CC Minutes - 01/09/06 Work Session

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hoped that a buildable land survey would be available as soon as possible. Mr. Pryor said that the use of rail was increasing as the cost of overland trucking rose due to fuel prices. Mr. Pryor said that Lane Metro Partnership Executive Director Jack Roberts was interested in pursuing a Supreme Court position and, if successful, would continue in his current position. Mr. Pryor said the Enterprise Zone Committee continued to develop initial concepts related to standards for types of jobs, training, reporting and investments. He said the 1997 standards were being reviewed for applicability and to determine if they could be updated to benefit the community and enterprise zone businesses. Ms. Bettman said she would provide the council with a report on her attendance at the National Association of Citizen Oversight of Law Enforcement conference. She said she had an opportunity to meet the external police auditors from Portland, Oregon and Denver, Colorado. She said the Police Commission subcommit- tee that was developing a job description and qualifications for Eugene’s external police auditor completed its work and its recommendations would be submitted to the Police Commission on January 12. The council would receive the recommendations at its January 18, 2006, meeting. Mr. Kelly related that he received calls regarding noise associated with railroad crossings and a constituent email noted that the Federal Railroad Administration would conduct no-cost, unannounced monitoring of noise levels to provide solid data confirming or refuting claims that noise levels were increasing or out of compliance. He said a government could request that monitoring service and asked City Manager Dennis Taylor to explore the possibility and respond in a memorandum. He also asked for an update on the results of an earlier council motion regarding quiet zones. Referring to a memorandum from a subcommittee of the Human Rights Commission that reviewed the homelessness action plan, Mr. Kelly asked that the City’s homeless team’s response to that memorandum be provided to the council. Mr. Kelly invited the general public to attend a lecture on peak oil at the Hilton Hotel on January 10 at 7 p.m. Ms. Taylor introduced a visiting city councilor from Casper, Wyoming. She indicated she wanted to see an agricultural land study conducted in cooperation with Lane County. She said she received email regarding the escalation of fines assessed under the new housing regulations and agreed with the complainant that escalating fines for non-payment was unfair. She did not feel that escalating fines served any purpose and asked if the matter could be discussed. City Manager Taylor replied that the item could be set for a work session if a majority of the council wished to do so. He said the purpose of the regulations was to bring property owners into compliance and fines were a way of doing that. He said that in cases where compli- ance was an issue on a daily basis, escalation of fines brought about compliance sooner rather than later. Ms. Taylor asked whether a person would be put in jail if they did not pay the fines. City Manager Taylor said he did not know if jail was a possibility; but, at a certain threshold of noncompliance, the matter would go to Municipal Court. Mr. Papé thanked all those who made it possible to restaff Fire Station 9 and congratulated staff for obtaining the federal grant to support that effort over the next four years. He said he also received constituent calls regarding railroad noise and hoped that the City would pursue free federal monitoring of noise levels. He commented that increased freight traffic hampered passenger rail traffic between Eugene MINUTES—Eugene City Council January 9, 2006 Page 2 Work Session