02/27/1991 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

e Mr. MacDonald said that he supports the downtown redesign plan as one compo- nent of a more comprehensive strategy to revitalize downtown. All public information regarding this plan should be free from normative statements. Mr. Nicholson offered support for placing this plan before the voters and emphasized the importance of considering its funding as a part of a compre- hensive strategic financial planning process. Roll call vote; the motion carried unanimously, 7:~. Mr. Boles moved, seconded by Ms. Ehrman, to direct the City Manager not to prepare a voter's pamphlet for this measure. Roll call vote; the motion carried unanimously, 7:0. III. BUSINESS ASSISTANCE TEAM (BAT) SEMIANNUAL REPORT Lew Bowers, Planning and Development Department, briefly reported on the activities of the BATe am and the state of business development in Eugene. He noted that a comprehensive activity report is included in the council's agen- da packet. e Mr. Bowers noted that since its creation, a major goal of the BATeam has been to promote community-wide diversification and job creation by assisting with business start-up, retention, expansion, and recruitment. Consistent with these efforts, the community's attempts to move away from a reliance on the wood products industry has been largely successful. However, this diversifi- cation strategy has not been without problems, namely a decline in the per- capita family income and an increase in the unemployment rate. This concern is even more significant in light of an apparent recession. Mr. Bowers said that the BATeam coordinates its efforts with a number of local community groups, including the Metro Partnership, Eugene-Springfield Chamber of Commerce, Southern Willamette Private Industry Council (SWPIC), Lane Community College, and the Business Assistance Network. Mr. Bowers said that BATeam activities can be divided into three major cate- gories. Financial assistance, the first category, involves the Business Development Fund. The goal of the fund is to create jobs for low- and moder- ate-income residents. Efforts toward financial assistance also include a variety of other development financing mechanisms targeted at financial sup- port for downtown objectives. Responding to a question from Mr. Green, Mr. Bowers said that consistent with City bidding practices, the City does attempt to patronize those businesses that are involved in BATeam activities. Mr. MacDonald noted that it is his understanding that most loans leverage private support and asked about the average interest rate on these loans. In response, Mr. Bowers estimated that money is loaned at an average rate of 6 percent. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council February 27, 1991 Page 7