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MINUTES Eugene City Council Work Session McNutt Room--City Hall March 7, 2005 5:30 p.m. COUNCILORS PRESENT: George Poling, Jennifer Solomon, Betty Taylor, David Kelly, Gary Papd, Bonny Bettman, Andrea Ortiz, Chris Pryor. Mayor Kitty Piercy called the work session of the Eugene City Council to order. A. ITEMS FROM MAYOR, CITY COUNCIL, AND CITY MANAGER Mayor Piercy reported that the United Front trip to Washington, DC, was productive and there was good reason to believe that there would be funding for the Interstate 5/Beltline, bike path, and Delta Ponds projects. Ms. Bettman wanted to thank Senator Floyd Prozanski for his advocacy on behalf of the City. She commented that Senator Prozanski had been criticized in the press for defending the rights of cities to participate in the selection of freight routes. She said that Senate Bill (SB) 496, the Forest Legacy Program, passed the Senate, and Senator Prozanski gave an excellent floor speech in support of the bill. She announced that Senator Prozanski and Governor Kulongoski, was conducting a public hearing in Cottage Grove on March 10, 2005, on SB 313 and SB 912 related to the methamphetamine epidemic. Ms. Ortiz reported that the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Task Force had been meeting and Lane County Commissioner Bobby Green had made public service announcements encouraging people to apply for the credit. She said the typical benefit to people who qualified was between $1,000 and $4,000 and that money tended to stay in the community. She invited councilors to attend the Bethel Weed and Seed dinner on March 14, 2005. She pointed out an article in The Register-Guard highlighting the accomplishments of Fairfield Elementary School in the Bethel School District. Ms. Taylor congratulated Mayor Piercy on hosting the recent First Friday Art Walk. She announced that she would be in Washington, DC, in mid-March and would attend a meeting of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Task Force. She requested an accounting of parks in the southern part of the City that identified acreage and park type. She commented that problems related to panhandling were often caused by drivers who stopped to give money. Mr. Pap6 urged support for the Forest Legacy legislation, SB 496. He expressed appreciation for the City's efforts in the Santa Clara/River Road area and the working group that had been formed. He inquired about the status of resident surveys. City Manager Dennis Taylor said that a survey related to issues associated with a community park was scheduled to be conducted in April 2005 and a more comprehensive survey MINUTES--Eugene City Council March 7, 2005 Page 1 Work Session