Item 2A: Approval of City Council Minutes

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offer a total package to fix the whole problem in November 2008. It was wise to consider the City Hall measure at a future point beyond the pavement preservation measure. Ms. Taylor wanted to place the pavement preservation bond on the May 2008 ballot. Other efforts should be taken to do something about the roads before then. City Hall should not be considered in November 2008. She would not support the motion. She disagreed that the issues should be combined. Mr. Pryor agreed with Ms. Taylor, noting that streets needed to be addressed first, perhaps during the current budget cycle. He said although staff deserved a new City Hall, the larger community needed to be listened to. Mayor Piercy said whatever was put on the ballot the City Council should do its utmost to have all councilors in support of the measures, and should commit to do whatever it takes to get the message out to the public. Mr. Poling noted this motion would approve a tentative election schedule that could be modified by the council. It would give staff the go ahead and develop a plan. He was concerned about placing City Hall and Police patrol facilities on the November 2008 ballot. He had received several telephone calls from constituents indicating that they would not approve anything until the streets were fixed. He wanted to hold the November 2008 date in the event council decided to use it. Ms. Bettman said she was willing to consider putting the pavement preservation measure on the May 2008 ballot. The council owed it to the voters to vote the City Hall issue up or down. Although she might support having it on the ballot, there would not be unanimity on council to campaign for it with the Police patrol facility being at Roosevelt. If it had been co-located at City Hall, she would have enthusiastically supported and campaigned for it. She endorsed the tentative election schedule although she did not endorse any of the ballot measures. Ms. Ortiz said she was not prepared to put both motions on the table. She said she supported the pavement preservation program, and agreed with Mayor Piercy’s comments about the council being as united as possible. She said she had concerns about putting the City Hall measure on the ballot in November 2008, noting there was not community support for it. She said she was not willing to put energy into something that would not pass. Mr. Pryor said the tentative election schedule implied a priority listing for the City. Continuing to keep City Hall on the November 2008 ballot sent a signal that the City Council still considered that to be a high priority project over and above other things the community thought the council should be focusing on. He suggested moving the City Hall facility and Police patrol facility bond to the year 2010. Mr. Clark agreed with Mr. Pryor regarding City Hall, in terms of a bond measure in 2010. He said the public made it clear at the November 2007 election how they felt about passing funding measures, expecting the City Council to do a more thorough job with the money available, and addressing the City’s priorities before they would approve anything additional. He added the City Council needed to rebuild trust with the community. Responding to a question from Ms. Solomon, Mr. Carlson said considering separating City Hall and the Police patrol facility was up to the discretion of the City Council. Ms. Solomon said the police were a high priority for her, and they were not currently in a safe situation. Moving the police patrol facility bond measure to 2010 sent the message to the voters that police were not a priority. MINUTES—Eugene City Council November 28, 2007 Page 10 Work Session