12/19/1988 Meeting (2) - Laserfiche WebLink

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e independence of EWEB and the City and urged the council not to impose a utility tax. Katherine Eaton, 1631 E. 24th Avenue, supported the proposed public/private partnership as a way to provide public facilities. She expressed concern regarding the utility tax and suggested that the council consider other mechanisms to support the library.s operation. Ms. Eaton urged the council to refer any proposed tax to the voters. Arthur Shapiro, 2742 Bowmont Drive, presented a memorandum to the council and expressed displeasure that the press had departed from the meeting before all citizens had been heard. Mr. Shapiro said a library must offer convenience, accessibility, and safety to its users. He said the proposed siting did not offer those things but presented a financing scheme to benefit the Pankow Corporation and downtown merchants. Christopher Horton, 1085 Calvin Street, suggested that the library charge a $25 per family annual user fee. He said the utility tax would be taxation without representation. Mr. Horton encouraged the council to sell the existing library facility, use that revenue, and consider existing bUildings (Sears and The Bon) as sites for the library. . Randy Prince, 1819 Columbia, supported an improved library and suggested that Pankow build a six-story building in the vicinity of the bus station. Mr. Prince said a library should be a monumental structure and said the design of the proposed building lacked creativity. He described the proposed building e as an urban, commercially oriented structure that would be inaccessible and inconvenient for library users. Bill Thomas, 1588 W. 25th Avenue, identified himself as chair of the Lane County Chapter of Oregon Tax Payers United. He did not oppose a new library, but said users should pay for it. Mr. Thomas considered the proposed utility tax regressive and said it would negatively impact those low-income families who pay no income or property tax. He anticipated that EWEB customers would refuse to pay the tax. Allen Kibbey, 2130 Greenv;ew, supported a new library and observed that providing an educated work force for the future is a critical task. Mr. Kibbey encouraged people to regard the library decision as one with impact on the future as well as on today1s pocketbook. Bob Cassidy, 1465 E. 27th Avenue, considered the Pankow development an opportunity to build a new library for less. He thought a one-percent utility tax would spread the burden of taxes. Mr. Cassidy suggested that EWEB might increase its in-lieu-of-taxes payment. Al Johnson, 1991 Madison Street, commended staff for the development proposal and called the library the educational heart of the community. He approved the proposed site because of its central location and because it would e MINUTES--Eugene City Council December 19, 1988 Page 7