06/22/1992 Meeting (2) - Laserfiche WebLink

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e Responding to a question from Mr. Boles, City Attorney Bill Gary confirmed that the council bill needed to be read twice. Mr. Boles withdrew his motion. Mr. Green withdrew his second. Mr. Boles moved, seconded by Mr. Green, that the bill, with unanimous consent of the council, be read the second time by council bill number only, and that enactment be considered at this time. Roll call vote; the motion passed unanimously, 6:0. Council Bill 4394 was read the second time by number only. Mr. Boles moved, seconded by Mr. Green, that the bill be approved and given final passage. Roll call vote; all councilors present voting aye, the bill was declared passed and became Ordinance 19860. V. PUBLIC HEARING: URBAN RENEWAL AGENCY FY93 BUDGET Mayor Miller adjourned the meeting of the the City Council and convened a meeting of the Urban Renewal Agency. Mayor Miller opened the public hearing. e Russ Brink, 160 East Broadway, spoke on behalf of Downtown Eugene, Inc. (DEI) in favor of the budget. He reminded the council of its commitment to replacing the rest rooms on the mall. Noting that he had received several calls from the public asking that something be done about the central plaza area, Mr. Brink said that DEI favored removal of the fountain and enhancement of the area for public gatherings. Bill Mason, 1803 West 34th Avenue, objected to the light in which the public regards urban rewnewal funds. He said that the perception that the urban renewal fund has a surplus built up by the proceeds resulting from a special downtown taxing district is incorrect. Mr. Mason said that every taxpayer in the community had contributed an extra amount in taxes to the fund. Mr. Mason maintained that urban renewal represented special treatment for one part of the community over another. Mr. Mason said that over the last 24 years, more than $52 million had been "dumped" into downtown, and the taxpayers were promised a relief from taxes in the form of a new tax base. That had not occurred. Mr. Mason believed that the $2 million in urban renewal funds that accumulates each year could be used to address the City's budgetary shortfalls without a tax increase were the district to close and pay its debts. Mr. Mason claimed that taxpayers were paying five times as much for the renewal agency's bills as for school District 4J's bonded debt. He said that taxpayers are interested in the total tax bill, not the General Fund focus of Eugene Decisions. Mr. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council June 22, 1992 Page 6 7:30 p.m.