02/08/1988 Meeting (2) - Laserfiche WebLink

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e e e City residents. Mr. Chapman said the proposed annexation, about one and one-half miles from the city limits, could not be provided police service comparable to that received in the remainder of the city. He said he believed any claim by staff to the contrary certainly was very suspect in view of the statements by former police chief Packard, quoted in yesterday's Register-Guard. In addition, he noted that just over one year ago, the Crime Action Task Force report stated that "Eugene's ratio of 1.17 officers per 1,000 population was the lowest on the West Coast.1I Mr. Chapman said the Portland Oregonian last Thursday had reported "in large type" that "Reported Crime jumped nearly 20 percent in Eugene.1I He said the question must be asked, "How much more can the citizens of Eugene stand to have their police service diluted?1I Mr. Chapman said the RR/SC Urban Facilities Plan also contained a policy in regard to fire service upon annexation. That policy stated, liAs annexation occurs, Eugene shall provide for a level of fire and emergency services comparable to that received in the remainder of the city. He said a comparable level of fire services was not provided by the volunteers in the Santa Clara Rural Fire District and by the City of Eugene. If the SCRFD were to terminate its contract with the City, Mr. Chapman asked how the City would provide fire service to the area proposed for annexation tonight. He said he hoped each councilor had had an opportunity to read the Appendix A from the Urban Facilities Plan, which had been submitted for the record. He said that appendix made clear that the City of Eugene had no legal claim to either the fire stations or the fire trucks of the Santa Clara Fire District. Mr. Chapman said the present contract with the district had been drawn up quickly at the time of the Santa Clara Square annexation and never had been intended to serve as a long-term agreement. The City had proposed a long-term agreement in 1985, he said, but that agreement violated State law, and no long-term agreement had been made. The exchange of correspondence was included in the packet he submitted tonight, Mr. Chapman added. Mr. Chapman said the prOV1Slon of police and fire services to the area proposed for annexation also was relevant to Eugene Code Section 9.158 (2)(c), which required that an annexation would result in a boundary in which service can be provided in an orderly, efficient, and timely manner. He said the proposed annexation conflicted with the orderly, efficient, and timely provision of sewer service to the areas of Santa Clara and River Road already developed and subject to the sewer hookup schedule of the EPA grant. Because the hook-up schedule pertained to developed property, and not to undeveloped property, priority to the construction capacity of local contractors should be given to projects that served developed property, not undeveloped property. For example, he said, construction of sewer lines last summer along Irving Road and Santa Clara Avenue had to be canceled when bids for the project had come in over estimates because of the shortage of sewer contractors in the Eugene area. Mr. Chapman said it had been stated tonight that the line now was estimated to cost S800,000. If sewers were built where they were not needed, the work would occupy contractors and workers that could not be used where they were needed. MINUTES--Eugene City Council February 8, 1988 Page 26