11/23/1983 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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VI. URBANIZATION REPORT (memo, background information distributed) e City Manager Micheal Gleason introduced the agenda item. Jim Farah of the Planning Department presented the staff report, stating that the draft of the report was being presented in a work-session format. He said that Eleanor Mulder, President of the Planning Commission, and Jim Carlson were present to respond to the council's questions. He added that staff was requesting the council to hold comment open for ten days after the public hearing to allow the Metropolitan Area Plan Advisory Committee to submit written comments. He said that the document submitted to the council was the eighth draft, the document having already been reviewed by the Planning Commission and the Planning and Land Use Committee of the Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Farah said the purpose of the paper was to take the general direction established in the Metropolitan Plan and refine it to suit Eugene's particular situation. Councilor Holmer questioned the language of Proposed Policy 12 on page 21, stating that his own recommendation was that the issue of the land tax not be put out to public discussion. He explained that he did not feel the land tax had a substantial body of public support or understanding. Mr. Farah said the land tax concept came about as part of the development of the "Growth" Chapter in the 1979 Community Goals and Policies and was embodied in Proposal 8. Mr. Holmer said he was concerned with the council distributing the document to the general pub 1 i c in advance of the Community Goal s Conference. In response to a question by Mayor Keller, Mr. Holmer said he felt Proposed Policy 11 was appropriate for inclusion in the report, and he added that it would be decided by the legislature. Mr. Obie said that Policy 12 only committed the council to consider the implications of a land tax, stating that it would be a healthy e exploration if the council had the time. Councilor Holmer stated that he, Mr. Farah, and other staff members had met with Richard Lindholm of the University of Oregon, an advocate of the vacant land tax, to discuss the commercial, political, and economic implications of the land tax. He said the conclusion of that discussion was that the City was not ready to address the issue, stating that many difficulties were involved. He said that making the issue part of the Urbanization Report would require the council to address the issue before it was ready for public discussion. Mayor Keller asked if Mr. Lindholm had mentioned that one of the stronger supporters of the land tax was presently employed in Washington, D.C. Councilor Lindberg questioned Mr. Holmer's suggestion, stating that the land tax issue was already scheduled for review by the Goals Conference. Mr. Holmer said the policy called for a review by the council, not the Goals Conference. He said he did not feel the issue was appropriate for the council at that time. Mr. Farah said the Planning Commission had discussed the issue, adding that the report had originally been drafted to state a "vacant land tax," on which public testimony was given. He said the commission was not willing to forward any discussion of a vacant land tax to the council. e MINUTES--~ugene City Council November 23, 1983 Page 7