06/09/1975 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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Councilman Keller questioned whether there could be refinement unless or until the commission was in operation to determine how it would function. Mr. Martin called attention to meeting scheduled for Thursday, June 5, at which representative policy bodies would be asked if they were willing to see the Association formed and on what conditions. The County felt they would not be successful in forming such an association unilaterally, that participation of the cities was necessary. Approval of the concept with some stated reservations. he said, would probably get the Association started. He noted meetings at the administrative level had taken place in an attempt to co-ordinate the economic development effort. e Councilwoman Shirey asked if creation of the association was necessary to receive Federal money. Mr. Martin explained that LCOG usually had carried on economic development planning on an areawide basis. Because they cannot continue in that function it becomes encumbent upon the affected agencies to continue the overall plan developed. So now it becomes a matter of implementation strategy, he said, trying to determine what to be done next and priorities so it can be taken to the councils for consideration. Mrs. Shirey said she read the proposal - to cor- rect or minimize negative factors, etc. - as minimizing impact rather than talking about whether there would be one type of industry, to which Mr. Martin said he was reading it in light of community goalS statements. He had no doubt the Council would have' the ultimate say in developing new industry in the community. In response to Councilman Murray, Mr. Martin said 100% Federal funding was originally anticipated by the County. However, since rejection of the County's application there was no information as to the percentage of funding until work program was developed which would come through this emphasis on implementation strategy. There would also be some "spinoff" for the growth study, he said. Councilwoman Beal thought that LCOG should be applying for the grant and doing the planning. And that attraction of new industry should be the function of the Chamber of Commerce. She changed her motion to state that the Council would be interested in finding. out moreabout this project. Mrs. Shirey, the second, concurred, saying that perhaps some of the concerns stated could be passed on to the County Commis- sion at the June 5 meeting. - Mayor Anderson felt the motion as changed would be saying nothing to the Commis- sioners. He felt Council members having concerns should attend the June 5 meeting to obtain answers rather than trying to "delve into the unknown" on the basis of a written document trying to find out what would really happen. He said it was not a case of signing a contract, that the proposal was an attempt to fill a most obvious gap in location of new industry in this area, to have a specific co-ordinated group of public bodies to which industry could look in trying to locate. He felt one or two very desirable industries may have already been lost to this community and the . existing labor pool because there was not the right process through which to work. He noted that industry was interested not only in resources available, materials and labor, but also was concerned the~e days about political and environmental quality of an area and it would take a co-ordinated effort to convince a firm itself that this is where it should locate. Mr. Murray stated his personal concerns - first, that Eugene would again be the "sugar daddy" for a county-wide program in terms of funding; and second, that the city would take part in a proposal that really amounts to an industrial lobby. Beyond those reservations, he said - speaking tor Eugene only - participation should be conditional, based on recognition of adopted goals of a slower rate of growth and still maintaining a viable economic and living environment. Mr. Martin said a resolution could be adopted endorsing the proposal as long as it remained compatible with the goals statements. This would enable the Association to get started. He noted the benefit to Eugene of having a body able to make intelligent choices, de- termining whether industries would be good for the community. And given the unem- ployment situation and involvement in CETA, he felt there were many reasons for be- coming involved in this kind of issue, within the guidelines of goals statements. In response to Councilwoman Beal, he said there was no funding involved at this point. -- 6/9/75 - 14 ~.'IO