02/23/1987 Meeting (2) - Laserfiche WebLink

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e Senate version of the Highway Bill and a bill that can be approved by the House of Representatives as well as the Senate is being prepared. She said council action would reaffirm the Ferry Street Bridge as a priority project in the local transportation system. Ms. Schue said the Legislative Subcommittee considered the most important things to be discussed when some of the councilors go to Washington, D.C., soon and determined that the expansion of Mahlon Sweet Airport, the Riverfront Research Park, and downtown redevelopment should be priorities. She said subcommittee members voted 2:2 on making the Ferry Street Bridge the fourth priority. Therefore, the matter is before the council. Mayor Obie said there are some other important projects that will be discussed in Washington, D.C., and the importance of projects probably will depend to some extent on with whom they are being discussed. Ms. Wooten said the Legislative Subcommittee discussed the super collider project and decided that it is important but that the governors of the northwestern states should work with the Federal Department of Energy about siting the supercollider project in the northwest. She said it is important to limit the City's priority projects so that energy is not wasted and she recommended the list not be increased. e Mr. Rutan said inclusion of the Ferry Street Bridge in the Federal Highway Bill provides an important opportunity for the city. He recommended adding the bridge to the priority projects to be discussed in Washington. Mr. Miller emphasized the opportunity available to the City. He said it is important to begin planning the improvement of the Ferry Street Bridge. He urged inclusion of the bridge in the priorities. Ms. Ehrman agreed with Mr. Miller. She said the bridge is important to the development of the Riverfront Research Park. Ms. Schue said the Ferry Street Bridge is important to the redevelopment of the downtown as well as the development of the Riverfront Research Park. She said the bridge is structurally sound but its capacity needs to be assessed and inclusion in the Federal Highway Bill is a first step. She said it would be foolish not to attempt to get the bridge included in the bill. Ms. Bascom said including the bridge in the highway bill may be premature. She said it is important to get development started in the Riverfront Research Park and the Eugene Water & Electric Board reconstruction finished before addressing the Ferry Street Bridge issue. Ms. Wooten suggested the list of projects be titled "Existing Priorities," "0ngoing Priorities," or "Continuing Priorities" in which the Ferry Street Bridge is included. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council February 23, 1987 Page 9