CC Minutes - 01/10/05 WS - Laserfiche WebLink

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(2) A collaborative process will require a greater commitment of time by City staff and the council, as many of the decisions made by the previous council will need to be reopened for discussion. Mr. Penwell suggested that Option 2 in the staff report include a sub-category whereby staff and an outside consultant design the public outreach process for review and approval by the council. Assistant City Jim Carlson stated that his first task as the assistant city manager was to staff the Police/Fire Building Task Force, and he believed that much progress had been made over the past five years. Mr. Carlson noted that the previous council decided not to move forward with the construction of a public safety building; rather, it directed staff to refine the master planning around that building and return such a plan to the council for review and approval, followed by a public process to move the project forward. City Manager Taylor announced Ms. Bettman requested that, due to her absence, a vote on this issue not be taken at this meeting; however, he stressed it would be most helpful to staff to receive input from the council on the information provided in the council packet. Ms. Taylor urged that staff ascertain from the public if, in fact, it wanted to replace City Hall, prior to a public process on how to move forward with a design plan. She stressed that input from local architects to remodel City Hall had never been considered, nor had costs to retrofit the City Hall researched. Ms. Taylor suggested that staff bring this issue to neighborhood groups for input, followed by advertisements in local newspapers and public hearings. Mr. Pryor stated he was supportive of community outreach rather than "selling a product." He believed that effective outreach was costly; however, a cap of such costs should be determined. Mr. Kelly requested that staff ascertain if a majority or minority of those attending the City Hall design charette believe the City Hall should be retained and remodeled. He noted that a broad segment of the community would not participate in a public outreach campaign on this subject, as a need for replacement is primarily recognized by individuals who are engaged with City Hall on a regular basis. Mr. Kelly concurred with Ms. Taylor that the public must initially weigh in on the need for a new city hall. Ms. Ortiz stated her belief that the City Hall must be separated from the Police Department as the current model is intimidating to some members of the public. In response to a question from Ms. Solomon, Mr. Carlson replied that the $75,000 cost would cover only the plan; however, he emphasized that public participation would be included in implementation of the plan. Ms. Solomon voiced frustration at the length of time that this project had been under consideration. City Manager Taylor emphasized that outside consultant assistance would be most beneficial in advising the City on best practices to involve the public in this process, especially around facility planning. Mr. Poling stressed that the costs associated with this project needed to be itemized so that the council and the public were well aware of each expense. He also requested that for the convenience of the citizenry, a city government center with all services in one area be the focus of staff. Mr. Poling concurred that a decision with regard to City Hall must be made quickly. Mayor Piercy urged the council to provide input for a sound process to staff over the next few weeks. MINUTES--Eugene City Council January 10, 2005 Page 5 Work Session