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Councilor Zelenka voiced concerns about holding a work session during the summer when students were not <br />readily available. <br /> <br />The motion passed, 5:2; Councilor Clark and Councilor Solomon voting in opposi- <br />tion. <br /> <br />Mr. Ruiz remarked that staff had responded to council direction in preparing the proposed ordinance and the <br />public hearing had achieved its intended purpose in terms of obtaining public input. He said rental property <br />owners would receive any future information related to the rental housing program. <br /> <br />6. PUBLIC HEARING: Beam Development <br /> <br />Mayor Piercy opened the public hearing and explained the procedures for providing testimony. <br /> <br />th <br />Bob Cassidy <br />, East 27 Avenue, Eugene, suggested regarding the downtown as an education center, <br />specifically using the Centre Court building for the Lane Community College (LCC) downtown facility. He <br />said its structure and location were ideally suited to that purpose and encouraged the council to consider that <br />possibility. <br /> <br />th <br />George Brown <br />, West 17 Avenue, Eugene, encouraged the council to proceed with the Beam development <br />proposal. He said Beam had successfully completed development projects in other communities, particu- <br />larly in Portland, and was a competent, professional business. He suggested development could be <br />accomplished in two phases with the first phase focused on filling the hole and redeveloping the Centre <br />Court Building and saving the Washburne Building for the second phase. He felt the Beam project would <br />encourage other development in the downtown area. <br /> <br />Ms. Jerome raised a point of clarification regarding convening a meeting of the Urban Renewal Agency. <br /> <br />Mayor Piercy adjourned the meeting of the City Council and convened the meeting of the Urban Renewal <br />Agency. <br /> <br />Councilor Bettman questioned why the URA agency needed to be convened when it was federal Department <br />of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) funds that were being used. <br /> <br />Hugh Prichard <br />, Emerald Drive, Eugene, encouraged the council to pursue the Beam development proposal. <br />He said a missing element had been lack of an anchor tenant, but the City could commit to sufficient space <br />to drive the project forward. He described examples of other government entities that had done something <br />similar by occupying problem buildings to help solve civic problems: <br /> <br />? <br /> City of Eugene – Atrium building <br />? <br /> Lane Community College – Montgomery Ward building <br />? <br /> City of Springfield – Springfield City Hall <br />? <br /> Lincoln City – municipal offices <br />? <br /> City of Corvallis – municipal offices <br /> <br />Mr. Prichard said helping to solve difficult problems in the civic environment was an important part of the <br />council’s mission. He envisioned a civic center that was developed incrementally and affordably instead of a <br />new City Hall. <br /> <br /> <br />MINUTES—Eugene City Council May 19, 2008 Page 10 <br /> Public Hearing <br /> <br />