08/12/1981 Meeting (2) - Laserfiche WebLink

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l .'. e st andards are 1/10usyl/ based on the percentage. Mr.~G1eason pointed out that the gasoline tax had not changed for years and said this area was an example of funding of government being stable for a period of time. Ms. Wooten was not sure how much more people could reasonably be taxed. Six percent on top of all the utilities would project an increase in the utility. She mentioned other means of developing revenues besides taxation. She sug- gested they generate income through other enterprises. Mr. Gleason suggested that in building the city hall they lease out space. Ms. Wooten noted that one city had owned a railroad. Both expressed concern with competition in the private sector and with business failures. Mr. Gleason suggested a user's fee on storm sewer. They spend $1.5 million a year sweeping the streets and cleaning the gutters so water pollution in the river is not so bad. It is done out of property taxes. They could create a utility called a storm sewer utility and charge a user's fee. It shifts the resources for other things. It is more responsive to the electorate. Ms. Wooten said that they could not have a user's fee for everything. It is difficult to sell that kind of government. The council took a five-minute break. D. Four Corners Industrial Area Mr. Gleason said the task team's major job would be to develop a working program. They have prepared a skeleton plan. The team would flesh out the skeleton. One of the first task team issues would be the industrial siting. A city this size should have several industrial sites available. The Four Corners e area is a gamble but has the potential for the biggest payoff. It allows the City to use the existing structures, to reuse the sewer system, water, power, etc. A map of the Four Corners area was displayed. Mr. Gleason pointed out that land in this area was underused, and in many cases vacant. He said a lot of the assembly would have to go on and it would take a public structure to do that. Mr. Hamel suggested that they could use the railroad system already there. Mr. Gl eason agreed. About twenty-five percent of the land is vacant. Many build- ings are sited on large lots. The task team would develop, with the Chamber of Commerce, an industrial siting scheme for the Four Corners area. Mr. Gleason suggested taking the like amount of money and setting it aside in a pool and writing a contract with the Chamber of Commerce to create a similar task team that would help develop this area as an industrial site. They would have to do a survey and answer questions: How much land is there? What is the condition of the land? What is the saleability of the land? What is its market value? Who woul d sell it? What would it be used for? The pool of money would be used along with the retail skills of the people in the community. They would create a proposal. Together they would build a blueprint on the Four Corners area. The City could form a district or the Chamber might have a not-for-profit program. It could be paid for by tax incrementing the district. Industrial revenue bonds could also be used. It could be marketed by a joint public- Chamber group. The proposal would affect the entire community. - MINUTES--Euqene City Council August 12, 1981 Page 5