12/15/1986 Meeting (2) - Laserfiche WebLink

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Mr. Hearn said the Police, Fire and Emergency Services Department has 30 fewer firefighters than in 1979 and, in addition, operates the ambulance service. e He said the Willakenzie Fire Station has been abolished, a truck company has been eliminated from the South Eugene Fire Station, the Bailey Hill Fire Station is not staffed, and some companies have only two firefighters. He said the bonds for the airport expansion will be 20-year bonds and he wondered if the council will guarantee there will be no service reductions for 20 years. He urged the counci 1 not to fund the airport expansion from the capital improvements budget. Steven Mays, 660 Conger, is Vice President of Clark Sheet Metal, Inc. He said the company has been in Eugene for 35 years and employs between 100 and 150 people. The company designs and manufactures woodworking equipment. He said 90 percent of the company's business used to come from the northwest. Because of the depression in the woodworking industry from 1980 to 1984, the company changed and now less than 20 percent of its business comes from the northwest. He said company officials use the Eugene airport every working day. Mr. Mays said the president of the company stated that Eugene's airport is one of the poorest he has seen in cities of Eugene's size. He said the airport is an embarrassment. Mr. Mays said the development of cities used to be influenced by railroads, rivers, and ocean ports. Now, the economic well- being of cities is influenced by the quality of airport service. He said the airport expansion will have no effect on regular City services and the $6 million City share of the expansion is a bargain. He sa i d the long-term economic benefits to the University of Oregon, businesses, the Riverfront Research Park, and other parts of the community exceed the cost of the airport expansion. He urged its approval. e Joseph Dehn, 5340 Saratoga, said the airlines and people who use the airport should pay for its expansion. He said many Eugeneans do not use the airport and many people who use the airport do not live in Eugene. He said a charge of $1 for each passenger would pay the $550,000 debt service for the expansion. He said the money for the debt service on the airport bonds will come from Eugene taxpayers. He said there probably will have to be new taxes to pay for the expansion. Chuck Missar, 959 Terry, said he represents Spectra Physics Retail Systems, and the company supports the airport expansion because it will result in more flights in and out of Eugene and because better access to other cities will increase Eugene's economic diversification. He sa i d the commun ity wi 11 continue to lose jobs, the infrastructure will decline, and there will be much personal suffering if Eugene1s economy is not diversified. Mr. Missar said the level of primary services should be maintained in Eugene. He said a viable library, an award-winning Police, Fi re and Emergenci es Services Department, and Parks and Recreation Department servi ces are important to Spectra Physics employees. He said both an improved airport and a good library are important to the quality of life in Eugene. He said the funding sources for the library and other City services are different from the funding sources for the airport expansion. He said an investment in the airport expansion will pay long-term rewards. He urged its approval. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council December 15, 1986 Page 6