12/07/1992 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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if the fee increases are related to participation in the program. Mr. Schutz . said that Recreation Services cannot reduce tax support by $690,000 as directed without raising youth program fees and/or senior programs. He noted that the Parks and Recreation Commission expressed strong opposition to increased fees in the Aquatics Program. Mr. Schutz said fees will be closely monitored and marketed. Although expensive, he said it may be worthwhile to do a price tolerance study. 6. Planninq and Develooment Abe Farkas, Planning and Development Director, reviewed the guiding principles (council directives) used by the department in designing an implementation plan. He recalled that the department was asked to reduce tax support by $2 million over the next two years, to reduce and simplify regulations and seek alternative types of enforcement, to retain some capacity to respond to community development opportunities, to pay more attention to customers and focus remaining resources on neighborhood issues, and to continue to improve efficiencies. Mr. Farkas described changes in the following areas: code revision/enforcement, business licensing, BCAC costing recommendations, the annexation program restructuring, and the Business Assistance Team phase-down, the downtown phase-down, establishment of a contractual services fund, and the establishment of a neighborhood enhancement team. Mr. Farkas said that reducing and simplifying regulations involve Chapters 6 and 9 of the code, the nuisance code and zoning/land-use code. He said staff will develop alternative enforcement mechanisms to deal with the nuisance code. These will be presented to council for adoption by April 1993, with . implementation by FY94. With regard to Chapter 9, staff will simplify the code and shift it away from discretionary reviews to codified standards, and will seek alternative enforcement mechanisms. Mr. Farkas said changes to this chapter are estimated to take two to three years. Mr. Farkas said the goal in the business license area is to increase solid waste handling fees, and also to reduce monitoring of business licensing. He said some elements of the business licensing plan are already on the council's March agenda. Changes in pre-development conferencing are forthcoming, but it is clear that the department will not be able to continue ongoing consulta- tions that consume large amounts of staff time. The practice may be continued if customers are willing to pay for consultations. Mr. Farkas said staff is analyzing contracting-out of some plan checking services, and it may be possible to implement a program by spring 1993. Mr. Farkas said the goal with annexations is to eliminate the annexation program incentives and assistance to other agencies and special districts. He noted that the Planning Commission developed a report for presentation to the council in the near future. With regard to the BATeam, the goal is to eliminate most of its functions including the following: counseling to small businesses, support to trade and business associations, preparation or distribution of economic development publications, and partnership with the Chamber of Commerce in the business visitation program. Mr. Farkas said staff MINUTES--Eugene City Council December 7, 1992 Page 4 . 4 p.m.