Laserfiche WebLink
<br />. <br /> <br />e <br /> <br />e <br /> <br />M I NUT E S <br /> <br />Eugene City Council Dinner/Work Session <br />Bloch Room--Eugene Conference Center <br /> <br />May 12, 1986 <br />5:30 p.m. <br /> <br />PRESENT: Mayor Brian Obie; Cynthia Wooten, Richard Hansen, Ruth Bascom, Debra <br />Ehrman, Emily Schue, Jeff Miller, Roger Rutan, Freeman Holmer, <br />councilors; City Manager Micheal Gleason; Assistant City Manager <br />Dave Whitlow; Warren Wong, Finance Director; Abe Farkas, Development <br />Director; Public Information Director Barb Bellamy; Elaine Stewart, <br />Scott Luell, Eugene Development Department; Jim Ivory, Eugene <br />Downtown Association; Anne Bennett, Jim McCoy, Downtown Commission. <br /> <br />Mayor Obie opened the meeting. Mr. Gleason requested the addition of an item <br />on law enforcement and jails. <br /> <br />I. DOWNTOWN PARKING PROGRAM <br /> <br />Mr. Farkas reviewed the 12 recommendations for restructuring the current park- <br />ing program. He noted the recommendations to increase the gross receipts tax <br />from $2.50 to $3.50 on an interim basis, and to begin charging a user fee by <br />January 1988 or sooner. He also said the recommendations would be the subject <br />of a public hearing on June 23. <br /> <br />Mr. Farkas reviewed the history of the Downtown Development District, which <br />was formed in the 1970's and was charged with economic promotion, downtown <br />development, and dealing with parking. He said the subsidy provided by the <br />DDD currently was not adequate to support downtown parking operating costs, <br />debt service, and reserve fund, so a change was needed. He also said the <br />present subsidy did not allow setting aside funds for parking needs to be <br />generated by development of sites at 8th and Willamette and 11th and Willa- <br />mette. <br /> <br />Mr. Farkas said that a higher burden on retailers would act as a disincentive <br />to business locations downtown. He also said some people were taking unfair <br />advantage of the free spaces that should be available to shoppers. <br /> <br />Mr. Farkas said a mechanism was needed to provide for future garage needs. He <br />said the parking program was heading in the direction of bankruptcy, and he <br />added that an opportunity existed to bring in about $100,000 annually through <br />users' fees. He also said that ample lead time was needed to deal with the <br />user fee issue. <br /> <br />Mr. Farkas reviewed the public process, noting that a number of public forums <br />and surveys had been conducted. He said a turnover study had indicated that <br />most parking use involved periods of two hours or less. <br /> <br />MINUTES--Eugene City Council Dinner/Work Session <br /> <br />May 12, 1986 <br /> <br />Page 1 <br />