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""lIIII 121 e 1/9/61 I A MODERN MERCURY VAPOR STREET' LIGHTING SYSTEM WAS INSTALLED IN THE MAIN DOWNTOWN CORE IN 1960. THIS SYSTEM IS MOUNTED ON PERMANENT ALUMINUM STANDARDS AND HAS BEEN AN EXCELLENT IMPROVEMENT IN THE OVERALL APPEARANCE Of THE AREA. THIS NEW STREET LIGHTING SYSTEM HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED WITH THE COOPERATION Of THE WATER & ELECTRIC BOARD WITH- OUT A BOND ISSUE OR A SPECIAL TAX LEVY. <f I I I I i: SOME PROGRESS WAS MADE IN IMPROVEMENT Of THE CITY'S PARK SYSTEM DURING THE YEAR. MUCH REMAINS TO BE DONE AND LITTLE MONEY WILL BE AVAILABLE AFTER THE MIDDLE OF 1961 WHEN'THE PRESENT 10-YEAR PARK LEVY EXPIRES. FUTURE PROGRESS IN THE C,TY'S PARK SYSTEM WILL DEPEND UPON THE VOTERS Of THE C"ITY Of EUGENE AND HOW THEY TREAT THIS MEASURE AT THE BALLOT BOX IN THE SPRING OF 1961. e BECAUSE OF THE FINE COOPERATION Of THE OFFICIALS Of SEVERAL LOCAL PUBLIC" AGENCIES THE LARGE NORTH BANK PARK IS GRADUALLY COMING INTO BEING. THIS PARK WOULD HAVE BEEN IMPOSSIBLE WITHOUT THE AID AND ASSISTANCE OF THE LANE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS WITH EX- CELLENT COOPERATION FROM THE EUGENE WATER & ELECTRIC BOARD AND THE UNIVERSITY OF OREGON. ABOUT 230 ACRES OF LAND HAS ALREADY BEEN ACQUIRED fOR THE PARK, IN ADDITION TO PRE- VIOUSLY OWNED LAND OF APPROXIMATELY 55 ACRES. THE UNIVERSITY Of OREGON HOPES TO CON- STRUCT ITS NEW FOOTBALL STADIUM IN THE NORTH BANK PARK AREA WITHIN THE NEXT TWO OR THREE YEARS. THIS WOULD BE BUILT ON THEIR OWN TRACT OF LAND WHICH WAS ACQUIRED FROM TSE STATE HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT. I AN IMPORT~NT STEP TOWARD REALIZATION OF EUGENE'S CIVIC CENTER CONCEPT WAS THE ANNOUNCEMENT IN 1960 BY THE STATE OF OREGON THAT IT PLANNED TO LOCATE A NEW STATE OFFICE BUILDING ON THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF SEVENTH AVENUE AT PEARL STREET. THE THREE STORY BUILDING, TO COST $380,000, IS DESIGNED TO HARMONIZE WITH THE ARCHITECTURE OF THE LANE COUNTY COURTHOUSE. CONSTRUCTION WILL BEGIN THIS SPRING AND SHOULD BE COM- PLETED WITHIN A YEAR. ~ ~ C\l ~~ :0 6:0 1960 BROUGHT THE RESIGNATION OF CITY MANAGER ROBERT FINLAYSON AND THE APPOINT- MENT OF HUGH McKINLEY TO FILL THIS POSITION, ALL EUGENE IS APPRECIATIVE OF THE GOOD WORK DONE BY MR. FINLAYSON. HUGH MCKINLEY, FORMER CITY MANAGER OF GRANTS PASS, ASSUMED. HIS DUTIES HERE THE FIRST WEEK IN OCTOBER. WE HAVE HAD EXCELLENT COOPERATION FROM THE POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENTS DURING THE YEAR. THE TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMITTEE HAS BEEN APPOINTED TO WORK WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IN AN OVERALL ATTEMPT TO PREVENT TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS. THEIR WORK, PLUS THE COOPERATION OF OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT, SHOULD DO MUCH TO MAKE DRIVERS MORE SAFETY- CONSCIOUS IN THE NEW YEAR. FULL CREDIT SHOULD BE GIVEN TO ALL CITY EMPLOYEES AND TO THE MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL FOR THE QUALITY AND KIND OF SERVICE PERFORMED LAST YEAR. WE ALL DEEPLY APPRECIATE THE THOUSANDS OF HOURS OF WORK PERFORMED BY THE MANY BOARDS, COMMISSIONS AND COMMITTEES WH"ICH ARE MAKING EUGENE AN EVEN BETTER PLACE TO LIVE AND RAISE OUR FAMILIES. I IN 1959 THE MAYOR'S COORDINATING COUNCIL WAS ORGANIZED. THIS GROUP OF PUBLIC OFFICIALS REPRESENTING TEN LOCAL GOVERNMENTAL BODIES HAS MET REGULARLY TO DISCUSS MUTULA PROBLEMS AND PLANS AND HAS WORKED FOR THE LONG-RANGE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR AREA. THE IDEA or THIS COUNCIL PROVED SO SUCCESSFUL THAT A SIMILAR GROUP Of ABOUT 40 CIVIC LEADERS WAS APPOINTED IN 1960 TO STUDY AREA PROBLEMS. e A GROWING CITY IS ALWAYS BESET WITH MANY NEEDS. SOMETIMES THE DEMANDS OF ITS CITIZENS CAN BE MET, SOMETIMES THEY CANNOT. THE COMPARATIVELY SMALL AMOUNT OF FUNDS AVAILABLE FOR CITIES MUST BE WISELY SPENT SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE GROUND BETWEEN OFTEN VOCIFEROUS MINORITY GROUPS AND THE LESS VOCIFEROUS MAJORITY. IN THE RACE AMONG TAX- ING GROUPS FOR A SHARE OF THE TAX DOLLAR THE CITIES INEVITABLY COME IN LAST. THE CAUSE FOR THE DITIES DOES NOT HAVE THE POPULAR APPEAL THAT DOES THE CAUSE OF CERTAIN OTHER GROUPS. FURTHER, SOME OF THE TAXING GROUPS SUCH AS FEDERAL AND STATE, HAVE LEGISLATIVE BODIES WITH THE POWER TO TAX. THE CITIES DO NOT HAVE THE POWER -- THEIR CASE MUST BE PROVEN WITH THE PEOPLE AT THE BALLOT BOX. UNDOUBTEDLY, THE SYSTEM HAS MERIT BUT MERIT CANNOT BE USED AS CASH IN SOLVING PROBLEMS Of THE CITIES. THE MANAGEMENT OF A CITY IS BIG BUSINESS, AND BIG BUSINESS MUST LOOK CLOSELY AT ITS POLICY PROCEDURES. IN MANY INSTANCES THE POLICIES OF EUGENE ARE WELL DEFINED, AND WHERE SUCH I'S THE CASE, THE EFFECTING Of SERVICES AND IMPROVEMENTS IS EFFICIENT AND EQUITABLE. A MINIMUM OF CONFLICT ARISES SINCE THE CITY'S ADMINISTRATIVE FORCES CAN PROCEED UNDER WRITTEN POLICY ADOPTED BY THE COUNCIL. I IN OTHER AREAS OF ADMINISTRATION, HOWEVER, POLI~~HAS EVOLVED BY CERTAIN PRE- CEDENTS SET BY THE COUNCIL'S ACTION FROM ~IME TO TIME WITHOUT BENEFIT OF SPELLING OUT. ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURE. IN MANY, IN$TANCES THIS INVOLVES THE QUESTION OF ASSIGNMENT OF RESPONSIBILITY BETWEEN THE PRIVATE CITIZEN AND CITY GOVERNMENT. IN SOME INSTANCES IT IS A MATTER Of DETERMINING WHETHER PHYSICAL IMPROVEMENTS ARE PRIMARILY FOR THE BENEFIT OF A PROPERTY OWNER, FOR THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE, OR TO WHAT DEGREE THE RE- SPONSIBILITY SHOULD BE DEVIDED. e DURING'THE COMING YEAR IT IS MY HOPE THAT POLICY ORDINANCES-OF THE CITY OF EUGENE CAN BE REVIEWED TO DETERMINE THEIR FAIRNESS:AND EFfECTIVENESS IN THE LIGHT OF PRESENT-DAY THINKING. WHERE POLICY PROCEDURE IS HAZY OR ILL-DEFINED IN SUCH MATTERS ~