01/16/1991 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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'~''''''~ II. WORK SESSION: HAZARDOUS MATERIALS PERMITS . City Manager Mike Gleason provided an overview of the topic and introduced Nancy Short, Hazardous Materials Program Manager, and Greta Utecht, Planning and Development Department. Ms. Short reported that the sections of the Eugene Code authorizing the in- spection of hazardous materials facilities and issuance of hazardous material licenses were adopted in January 1989. Revisions to Section 3 of the code are now needed in order to bring businesses handling hazardous materials into compliance with code requirements while the City continues to conduct in- depth investigations about the conditions needed for permanent licensing. The revisions will also authorize the City to attach detailed conditions to perm,it and license approval and establish criteria for the approval, denial, suspension, and revocation of the permit or license. Ms. Short indicated that several issues have been raised since program imple- mentation in August. She noted that because of the complex nature of the licensing process, it became apparent that the time frame for issuing the licenses needed to be extended. All businesses are required to have a haz- ardous material license to come into compliance with the code. Unfortunate- ly, time line extension has delayed the generation of revenues needed to fund the program. The other issue raised since program implementation has to do with ordinance enforcement. The current code wording is unclear with respect to the City's authority to impose an administrative civil penalty on those businesses not in compliance with conditions of their license. In summary, . she said that staff is recommending that an interim status permit be issued in order to allow businesses to gain compliance with the code and start the generation of revenues necessary to fund the program. Staff also recommends that the language be clarified regarding the ability to establish the admin- istrative civil penalty mechanism upon license violation. Ms. Short said that she has spoken to the Associated Lane Emergency Response Team, a group composed of several businesses affected by the licensing, who commented that the use of the administrative civil penalty mechanism might be premature. Ms. Short noted that the intent to use this mechanism of enforce- ment was already in the code. Mr. Nicholson asked whether the ordinance contained a provision stipulating that places that sell hazardous materials are required to take them back from the persons who originally purchased them in order to increase the likelihood that such materials are disposed of in a safe manner. Ms. Short responded that the current ordinance does not address this issue. Ms. Bascom commented on the importance of ensuring full cost recovery by the City for the licensing program. (At 1:10 p.m., the council recessed for ten minutes to hold a press confer- ence with Thorn Alberti, representing Peace Works, on the topic of peaceful protests activities taking place in Eugene.) . MINUTES--Eugene City Council January 16, 1991 Page 4