <br />yards. He also thought it was unlikely that the area would ever be easily accessible. <br /> <br />Councilor Taylor thanked all those who spoke in the Public Forum. She expressed hope that the City could <br />act hastily on the 38-acre parcel, adding that it could be obtained through condemnation if necessary. <br /> <br />Councilor Taylor asked the City Manager if it was possible to provide the information Ms. Starling <br />requested at the beginning of the public meeting with Crest neighbors on September 29. <br /> <br />Councilor Taylor felt that the City needed to make it clear that vandalizing political signs was a crime. <br /> <br />Continuing, Councilor Taylor shared her skepticism regarding enterprise zones. She thought the suggestions <br />made by ESSN were very important as the community should receive something in return for their <br />investment. She was also curious about the loan program. She opined that making loans to small <br />businesses was a good idea, but could be done without an enterprise zone. <br /> <br />Councilor Bettman thanked those who testified. She noted that testimony from the Crest Drive <br />neighborhood indicated they had not received all of the answers they were seeking. City Manager Taylor <br />responded that, to his knowledge, all questions asked at the previous meeting had been answered in writing <br />prior to seven days before the next meeting, as requested. <br /> <br />Councilor Bettman was encouraged by information that neighbors would be able to participate in a design <br />charette. While she recognized there was still the issue of street designation as local or connector, she <br />encouraged the participants to select a section of street and design it just the way they wanted it. She <br />affirmed she would be attending the meeting. <br /> <br />Regarding the enterprise zone, Councilor Bettman conveyed her appreciation for Mr. Borg's testimony. She <br />asked staff to take the comments from everyone who spoke about economic development and respond to <br />them. She alleged that community standards had been brought before the Economic Development <br />Committee and staff had ~veered" committee members away from them. <br /> <br />Councilor Bettman agreed with Mr. Brown that crime and litter along the river front was a big issue. She <br />said the larger issue was that there were not enough places for homeless people to live. She predicted that <br />the council, with a new mayor and two new councilors, would be able to address the issue more <br />~holistically." <br /> <br />2. CONSENT CALENDAR <br /> <br /> A. Approval of City Council Minutes <br /> - September 13, 2004, Work Session <br /> - September 13, 2004, City Council Meeting <br /> B. Approval of Tentative Working Agenda <br /> <br />MINUTES--Eugene City Council September 27, 2004 Page 6 <br /> Regular Session <br /> <br /> <br />