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sites. There was a demand for such sites, and she questioned why the community should have to pay businesses to develop on such sites in light of the demand and supply. It did not make good economic sense. She believed it made good economic sense to encourage expansion and development on existing, industrially zoned sites that were either underused or needed to be cleaned up. She pointed out that once the council proceeded with the enterprise zone, it had to accept the companies that applied if they met the eligibility requirements. That had been a concern for many residents who opposed the companies that were recruited to Eugene when the last zone existed. Ms. Bettman advocated for a zone that enjoyed broad community support so that new businesses did not create controversy such as occurred in the past. Mayor Torrey did not want the council to limit itself. He asked councilors to stop thinking about the past and consider the future and ask themselves why it was contemplating the zone. It was for the purpose of creating job opportunities for existing and future residents. Mayor Torrey was convinced many residents would benefit from manufacturing jobs. The City had a limited capacity to accomplish its goals without an enterprise zone. Mayor Torrey said the country was losing its ability to compete on an international scale with service jobs, and the council was not going to stop outsourcing because it did not like it. Minor tax adjustments would not solve the problem when citizens of India with college educations can be hired for $120 month. He said the City needed to find where its unique opportunities exist, and one opportunity was the intellectual capacity at the University of Oregon and convert ideas into products. He said he was not talking about big industries; he had been in Korea the previous week and learned that Hynix would not be coming to Eugene for a second factory because it could do so cheaper in China. Mayor Torrey said if Eugene wanted jobs it needed to have space for companies. Mayor Torrey suggested that the council charge the Council Committee on Intergovernmental Relations with the task of securing changes in the enterprise zone law to allow the City to focus its zone more narrowly. Mayor Torrey indicated that in the event of a tie, he would oppose the amendment. Mayor Torrey solicited a second round of comments. Ms. Bettman said she reviewed the presentations given the advisory committee and the presenters were clear that manufacturing jobs were not in the community's future. Eugene's competition in that regard was global. One presenter indicated that high-paying, knowledge-based jobs were desirable and viable for Eugene. Medical services were identified as a growing industry. Former City employee Lew Bowers told the committee that the City's strategy should be 90 percent business retention and 10 percent business recruitment. Ms. Bettman considered enterprise zones in general the least effective economic strategy the City had available, but if such zones could be more targeted, perhaps the City could realize a community benefit. Mr. Kelly asked that Ms. Bettman's amendment be revised to read ;'... as shown in Attachment A." There was no objection. Mr. Kelly suggested councilors were '~talking past each other." Some councilors appeared to believe the zone must be adopted as previously presented to the council or it was not a viable tool. Mr. Kelly suggested the council could support the amendment and garner a clear majority support for the main motion and a zone councilors could defend to their constituents, or the council could reject the amendment, have a tie vote, and continued friction and "goodness knows what happens after January 1 ." He asked "Why do that?" He was MINUTES--Eugene City Council October 11, 2004 Page 10 Work Session