01/19/1983 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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e e e M I NUT E S Eugene City Council City Council Chamber January 19, 1983 11:45 a.m. COUNCILORS PRESENT: John Ball, Dick Hansen, Freeman Holmer, Mark Lindberg, Brian Obie, Emily Schue, Betty Smith, Cynthia Wooten (commencement to 12:35 p.m.). Adjourned meeting of the City Council of the City of Eugene, Oregon, was called to order by His Honor Mayor Gus Keller. I. ITEMS FROM MAYOR & COUNCIL, APPOINTMENTS, ANNOUNCEMENTS, AGENDA ADJUSTMENTS A. School District 4-J Hearing on Disposition of Surplus Property Councilor Schue said that this evening the Eugene 4-J School District would be taking public testimony on the disposition of certain school sites, including the site of Dunn Elementary School, which is located in her ward. She said that the school play area was used both by the neighborhood and by the Eugene Sports Program and that she would be expressing personal concern at the hearing for retention of the play area in public ownership. She asked councilors to consider directing her to make this a statement from the entire council. She felt that since several school sites were adjacent to, and sometimes even developed in conjunction with, City parks this was an important long-term planning and policy issue requiring coordination between the City and the school district. Councilor Smith agreed that there was a need for such coordination. She wondered what effect designation of the play area as permanent public open space would have on the possible sale of the remainder of the Dunn property. Responding to questions from Ms. Smith, Ms. Schue said that the school district was in the early stages of its planning process for disposition of surplus sites and that she therefore would not make a specific proposal to the school district as to how retention of the play area in public ownership should be implemented, but would instead just encourage the district to consider such retention. City Manager Micheal Gleason said that there was a formal intergovernmental agreement between the City and the school district regarding joint use of co-sited school land and City parkland. He said he also believed that a portion of the Dunn playground was owned by the City or that the City had contributed funds to development of the playground. Councilor Holmer questioned the appropriateness of the council's acting on this item without more adequate notice and information. He noted that the Eugene Chamber of Commerce had made a recommendation to the district that surplus land be disposed of. He said that he had not been involved in developing that recommendation and had not formed an opinion but that he felt the council needed more exploration of the issues before taking action. MINUTES--Eugene City Council January 19, 1983 Page 1