04/15/1981 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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e All councilors agreed with the procedure. B. Lincoln School Mr. Farah explained that the school board has decided to close Lincoln School at the end of the school year. The City has money invested in the school through Community Development Block Grant funds. Staff has taken some very preliminary steps to see if it could be maintained as a public facility and if public access could be maintained. They have met with the school district administration and explored the concept with them. Staff agreed to assemble some cost data and plans for the facility after ideas of usage have been explored. Mr. Farah asked if they should proceed further. Mr. Gleason said that they have done the preliminary work. The school board is interested in working with the City. It would be held as a public facility since Eugene is a growing City. It could possibly be needed in 10 or so years from now as an educational facility. That option could be left open by some lease arrangements which would maintain the building in public ownership. Improvements would have to be made. If the council approves, Mr. Gleason would set up an executive task force to pursue lease agreements, arrangements for financing, etc. He asked if the council wanted to pursue this course. The school district is very interested in working with the City and would not require the City to buy the equity in the building. e Councilors expressed their agreement with the actions suggested by Mr. Gleason. Mr. Obie suggested it could house non-profit agencies. He said he would provide information on a similar project. Ms. Miller suggested a day-care center for downtown workers. Mr. Gleason said that he would go ahead and pursue the issue. He would bring back a series of proposals, working with the neighborhoods, non-profit agencies and others, in order to pursue this with the school board. VI. ORDINANCE FOR SECOND READING Conference Center Leasing and Financing Jeff Tashman, Department of Housing and Community Conservation, explained that at the last council meeting, the council had one question that they wished to discuss this week concerning the lending of credit to the Hilton Hotel. He introduced the Eugene Renewal Agency counsel, Joe Richards. Mr. Richards said that councilor Wooten suggested that, in fact, the convention center would be a publicly owned and financed facility that would be in private use. She asked whether that would be in violation of Article 11, Section 9, of the State Constitution, which provides that the City cannot lend its credit to a private corporation. Mr. Richards said the answer to her question is no, it does not violate the Constitution, and the reason that he was confident of this is that the Court of Appeals had addressed the same situation in 1979. It was the case of the Thunderbird Motel vs. the City of Portland and the Marriott Hotel Cor- poration. The City of Portland sold land to the Marriott and at City expense there was to be built a sky-bridge and tennis courts adjoining the hotel; these would be managed by the Marriott. The Court of Appeals said that it was the City that was building the courts and would continue to own them. Secondly, on - MINUTES--Eugene City Council April 15, 1981 Page 11