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Ms. Bettman alleged that the motion would take the policy discussion on whether this was a good idea out of <br />the council's purview and placed it in the Budget Committee purview. She did not believe this to be <br />appropriate. <br /> <br />In response to a question from Ms. Bettman, City Manager Taylor said, to date, the position had been <br />considered to be part of the PDD, but it could be placed in a different department. He added that his <br />instruction to department heads was to build a budget based on current level assumptions. <br /> <br />Ms. Bettman opposed the motion. She cited other areas of the City that were enduring funding cuts and <br />asserted the position would allocate an additional $100,000 to PDD. She also objected to the nomenclature <br />employed by staff and opined that the position should be called a "business facilitator." <br /> <br />Mr. Meisner conveyed his support for the motion. He expressed some suspicion at staff's inability to <br />suggest ideas for funding mechanisms. He echoed Ms. Solomon's suggestion that the position not be <br />ensconced in the PDD. He averred it was not a "mid-level position" in a department. Additionally, he <br />recalled that ways to pay for this sort of function had been discussed three years earlier. He noted it had <br />been in relation to a discussion on whether to grant an extension of an enterprise zone to a major manufac- <br />turer not in compliance with its agreement. He related that he had opposed the extension and that much of <br />the discussion had centered on whether the moneys could be used for economic development activities. He <br />stated that the council at the time had decided '~to put all of its eggs in one basket" and to provide no assets <br />and no economic assistance to anyone else. He thought PDD and the CMO could look within their <br />department structures and determine whether service improvement could be focused. <br /> <br />Ms. Taylor asserted that should the facilitator be hired, the work assignment for the position should be <br />delineated. She recalled that one suggestion from a symposium on sustainable economic development was to <br />inventory existing businesses and determine how such businesses could be helped or changed. She opined <br />that a recommendation from a committee did not mean the council had to follow through. She called some <br />of the cuts resulting from the previous budget process "shocking." <br /> <br />Mr. Kelly shared Mr. Meisner's questions and concerns. <br /> <br /> Mr. Kelly, seconded by Ms. Bettman, moved to amend the motion with a <br /> substitute motion to direct the City Manager to return to the City Council <br /> with funding alternatives for a business facilitator function in FY06. <br /> <br />Mr. Kelly supported placing the position in the CMO. He did not want to support the recommendation until <br />the budget impacts were known. <br /> <br />Mr. Meisner suggested a friendly amendment to place the phrase "prior to the draft budget process" between <br />the words "council" and "funding." The maker of the motion accepted the friendly amendment. <br /> <br />Mr. Pap~ preferred the item to be in the proposed budget and highlighted by the City Manager. <br /> <br />Mayor Torrey called for a motion to extend the time for discussion. <br /> <br /> Ms. Nathanson, seconded by Mr. Pap~, moved to extend the discussion by <br /> four minutes. The motion passed, 5:2; Ms. Taylor and Ms. Bettman voting <br /> in opposition. <br /> <br />MINUTES--Eugene City Council November 10, 2004 Page 5 <br /> Work Session <br /> <br /> <br />