CC Minutes - 01/14/08 Work Session

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Ms. Taylor asked whether new projects proposed by Springfield would place Eugene projects lower on the priorities list and compete for the same funds. Ms. Wilson replied that the proposed priorities lists from all jurisdictions were reviewed in the summer to determine there was no competition for funding and those lists could not be expanded, only reduced. She said the two projects from Springfield were on the proposed priorities list and not added later. Ms. Taylor hoped that the process could be discussed well in advance next year. She asked if Forest Legacy funds could be used to reimburse the City for the acquisition of property with other funds. Ms. Wilson said that replacement of funds already spent was not allowed. Ms. Ortiz, seconded by Mr. Pryor, moved to adopt the 2008 Federal Priorities Pro- ject List. Mr. Clark, seconded by Ms. Ortiz, moved to amend the motion by adding $2.5 mil- lion for the Beltline Corridor NEPA study. The motion to amend passed unani- mously, 8:0. Mr. Zelenka, seconded by Ms. Taylor, moved to amend the motion to include ap- plication for Forest Legacy grant for the Beverly and Green properties in 2009. The motion to amendment passed unanimously, 8:0. Ms. Bettman said the 2007 priorities list included a request from Springfield for $1.5 million for the Franklin Boulevard corridor study to upgrade to urban standards and Eugene’s request for $500,000 for a West 11th Avenue corridor study. She asked if the West 11th Avenue study had been eliminated. Mr. Inerfeld replied that the City received $150,000 in Surface Transportation Program-Urban (STP-U) through the MPC process and that was adequate to conduct the study. Ms. Bettman asked why Eugene was requesting funding for the Franklin Boulevard-Multiway Corridor project instead of Springfield or LTD. Ms. Wilson said that Eugene’s federal lobbyists felt there was a greater chance of success if the jurisdictions combined NEPA requests into one request. She said the council would be approving the inclusion of Eugene's NEPA request in LTD's request for $5 million in NEPA funding. The motion as amended passed, 7:1; Ms. Bettman voting in opposition. Ms. Bettman, seconded by Ms. Taylor, moved that the United Front list be rechar- acterized as jurisdictional priorities instead of regional priorities. Ms. Bettman reiterated her objection to lobbying for other jurisdictions' projects when the council could not approve them and said the intent of her motion was to give Eugene's United Front representatives direction on how to lobby for funds in Washington, DC. City Manager pro tem Jones said that while there was not agreement that the list was a regional document, there was agreement that even if a jurisdiction did not support an item on the list, it would not lobby against it. She emphasized that United Front was a funding initiative and not a policy process and changes would be required to shift from funding to a policy and regional focus. MINUTES—Eugene City Council January 14, 2008 Page 6 Work Session