09/26/1988 Meeting (2) - Laserfiche WebLink

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e Ms. Wooten moved, seconded by Ms. Bascom, that the bill be approved and given final passage. All councilors present voting aye, the bill was declared passed and became Ordinance No. 19578. III. EUGENE/SPRINGFIELD METROPOLITAN PARTNERSHIP QUARTERLY REPORT Vicki Dietmeyer, Executive Director of the Eugene/Springfield Metro Partnership (ESMP), gave the quarterly report. Ms. Dietmeyer said the industry research ESMP has been working on for the past two years was completed in late June. She said ESMP will now be working on marketing packages aimed at each of the ten industry sectors that ESMP will be concentrating on. Some of the marketing materials have been completed. Marketing recruitment adVisory councils will be formed to look at more extensive marketing strategies for each of those sectors. Ms. Dietmeyer reviewed several recruitment cases the ESMP has pursued. During the second quarter of the calendar year, 114 cases were handled. Activity in the third quarter was slower in this area and across the state. Ms. Dietmeyer said the United Parcel Service signed a lease in Springfield recently. The ESMP has been working on this project since 1986. The ESMP has also been working on a case for a secondary wood-processing firm that has outgrown its facilities in another Oregon community. She said this firm has e concerns about the tax rates in the area, being able to get an enterprise zone, and dealing with issues of the Lane Regional Air Pollution Authority. Ms. Dietmeyer said the Fantus Company has brought several cases to the ESMP. Recently an insurance company decided not to locate in the area in favor of Tucson, Arizona, because of the rain. Ms. Dietmeyer said there are four Japanese firms considering location in this area. A meeting of the Oregon Economic Development Department (OEDD), both City Managers, and representatives of the area Chambers of Commerce will be held to brainstorm on extra steps that may be taken to indicate that the community is able to understand and adapt to Japanese businesses and Japanese people. Ms. Dietmeyer described a special marketing package detailing the area's cultural and business relationships with Japan that had been assembled for one of the firms. Mr. Miller asked how serious of a problem the community faces because of wetlands issues. Ms. Dietmeyer said this is a critical problem. She said it is estimated that 75 percent of Eugene's industrial properties are wetlands. Ms. Dietmeyer said ESMP hopes that some developers will be willing to deal with the wetland issues now so that a prospect will not be caught in that process. She said it is hard for her to understand why other states are not dealing with wetlands issues. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council September 26, 1988 Page 5