CC MInutes - 07/16/07 Public Hearing

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Councilor Bettman asked how the requirement that the project provide permanent full-time employment for low and moderate income individuals could be substantiated. Mr. Braud explained that the projection for job creation had been based on what the developers submitted to-date and was available as part of the application on the Web site. He underscored that at this point in the process, in that the development had yet to occur, the numbers were just projections. He said ultimately the City would have to monitor the jobs created and demonstrate to HUD that it had complied with the standard. Councilor Bettman spoke to the question of how the City could best inform the public so it could comment knowledgeably. She said the public had a responsibility to oversee the expenditure of public funds and if the City had not provided information, how could the public do so? She suggested that the council extend the public comment period for 30 days after the information was made more accessible by staff. Mr. Braud reiterated that the information was in the application and that was available for public view. Councilor Bettman asked where the information was. Mr. Braud said that information was available at The Atrium Building and he thought the application was online. Councilor Bettman said it was not. Considering the amount of money involved, she wanted to make the information readily available to the public for 30 days. She also did no think the public should have to review the application, but should be able to review findings. Mayor Piercy opened the public hearing and reviewed the rules for testimony. David Monk , 3720 Emerald Street, President of the Citizens for Public Accountability (CPA), requested that the record be left open. He commented that he read The Register-Guard very carefully and did not see information regarding public access to the application. He felt the number of people wishing to speak to this item was indicative of the level of public awareness of the item. He said the CPA hoped the money would be well-spent and that the City would gain a revitalized downtown. He questioned how “blighted” was defined. He thought it was “a stretch” to term some of the buildings blighted. He supported job creation that benefited low- and middle-income citizens. He felt the CDBG moneys had been well used in the past and the CPA wanted them to continue to be used for projects that would benefit the City. Rob Handy , 455½ River Road, was excited about the downtown area and the Broadway development project. He agreed that information was lacking. He thought the criteria for HUD funds could be delineated more clearly. He wondered how the objective of benefiting low- and moderate-income persons could be met. He felt the City should consider using some of the money to defer costs for City Hall or for the potential development of a hospital in the downtown area. He asserted that there were anomalies in the proposal and he hoped it would catch the attention of “a few more public officials.” Mayor Piercy closed the public hearing and called for questions or comments from councilors. Councilor Clark expressed appreciation for the testimony. He cited a recent citizen survey in which 80 percent of the respondents felt downtown redevelopment was their top issue. He felt it was a huge issue and the City was taking an important step forward. He had mixed feelings regarding leaving the record open at this point. He did not want to create a habit of finding any way possible to slow the process down. He pointed out that the hearing was one of the first steps in a lengthy process. Councilor Bettman, seconded by Councilor Taylor, moved to leave the record open for 30 days and to post the application and documentation of consistency with the criteria on the Web site. MINUTES—Eugene City Council July 16, 2007 Page 4 Work Session