CC Minutes - 01/24/05 Mtg - Laserfiche WebLink

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Councilor Kelly, seconded by Councilor Taylor, moved to amend the motion to delete the definition of 'weight receipt' from Section 1 of the Ordinance, and to delete subsections (2) and (3) from EC 3.483 in Section 4 of the Ordinance. Speaking to his amendment, Councilor Kelly said this was not a refund for diesel fuel sitting in a tanker truck, but rather was a refund for fuel used while rolling down the road. He had asked staff if there was a way to craft a broader refund so that a business with gasoline-powered vehicles that delivered out of the area could have a mechanism for applying for a refund. He felt this was in the interest of fairness. Councilor Solomon asked if the City of Springfield had an 80-percent diesel refund. City Manager Taylor affirmed that it did. Councilor Taylor indicated she would support the amendment for reasons stated by Councilor Kelly. Councilor Pap~ appreciated the intent but questioned the pragmatics of implementation. He predicted that drivers would mostly purchase diesel fuel outside of City limits. Councilor Bettman asked, given that analysis had indicated that probably five to seven percent utilization of City roads as opposed to the 20 percent figure that staff generated. Mr. Corey responded that the 80 percent/20 percent split mirrored the City of Springfield. He said a relatively small number of companies fit into this category and received this refund. Councilor Bettman asked if the refund was made annually and how it was checked for accuracy. Mr. Corey replied that the refund program was administered through the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) tax group. He said the City had not had this particular provision in the ordinance to date so as a matter of stewardship he averred it would not be a bad idea to check on it from time to time. Councilor Kelly reiterated that his amendment was based on the principle of fairness, as a business with similar patterns of driving that utilized gasoline for fuel should be able to qualify for such a refund. Councilor Poling opposed the amendment. He said Eugene needed to keep a level playing field with Springfield. He felt it was a fair and equitable way of dealing with the people who own trucking companies but were running their businesses out of the community. Councilor Kelly commented that, should the gas tax pass, Springfield would have a gas tax of three cents per gallon and Eugene would have a gas tax of five cents per gallon, and this, in his opinion would not maintain a "level playing field" between the two cities. Roll call vote; the motion to amend failed, 5:3; councilors Taylor, Bettman, and Kelly voting in favor. Roll call vote; the main motion passed, 7:1; Councilor Taylor voting in opposition. MINUTES--Eugene City Council January 24, 2005 Page 14 Regular Session