CC Minutes - 06/12/06 Work Session

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Mr. Viggiano anticipated the third corridor would be located in Eugene. He said LTD would work with the City on the selection of the corridor, noting that the board generally asked the affected jurisdiction to take the lead on that decision. He further anticipated that construction would occur in 2014-15, putting funding for the corridor outside LTD’s budgeted Capital Improvement Program (CIP). Mr. Viggiano anticipated that 60 to 80 percent of the project funding would come from the federal government, with the remainder to come from a local match. LTD intended to seek opportunities to fund the local match from a source outside of its general fund, such as the Connect Oregon Program. Mr. Viggiano reviewed a schedule for the third corridor selection and construction process, indicating that the corridor would need to be selected by 2007 to ensure service started in 2015. Mr. Viggiano reviewed steps in the corridor selection process. Mr. Viggiano invited questions. Mr. Kelly complained about the slip in the timeline for the third corridor, saying it was painful because the need would be there and would be greater with each passing year. He termed the delay unfortunate. Mr. Viggiano indicated that the timeline depended on funding. The project was moved out in the CIP because LTD could not fund the local match. Mr. Kelly asked if LTD brought the issue to the MPC. Mr. Viggiano said no. Mr. Kelly suggested that might have been appropriate, given the role of the MPC, and added that he previously had no idea the delay was caused by the lack of the local match. Mr. Viggiano indicated that LTD also had to secure the necessary federal funding to match. Ms. Bettman determined from Mr. Viggiano that the Connect Oregon funds were one-time moneys, but there was discussion that they might be renewed. Ms. Bettman noted that the City’s Connect Oregon funds might have been better used for the corridor than the use for which they were intended. Ms. Bettman asked if LTD learned enough from past experience to constrict the timeline, or if the timeline was dependent on money. Mr. Viggiano responded that it was possible the timeline could be compressed, but funding was still an issue. He estimated that construction could be moved up to 2012 if the dollars were in place. Ms. Bettman said the selection process as presented looked good, but it did not reflect the motion included in the council’s packet. Mr. Kelly referred Ms. Bettman to page 20 of the meeting packet, where the selection process was laid out. Ms. Bettman recalled that when the council selected the Coburg corridor, it had done so on a close vote. Much of the data presented at that time supported a northwest Eugene corridor, and she suggested that given the work that had been done and the fact the Coburg corridor did not seem to be viable, the council should place its focus there. Ms. Solomon, seconded by Ms. Ortiz, moved to direct the City Manager to coordinate a process with LTD as described on page 20 of the meeting packet. Mr. Kelly asked that LTD provide the council with the corridor selection criteria when the council considered potential corridor options. He requested that LTD also provide the statistics mentioned by Ms. Bettman that the council considered during its earlier discussions. MINUTES—Eugene City Council June 12, 2006 Page 5 Work Session