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ATTACHMENT B DRAFT EXERPT MINUTES Eugene City Council Regular Meeting Council Chamber--City Hall February 23, 2004 7:30 p.m. COUNCILORS PRESENT: Gary Papd, Nancy Nathanson, David Kelly, Betty Taylor, Bonny Bettman, George Poling, Jennifer Solomon, Scott Meisner His Honor, Mayor Torrey, called the meeting to order. 5. PUBLIC HEARING: An Ordinance Adopting Hazardous Substance User Fees for the Fiscal Year Commencing July 1, 2004. Mr. Taylor said Glen Potter, Fire and Emergency Medical Services staff to the Toxics Board, would outline the recommendations regarding the fees that were subject to the hearing. Mr. Potter stated that the Toxics Board was, for the first time, forced by legislative action to implement a State fee cap of $2,000 per year per facility for the fees. He reiterated that, as explained in the council packet, that the cap inevitably had the effect of substantially reducing fees for larger employees and substantially increasing fees for smaller employees in order to maintain the stability of the program. He explained that this was the foundation for the recommendation that the fees be increased to $31.65 per full time equivalent (FTE) per year. Mayor Torrey opened the public hearing. John Jordan-Cascade, 1575 Larkspur Loop, stated that he had resided in the City of Eugene since 1978. He alleged that the City had let narrow business interests "run roughshod over the public interests." He stressed that the Toxics Right to Know Law was passed in 1996 by a majority of the voters despite the best attempts by business interests to dissuade them. He affirmed the public's fundamental right to know the identity and amounts of toxic chemicals released into workplaces, MINUTES--Eugene City Council February 23, 2004 Page 1 Regular Meeting