CC MInutes - 07/16/07 Public Hearing

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Councilor Solomon asked what the deadlines were on the options to purchase some of the properties. Mr. Braud responded that the options for purchase of the properties primarily expired in September and October. He said if the record was left open it would delay the process and the submittal of the application. Councilor Solomon opposed the motion. She averred that there had been “plenty of opportunity” for people to participate in the process and to comment on it. Councilor Bettman asked how long the public record could be left open and still allow the council to take action prior to its summer break. Mr. Braud replied that action was scheduled for July 23, which would allow for the record to be left open one week. Councilor Bettman asked if it could be scheduled so that the record could be left open for two weeks. City Manager Taylor responded that there was opportunity to cover this at the work session. Councilor Bettman, seconded by Councilor Taylor, moved to change her motion to read that the record should be left open for two weeks and that the Planning and Development De- partment should post the application and articulate how the specifics of the proposal fulfill the objectives of the HUD criteria. Councilor Pryor, seconded by Councilor Solomon, moved to amend the motion to leave the record open for one week. Councilor Bettman thought a one-week timeline was too short for people to access the information, “digest it,” and then give feedback. She did not feel it was reasonable. She asserted that the City should have initially provided all of the information and made it easily accessible and readily available. She alleged that when the City “wanted to let people know about something,” it purchased advertising space in the newspaper. She opined that this was tantamount to an omission. Councilor Clark felt Councilor Bettman was implying that Planning Division staff was “being sneaky” and “trying to pull one by people.” He asked staff how the present proposal had been advertised differently from typical noticing. Mr. Braud replied that staff had adhered to HUD standards for public hearings and the advertising for them. He reiterated that staff followed HUD’s criteria for submitting an application for Section 108 funds. Councilor Zelenka reviewed the calendar. He did not believe the council could meet the deadline that leaving the record open for two weeks would create. City Manager Taylor agreed that this was a dilemma. He underscored that the redevelopment subject had been part of extraordinary public involvement processes and a key cornerstone of a concept on how the City would move forward. He believed that leaving the record open for two weeks would jeopardize the time allowed for the City to submit the application and for HUD to consider it. He added that letting the options on the property expire could make it a more costly process. Roll call vote; the motion to amend failed, 4:3; councilors Pryor, Zelenka, and Solomon vot- ing in favor. Roll call vote; the main motion failed, 4:3; councilors Bettman, Ortiz, and Taylor voting in favor. MINUTES—Eugene City Council July 16, 2007 Page 5 Work Session