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M I N U T E S Eugene City Council Regular Meeting Council Chamber—Eugene City Hall October 8, 2007 7:30 p.m. COUNCILORS PRESENT: Andrea Ortiz, Chris Pryor, Betty Taylor, Bonny Bettman, George Poling, Jennifer Solomon, Mike Clark, Alan Zelenka. Her Honor Mayor Kitty Piercy called the regular meeting of the Eugene City Council to order. 1. PUBLIC FORUM Mayor Piercy reviewed the rules of the Public Forum. William Ivanoff , 1810 Harris Street, #336, cited two quotes, the first of which was “those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it.” The second quote was “the definition of crazy is doing the same thing over and over while expecting a different outcome.” He cited an article by Rachel Weber entitled Equity and Entrepreneurialism: The Impact of Tax Increment Financing on School Finance which examined the case of tax increment financing. Ms. Weber postulated that entrepreneurial policies created conflict between taxing bodies as higher levels of government take on some of the fiscal burden of the redistributed functions. He likened the current debate on the downtown renewal district to the debates that preceded it in the 1980s and earlier. He quoted an article from the newspaper that discussed a developer considering a major retail/theater/restaurant development in the downtown that sought to rejuvenate downtown, printed in 1985. He averred that the only difference between then and now was the date on the calendar and the cast of “characters” involved in the current urban renewal proposals. Jozef Siekiel-Zdzienicki , 1025 Taylor Street, cited Statewide planning goals and guidelines Goal 12 Article 4, which stated that major transportation facilities should avoid dividing neighborhoods. He stated that the thth west side of the City contained an urban social unit. He believed that 6 Avenue and 7 Avenue would be a th good alternative for a westward EmX route. He felt that 13 Avenue was a bad choice. He underscored his feeling that neighborhoods should not be bisected. James R. Seaberry , 1475 Green Acres Road, Space 162, asked the council to consider making a good park for musical performances. He said Springfield’s Island Park had a raised stage and averred that Eugene should have one as well. He felt a stage was needed at Washburne Park for the acoustical and visual benefits of the audience. He related an experience he had while attending a Eugene Symphonic Band concert in a park in which he had difficulty hearing and seeing. He offered to help raise money to build such a stage. He noted that the stage in Island Park cost $55,000 to construct and he anticipated that one could be built today for $75,000. MINUTES—Eugene City Council October 8, 2007 Page 1 Regular Meeting