05/29/1991 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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e Such cooperative efforts can reduce the costs of providing services and im- prove the level of services that can be provided. Such cooperative efforts can extend into education; can include citizen participation in low-cost solutions (smoke detectors); or can mean that local government requires indi- vidual citizens to bear the burden of responsibility for the provision of services which benefit them directly, such as sidewalk construction and sewer service line maintenance. Mr. Carlson said that specific qualities within the internal structure of the organization will be of a great benefit in the future. Specifically, the organization's ability to accommodate change and its highly qualified and well-trained staff have been identified as strong assets which will benefit it in the future. In addition, the operating equipment and basic utility infrastructure have also been viewed as assets. Mr. Carlson pointed out that inadequate maintenance of City facilities and insufficient funds for opera- tion were two areas identified in the SWOT analysis as detrimental to the organization and should be corrected in the future. e Mr. Boles commented that while the basic financing structures for operating are in place, they are incomplete and noted that the City does not currently have the financing structures in place to replace its infrastructure. Mr. Boles remarked that the environmental analysis is incomplete because it has neglected to address the environmental long-term carrying capacity is- sues, such as air and water quality or the availability of fossil fuels. He said that it will be critical to address these issues if the City is going to meet its Eugene Decisions goal of creating a comprehensive and sustainable service system. Mr. MacDonald agreed with Mr. Boles and said that such additional information would be helpful for all jurisdictions to consider when they begin work on the comprehensive update of the Metropolitan Plan. Noting the already complex nature of the Eugene Decisions process, Mr. Rutan cautioned the council about allowing issues such as long-term carrying capac- ities to complicate the decision-making process. He agreed that the council should be provided with information on the limitations of its physical re- sources in order to make informed decisions. Mr. Carlson agreed with Mr. MacDonald, that the most appropriate place to view carrying capacity issues is in a comprehensive review of both the Metro Plan and the TransPlan. Warren Wong, Administrative Services Director, briefed the council on finan- cial information received in the SWOT analysis. He noted that the City has begun to expand its use of the fee-far-service system and has shifted away from General Fund financing of many services. For the most part, funds sup- ported by special revenues or enterprise funds are in good condition. Mr. Wong said that staff has closely examined the impacts of Ballot Measure 5 on City services. In an examination of all City user fees and charges, none e MINUTES--Eugene City Council May 29, 1991 Page 3