01/09/2017 City Council State of the City Minutes

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VII. MUSICAL SELECTION The Gary Rempel Quintet performed "Ashia" by Gerry Rempel VIII. SPECIAL PRESENTATION Mayor Vinis recognized the accomplishments and efforts of outgoing Mayor Piercy with a special presentation and plaque. IX. STATE OF THE CITY ADDRESS Many people have said to me "Boy, do you have big shoes to fill." And I say - I don't have to fill them. Those shoes - that foundation that Mayor Piercy was so instrumental in building - stands on its own. I get to stand on that foundation to take the next steps. Every era brings its own challenges and opportunities. We face a divided nation, tumultuous and dangerous times, and a great uncertainty about the direction of the federal government and the financial capacity of our state to pay for services. That uncertainty and anxiety deepens my resolve - as I believe it should deepen all of yours - that the work we do here in Eugene matters. Cities will lead the way on social justice, climate change, and on growing our own economies. Thankfully, we have a strong record to stand on - we know how to do this work. We have a dedicated and skilled city staff, an experienced and knowledgeable council, and an engaged, passionate and articulate public. I want to do three things in this speech: 1) Share with you the lessons learned in almost two years of preparing for this role 2) Update you on the issues I prioritized in my campaign and how I plan to work on them; and 3) Reinforce my commitment to our shared values of social justice, concern about climate change, and aspirations to create a vibrant, inclusive community. Lessons learned. Communication is the key to everything else. We face a wide array of challenging issues, including neighborhood planning, downtown development, transportation, climate change, homelessness, economic growth, and jobs. Our best path forward will be built on clarity and trust about our goals, our choices, and our investment of public funds. During my primary race and through the fall, I knocked on thousands of doors. The lesson I learned is that we are more alike than different. All neighborhoods value their trees, aspire to more and better parks, are frustrated by traffic, and savor walkability and bike paths. Everyone wants to feel safe. Everyone is troubled by homelessness and concerned about job opportunities and economic growth. As a community we want answers to these issues, and we need information about the choices before us. On any given issue, there are a range of opinions of equal passion. At the end of the day, council will make a decision. How we get to that decision matters. Many of our long-range decisions take years, with lots of input on a shifting landscape. It is easy for the public conversation to get tangled in the weeds. Once the path is lost, it's hard to find common ground again. My goal is to improve our framework for communicating and accounting for our decisions so that everyone feels informed, heard, and is comfortable with the decision-making process. This begins by taking the public's concerns seriously; and taking the time in my first year in office to see from the inside where and how we could improve. MINUTES — Eugene City Council January 9, 2017 Page 2 State of the City