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Ms. Taylor asked that the council be given the same privileges as other community members to sit in on the <br />interviews of the candidates for the position of Planning Director. She hoped the council would get a chance <br />to discuss the qualifications that councilors would like to see the new director have. <br /> <br />Ms. Taylor noted a complaint she received from the Eugene Garden Club, a nonprofit organization, which <br />was concerned about the $18,000 alley improvement assessment the club must pay. She hoped there was a <br />way the City could waive the assessment for the club. <br /> <br />Ms. Taylor was distressed that the memoranda the council received on the recommendations of the Mayor's <br />Committee on Economic Development indicated the council voted 7:1 to accept the report, which it made it <br />sound as though the council adopted the recommendations. She said it was merely good manners to accept <br />the report. <br /> <br />Ms. Taylor noted that Lane Regional Air Pollution Authority was seeking a new director, and invited <br />suggestions. <br /> <br />Mr. Kelly wished departing Planning and Development Director Tom Coyle well in his new position in <br />Kansas City. <br /> <br />Mr. Kelly conveyed his thoughts about the hiring of a new, permanent planning director. He favored an <br />open community process as proposed by City Manager Dennis Taylor. He said that applicants would have <br />different strengths; some would be more focused on the administrative side of the job, while others would be <br />more visionary. Mr. Kelly believed Eugene needed a visionary director who could clearly articulate the <br />council's visions and goals for the community from a planning standpoint. He quoted speakers at a recent <br />American Planning Association Conference, who suggested that planners must push the public to think <br />beyond today's problems and issues to consider what the public would want in ten to twenty years, and that <br />it was increasingly important for planners to look beyond land use and consider social, cultural, and <br />economic factors. The speakers indicated more civic engagement was required. <br /> <br />Mr. Kelly believed the new planning director should strongly identify with the general idea of growth <br />management, and the adopted growth management policies should resonate with that individual. He <br />suggested that because the manager planned a deliberative and slow process, a work session be scheduled on <br />the topic of the future of the Planning and Development Department and the future planning director. <br /> <br />Mr. Pap6 welcomed members of the council back from spring break. <br /> <br />Mr. Pap6 said he attended a UTRACK meeting regarding passenger rail on March 18. At that time, he <br />spoke with Tom Milligan, passenger rail manager for the Union Pacific Railroad, who indicated the <br />company had no plans to change its use of the rail yards it owned in Eugene. In fact, the company was <br />considering increasing their use. He cautioned the council against spending time and energy planning for the <br />future use of the rail yards if they were not available in the near term. <br /> <br />Mr. Pap6 also welcomed back the members of the National Guard. <br /> <br />Mr. Pap6 thanked Mayor Piercy for participating in the recent Arbor Day Ceremony. <br /> <br />MINUTES--Eugene City Council April 11, 2005 Page 2 <br /> Work Session <br /> <br /> <br />