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attempts to implement the adopted policies in the Downtown Plan. She emphasized the importance of a <br />diverse staff team to ensure coordination of the City’s efforts. She said staff was developing a more detailed <br />matrix to track progress on each strategy and the associated key staff. <br /> <br />Ms. Taylor questioned why it was necessary for the council to vote on the item as it seemed more like a <br />report. She asked if any part of the action plan would raise the debt limit or expand the boundaries for the <br />urban renewal district. Chief Groves said the action plan did not include that level of specificity; the intent <br />was to provide a framework to guide staff efforts consistent with council direction. <br /> <br />Ms. Taylor said that some strategies, such as strategies 9 and 11, were of concern. Ms. Laurence said that <br />the adopted Downtown Plan was being implemented based on council direction and the implementation <br />strategies were a part of the Downtown Plan; no new actions were being proposed other than those already <br />in the plan. <br /> <br />Ms. Taylor asked for assurance that the council was not voting to raise the debt limit or expand the <br />boundaries. Assistant City Manager Jones said that any staff action would be based on the council’s <br />direction and the council could decide at some point in the future to provide that direction; however, the <br />council was not being asked currently to take any action related to the urban renewal district. <br /> <br />Ms. Taylor asked why strategy No. 37 was a medium instead of high priority. Ms. Laurence said that could <br />be made a high priority in the staff work plan if the council directed. Chief Groves said the scope of the <br />action plan was so large that staff hoped the council could help focus staff efforts. <br /> <br />Ms. Taylor said that many of the strategies that were on hold seemed to be simple and easily accomplished. <br />She asked what the term “opportunity-driven” meant. Ms. Laurence gave as an example the strategy to <br />th <br />enhance the visual and physical access at the end of 8 Avenue where it met the riverfront. She said staff <br />was working with Eugene Water & Electric Board (EWEB) because of the opportunity provided by the new <br />substation. She said that staff had discussed way to provide places that appealed to children and families <br />and was looking for opportunities, but had not estimated costs or brought the item before the council. She <br />said that implementing some of the strategies hinged on availability of staff or financial resources and the <br />purpose of the work session was to determine if the action plan and priorities needed to be modified to fit the <br />council’s expectations. <br /> <br />Ms. Taylor observed that some of the strategies on hold, such as signs, would not be large or expensive <br />projects and could be done fairly soon to make the downtown more accessible and attractive. She asked why <br />encouraging and supporting a stable arts community was on hold. Ms. Laurence replied that was happening <br />to some extent through other opportunities and some of the loan programs, but when staff took on larger <br />projects and staff resources were shifted to those projects other things that did not have the same level of <br />priority got put on hold temporarily. Chief Groves added that there was another council goal team working <br />specifically on the arts and outdoors and efforts were coordinated. <br /> <br />Ms. Taylor asserted that the council had not decided to support the Beam and KWG proposals; the decision <br />was to investigate and was not a final decision. <br /> <br />Mayor Piercy interjected that the council direction, as voted on, was to move the two West Broadway <br />development projects forward and bring an advisory group together to work with developers on those <br />projects. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />MINUTES—Eugene City Council July 11, 2007 Page 2 <br /> Work Session <br /> <br />