CC Minutes - 02/25/08 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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F. Adoption of Resolution 4930 Amending Eugene City Council Operating Agreements and Repealing Resolution 4872 G. Approval of Construction Excise Tax—Bethel School District Councilor Clark pulled item D. Councilor Zelenka pulled item C. Councilor Pyror, seconded by Councilor Taylor, moved to accept the Consent Calendar with the exception of items C and D. Roll call vote; the motion passed unanimously, 7:0. Councilor Zelenka recalled his desire, expressed at the work session on the topic, that Eugene Water & Electric Board (EWEB) would install a solar photovoltaic project on the roof of its new building. He hoped the EWEB board would direct staff or ask a private party to install such a project on its new building. He found it ironic that in the same week as The Register-Guard chose to do an editorial stating that solar power did not work and was not cost-effective, it ran an article about Pepsi’s new solar rooftop system and how effective it was. He hoped EWEB would soon announce it would do the same. Councilor Zelenka said he had asked about EWEB’s plan to guarantee the use of the proceeds of the sale of the land the utility would be leaving to buy down the bonds. The council had not heard a guarantee but that a statement was planned. He hoped the EWEB commissioners would come out with a statement to that effect as it would lower everyone’s power costs. Councilor Clark said he would vote to support the bonds because shortly after the work session he had met with EWEB staff members and discussed the issue with several board members sufficiently to be convinced that it was the board’s intent to buy back the cots of the bonds with the sale of the river front property, which would give the utility the ability to build a green building and perhaps do what Councilor Zelenka wanted. Mayor Piercy said she strongly supported solar-generated power but believed the places that the largest solar arrays were being installed were on private buildings because they received a tax credit the public buildings could not receive at this time. It would be easier to install such facilities on publicly constructed buildings if the tax credits were available to governments. Roll call vote; Item C passed unanimously, 7:0. Speaking to Mayor Piercy’s remarks, Councilor Zelenka maintained that EWEB could work with a third- party to install a solar array with the tax benefit to accrue to a third party entity who could use the tax credits. He recalled that the Legislature passed a bill calling for one percent for solar but EWEB had not yet presented him with its plans in that regard. He hoped it would do so soon so Eugene could live up to its billing as the fifth greenest city in America. Speaking to Item D, Councilor Clark said the Agenda Item Summary listed groups who endorsed it; he asked Planner Carolyn Weiss who declined to endorse it. Ms. Weiss deferred to Jeff Krueger of LCOG, who indicated that the Convention and Visitors Association of Lane County had declined to endorse the plan. Councilor Clark recalled that the association had been concerned that the visioning plan in question would become a land use plan over time. He asked how many private acres were involved. Mr. Krueger said that 7,500 acres of habitat block were in public and private ownership, the majority in private; he emphasized the MINUTES—Eugene City Council February 25, 2008 Page 5 Regular Meeting