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EUGENE CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY Work Session: Economic Development Committee Recommendation on an Enterprise Zone Meeting Date: February 16, 2005 Agenda Item Number: A Department: Planning and Development Staff Contact: Denny Braud www. cl. eugene, or. us Contact Telephone Number: 682-5536 ISSUE STATEMENT Consistent with the recommendation from the Mayor's Committee on Economic Development, and City Council direction in October 2004, the council is being asked to consider submittal of an application to the State of Oregon in 2005, for establishment of an enterprise zone in Eugene. BACKGROUND On October 11, 2004, the council directed the City Manager to proceed with an application to establish an enterprise zone in Eugene, jointly sponsored with and supported by Lane County, based on the recommendation of the Mayor's Committee on Economic Development, and consistent with State of Oregon guidelines, with the application package returning to the council for approval in advance of the April 25, 2005, State of Oregon application deadline. The Mayor's Committee forwarded the following recommendation: · Establish an enterprise zone in Eugene · Consider a boundary similar to the previous West Eugene Enterprise Zone (Attachment A) · Provide the maximum tax exemption benefit (100%) for redevelopment, infill, and brownfield investments in order to meet the City' s sustainability goals · Limit the tax exemption (consistent with State statutes and rules) to two-thirds for investments occurring on greenfield sites. · Create job quality standards for greenfield investments (consistent with State statutes and rules) that would provide an opportunity for these investments to receive up to the maximum (100%) tax exemption benefit when job quality standards are met. The Mayor's Committee did not recommend specific job quality standards. However, it suggested that job quality be considered based on attractive wages, employee benefits, job training, advancement opportunities, job retention, and utilization of programs that assist disadvantaged workers. A sample job quality standards concept is included in Attachment C. If the City chooses to adopt additional local criteria, the State of Oregon would not require the additional criteria to be included in the application package. Local additional criteria could be created and amended any time prior to the application, or any time during the life of the zone. In accordance with State statutes, additional criteria must be L:\CMO\2005 Council Agendas\M050216\S050216A. doc