CCMinutes - 12/06/04 Mtg - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Mayor Torrey conveyed his opposition to the elimination of the transportation system maintenance fee (TSMF), rescinded earlier in the year. He felt it should have been put to a vote of the people in order to provide the citizens with the opportunity to discuss the importance of the transportation backlog. He said the council had pulled the TSMF with the understanding that the County and the Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce were going to work with the City of Eugene to ;;fill the whole." He opined that the proposed gas tax would not accomplish much. He recommended the City ;;go back to the drawing board" and ask the County for some of its Road Fund money. He underscored that the City had gone to Congress every year and asked for support for road funding and asked that it be shared equitably between the City and the County. He averred that the road quality within the City limits should be as good as the roads outside of the City limits were. He reiterated that, should transportation truly be a high priority, the Budget Committee and the City Council should be willing to take money from the General Fund in order to backfill the gap. He said roads must be kept moving for the citizens of Eugene, but the gas tax would only serve to make service stations in Eugene unable to compete with those of Springfield. Mayor Torrey closed the meeting of the Eugene City Council at 9:54 p.m. Mayor Torrey opened the meeting of the Urban Renewal Agency of Eugene. 5. ACTION: Resolution 1032 Authorizing Execution of a Design Finance Agreement Councilor Bettman, seconded by Councilor Nathanson, moved to adopt Resolution 1032 authorizing execution of a Design Finance Agreement. City Manager Taylor stated that the resolution created the ability for the City to move forward with the loan to expedite the design work on the Patterson Street underpass. In response to a question from Councilor Kelly, Ms. Cutsogeorge assured him that any changes in the criteria would be brought before the council. Roll call vote; the motion passed unanimously, 7:0. 6. PUBLIC HEARING and ACTION: Resolution 1033 Adopting a Supplemental Budget: Making Appropriations for the Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Eugene for the Fiscal Year Beginning July 1, 2004, and Ending June 30, 2005 Mayor Torrey opened the public hearing. Kevin Matthews, PO Box 1588, president of the Friends of Eugene, spoke in opposition to the resolution as he felt there had been a lack of transparency in the process. He opined that the appropriations were potential subsidies for a private institution on ~prime land." He commented that citizen input had indicated opposition to such development on the riverfront. Mayor Torrey, noting it was 9:59 p.m., asked the Council President to provide a motion to extend the time. MINUTES--Eugene City Council December 6, 2004 Page 13 Regular Session