10/26/1977 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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E. Update in Council Goals Discussion Manager said the schedule for November was: November 9, Police e Services; November 16, Economic Development; and November 23, Council Assistants. II. Report and Request for Council Instruction on Presentation at Department of Transportation Hearing on Preliminary Six-Year Program Excerpts from Program and draft of Mayor's letter distributed. State Highway Commission notified the City on October 13 of a sched- uled hearing on the six-year program for October 27. Excerpts from the proposal were distributed to Council for information as to what is being proposed for Eugene, with Manager noting it was practically zero. He said there were two programs: An "A" program if the gas tax passes; and a "B" program if it does not. He said staff had conferred with L-COG and had looked at the T-2000 plan. He noted the omission of 6th and 7th streets which had high priority in years past, need rehabi- litation and reconstruction and are State responsibility; along with Highway 99 from Roosevelt, north. He said the City's desires could be expressed through a letter from the Mayor, to be presented at the hearing, and used in staff negotiations in Salem. He noted there was a request from people in Junction City for endorsement of their program. He felt the City of Eugene should not be in any position of competing with any particular group for state highway funds. Mr. Haws wondered if it were the process that needed to be changed. - Manager said in the Mayor's letter there is reference that an improved process of allocating funds should be looked at. Mr. Williams noted the seriousness of the situation, saying it was not just in Eugene, nor just 6th and 7th avenues. He said the State was doing almost nothing anywhere in the state in terms of highway construction, as they have few funds. The road systems are deteriorating and with that deterioration the potential for mass transit. He supported the Mayor's letter in expressing the deteriorating conditions in Eugene. Mr. Delay wondered if Eugene was really at a disadvantage, and was not clear how projects are planned and funded. Don Allen replied one of the purposes of the Mayor's letter was to provide an arena for staff to talk to State officials as to how priorities were set. He continued that City staff had been on the initiative and had good rapport with the State staff. He said both Highway 99 and 6th and 7th streets had been high as local community priorities. Staff feels Highway 99 is a state project, noting local capability of financing that project is not present. He noted neither of those projects appear in the proposed six-year program, and staff had assumed they were "a committed status" with the state. e 10/26/77--4 BOG}