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can be viewed in their entirety online at: http://www.region2050.org/strategy.html. The complete Strategy document and Technical Report will be placed in a binder in the Council Office. Initially, the planning process proceeded within the framework of the Regional Problem Solving (RPS) program, a state-sanctioned program that promotes flexibility and creativity in addressing regional planning issues. The state statutes that created the RPS process (ORS 197.652-658) empower local governments to apply unique solutions to regional problems in ways that might otherwise run afoul of state administrative rules. The RPS statutes require all of the jurisdictions affected by a regional planning process to participate in that process. In March of this year, however, the cities of Springfield and Cottage Grove took action to withdraw from further participation in the Region 2050 process. The withdrawal of the two cities from the Region 2050 process necessitated that the process be retooled to conform to existing adopted statutes. Accordingly, the Region 2050 Policy Board sought confirmation from the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD) that the desired outcomes and actions proposed in the Draft Strategy were achievable under existing administrative rules and state law. In late April, DLCD confirmed that all of the identified outcomes and actions, with three exceptions, could be accomplished under existing state law and administrative rules. For more information on this important communication between the Policy Board and DLCD, refer to Appendix B on page 47 of the Strategy document. At the April 10 City Council work session on Region 2050, councilors asked several questions related to the viability of the regional planning process that could no longer be framed as a Regional Problem- Solving effort. The Eugene City Attorney’s Office provided a memorandum on Planning for Growth Outside of “Regional Problem Solving Statutes” that addresses this issue (see Attachment B). Among the many issues raised by consideration of endorsement are the following: Issue - Proposed Coordinated Population Allocations : Oregon statutes require coordination of population forecasts on a county-wide basis. The county’s “coordinating body” (in this case Lane Council of Governments) is required to “…establish and maintain a population forecast for the entire area within its boundary for use in maintaining and updating comprehensive plans, and shall coordinate the forecast with local governments within its boundary.” (ORS 195.036). The Lane County Coordinated Population Projections were last adopted in February 2005 for the period 2005 through 2030. These projections are based on historic trends. The Strategy and Regional Growth Concept call for adoption of a new coordinated population allocation that allocates the region’s future population differently than the 2005 population projection, even though the total population for the region would remain about the same. The Regional Growth Concept contains population targets that are significantly different than previous population projections based on historic trends. This is especially the case in Eugene where about 50,000 fewer people would live over the next 50 years than past trends would project. Historic trends indicate that Eugene’s average annual growth rate within the urban growth boundary (UGB) would be about 1.2 % over the next 25 years, slightly higher than the 1.0 % annual average recorded from 1970 to 1995 and somewhat less than the 1.59% recorded from 1990 to 2005. The Proposed Coordinated Population Allocations (see Attachment D) project a 2055 Eugene UGB population of about 226,300 people, or about 56,000 more than currently reside within the Eugene UGB. The projection assumes a 0.6% annual average growth rate, a significantly slower rate of growth than historic trends would indicate. L:\CMO\2006 Council Agendas\M060814\S060814C.doc