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APPENDIX P Summary of Public Support for Enterprise Zone Mayor's Committee on Economic Development In January 2004, the Eugene City Council approved the Mayor's request to establish the Mayor's Committee on Economic Development. The City Council charged the Committee "to provide for reviews of past economic development strategic plans, identification of elements that are relevant today, and identification of gaps and areas of opportunity for improvement." The Mayor called upon the Committee to forward meaningful and specific recommendations to the City Council for consideration in the fall of 2004. The charge from the Mayor to the Committee was to move quickly to agreement on a few key actions that could be accepted by the City Council and could have immediate effects on economic development in Eugene. The Mayor acknowledged the history of controversy in Eugene regarding economic development, and the difficulty of agreeing on policies to encourage economic development in ways that are compatible with other City goals regarding environmental quality, public amenity, fiscal responsibility, and fairness. Thus, he did not charge the Committee with creating a complete economic development plan. Rather, his hope was that the Committee members, whose backgrounds reflect the diversity of opinions in Eugene, could find some common ground that could be the foundation for a community-supported economic development strategy that the City Council could adopt. The Committee met eight times from March through July. It discussed existing economic policies and different tools that could improve the economic climate in the City of Eugene. The final recommendation included support for the establishment of an enterprise zone in Eugene. Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce Economic Development Council Financial incentives were identified by the Chamber's Economic Strategy Team to be one of the primary tools used by successful small metropolitan communities that had a positive economic impact on their ability to create jobs. Furthermore, they concluded that the impact of the prior Enterprise Zone in Eugene reflected a net gain for the community. The Chamber's Economic Development Council recommended that the City of Eugene apply to the State of Oregon for designation of an Enterprise Zone in Eugene. A summary of the recommendation is attached. -(Support letters and other supporting documents to be added)