CC Minutes - 02/25/08 Work Session

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Mr. Zelenka said the Metropolitan Policy Committee continued to work on transportation planning and local criteria for the selection and prioritization of projects. The committee was also investigating having its meetings televised. Ms. Ortiz said she was happy to have been elected chair the HSC, which was an important committee to the community. She said the HSC was provided with statistics about Project Homeless Connect, which confirmed her perception that many of the volunteers involved were ordinary people. Many personal connections had been made at the event, which she found very heart-warming. Ms. Ortiz recalled the recent Joint Elected Officials meeting and said she was glad all councilors were able to be present. She anticipated a bumpy future given the County’s lack of Road Fund dollars in addition to its budget woes, but believed it was a positive thing for the elected officials to talk to each other about community values. She thought more such opportunities should be created. Ms. Ortiz said she had been invited to a presentation at the new River Bend campus which was hosted by her boss, Mel Prine. Mr. Prine had shared the hospital’s vision of the future of its site with local elected officials. That vision included low-income housing. Mayor Piercy said that Commissioner Faye Stewart had committed to speaking to the council about the impacts of the loss of the Secure Rural Schools money, and she thought that an opportunity to begin the discussion mentioned by councilors in their remarks. She suggested the council should consider developing an emergency plan to respond to the gaps in service that would exist when those dollars were no longer available. Ms. Ortiz noted that Council Bonny Bettman was absent on a medical mission to Ecuador. Mayor Piercy welcomed City Manager pro tem Angel Jones back from her recent illness. City Manager pro tem Jones reported that Beth Forrest had accepted the position of Council Coordinator. Ms. Forrest had been serving in the position on an interim basis. City Manager pro tem Jones welcomed Ms. Forrest. B. WORK SESSION Sustainability Initiative Update Mayor Piercy welcomed members of the Sustainability Commission who were present for the item. Sustainability Manager Felicity Fahey joined the council for the item. Ms. Fahy introduced Will Shaver and Tim Laue, chair and vice chair of the Sustainability Commission. Ms. Fahy provided an update on the Sustainability Initiative, noting the establishment of the commission in 2007. She said it had been highlighted to her that the City needed to focus more on the role of social equity, and she suggested there was “a great deal of capacity’ to broaden the discussion and include the three aspects of sustainability in everything the City did. Ms. Fahy believed the City could play a role in bringing the many players who had a role in sustainability together and noted the interest being expressed by other communities in the work the City was doing. MINUTES—Eugene City Council February 25, 2008 Page 3 Work Session