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